Halloween II

1981 "More of the night he came home."
6.5| 1h32m| R| en
Details

After failing to kill stubborn survivor Laurie and taking a bullet or six from former psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis, Michael Myers has followed Laurie to the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, where she's been admitted for Myers' attempt on her life. The institution proves to be particularly suited to serial killers, however, as Myers cuts, stabs and slashes his way through hospital staff to reach his favorite victim.

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Reviews

Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
ShangLuda Admirable film.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
bayardhiler Sequels are, by nature, hard to do for one is essentially trying to recapture that magic that made the original so good. Very few actually succeed. However, every now and then, someone actually makes a sequel worth seeing. Case in point, 1981's "Halloween II". Though I can't say it's as good as the first, it does manage to retain some of the magic and suspense that made the original so good. The story picks up exactly where the first one left off: Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) shoots Michael Myers six times but as we all now doesn't die. From there, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken to the local hospital but as we soon discover, Michael isn't done with her, and it's here that we discover the famous motive behind Michael's madness; Laurie Strode is Michael's sister. It's a fight for survival as Michael goes the hospital staff one by one until only Laurie is left, and is forced to face the horror of Michael once again.Written and produced by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, "Halloween II" was a film that wasn't supposed to be made, as Carpenter and Hill didn't believe that a sequel was necessary. But when money enters the picture, people have a funny way of changing their minds. In many cases, such a scenario is a recipe for disaster. I know that Carpenter himself has said he's not impressed with the script he wrote (going as far as to say the only thing that helped him through the writing of it was a six pack of Budwieser). But I don't think he should be so hard on himself, for unlike most sequels - especially horror ones - "Halloween II" works. Though Carpenter didn't direct it, the movie still has the Carpenter feel to it, as since many of the same crew of the original also worked on this one. The one who did direct, Rick Rosenthal (Before he directed the atrocious "Halloween Resurrection") manages to weave a very good, effective, atmospheric tale of a killer stalking a hospital in the dead of night, and deserves to be congratulated here. It also helps that Carpenter's original theme and score gets an 80's makeover, courtesy of electronic composer Alan Howarth (someone I've had the pleasure of meeting personally), which I must say, makes the Halloween theme that much more effective and creepy! But above all, another important quality is the acting. Everyone here does a fine job, from Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance to Leo Rossi and Lance Guest. Whenever a character dies, we feel for them. It's one of those instances where one feels a strong sense of camaraderie among the actors, something that is very rare in any movie. Some of criticized this as being slow, and I'll admit it does take longer for the film to get going. But the feeling of suspense is still there throughout the picture, and I myself consider this the best of the "Halloween" sequels, and look just as forward to it every time fall rolls around as I do the original. Happy Halloween!!!!
Thomas Drufke The first Halloween is one of the best Horror films of all time, and easily the best film centered around the holiday of Halloween. Halloween II, taking place on the same night, attempts to essentially recreate the magic of the original, but without the focus or sharp execution.Picking up directly after Michael Myers falls out of the window and to "his death", the divisive sequel is in large part the same plot as the 1978 original. Myers is on the loose, seemingly won't die, and is on a killing rampage for no good reason. Interestingly enough, there's even less method to his madness this time around, which is typically where the film fails. There was something about watching Myers go around killing sex-obsessed teenagers, and specifically Laurie Strode's friends, that made the first film so intense and more personal. But with Laurie spending most of the film in a hospital bed, there's a lack of emotional connection.That's not to say Myers doesn't have his frightening moments. In fact, the new ways Myers chooses to kill his victims was pretty creative, and luckily just gruesome enough to send chills up and down your spine (but not too gruesome where you feel like turning the movie off). We still have the first person camera movement and well edited cuts to legitimize the kills and keep a sense of reality to the situation. It's in these moments that I feel the film solidifies itself even if it doesn't nearly have the impact the first did.There is one particular third act twist/reveal that I'm sure ticked off fans of the franchise at the time, and I found it to be quite a reach as well. There's always a way to build mythology without overdoing the reasoning behind Myers' crimes and exploiting them. To me, Halloween II is a worthy horror film, but not nearly satisfying enough as a sequel to feature the main two characters from the original. Why not use Jamie Lee Curtis a little more?6.8/10
OllieSuave-007 In this first sequel to Halloween, picking up where the events of the first film left off, Michael Myers returns and continues to go after Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), with Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) determined to end Michael's reign of terror.This movie has plenty of jumpy moments, screams and carnage - just right for a scare, especially during Halloween. Michael Myers is as creepy as ever, and is indestructible. The plot is fast-paced from start to finish, and the script is simple but straight-forward.Good acting with great suspense, intrigue and thrills.Grade B+
Eric Stevenson I guess the original "Halloween" movie would be a tough act to follow, but this was a pretty good little flick. It continues right where the previous film left off as we continue to see Michael Myers' body count rise. There's an important revelation in this. Laurie is revealed to be another one of Michael's sisters who was adopted in her youth which is why Michael is after her. Dr. Loomis is once again featured. When you have a villain who doesn't talk, you really do have to give characterization to the good guys and that's what these movies do.It's even treated more realistically as they actually get help from the police. Of course, they're still pretty useless. Dr. Loomis talks about how Michael is unstoppable hinting at his supernatural powers which will be expanded upon later. Actually, that didn't work out too well. Michael is just as intimidating as he was in the first movie. Second only to Jason Voorhees, he has the most kills of any slasher movie villain. Call me morbid, but some of these kills are pretty creative. ***