excellent sequel that deserves a blu ray release
Added 11/4/2009
This was a big hit at the time and the reason for it was that it was a direct sequel of the first with the two main cast members Donald Pleasance and Jamie lee curtis continuing the story. In this one Michael is still killing off everyone around his sister to terrorize her, before he finally finishes her off. But she of course is trying to survive and so it goes. The dvd is well done but a blu ray release is needed with perhaps halloween 3 as a bonus movie on it. This is great horror and well worth seeing ONLY after you see the original Halloween.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Halloween II -A great Sequel.
Added 11/1/2009
Halloween Parts 1 And 2, Are Definitive Horror Movie Classics,It is disturbing yes, Disturbing as you would see On any night of News Coverage on Television,or as Disturbing as People's everyday Declining Morals,But the movie is What Horror Movies Should be, Not meant to Glamorize Crime,but that there is Evil In the World sadly. This movie is not the typical Gore Zombie Movie,But it will creep you out!Not to mention the Eerie track!Donald Pleasence is awesome as is a Beautiful Jamie Lee Curtis Before she ruined her hair!and Unlike Part 3(WHY!??) Part 2 Is a Great Sequel,which is rare,given that Sometimes Sequels are horrible.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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November 1, 1978
Added 10/28/2009
I like to think of Halloween II as a movie that takes place mostly in the early morning hours of November 1, 1978. This sequel to Halloween is generally a good movie that is designed to be a continuation of the night of October 31, 1978, when Michael Myers terrorized the babysitting Laurie Strode and her friends, one of which was also babysitting, while others were just goofing around having a good time. Halloween is a classic. That movie ends with Michael Myers being shot by Dr. Sam Loomis, only to run away seconds later. That was supposed to be it. John Carpenter and Debra Hill did not have a sequel in mind. But they were pressured into making a sequel. John Carpenter has said that when it was time to write the screenplay he was drawing a blank. He didn't know what to write. Finally he started to come up with ideas, even going as far as making Laurie Strode Michael Myers' sister. Now that is a sign of somebody who is trying to come up with a screenplay for a movie he didn't even want to make (see my review of Halloween III - Season Of The Witch for a more thorough analysis) You see, the original game plan after Halloween was to make a different Halloween movie every year with a completely different story and theme than the previous movie, sort of like the old The Twilight Zone TV show. Michael Myers was never meant to keep appearing in movie after movie. It was supposed to stop after Halloween. Well, OK, they made the second movie, so it was supposed to stop after Halloween II, when Michael Myers burned to death. It did. For one movie. Halloween III did not have Michael Myers in it. It's a great movie that goes in the direction that Carpenter and Hill wanted to go into after Halloween - making a different Halloween movie every year with an entirely different story. The general public didn't like Halloween III. Carpenter and Hill then ended their involvement with the franchise.
Now about Halloween II...
This movie begins with showing the last few moments of Halloween, when Michael Myers is shot by Dr. Loomis. This footage is mostly alternate unused takes shot while Halloween was being filmed in 1978, while some of the footage are the actual takes that were used in the first movie. If you pay attention, you'll notice that Loomis fires seven shots at Michael Myers. In the first movie, he fires six. Anyway, Myers gets away and starts to stalk around town. It is clear that this movie was influenced by the movies that were coming out at the time that featured lots of blood and splatter scenes. It's unfortunate, because Halloween didn't rely on blood to be effective. But in Halloween II it seems that Carpenter and Hill were feeling the pressure of the marketplace, so they made it like a Friday The 13th movie as far as the blood and gore goes. To sum up the story, Michael Myers is trying to find his SISTER Laurie Strode, who was taken to the hospital after being injured in the first Halloween. Myers stalks her at the near empty (and creepy) hospital and kills some of the hospital staff along the way. At the end of the movie it appears that Michael Myers has burned to death. He DID burn to death after Dr. Loomis flicks his lighter while gas fills the air that causes an explosion. In fact, you have to believe that Loomis was killed in that explosion, also. But seven years later there was this movie that came out called Halloween 4 - The Return Of Michael Myers. What it really was was an opportunity to resurrect Michael Myers for the sake of making $$$$. If Jason Voorhees and Freddie Krueger are invincible, why not make Michael Myers invincible? It means $$$$, plain and simple. If there's anything good about the continuation of the series beginning with Halloween 4, it's that at least John Carpenter and Debra Hill weren't involved. They were long gone, because they were smart. The first Halloween movie was an independent film. That's one reason why it's so good. Once Hollywood takes over a franchise, forget it. That's why the whole series is so screwed up. There is no continuity. Halloween H2O is really the sequel to Halloween II.
