The Past, Present and Future of Michael Myers: Halloween 2 (1981)

Arguably one of the greatest horror sequels of all time, Halloween 2 takes us back to Haddonfield, Illinois for another scare.

Picking up precisely at the shocking end of its predecessor, this film wastes no time striving to recapture the essence of the original via familiar POV shots, locations and faces. Returning along with Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence are Nancy Stephens and Charles Cyphers. This time at the helm is Rick Rosenthal, with Debra Hill and John Carpenter serving as writers and producers.

Right away there are several evident modifications from the original. Either an alternate take or added audio, Tommy and Lindsey run out of the house screaming for a much longer period of time. When Loomis rushes to the top of the stairs, they cut away from Tony Moran’s face before he steps out of the shadows (likely so not to have to pay him). In the TV cut, there’s an added scream from Laurie. Loomis shoots and a seventh gunshot can be heard. Myers falls from the balcony, this time in the front yard. They re8-shot the stunt with Dick Warlock as Michael Myers. Curiously, Dr. Loomis’s “I knew this would happen” moment is cut. Instead, he makes his way to the porch and stares at the lawn on which Michael fell. His face tells a different story, appearing shocked at the bloody grass outline left behind.

Even with a considerably bigger budget than its predecessor – $2.5 million, Halloween’s budget was a mere $325,000 – part 2 doesn’t feel excessive in sense. The film manages to inspire a genuine apprehension from its audience, rarely present in modern horror. Dean Cundey’s distinctive, dark-lit cinematography is, of course, a primary factor. His remarkable work as director of photography, coupled by Carpenter’s fine mix of new and original score composition – accented by Alan Howarth; a series staple, serving as the score composer from 1981-1995 – compliment one another stupendously. The film’s prodigious tonality and overall pace are on par with the original, for the most part.

Most of Halloween 2’s quiet and subtle scenes are in and around the hospital, whereas unlike the first film, there seems to be a lot more going on. More trick or treaters seem to be out, one of whom is the unfortunate recipient of a razor blade to the mouth, and another the unsuspecting victim of an arguably apocryphal accident. Seriously, there’s no way that street’s speed limit was more than thirty, yet this cop comes out of nowhere and hits Ben Tramer at a considerably higher speed. Strangely enough, there’s a fanbase for the Ben Tramer character. It is, after all, rather dark that the one guy Laurie Strode was interested in met such a violent end.

This time around, Jamie Lee’s portrayal of Laurie is less involved. Without asking Laurie questions about the events that took place or if anything other than her ankle and shoulder ache, the doctor acts against her wishes and puts her to sleep. Maybe this is all meant to make Laurie more vulnerable. It plays like an old arachnid movie in which the victim is paralyzed and left lying in a web, helplessly. It’s an interesting approach. We could have watched her dwell on the death of her friends, but instead we’re given not-so-subtle desperate flirtation and product placement with Jimmy; a horny EMT who is in Laurie’s face more than Michael ever was, offering a smiling Laurie a Coke.

Once Brackett gets word of his daughter’s untimely demise, he then leaves to break the news to his wife, putting Deputy Hunt in charge. Limited to a second in charge authority figure, it felt like he could have been Judith’s boyfriend. He mentions he remembers what happened because he was 16. Judith is said to have been 17, but actually, her tombstone says she was born on November 10, 1947. She died on Halloween 1963, which means she was 15, going to be 16. Either way, his character could have played a bigger part in the third act, but he’s given nothing to do.

The biggest issue with the film is the revelation of a sibling connection betwixt Michael and Laurie. She doesn’t even find out about it. Nancy Stephens’s Marion informs Loomis about a hidden file, kept hidden for the family’s protection. This connection manages to affect the plots for most of the later films. Does this somehow diminish the modes of persuasion set in place in the original?

Rather than focusing on the body count and gore factor, which undoubtedly give way to predictability, the filmmakers should have focused more on development, in every sense. Some characters play more as distractions for Michael, and as setpieces for the story. Suspense is established when our beloved characters are (at least) ostensibly on the precipice of danger, not when more than half of their scenes feature them quiescent and or distrait.

The TV cut offers some great scenes. One in particular features Nurse Karen and Janet. Karen is approached by Janet, who asks if she wants to hear something creepy. The performances are great and the dialogue is foreboding. Cutting it makes no sense, seeing as the rest of the scene is left in the movie where Karen is startled by Bud. It feels like stripping a joke of its setup and leaving just the punchline. The impact just isn’t the same. Perhaps an unnoticed deliberate contrivance, Dr. Loomis shoots the Marshal (John Zenda). Loomis aims the gun, Michael stands behind the marshal and a puddle of blood spews down his jacket. Michael didn’t stabbed the marshal with his scalpel. There’s no audible gu shot, but that’s the only logical explanation.

Halloween 2 js a great effort, and an enjoyable film. Although it failed to eclipse the success of the original, Halloween 2 was still a box office success, raking in nearly $26 million at the box office.