Halloween II

Rating:
Summary: Rick Rosenthal's Halloween II
Review: This was a good follow up to the first Halloween. I would give this 3 and a half stars if I could. This movie's music(John Carpenter/Alan Howarth) is almost as good as the original's. This story starts off right where the first Halloween left off. Laurie Strode(Jamie Lee Curtis) is rushed to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, while Dr. Sam Loomis(Donald Pleasence) searches the streets for Michael Myers with the help of Sheriff Brackett(Charles Cyphers) and Deputy Hunt(Hunter Von Leer). When Laurie gets to the hospital, Michael shows up too and wreaks havoc in the hospital. This movie also showed up on Halloween night on AMC. I also saw Halloween III and I didn't like it. The AMC version showed deleted, shortend, or extended scenes:
^The opening sequence comes after the credits
^Brackett hears the bad news before Myers makes the screen
^Alice's death was deleted
^Mr. Garrett and Bud's conversation
^Karen and Mr. Garrett's conversation about the three murders
^The stalking theme plays while Garrett is in the basement
^Jimmy brings Laurie a Coke like he promised
^Jimmy tells Laurie about the car crash
^Karen's death is shortend
^Janet's death is deleted
^Jimmy doesn't come in the car to hide with Laurie
^Michael either subdues or stabs Marshall in the back instead of slitting his throat
^Jimmy slips on Mrs. Alves blood when the explosion occurs
^Laurie and Jimmy are suvivors in the ambulance and Laurie says,"We made it!"
I was really pleased with how they rearranged the movie. This is problably the best sequel in the series.

Rating:
Summary: A sequel better than the first.
Review: This movie is a sequel better than the first,think I'm lieing well see it for your self and you'll belive me.I don't like movies that take place in one set or building but this is an exception.Even though it takes place in a hospital but it's just awsome.This one unlike the first is well made and there are not many special effects but it has a good plot and a good way to trick you like once you think Michel's dead he's just getting slowed down from killind people.The best part of the movie is the end.They use special effects and I guess you could say they use the hospital to kill him,or so they think.If you liked the first Halloween see this one.

Rating:
Summary: Just the best, Halloween finish here.
Review: Personally, I saw this picture before "Halloween" and I was shock. Now, after i've seen all series, Halloween & Halloween II represents the complete story. Michael Myers is the evil made flesh and this sequel comprobe it. The suspense & developing of character made in the first picture, finish in this second chapter with a true bath of blood, provocated by the anger of Myers and his need to kill his sister.
Both pictures, saw together, represents somekind of "antiheroe's saga": the origin, developement & finish of a killer mind that is the evil itself. That is my recomendation: see Halloween & Halloween II together, and let the taste of evil and blood surrounds you, the rest of sequels are just if you're not satisfied... like me!!

Rating:
Summary: More blood, gore, guts, and everything else for the sequel
Review: Ah, the joys and horrors of sequels. "Halloween 2" begins with the ending of "Halloween" (just like "Rocky 2"), and the first thing that strikes you when comparing the two scenes back to back is how John Carpenter's eerily effective music benefits from big production values. But then we discover that "Halloween 2" joins a long list of horror sequels ("Nightmare on Elm Street 2," "Psycho 2," "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2," fill in the blank 2) where the people responsible for the second movie apparently had no idea what made the original so effective (I shudder to think that we live in a world where "Friday the 13th Part 2" might be considered the best of the bunch). What troubles me is that although John Carpenter gave the directing reigns over to Rick Rosenthal, he and Debra Hall co-wrote both films.

The difference between the two films is pretty clear. In the original the worst thing you see in terms of the violence is when Annie gets her neck sliced open in car in the garage; but even then the blood and gore is obscured somewhat by the dirty windshield of the car. Most of the violence in the original is suggest and implied rather than shown. But in the first few minutes of "Halloween 2" we are already pushing the envelope big time. Just seeing Nancy's corpse (at least Nancy Kyes got a paycheck out of it) gives us more blood and gore than the original. Then we proceed to see how far we can go in terms of what we can see (which includes nudity as well as violence).