The musical score to Halloween II is good, but not as good as the first movie. The movie overall just doesn't compare to the first one, but it is still a pretty good movie. A lot of the feel of the first movie was absent in this second movie, though it does get major points for the creepy atmosphere at the hospital late at night. You'll see some things that make this "continuation of the night" seem like a different movie altogether. But if you take this movie at face value, it IS an entertaining movie. Just not the same as the first one. 4 stars
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Michael Myers is home to stay!
Added 10/17/2009
Picking up exactly where the original left off "Halloween 2" is able to deliver just as much horror movie entertainment as the original "Halloween". Everything about this movie makes it a classic; reinforcing the character development of the first movie while developing the new characters shown here, the plot, the series of events, and the acting, which I forgot to mention in my review of the original "Halloween". Probably most memorable are the talents of both Donald Pleasance as Dr. Sam Loomis, who is probably the best horror-movie hero I've seen and shows Donald's acting skills, and Jamie Lee Curtis as her role of Laurie, who returns as the scream queen.
Comparatively, this movie is more graphic than the original "Halloween", which virtually didn't show a drop of blood, and DEFINITELY didn't show a dude in a creepy Halloween mask getting smashed between two trucks before a fiery explosion occurred. (Which is one of my favorite moments in the movie!) So yes, "Halloween 2" is a bit more graphic than the original "Halloween", and is just as scary and suspenseful.
What I did notice about this movie is the chilling, dream-like atmosphere. I know most slashers have a somewhat earthy element, but there's something about the dark, deserted hallways of the hospital late at night on Halloween that sets an intense and dream-like atmosphere, which seriously fascinated me with the movie, especially considering I didn't pick up on that the last time I saw it. So this movie is able to be scary, graphic and atmospheric all at the same time.
Overall, while stylistically it's somewhat different from the original "Halloween", "Halloween 2" is just as good a movie, if not better. For fans of slasher films or horror films in general, especially those who want a movie with a chilling, dream-like atmosphere, "Halloween 2" will be a scream! Pick it up in time for Halloween night, too, so you can enter the dark realm of terror known as the scariest night of the year. Thanks for the time, and peace.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Worst sequel ever
Added 10/2/2009
I don't see how people love or even like this sequel. The only part of the movie I actually liked was the beginning. It was great how it actually started right where the first one left off but that was it. After that it just went to hell. The ending of this movie was completely ridiculous and I will never watch this movie again. If you want to see a good horror sequel watch Friday the 13th part 2.
0 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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excellent sequel that deserves a blu ray release
Added 11/4/2009
This was a big hit at the time and the reason for it was that it was a direct sequel of the first with the two main cast members Donald Pleasance and Jamie lee curtis continuing the story. In this one Michael is still killing off everyone around his sister to terrorize her, before he finally finishes her off. But she of course is trying to survive and so it goes. The dvd is well done but a blu ray release is needed with perhaps halloween 3 as a bonus movie on it. This is great horror and well worth seeing ONLY after you see the original Halloween.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Halloween II -A great Sequel.
