Production Year: 1981 - Horror - Director: Rick Rosenthal - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Lance Guest, Charles Cyphers, Jeffrey Kramer, Dana Carvey more
Picking up right where the last film ended, this sequel begins as Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) pumps evil Mike Myers full of lead, then watches helplessly as the maniac killer... more
Halloween II [DVD] [1981]
"You can't kill the boogeyman", explained John Carpenter in the original, and to prove it ... more
Michael Myers returns in the handsome but grisly sequelHalloween 2. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode but spends most of her time cowering in a ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon...
Halloween II [DVD] [1981]
"You can't kill the boogeyman", explained John Carpenter in the original, and to prove it ... more
Michael Myers returns in the handsome but grisly sequelHalloween 2. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode but spends most of her time cowering in a ...
Halloween II [DVD] [1981]
"You can't kill the boogeyman", explained John Carpenter in the originalHalloween, and to ... more
prove it Michael Myers returns in the handsome but grisly sequelHalloween 2. Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode but spends most of her time cower...
Halloween 2
Proving John Carpenter's maxim that You can't kill the boogeyman, this second instalment ... more
in the blockbusting Halloween series picks up exactly from where the original movie ended. It is still Halloween night 1978, and despite Dr. Loomis' best efforts, Michael Myers (aka The Shape) is till at large in the sleepy town of Haddonfield - Illionis. Having failed to kill Laurie Strodes (Jamie Lee Curtis) the seemingly indestructible Myers pursues her to the Haddonfield clinic, where she has been sent to recover from her injuries. Michael then continues his murderous spree until he finally confronts Lauries and we learn the horrifying truth behind his motives.First time director Rick Rosenthal seriously ups the gore and body-count (with some help from John Carpenter) in this taut 1981 sequel that was scripted and produced by Carpenter and Debra Hill. Originally intended to be the final and concluding part of the Halloween series, fans know that this was just the beginning. Halloween 2 stands alone as a worthy contribution to the slasher genre, but clearly serves as the perfect companion piece to the original movie: watch them both back-to-back and relive the complete terror of The Night he Came Home
A review by 3rdRockSatan on Halloween 2 (DVD) October 6th, 2002
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Satisfactory
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Standard
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
A worthy sequel | Still creepy
Disadvantages:
Bloodier | Plot revaltions
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
After the box office success and the ever so open ended finale of the original a sequel to Halloween was always on the cards and three years later, in 1981, Myers returned to our screens. However this time John Carpenter would not be directing the film, instead he and Debra Hill only share writing and producing credits for the film while Rick Rosenthal (who also directed Halloween: Resurrection) takes over at the helm.
Halloween II takes place on the same night as Halloween with Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) rushed to hospital after her ordeal from Myers. Dr Loomis (Donald Pleasence) and Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) are in a race against time to try and track down Myers before he turns Halloween night of 1978 into a total bloodbath as opposed to just a minor one. However Myers’ interest in Laurie seems unabated and it is not long before he is at the hospital to track her down and finish the job he failed to do earlier.
With it starting straight after the original it wouldn’t be the craziest thing to watch Halloween first before you view the sequel. Although you can view it without prior knowledge to the original it is best to do so as you will know the events of what happened beforehand, some of which are mentioned in the film. As said it starts straight after the original (and also starts with a continuity goof involving the number of bullets coming from Loomis’ gun) Michael is nowhere to be seen after falling from the balcony and Laurie is rushed to a very understaffed hospital while Loomis tries to track Myers again. The film basically alternates between the two, Laurie in the hospital in a drugged up state and Loomis and the Sheriff looking for Myers. This leads up to the climatic battle between Loomis and Myers in the hospital.