The shock effects are multiplied by the fact that there is a much higher body count this time around. It seems Michael Myers (Dick Warlock, who also takes off the mask to play Patrolman #3) is determined to finish what he started, which means going after our plucky heroine Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). If you do not know why Michael is after Laurie, let me take this opportunity to welcome you back to the United States after your many years away. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is running around Haydonville trying to figure out if the evil is finally over.

What made "Halloween" so great was that it showed some style and came up with a neat gimmick. You knock down Michael Myers and--he--keeps--getting--up--again--and--again. Of course, today this idea is old hat and the only surprise is when somebody is actually dead after being shot, stabbed, whatever, the first time. "Halloween 2" is just a slaughter fest and with some of these characters, particularly Budd (Leo Rossi), you are rooting for the slasher big time. Curtis is semi-conscious most of the time and you cannot help but think she looks and acts a lot older than she did in the original (three years and seeing your slaughtered friends displayed in a tableau will do that I guess). Still, despite its shortcomings compared to the original, "Halloween 2" looks pretty good compared to the dreck that was to follow in its wake. In fact, compared to most splatter flicks this is an above-average effort, but it just is not the classic original.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: The classic Halloween II , its an excellent movie , good video quality , subtitled in three languajes : english , spanish and french. Excellent!

Rating:
Summary: Great Sequel!
Review: I thought this was a very good sequel. I really liked how it took place the same night as the original. A lot of times sequels can be disappointing, but in my opinion, I think this is a very satisfying and scary sequel.

Rating:
Summary: the nightmare continues
Review: Even though I don't give Halloween II a 5th star because of it not being original like the first Halloween, John Carpenter did a good job with this sequel. True, Halloween II seems a bit slow at first but it really picks up and leaves the audience wondering how the injured Laurie Strode is going to get out of that hospital alive! The murders committed by Michael Myers are a bit more violent and the music to the film is a little more tense. Overall, most will enjoy Halloween II.

Rating:
Summary: Alright not bad
Review: This is a good sequel not as sharp as the first but still good. This movie first begins as the ending of the first and takes place in the hospital where Laurie Strode (Curtis) is in critical condition because Michael is back! this is a scary movie and it bring some thrills i recommend this.

Rating:
Summary: ...More of the Night HE Came Home!
Review: "Halloween II" picks up the instant "Halloween" leaves off, and ties up some loose ends from the original film, but is overloaded with blood and gore, something the classic original managed to stay away from. It's still Halloween, 1978, and Michael Myers is still on the loose and still after Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), while Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance) is still looking for him. She is taken to the hospital for her injuries, where she is followed by The Shape, as he makes way through the inane and unprofessional staff right towards her. Jamie Lee Curtis is wasted in her role as Laurie this time around, pretty much stumbling through hallways drugged up, her lines have been drastically cut too. Donald Pleasance seems to have gotten a little bit more loony than the previous movie, wildly weilding a gun at defenseless kids in the street! The rest of the cast is typical slasher manic fodder, with nothing to do except scream and act stupid. Music is bit faster and synthesized than the original go-around and actually fits the movie better also. Generates enough suspense and scares for 4 stars, minus one for the amount of blood dumped. Good companion piece to the original, watch them back to back.

Rating:
Summary: The Festival Of Samhain...
Review: HALLOWEEN II begins by letting viewers know how the first film ended. After the the title sequence, killer Michael Myers (Dick Warlock), has escaped. Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) catches up with Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) to look for Michael. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken to a medical clinic so that she can get her injuries looked at by a Doctor. Eventually, Loomis learns of a connection between intended victim Strode and Myers that, at the time of its release, was a bit of a surprise.

While no sequel can ever top the original, the second installment, does have a few solid moments and enough key elements for me to recommend it. The script is written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, who wrote the original, and Pleasence is always good in these films. Curtis is allowed to do her thing but only in the film's last 20 minutes. One of the things that separates the original from H2 is the fact that director Rick Rosenthal puts all of his cards on the table here. The film is more flashy, less understated, and I think that ultimately works against the picture Substance over style. I am not saying that he needed to copy the first film verbatim but in the case of this film series less is more. Since Carpenter and Hill were still involved It's the best we could have hoped for in 1981. This film was intended to be the last chapter but as fans know, this was only the beginning...

The DVD only has one theatrical trailer, production notes and cast/crew info. After 21years I would be up for a special edittion Recommended (but not a great) sequel, better than average