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Halloween II

Halloween II

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sequels usually suck; this certainly does not!
Review: Even if John Carpenter did not direct it, this still remains one of my all time favorite horror movies. Of course, it is very rare for a sequel to outshine its predecessor (only "Aliens" did manage to do that in horror cinematic history); especially if the original film is considered to be a classic by critics.

However, "Halloween 2" still manages to be a very enjoyable horror movie. It picks up exactly after the incidents of the original. Laurie Strode is taken to hospital, Michael Myers is still alive and once again innocent people will inevitably fall victims to his prey. Many previous reviewers have signalled the excessive amount of blood and gore present in this movie. And it's true. Just think of a nurse having all her blood drained out, or a person with a needle pinched in the middle of his eye.
This type of grotesque drama is surely a matter of taste, but anyone not minding a little blood-sheding here and there should definetely check out this sequel. Those who say that this movie lacks suspense are however quite wrong in my opinion. "Halloween 2" is full of heart-throbbing moments. The movie does not simply show Myers killing his victims in matter of seconds, as witnessed for example by the famous bath-tub scene. The person playing Myers also did a fantastic job. "The Shape" has a very sort of mechanical movement this time round, which makes him less human and more frightengly threatening.

I only hope that Rick Rosenthal does another good job on the forthcoming "Halloween 8", even if personally I do not have high hopes for it. Donald Pleasence, we miss you. We truly do.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: For old-school Michael Meyers fans
Review: This probably should have been IT, when it came to the Halloween series. It started on that night, came full-circle, and ended on the very same night with a satisfying conclusion. How Mike got up and walked away from that and was able to make more sequals is a question that only the movie gurus can answer.
As far as the quality of the DVD is concerned, I was very much surprised, especially when I discovered that GoodTimes home video released it.

Video quality: 4 stars. The Amazon review not withstanding, I found the video quality to be excellent. This movie is over 20 yrs old so the film stock will be dated. However, my dvd player is hooked into my tv via an S-video jack and it brought an old movie back to life. I found little or no visual artifacts and a crisp, well-defined picture. This is a dark movie, was when I saw it at the theater so there are a lot of shadows and black shading throughout the movie. Still, it does have a clear quality that is actually better than I remember it having at the theater. Well done to Goodtimes.

Audio: 3 stars. Although it is in surround..it is of Pro-Logic quality. Even on 5.1 surround systems..the most surround you'll get will be out of the music soundtrack. However, that in itself is enough to suck you into the creepy atmosphere of this film. Most, if not all, sound effects are strictly mono and in front only. All-in-all a decent sounding dvd given the age of the film.

I wont go into rating the extras. This is a sequal and that's all. There are a ton of production notes that should satisfy any curious Halloween fan. The animated chapter selection was neat and totally unexpected considering what I paid for it.
Overall, an excellent DVD priced right. If youre an old-school fan like myself then you will like this. If you're new to the series, start with the first one as it will give you better background on the Michael Meyers/ Lori Strode story.
A great buy and one worth watching over and over.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Pretty Good Sequel
Review: Halloween II will never be as good as the original but what sequel is. However, this sequel picks up right where the original left off in the search for the psychotic Michael Myers. Halloween II brings back Jaime Lee Curtis (Laurie Strode) and Donald Pleasance (Dr. Sam Loomis). Michael is after Laurie and hunts her down in the hospital. Michael will stop at nothing to get to her no matter how much mangaling and butchering he has to do. We learn of Michael's motive and why he has returned to Haddonfield. The sequel spills more blood than the original and Michael Myers is just as terrifying. If you saw the original you have to see the sequel. It is one of the FEW horror movies in which the sequel has the same main characters played by the same actor/actress and has the same plot as the original.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: THIS DVD STINKS
Review: HALLOWEEN 2 IS GOOD BUT LOCK AT THIS DVD
NO BONUS MATERIALS NO BEHIND THE SCENES AND NO 5.1 SOUND
AND THE BOX WALL JUST LOCK AT IT PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS DVD NO IT'S NOT A DVD IT'S A NIGHTMARE

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The morning after the night he came home!
Review: It was pretty clever to pick up exactly where Halloween left off. Michael continues his spree in a hospital albeit in a more Friday the 13th sort of way. In Halloween, the murders are so stretched and dripping with suspense that there are only three onscreen murders! I guess he's more efficient now because he doesn't waste time with all that creepiness and taut anticipation. That being said the last thirty minutes or so are right on par with the original. Try not to hold your breath as The Shape walks slowly toward the open elevator door. I dare you!

Like all sequels it is often compared unfavorably to the original. That's okay. If you're a slasher fan, what would you rather watch Halloween II or Sleepaway Camp 2. See. It doesn't compare with Halloween, few do. But it is so much better than any other horror sequel (and most originals) that it stands on its own in that way. Check out Visiting Hours for a hospital slasher made at roughly the same time. Do they compare? No, they do not!

