Halloween 2 (1981)

Directed by: Rick Rosenthal
Written by; John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Lance Guest, Pamela Susan Shoop, Charles Cyphers

This review was originally slated for last October. However, just days after viewing the Halloween 2 30th Anniversary Edition disc, the Moustapha Akkad credit controversy sort of eclipsed the release. If you’ll recall, when the much-anticipated Blu-ray debuted last fall, fans noticed the opening credits had been altered. Universal had replaced Akkad’s “presents” credit with a Universal/MCA card.

The late Akkad, an executive producer on all eight original Halloween films, was the key person responsible for the longevity of the series. Fans were outraged and started an online petition to encourage Universal to replace the original credit. The studio eventually acquiesced and gave fans the opportunity to exchange their altered DVD for a copy with the original credit. Since the replacement copies have finally started to make their way to the fans, I thought it would be a good time to revisit the Blu-ray release.

Universal has never been very supportive of the two Halloween films they helped finance. Through the years, they have issued both Halloween 2 and Halloween 3: Season of the Witch in several bare-bones releases (and one double-disc) designed strictly for the bargain bin. This has always bothered fans of the series, who have seen several iterations of the later, pre-Dimension sequels given spiffy special edition issues. Anchor Bay has had the rights to the original classic and the two Trancas International follow-ups (Parts 4 & 5) for years. Whatever your opinion of the later films, there is no denying that Anchor Bay went the extra mile to honor them with commentaries, interviews and a plethora of other extras.

Universal has never bothered to cater to the huge fan base for the horror series, which explains, in part, their insensitivity to the late Akkad. For years they have simply treated their Halloween films as any other “catalogue title,” reissuing them every few years for quick October cash grabs. That changed last October when Universal finally released a high-definition version of Halloween 2, the 1981 sequel to John Carpenter’s landmark horror film. While hardly a “special edition,” it’s a respectable release and a must for fans of the series.

The Moustapha Akkad presentation of Halloween 2 picks up directly where the original ends. Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) shoots boogeyman Michael Myers (Nick Castle) six times, sending him over a balcony and onto the lawn of the Doyle house. Of course, everybody knows that you "can’t kill the boogeyman" and Myers’ body is nowhere to be found. Intrepid “final girl” Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken by ambulance to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital to tend to her wounds while Loomis and Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) wander the streets of Haddonfield attempting to find The Shape.

Throughout his original rampage, Michael’s motives were seemingly tied to the anniversary of his murder of his sister Judith fifteen years prior. After returning to the scene of the crime, he fixated on a teenager (Laurie) who reminded him of Judith, compelling him to repeat the crime again. His efficient trail of death was either tied to survival or his compulsion to relive the past. A Phelp’s Garage mechanic, two dogs and three horny teens were either slashed or strangled, and sometimes both. By Halloween 2, our boogeyman (now played by stunt man Dick Warlock) appears less focused and much more angry.

Maybe it was the knitting needle in the neck, the hanger in the eye, the butcher knife in the chest, the six close-range bullets to his body and two-story fall to the ground that soured his patient, methodical approach. Whatever the cause, poor Alice (Anne Bruner), a random teen alone in her home, is the first unfortunate victim of the angrier, less subtle Myers. Alice’s only sin? Leaving the front door unlocked. Myers may have returned, but he couldn’t have wandered farther from Orange Grove Ave.

The rest of Halloween 2 focuses on Loomis’ attempts at finding Myers — and Myers’ attempts at killing Laurie. While Loomis gathers clues indicating a nonsensical (and unnecessary) motive for his former patient, the incompetent staff at Haddonfield Memorial are systematically killed by Myers in several mean and equally nonsensical ways. The creepy cat-and-mouse games from the original have been replaced by Friday the 13th-style murder set pieces. What is most frustrating with this film, again scripted by Carpenter and Debra Hill, is that there is no true protagonist.

Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie is drugged and bedridden for most of the running time. The heroic babysitter from the original is relegated to the sidelines while Loomis is left to search dental records and wax philosophic on evil and Samhain. Hard to believe that Carpenter and Hill would choose to pursue such a limited and redundant narrative. It’s a slick yet depressing coda to a classic film that surely deserved better.

Director Rick Rosenthal (Halloween: Resurrection) does a serviceable job with the slight material he was given. He gets some solid performances from Pleasence, Cyphers and Lance Guest as concerned paramedic Jimmy. Nancy Stephens makes a welcome return as the cynical Marion and Gloria Gifford is a strong presence as head nurse Mrs. Alves (the lone authority figure at Haddonfield Memorial). Curtis, who did the sequel out of loyalty to Carpenter and Hill, is suitably worried and anxious in her extended victim role. Thankfully, she was able to reconcile the somnambulant turn of her character several years later in the compelling Halloween: H20.

Rosenthal’s film looks and feels very much like the original, thanks to returning cinematographer Dean Cundey. The first moments after the opening credits, with Myers’ POV through the back alleys of Haddonfield, contain a mischievous energy missing from the rest of the film. These brief shots cleverly mirror the beginning of the original and promise a movie that is far more inventive than what follows. Much of Halloween 2 works on a very primal level.

As a Halloween sequel, it’s all trick, but as a mindless slasher film it’s a digestible treat. It’s helped greatly by the kinetic score, an electronic revamp of Carpenter’s iconic original soundtrack. The extended, entirely expected stalking sequence between Myers and Laurie is shot and edited with a modicum of energy. But the slow pace of Warlock's Myers is often unintentionally funny. And Laurie narrowly escaping by jumping into a slow-moving elevator is far removed from the nail-biting confrontations orchestrated in the first film.

The most interesting aspect of this DVD release is the inclusion of Terror in the Aisles, an uneven horror film compilation from 1984. Narrated by Donald Pleasence and Nancy Allen (Carrie) the film showcases several scenes from famous (and not-so-famous) horror films. While it contains some clever editing, the movie is hampered by a finite selection of titles, several of which are not even actual horror flicks. Extended scenes from Nighthawks and Vice Squad will leave audiences more confused than entertained. However it’s the first DVD release of this obscure favorite, so the inclusion is definitely a bonus.

Halloween 2 is presented in its proper 2.35:1 aspect ratio with a beautiful high-definition print. The film has never looked this great; Akkad would be proud. The bonus features, in addition to Terror on the Aisles, are several deleted scenes and the alternate (and superior) television ending.

Rating: (2 out of 5):