With Laurie being bedridden and dazed and confused there is little room for dialogue and the only real conversations come from a budding romance between herself and a male nurse that knows her (but this is a horror film so that wont last). The scenes with Loomis and the Sheriff build up the story slightly more and even offers an ‘explanation’ as to why Myers is out to get Laurie. For spoiler reasons I wont say why in this opinion but if you’ve read others and seen Halloween H20 you’ll know why. The revelation (hinted at in the TV version of Halloween) does take away some power from the first film as Myers was perceived to have no motive to stalk and terrorise young Laurie and that was the raw terror. Myers had no personality, no reason he belonged as a myth and as the proverbial ‘Bogeyman’ he was referred to as being. Presenting Myers with a motive means he has a ‘point’ as to why he chooses to kill people as opposed to being so evil that he would go on a senseless rampage.
Unlike Carpenter, Rosenthal isn’t exactly subtle with his directing. The death scene’s, like Randy says in the rules of a sequel in Scream 2, are much more elaborate. While Halloween had a significantly low body count and quite low on-screen violence, Halloween II is ten times gorier. Myers doesn’t always use a knife either for killing people and he comes up with all sorts of imaginative ways of killing helpless victims, an injection through the eye and a hot tub burning are the obvious candidates. Also while Myers was very much a man of the shadows in the first film as he peers menacingly from behind a tree or a dark corner he can be seen quite clearly many times during the film and sometimes doesn’t even attempt to hide. To me these are two distinct disadvantages to the film, the later more so. The kills seem to try too hard to be different and violent and this was probably due to the upsurge of imitations, including Friday the 13th that came out around the time of release. After the subtle killings of the original to see such graphic and blatant acts of violence to the sequel is a shock. Also after the low body count of Halloween (5), Halloween II has eleven new corpses to add to the morgue. Luckily, although the deaths are more violent and there are more of them, it doesn’t take over the film. The fact that Myers can be seen throughout the bulk of the film also dissipates any tension that you may have felt when he was hiding in the shadows of the original, he seemed like the true ‘Bogeyman’ then, now with him being out in the open you still get that chill, the mask is still as terrifying as ever, but the tension decreases.
Performances are good where it matters. The main characters such as the Sheriff, Loomis and Laurie are once again very commendable. Although Jamie Lee Curtis wasn’t exactly stretched for her role as Laurie in this film she does a good job managing to combine the helpless victim and determined fighter well. Once again Pleasence is excellent at playing Loomis and plays the role with such determinism and realism it adds to the film immensely. Little development is served to the characters, although the Sheriff is more determined to track Myers down due to the death of his daughter, however this doesn’t really matter as the development that got built up on the first film still applies. As for the other characters such as the hospital night staff et al they all pass well enough though really they just serve as bodies to get knifed, burnt etc with little real development or sterling dialogue between them.
The musical score, so prominent in the first film to building up the tension, is also credible here. The original theme has a more gothic feel to it with an organ taking the place of the piano. While it doesn’t sound quite as good as the original piece it still remains a classic piece of music. Music is used effectively throughout the film and once again serves to create a sense of foreboding and terror. The inclusion of the Mr. Sandman song is interesting and not a song you would associate with a film like this. However it works well. Using it as a song to mimic Laurie’s situation (sleeping a lot) the once innocent sounding lyrics seem threatening in a horror film.
Despite its shortcomings, which were bound to happen as no film can measure up to the original Halloween, Halloween II remains a very worthy sequel and probably the best out of the Halloween bunch with H20 coming soon after. A touch of Carpenter can still be seen in the dialogue with Loomis and the Sheriff but the feel of the film as a whole has changed due to the direction of Roshenthal and, while not an overly good step in another direction, it is merely a reflection of what was going on at the time of release. Halloween II is bloodier and also verges on the slightly silly but the narrative is still there (even if it does have to stoop into a ‘Luke, I am your father’ skit) and it doesn’t dissolve into another brainless slasher.
If you liked Halloween then be sure to watch this sequel and if not then watch Halloween and then this sequel. You will have fun watching this and it still manages to be creepy enough to work as a horror film. It doesn’t come matching the original but it still has its essence and, as sequels go, this is a great one.
