Halloween II (1981)

Director:

Rick Rosenthal

Writers:

John Carpenter (writer)
Debra Hill (writer)

Release Date:

30 October 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

More Of The Night He Came Home

Plot:

Laurie Strode is rushed to the hospital, while Sheriff Brackett and Dr. Loomis hunt the streets for Michael Myers, who has found Laurie at the Haddonfield Hospital.

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Halloween | Michael Myers | Sheriff | Death

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Laurie Strode
Donald Pleasence	...	Dr. Sam Loomis
Charles Cyphers	...	Sheriff Leigh Brackett
Jeffrey Kramer	...	Graham
Lance Guest	...	Jimmy
Pamela Susan Shoop	...	Karen
Hunter von Leer	...	Deputy Gary Hunt
Dick Warlock	...	The Shape / Patrolman #3
Leo Rossi	...	Budd
Gloria Gifford	...	Mrs. Alves
Tawny Moyer	...	Jill
Ana Alicia	...	Janet
Ford Rainey	...	Dr. Mixter
Cliff Emmich	...	Mr. Garrett
Nancy Stephens	...	Marion

Also Known As:

Halloween II: The Horror Continues (USA) (working title)
Halloween II: The Nightmare Isn't Over! (USA) (video box title)

Runtime:

92 min | Sweden:90 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Norway:18 (re-release) (cut) (1988) | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1982) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1998) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1982) | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/18 | Italy:VM18 | Australia:R | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 (Banned) | Iceland:(Banned) | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1983) | Norway:15 (video) (re-release) (1999) | Norway:(Banned) (video) (1986)

Filming Locations:

Kersting Court at Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, California, USA

Company:

De Laurentiis

Trivia:

The 17-year-old who was hit by the police car and burnt alive, at first believed to be Michael Myers, was supposed to be Ben Tramer, the boy Laurie confesses to have a crush in in the original Halloween.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the first close-up of the ambulance is seen driving up to the hospital, you can see on its front bumper that it does not have red flashing lights. However, in the next shot, it has 2 red flashing lights mounted on the front bumper.

Quotes:

Dr. Sam Loomis: [to Marion] There's a two-way radio in the Marshal's car. I want you to go outside, get on that radio and get Hunt!
Marshal: Now wait a minute! I'm the only one authorized to use that!
Dr. Sam Loomis: [to Marion] Move!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Psychos in Love (1987)

Soundtrack:

MR. SANDMAN

A creepy and solid sequel

Michael Myers, he's a household name, in my opinion he's the ultimate boogeyman, no matter what you do or how many times you try to kill him, he just comes back. Hence the Halloween series. We do have quite a bit of horror movie sequels: the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Friday the 13th, Hellraiser, Scream, and so on. Most sequels are extremely cheesy and don't deliver the same scares as the original movie does, but the Halloween franchise is a different story, I think these sequels were always a ton of fun and delivered just as many scares. Nothing will ever compare to the original Halloween, but it was cool to see the story continue on Michael Myers. In this story we follow Laurie Strode to the hospital and Michael doesn't just give up that easily, he's on a mission.

After the film replays the last scene of Halloween, it moves on to Dr. Sam Loomis warning Sheriff Leigh Brackett that although he has shot Myers six times in the heart, Myers still lives. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode is taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital and Myers wanders around Haddonfield in search of her. Laurie is informed that the man who attacked her was Michael Myers, infamous for murdering his older sister fifteen years earlier on Halloween night. After this, Laurie drifts in and out of consciousness, having strange flashbacks about her adoption by the Strodes and visiting a boy in an institution. Myers learns that she is at the hospital. He goes there and murders the hospital's staff one by one. Laurie manages to elude him, but she is limping badly and sedated and is thus unable to move very quickly. Dr. Loomis and the Haddonfield police continue to search the town for Myers. Nurse Marion Chambers, Loomis' assistant, arrives and tells Loomis that she has discovered a secret file on Myers to which he was not privy. The file reveals that Laurie is actually Myers's sister, adopted by the Strodes after Myers killed his older sister, Judith. Chambers also informs Loomis that he has strict orders to return to Smith's Grove. So they have to get back to the hospital to save Laurie before Michael can get to her.

Halloween 2 is probably my second favorite sequel in the Halloween franchise next to H20. I can't tell you how creepy this movie was, I know that these sequels are a bit much, but for any horror movie fan, they are a ton of fun to get into. The whole hospital setting was really scary, I love Laurie Strode, she's the strongest female in a horror movie, she's in a weakened state but just keeps going. You have to love the return of Dr. Loomis, him helping Laurie and making sure that Michael goes away for good, well we clearly know that it's not going to happen, but you have to give him credit for his optimism. If you are going to watch a Halloween sequel, I do recommend Halloween 2, it's very creepy and a great addition to the story.

7/10