This sequel always intrigued me. It followed the first movie directly. It followed so well that you could edit the two movies together successfully. Jamie Lee Curtis, Charles Cyphers, and Donald Pleasance all returned to their roles and that Myers boy is still up to no good. I personally love Halloween II. A lot of people hate it but I found it to be pretty interesting. I found out that a surprising number of people have not seen this movie as of yet. That's surprising because they play this all of the time on television. Anyway, I will be spoiling this film further down the article.
While the plot of the first movie continues, Michael Myers had taken the shots that Doctor Loomis unloaded on him and walked away. Leaving a beaten and terrified Laurie Strode to be rushed to the hospital. Doctor Loomis and the Sheriff continue their manhunt leading eventually to Michael Myers tracking down Laurie to the hospital she was admitted to.
This has a very dark brutality to it. The call backs to the style of the first movie add a great deal of suspense and continuity. Parts are hokey and the story may get muddled, but it is a brutal slasher from the beginning to the end. Don't get me wrong this is no Halloween, but this is a welcome sequel that dives deeper into the Haddonfield mysteries. This has a decent body count too. Eleven!
The murders are pretty grotesque. Some are hard to watch. I am not a big fan of syringes. They are too... pricky. The side story with Dr. Loomis and the Sheriff is interesting too. Their search shows how the town is reacting to the recent killings. The story with the hospital staff is the same way. They talk about Laurie, and that adds another element to her. Not to mention the big swerve for her.
You could say that this movie began a big push for the lore of the film to unfold. It's in this film that we discover that Laurie Strode is Michael's sister. His near supernatural power of invulnerability is on full display here as well. Not only has he taken numerous slugs from that sidearm of old Loomis, both at the house and the hospital. But he has also taken two to the dome courtesy of his sister. Laurie. Oh, then he is blown up.
But Michael Myers comes back, just not in the sequel. It wouldn't be until the fourth installment of the Halloween franchise that the Shape would make his murderous return. Laurie would not. However for all of you hardcore Doctor Loomis fans, he will be back. Don't you worry. Sir Pleasance will return.
Halloween II is scary for all the reasons that Friday the 13th was or certain parts of the original were. This is definitely a slasher movie and with an obviously larger budget. Casual horror movie fans will appreciate the franchise factor. It's always fun to see a franchise killer working. Hardcore fans will have fun putting the two movies together and poking holes. If you watch this with friends, then expect the Mystery Science Theater treatment. But those murder scenes though.
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance, Charles Cyphers and Dick Warlock
Country: USA
Style: Suspenseful Teen Slasher - Michael Myers
Studio: Universal Studios
Did ya know...
To get the role of Michael Myers, Dick Warlock revealed that as he passed by a room, the Michael Myers mask was on a table. He put the mask on and walked into Rick Rosenthal's office and stood there. After Rosenthal continuously asked him who he was and he didn't reply, he took off the mask and asked if he could play Michael Myers.
The sequel, though not as successful at the box-office as the original Halloween (1978), still grossed more money than other 1981 horror movies such as The Howling (1981), Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), and The Final Conflict (1981).
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