HALLOWEEN II IS
A good sequel Still unnerving Bloodier
HALLOWEEN II IS NOT
As subtle Brainless As good as Halloween (obviously)
Advantages: Lots of blood, quite creepy, Disadvantages: um... lots of gruesome stuff in it (good for me but not for everyone)
I saw the first Halloween film about 4 or 5 years ago, and I really liked what I saw! It was full of action, and one of the scariest films I had ever seen. When I first heard that this was going to be on TV I was really looking forward to it, as the first Halloween is one of my favourite horror films. I wasn't too disappointed; it is quite a good film. Not as good as the original but not bad at all. I do like it enough to have bought it on DVD though. ... ...Michael Myers has been in an institution since he was a young boy for murdering his sister, but now he has escaped. He goes back to his hometown of Haddonfield to terrorise the quiet community, and his sister Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis.
But back to this film…
This film starts exactly where the original took off from, with Dr. Loomis shooting Michael six times or so. After her torment from the previous film (or a few minutes ago), ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Funny, scary at times, tension Disadvantages: Lacks the atmosphere the first film had, unintetionally funny, becomes a bit silly
...crazed Michael Myers did on Halloween of 1978, after trying to kill teenager Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) he seemingly met his end after being shot by his doctor (Donald Pleasance).
However when Michael is nowhere to be seen it would seem that Halloween is far from over for Laurie and Doctor Loomis. Laurie is rushed to hospital after her ordeal with Michael whilst Doctor Loomis continues on in his hunt for Michael before more people are made ... ...her at the hospital…
Halloween II is a direct sequel to 1978’s Halloween. Halloween II was released in 1981 but was set on the same night back in 1978 straight after Michael is shot. You’d think that three years on there might be some continuity issues but it seemed to me as though Rick Rosenthal had got everything right in this film, even it’s star Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t look as though she’d aged more than a day. If you’re planning on watching ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to ...
very helpful
06.11.2009
Its a sequal! Review ofHalloween 2 (DVD)by
atytyut2434
Advantages: none really Disadvantages: most of the film
...the original finished is where Halloween 2 starts off, Laurie Strode injured, Micheal Myers (I'll be calling him MM from now on) escaped even though he was badly injured & Dr Loomis still in pursuit. In case you'd forgotten the ending of Halloween there is a brief reprise here from when Laurie sends the 2 kids to call the police onwards. MM should have been caught as he was watching Loomis talk to the cop, there were a load of children walking down ... ...watching Loomis they would have reached where he was standing. I've debunked the film in the opening 10 minutes.
The 2nd pretty HUGE goof is the guy they've got playing "The Shape" AKA MM, he is no-where near as big as the guy in the previous movie, he's too short and way too slim built to be Myers. If he's going to be lifting anyone up and throwing them around like the original it won't be believable at all. The story of the murders and the killers ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: leads straight on from where the last finished. No missed bits !! Disadvantages: due to the low-budget, and date of this film, picture isnt as good
...Production year was 1981 for Halloween 2.
Yes the great mind of John come back for one more Halloween scare..
Halloween 2, unlike most other horror movies continues where the film left off. Michael Myers is still on the lose, but in this Halloween we find out why his after Laurie (Jamie lee). I'm not going to say why; you'll just have to watch it to find out!! Again with this great story/script. I was there with my pop and chocolate shouting at ... ...best watched.
It's still Halloween night Laurie has been taken into the local hospital, but once again Michael Myers the unstoppable killer that he is, is still after Laurie. With Doctor Loomis still looking for Michael, hoping to get to him before he kills again. Michael knows that Laurie has been taken into hospital. So on the way he cant help but to kill a few loved up couples, guards and just a few nurse on this path of destruction. The killing ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Halloween II isn't quite as good as the original Halloween,but it's come damn close.It's a very entertaining,action-packed and blood-drenched follow up to the classic original.Mike's mask is even creepier and better than the mask from Part 1. He kills his victims quite gruesomely. A teen girl next door gets a serrated kitchen knife shoved into her throat,two doctors gets their eyeballs gouged out with needles and a police officer gets his throat ... ...the music from Part 1,but it's close.The scare factor is very high and H2 is pretty much as scary as H1.Dick Warlock's performance as Myers is very menacing and devilish.The acting is still good and the story is great.However,H2 of course has flaws. The story has some plotholes (like the understaffed Hospital) and it's once again too short.Still,it's a very enjoyable follow up to the first and almost as good.It manages to fit in scares with the gore ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Jamie lee duh! same classic hair raising tune. Disadvantages: LL Cool jay !