Added 11/1/2009
Halloween Parts 1 And 2, Are Definitive Horror Movie Classics,It is disturbing yes, Disturbing as you would see On any night of News Coverage on Television,or as Disturbing as People's everyday Declining Morals,But the movie is What Horror Movies Should be, Not meant to Glamorize Crime,but that there is Evil In the World sadly. This movie is not the typical Gore Zombie Movie,But it will creep you out!Not to mention the Eerie track!Donald Pleasence is awesome as is a Beautiful Jamie Lee Curtis Before she ruined her hair!and Unlike Part 3(WHY!??) Part 2 Is a Great Sequel,which is rare,given that Sometimes Sequels are horrible.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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November 1, 1978
Added 10/28/2009
I like to think of Halloween II as a movie that takes place mostly in the early morning hours of November 1, 1978. This sequel to Halloween is generally a good movie that is designed to be a continuation of the night of October 31, 1978, when Michael Myers terrorized the babysitting Laurie Strode and her friends, one of which was also babysitting, while others were just goofing around having a good time. Halloween is a classic. That movie ends with Michael Myers being shot by Dr. Sam Loomis, only to run away seconds later. That was supposed to be it. John Carpenter and Debra Hill did not have a sequel in mind. But they were pressured into making a sequel. John Carpenter has said that when it was time to write the screenplay he was drawing a blank. He didn't know what to write. Finally he started to come up with ideas, even going as far as making Laurie Strode Michael Myers' sister. Now that is a sign of somebody who is trying to come up with a screenplay for a movie he didn't even want to make (see my review of Halloween III - Season Of The Witch for a more thorough analysis) You see, the original game plan after Halloween was to make a different Halloween movie every year with a completely different story and theme than the previous movie, sort of like the old The Twilight Zone TV show. Michael Myers was never meant to keep appearing in movie after movie. It was supposed to stop after Halloween. Well, OK, they made the second movie, so it was supposed to stop after Halloween II, when Michael Myers burned to death. It did. For one movie. Halloween III did not have Michael Myers in it. It's a great movie that goes in the direction that Carpenter and Hill wanted to go into after Halloween - making a different Halloween movie every year with an entirely different story. The general public didn't like Halloween III. Carpenter and Hill then ended their involvement with the franchise.
Now about Halloween II...
This movie begins with showing the last few moments of Halloween, when Michael Myers is shot by Dr. Loomis. This footage is mostly alternate unused takes shot while Halloween was being filmed in 1978, while some of the footage are the actual takes that were used in the first movie. If you pay attention, you'll notice that Loomis fires seven shots at Michael Myers. In the first movie, he fires six. Anyway, Myers gets away and starts to stalk around town. It is clear that this movie was influenced by the movies that were coming out at the time that featured lots of blood and splatter scenes. It's unfortunate, because Halloween didn't rely on blood to be effective. But in Halloween II it seems that Carpenter and Hill were feeling the pressure of the marketplace, so they made it like a Friday The 13th movie as far as the blood and gore goes. To sum up the story, Michael Myers is trying to find his SISTER Laurie Strode, who was taken to the hospital after being injured in the first Halloween. Myers stalks her at the near empty (and creepy) hospital and kills some of the hospital staff along the way. At the end of the movie it appears that Michael Myers has burned to death. He DID burn to death after Dr. Loomis flicks his lighter while gas fills the air that causes an explosion. In fact, you have to believe that Loomis was killed in that explosion, also. But seven years later there was this movie that came out called Halloween 4 - The Return Of Michael Myers. What it really was was an opportunity to resurrect Michael Myers for the sake of making $$$$. If Jason Voorhees and Freddie Krueger are invincible, why not make Michael Myers invincible? It means $$$$, plain and simple. If there's anything good about the continuation of the series beginning with Halloween 4, it's that at least John Carpenter and Debra Hill weren't involved. They were long gone, because they were smart. The first Halloween movie was an independent film. That's one reason why it's so good. Once Hollywood takes over a franchise, forget it. That's why the whole series is so screwed up. There is no continuity. Halloween H2O is really the sequel to Halloween II.
The musical score to Halloween II is good, but not as good as the first movie. The movie overall just doesn't compare to the first one, but it is still a pretty good movie. A lot of the feel of the first movie was absent in this second movie, though it does get major points for the creepy atmosphere at the hospital late at night. You'll see some things that make this "continuation of the night" seem like a different movie altogether. But if you take this movie at face value, it IS an entertaining movie. Just not the same as the first one. 4 stars
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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