Review of Halloween II (1981) by Bill M — 02 Nov 2012

What initially seems like a pretty mediocre sequel is actually a decent follow up to John Carpenters masterpiece, although nowhere near as good as the genre defining first film, it is a stylish, moody and effective slasher flick, maybe one of the early 80's best in fact.

It also continues seamlessly on where the first ended, recapping the ending ( with some add on's) and then carrying on with Michael, having just been shot by Dr Loomis, doing his rounds and continuing stalking around Haddonfield, meaning that this film is indeed, set on the same long Halloween night as part one, in many ways the first two films make up a strange two part saga of the night HE came home on Oct 31st 1978, even ending it and wrapping up characters and events, Michael was truly meant to be dead in this one, never to return, but of course this was the 80's and you couldn't keep a good, undead, hulking, unkillable maniac down, and with the failing of the Michael-less part 3 ( an attempt to release a new Halloween every year with a different story, Twilight zone style) he would indeed return.

But part 2 has belied it's negative reputation to gradually be seen as something of a cracker, and it is a strong, scary, imaginatively gory flick, it's far more graphic and nasty in it's often mean spirited slaughter than the far more suggestive original, but it's still very effective, possessing of a Giallo-esc edge that few such identikit American splatter flicks had at the time, and it uses the frame in much the same way Carpenter did, brilliantly exploiting the edges of the image on screen and the possibilities of what could pop out, and from where, once again Michael feels like he could be anywhere, or everywhere.

Plus you get Donald Pleasence back in his iconic role as obsessed and somewhat unhinged Dr Loomis, forever chasing Myers. Seriously worth a watch if you love horror, you certainly could do worse (two words Rob "Fucking" Zombie, ok three but still fuck you Rob!).