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THE MOVIE |
THE DVD |
REVIEWER |
REVIEW DATE |
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WesCraven |
17th September, 2004 |
Review Quote
"One thing I did not like (surprisingly so) was the addition of all the gore. Now I'm as big a gore fan as the next guy, however one of the things I loved most about "Halloween" was how scary it really was. It was about the murder and all the blood, it was about Michael Myers and how frighteningly dangerous he is. I felt with the addition of the gore in this movie, it detracted a little bit of the fear produced by Michael Myers, as much of the killings were focused on the death, and not necessarily Myers."
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The Plot
Laurie Strode is rushed to a hospital, and it appears Michael Myers is still very much alive. Can Michael's therapist, Dr. Sam Loomis put an end to Michael Myers, or we simply be another of his victims.
The Movie
This takes place precisely after "Halloween" ended, even including the last four minutes or so (including the famous "sitting up on the bed" scene). Even without the brilliant direction from John Carpenter on this installment, I must say "Halloween II" is a pretty good film. There are however, a couple of things that I'd like to mention. Some work, some don't.
First the scary atmosphere returns. It's always dark, and The Shape is always looking sinister with his clothes/mask. Some of the things that truly help make Michael Myers such a frightening threat are the fact that he never says a word, never makes a sound. He also walks quite slow, which is kind of weird if you think about it. Though he always seems to catch up to whom he's chasing, so the slow walk actually becomes quite scary. Also (like in "Halloween") the many shots of Michael Myers from behind the unknowing victims are always quite eerie, and raise the bar of horror film intensity.
The music again works wonderfully. Mostly written by John Carpenter himself, it's dark and moody, and to me, surprisingly good, considering it's mostly electronic music. Also bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence to reprise their roles was both smart and lucky. Not only does it make the two films seamlessly fit together, but the acting turned in by both are very good (especially Pleasence).
One thing I did not like (surprisingly so) was the addition of all the gore. Now I'm as big a gore fan as the next guy, however one of the things I loved most about "Halloween" was how scary it really was. It was about the murder and all the blood, it was about Michael Myers and how frighteningly dangerous he is. I felt with the addition of the gore in this movie, it detracted a little bit of the fear produced by Michael Myers, as much of the killings were focused on the death, and not necessarily Myers.
All in all "Halloween II" is an excellent film, not as good as its predecessor, but I consider "Halloween" one of the all-time great horror films. If you liked the original, you'll like this one as well. This is a film for all horror fans, even gorehounds (though the effects aren't super by any means). My only wish was that John Carpenter would have directed the film that he and Debra Hill wrote, perhaps it could have been better; but even so this film is not one to miss.
The DVD
The DVD is alright. The transfers are both pretty good, especially on the visual end. The extras are bland. We get a theatrical trailer, production notes, cast & filmmaker bios, a (super-lame) DVD newsletter from Universal Studios urging you to join their online DVD community, and some recommendations.
All in all, the DVD is quite lacking.
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Director
Rick Rosenthal
Cast
Donald Pleasence
Jamie Lee Curtis
Charles Cyphers
Lance Guest
Dick Warlock
Screenplay
John Carpenter
Debra Hill
Tagline
"...more of the night HE came home."
Country
USA
Classification
R
Year
1981
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Format
NTSC
Region Coding
1
Aspect Ratio
2.35:1
16x9 Enhanced
Yes
Running Time
93 minutes
Year Released
2001
Packaging
Keep Case
Extra Features
Production Notes
Cast & Filmmaker Bios
Theatrical Trailer
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If you find any errors in this review, know of any other versions of this DVD available or no longer available, send us an e-mail so we can get the word out to the horror community.
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