Halloween II
Dir: Rick Rosenthal
1981
***
John Carpenter and Debra
Hill had no interest in making a sequel as they believed the
original Halloween was a standalone movie. When the studio offered
him to write the script and pay them more money (Carpenter states that to this
day he saw very little earnings from the success of the original movie) he took
the job so he could earn back what he believes was his owed pay. However, the
script was not forming out as well as he thought, and he has personally stated
that the only thing helping him through the screenplay process was a six pack
of Budweiser every day which led to what he believes an inferior script and bad
choices in the movie's story. Personally I thought the film was fine, sure it
wasn’t needed but it was still very much appreciated. Carpenter and Hill
had originally considered setting the sequel a few years after the events
of Halloween. They planned to have Myers track Laurie Strode to her
new home in a high-rise apartment building – which would have been brilliant –
but the setting was later changed to Haddonfield Hospital. Producers Irwin
Yablans and Moustapha Akkad wanted the story to
continue exactly from where it ended in the first film, leading to a
few headaches in the continuity department. For starters, the mask had suffered
from being under Hill’s bed for several years, it had cracked and was yellow
from nicotine stains. Jamie Lee Curtis had cut her hair short and
everyone was just that little bit older. Still, Yablans and Akkad threw a lot
of money at it after making a huge profit on the first film. Carpenter however
refused to direct. He had originally approached Tommy Lee Wallace, the art
director from the original Halloween, to take the helm. Carpenter
told one interviewer, "I had made that film once and I really didn't want
to do it again." Wallace excepted as he had his own thoughts about where to proceed with
the sequel, and was excited by the project, however Carpenter eventually
determined that this film would pick up directly from where the original left
off. Despite some disappointment in this story direction, Wallace maintained
his interest and was still set to direct, with his name even appearing as
director in a 1980 trade ad released by Filmways Pictures. When Carpenter
finished the script and presented it to Wallace, he was extremely disappointed
to discover the intention to make the film as bloody and violent as the
original's imitators, which had used such conventions to ensure their success.
When it was realized that he had no choice but to include these elements in the
film, Wallace withdrew from the project (although he return to direct the
sequel). After Wallace left, Carpenter chose Rick Rosenthal, a relatively
unknown and inexperienced director whose previous credits included episodes of
the television series Secrets of Midland Heights. In an interview
Carpenter explained that Rosenthal was chosen because "he did a terrific
short called Toyer. It was full of suspense and tension and
terrific performances.” There was discussion of filming Halloween II in 3-D;
Hill said, "We investigated a number of 3-D processes ... but they were
far too expensive for this particular project. Also, most of the projects we do
involve a lot of night shooting - evil lurks at night. It's hard to do that in
3-D.” The story continues in much the same vein as the first film but without
any of the mystery. At the end of the last film Michael Myers is shot and falls
off a balcony. Taking shelter to recover from his injuries, Michael steals a
kitchen knife from the home of an elderly couple, and kills a teenage girl
living next door. Laurie Strode, who narrowly survived being killed by Michael
earlier in the night, is taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital,
while psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis, continues his pursuit of Michael.
While with Sheriff Leigh Brackett, Loomis spots and chases after teenager Ben
Tramer, who he mistakes for Michael as an oncoming police car suddenly crashes
into Ben and a van which explodes, killing him in the process. Sheriff Brackett
receives news of the death of his daughter, Annie. Blaming Loomis for her
death, Sheriff Brackett goes home to tell his wife about it, leaving Deputy
Gary Hunt in charge to help Loomis. At the hospital, paramedic Jimmy develops
romantic feelings for Laurie, much to the chagrin of head nurse Virginia Alves.
The real Michael discovers Laurie's location via the radio, due to the news of
the murders reaching the media, and makes his way to the hospital. Once there,
he cuts the phone lines, and disables the cars. Security guard Mr. Garrett goes
downstairs to fix the power in the basement, and is killed with a hammer claw
to his skull. Paramedic Budd Scarlotti is strangled, while Nurse Karen is
scalded to death in the hospital's hydrotherapy tub. Meanwhile, Janet
hurries off to find Dr. Mixter, only to find him dead with a needle jammed into
his eye. Before she can flee, Michael kills her with a syringe. Jimmy and Nurse
Jill Franco search the hospital for Laurie, who is trying to evade Michael;
Jimmy finds Alves' corpse, and slips in a pool of blood on the floor, losing
consciousness. Elsewhere, Loomis is informed that Michael broke into the local
elementary school. As he investigates, Loomis's colleague, Marion Chambers, and
U.S. Marshall Terence Gummell come to escort Loomis back to Smith's Grove on
the governor's orders. Along the way, Marion tells Loomis that Laurie is
Michael's sister, but that information was kept secret for her safety. With the
realization that Michael is after Laurie, Loomis orders Gummell to drive back
to Haddonfield. Just after finding Laurie, Jill is killed by a scalpel-wielding
Michael, who then pursues Laurie through the hospital. Laurie escapes to the
parking lot, and hides in Jimmy's car. Regaining consciousness, Jimmy exits the
hospital, and gets in the car to seek help, but he falls unconscious on the
steering wheel horn because of his injuries, alerting Michael to their
location. Loomis, Marion, and Gummell reach the hospital just in time to save
Laurie. Loomis shoots Michael five more times. As Marion attempts to contact
the police, Michael kills Gummell, and chases Loomis and Laurie into an
operating room. Michael stabs Loomis in the stomach, wounding him, but Laurie
shoots Michael in the eyes, blinding him. Loomis and Laurie fill the room with ether and
oxygen gas. Loomis orders Laurie to run and sacrifices himself by igniting the
gas, which blows up the operating room with him and Michael inside, immolating
them both in the fire. Michael, engulfed in flames, stumbles out of the room
before finally falling dead. Early the next morning, Laurie is put in an
ambulance and driven to safety, having visions of Michael's burning body in her
mind. I have to confess that, while I like the film overall, I didn’t think
much of the ending. I thought that, if you have to make another film then keep
the story going, it didn’t seem right to kill off both Michael and Dr. Loomis.
I clearly wasn’t alone though, as both characters came back several times over.
It was great that Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence came back and I thought Dick Warlock was good as ‘The Shape’. To get the role of
Michael Myers, Warlock revealed that as he passed by a room, the Michael
Myers mask was on a table. He put the mask on and walked into Rick
Rosenthal's office and stood there. After Rosenthal continuously asked him who
he was and he didn't reply, he took off the mask and asked if he could play
Myers. For me Lance Guest was
the great supporting actor of the film, thanks to his performance here
director Tommy Lee Wallace cast him in the brilliant The Last Starfighter. It is
what it is, not the best entry in the series but certainly not the
worst. At least it had both Curtis and Pleasence but sadly it would be the last
time they would appear together in the franchise.
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