The Goodtimes DVD has few extras. For instance, in the TV version there are several differences in certain scenes. The girl killed at the beginning her throat slashed in this version, but in the TV version Michael jumps out at her and engulf the screen in black. Also, the deputy's death in the hospital is different. In one version Michael stabs him with a knife and lifts him off the ground, in the other Michael turns him over and slashes his throat. In addition, there are several scenes missing like Jimmy returning with the Coke that he promised Laurie and Jimmy being reunited with Laurie at the end of the film. I don't know much about the Universal disc so I won't comment.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Filling in the pieces, but leaving some blanks.
Review: Beginning exactly where the original film left off, HALLOWEEN 2 continues the tale of the fateful night when Michael Myers returned home to hunt down and find Laurie Strode. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie, though she really doesn't show up until the second half of the film and Donald Pleasence is back as Dr. Loomis, the prophetic psychiatrist to whom no one would listen.

Like all horror sequels, it forgets that less is more and therefore has a much higher body count with lots of unnecessary gore. Another thing similar to other horror sequels is that the plot becomes more complicated, but the movie never actually follows the rules it establishes. .... He'll stop at nothing to get to her. Yet, why doesn't he kill the old couple at the beginning of the movie and doesn't spare the young girl next door? Go figure. Anyway, this movie is a nice follow up to the original even with the unnecessary gore and nudity.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Sequel to a Masterful Horror chiller.
Review: Left off during the night that Michael attacked Jamie Lee curtis,
The Myers killer is still on the loose and is now stalking people at the Hospital. It has Jamie and Donald Pleasance reprising their roles and trying to solve the mystery of how can Michael Myers survive.

A lot of fun but bewere of the Eyeball Syringe scene cause it's
more wrectching as the Eyeball Scene in " Zombie".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Classic Horror
Review: Not as good as the original, but what sequel is "as good" as the original?? "Godfather," "Star Wars," and "Indiana Jones." But that's about it.

Still, this movie is more than a decent horror flick. Go with the original "Halloween," as it is a classic, but get "Halloween 2" to add to your DVD collection. YOu won't be disappointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THIS IS THE BEST THAT HORROR MOVIE SEQUELS CAN GET!
Review: Halloween 1 was the best in the series, but this is just as good. Sure, it may not have the same suspenseful atmosphere as the first, but it's that kind of movie that never has a dull moment. I was surprised at how good this movie lived up to the original. The body count was a little high, but it doesn't really get in the way of the plot, which most high body count movies have a problem with.
This movie continues the original. Michael escaped from being shot 6 times and has tracked his sister down to the hospital and the doctor's and nurses become Michael's newest victims.
I stongly encourage anyone who loves a good horror movie to see this one!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Solid Slasher Sequel; DVD Could Be Much Better
Review: I'm a big fan of this movie and I would love for a proper, deluxe edition to finally be released. Instead we get a rather mediocre DVD--no anomorphic enhancement, and lousy in the extras department.

As a note, the television version of this film is different and contains quite a few extra scenes that were used to pad it out for the networks while violence was cut down. Can we please have a COMPLETE version of this film that includes all of the extra TV footage as well as the blood and gore?

The missing scenes definitely fudge the continuity of the DVD release. For instance, early in the film the hospital is a well-lit place with a little bit of activity. Within minutes we see shots of the hallways in which the emergency UPS lights are on and the corridors are bathed in expressionistic shadows. Fine, stylistically, but what gives? Well, if you've seen the TV version, you know that the power goes out when Michael Meyers tampers with it. (He did knock out the phone line, and this is clearly implicated.) Suddenly the dwindling hospital staff are running scared down dark hallways chasing Laurie.

Also, there is additional dialogue between the doctors and nurses, increasing their too-short on-screen time, as well as extra footage of Jimmy and Laurie, and a different ending(!) This makes the 2 versions quite different in my opinion.

I've never been too impressed with Goodtimes' VHS and DVD releases, and this is no exception. All we get are some lame production notes.

As far as sequels go, especially in the slasher genre, this is definitely one of the better ones. The main attraction is that it picks up RIGHT AFTER the original ends. Essentially you can have a marathon of these 2 back to back and it's quite exciting. This film emphasizes gore much more than the original (which was really bloodless). And, like it or not, Michael Meyers does some pretty classic cliched slasher killer moves here, including getting inventive (needles, hot tubs, draining people of blood(!)) It does have a very creepy atmosphere, for which the film gets major points. The camerawork is excellent for the most part, and Dick Warlock is a great Shape. Missing again are extra scenes of him stalking around the hospital as well as closeups of the mask right before the hot tub dunking murder.

All in all, you may want to skip this particular release and pick up the more recent Universal DVD. Although it is still the same exact movie (no more extras) there is apparently a much better picture and sound quality.

In my opinion, the first two Halloween films make a nice couple, and I feel so-so about the further lot of sequels that followed. This film increased the creepiness of the original by making Michael some kind of (semi) unstoppable creature.

Another note, apparently Halloween II director Rick Rosenthal is helming the upcoming Halloween: The Homecoming in 2002.


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