...yet again. Michael Myers comes back with a vengeance; he can't wait to start killing again. Laurie's son John thinks that his in no harm, but boy could he be wrong. John and his girlfriend played by Michelle Williams, decide to have a little Halloween party of there own with a few friends, but as there friends they go looking for them. The didn't expect to find what they did, as they saw there friend brutally mashed up bodies, they run for help. Mean while Michael isn't letting up with out a fight. Now Laurie must face her fears and save her son. But will she or wont she I cant say? you have to watch the movie. It's not fair to give so much away.
I think this DVD had taken a few of the key points from Halloween 1 and 2. That horror isn't just about the body count, but about suspense! Personally I think it makes a horror film...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: A great terse storyline Disadvantages: The absence of Donald Pleasance
...Its been twenty years since Michael Myers first haunted teenager Laurie Strode in the original terrifying Halloween film. Returning for one sequel, Jamie Lee Curtis stayed out of the rest of the increasingly dull Halloween films. But it has been 20 years, and what better way to celebrate than making a new film and bringing back the mainstays of the original film. Unfortunately Donald Pleasance died after making the attrocious "Curse Of Michael Myers" film, but paying tribute is a voice over the credits from the original film to introduce today's movie going audience to the story.
The story is a simple, but effective one. Stalked sister of mad man fakes her own death, goes into hiding, assumes a new identity, picks up an alcohol problem and drug dependancy, gets herself a kid, becomes headmistress in a secluded posh private school...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Great Movie, Return Of Jamie Lee To The Series, Back To Suspense! Disadvantages: Extra's Just Don't Cut It...
...basically completely ignored all the sequels after Halloween2 and just kept to the original storyline. It totally doesn't bother me that it's ignored 3,4,5 and 6 as they just aren't good enough I'm afraid...The Halloween series should be Halloween, Halloween2, Halloween H20 and that's it. That is a perfect trilogy.
The ending to this movie is what you need to watch it for. The last 40 minutes are incredible...you'll be jigging your leg uncontrollably! It's true that the first half is kinda dated and plays out like a bad Dawsons Creek episode but it's worth it if you stay with it.
♥ DVD Extras ♥
Honestly, not a whole lot to get excited over but here they are:
Unmasking The Horror 'Making Of Featurette' > This is actually a pretty decent documentary on the series and Halloween H20's conception...Jamie Lee lets us in...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Picking up right where the last film ended, this sequel begins as Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) pumps evil Mike Myers full of lead, then watches helplessly as the maniac killer stands up again and runs away. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), the teenager last terrorized by Myers, is taken to a nearby hospital to recover from her traumatic ordeal. But Myers isn't through with her yet, and the fright-night monster works his way through the sleepy town, leaving a river of blood in his wake. Determined to get his revenge on Laurie, he eventually descends upon the hospital--and the dark secret that binds the two of them is finally revealed.
Languages
Main Language: English
Technical information
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Full Frame, 2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound: PCM, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo
Special Features: Audio Commentary From Stephen Jones And Kim Newman, Production Notes, Biographies
Dubbing Sound: PCM English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English Dolby Digital Stereo English
Professional reviews
Review: "...A class act....Quick pace and something like a sense of style..." (New York Times, p.C8, 30/10/1981)
"...Stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence are again quite convincing..." (Variety, 04/11/1981)
![Halloween II [DVD] [1981]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/79736778.jpg)
![Halloween II [DVD] [1981]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78815458.jpg)
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
09.02.2006
