On a meager $325,000 budget, John Carpenter’s Halloween was a smash hit, grossing $47 million at the box office. The critical response was somewhat mixed, but it was clear that the filmmakers had struck gold. Producer Irwin Yablans wanted to make a sequel, but John Carpenter wasn’t interested, feeling the original worked on its own. Carpenter eventually agreed to work on the sequel as a writer and producer alongside his partner Debra Hill. Since he wouldn’t be directing, Carpenter wanted his friend Tommy Lee Wallace to take over, but he declined. Instead, they hired relative newcomer Rick Rosenthal, who impressed Carpenter with his short film, The Toyer. With a budget of $2.5 million, the film was produced under Dino De Laurentiis and distributed through Universal Pictures. On October 30, 1981, Michael Myers returned to slash his way through the big screen in Halloween II.
%
Rating
Synopsis
After being shot out of a window, Michael Myers escapes, much to the worry of Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance). He teams up with Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) to find Michael and stop him before he kills more people. Unfortunately, Brackett leaves Loomis after learning that Michael killed his daughter, and Loomis accidentally gets a young man killed. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken to the hospital for her injuries, barely surviving Michael. Before long, Michael learns where Laurie is being treated and heads to the hospital to finish the job. As Loomis continues his investigation, he learns more about Michael, including his connection to Samhain and the occult. Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) informs Loomis that he must return to Smith’s Grove by the governor’s orders. However, Loomis decides to go to the hospital to save Laurie from Michael after learning the awful truth.
Review
While John Carpenter’s film wasn’t the first slasher, it was the one that started the trend that would soon follow. If the original was a trendsetter, Halloween II feels like one of the many cash-ins that came afterward. The original did have some brutal kills and some nudity, but this film doubles down on those elements. Admittedly, they were trying to keep up with the emerging slashers at the time, so I can’t blame their decision. Plus, the kills are some of the stand-out moments of the film, even if some of them are ridiculous. Director Rick Rosenthal does try to maintain the same look and feel as the original, which is admirable if derivative. There are some suspenseful moments, and the hospital setting adds some dread and a sense of isolation to the mix. It helps that much of the same crew returned to work on the sequel.
Like the first film, Donald Pleasance adds plenty of class to the production, even with a few questionable moments. Unfortunately, Jamie Lee Curtis spends much of the movie in bed and doesn’t do much until the third act. Most of the runtime is devoted to the hospital staff, who are memorable in their way, especially Leo Rossi’s Budd. You’ve also got Lance Guest as the likable EMT pining for Laurie, who would later star in The Last Starfighter. Dick Warlock replaces Nick Castle as The Shape, and he does an excellent job with his body language and movements. My only other major gripe is with the film’s twist, where we learn that Laurie is Michael’s long-lost sister. It’s a twist that somewhat undermines the fear from the original and would, unfortunately, taint future installments. Overall, Halloween II is a step down from the first, but it’s an entertaining enough slasher.
Buy Halloween II from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3lSROTo.
