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.