Taking Another Stab at It: The 40th Anniversary of "Halloween II"

 

By Michael Lyons

Oh, Michael Myers, look what you started!

With the knife-wielding madman's first appearance in director John Carpenter's seminal horror film, Halloween in 1978, the man in the William Shatner mask changed movies forever, opening up a new genre: the slasher film.

Jason in Friday the 13th, Freddy Kreuger in A Nightmare on Elm Street, Ghostface in Scream, and countless others followed.  The success of these films, one after another, allowed Hollywood studios to see just how much audiences loved them, as well as just how lucrative that "jump scares" in theaters could be.

Another "game changer" came three years after the original Halloween with the aptly titled Halloween II sequel.  It was another success, grossing over $7 million in its first weekend when it opened on October 30, 1981.

Suddenly, new doors were sliced open, and the slasher film became a "franchise," with studios suddenly realizing that as long as the killer could continue to "rise from the dead" at the end of each film, a subsequent sequel could...and would...follow.

Halloween II was the first continuation of a story that emerged as a series of films that continues to be popular over four decades later.

Other sequels and remakes have followed, some following different Michael Myers' "timelines" than others, but all of them quenching a "bloodthirst" that fans have for the Halloween films.  The latest installment, Halloween Kills, opened to an impressive $90 million worldwide after debuting October 15 in theaters and the Peacock streaming service.

The original Halloween II (there was another same-titled sequel in 2009 by director Rob Zombie) celebrates its 40th anniversary this fall. With all the focus on both Halloween, the season, and the movies, it's an appropriate time to look back on the sequel that started it all.

Director Carpenter elected not to return for the follow-up to his groundbreaking original.  Instead, he opted to co-write it with Debra Hill and turn the directing reigns over to Rick Rosenthal.

Halloween II picks up right where the original left off. We see Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) shoot Michael after he attacks Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).  Michael falls off the second story of the house but disappears mysteriously into the small town of Haddonfield.

Laurie is taken to the hospital, and Dr. Loomis joins the Sheriff (Charles Cyphers) to track down Michael, who continues to terrorize the citizens of Haddonfield, but then makes his way to the hospital to find Laurie.

Halloween II suffers, as many sequels do, from the fact that it's not the original.  What was novel and shocking about the first is expected here.  Still, there is much to enjoy from this entry, particularly if you're already a fan of the franchise.

Director Rosenthal upholds the continuity well from the original, effectively using "point of view" camera work in several scenes and finding creative ways to bring Michael, a/k/a "The Shape," into scenes with a jolt.  

Most of Halloween II takes place in the hospital, used to creepy, claustrophobic effect. There are well-choreographed scenes in darkened hallways and chilling shots captured on security cameras of Michael walking the grounds. 

Michael also employs new and inventive methods for his "kills" - everything from injection needles to Jacuzzis are employed. 

A "twist" in the story has drawn the ire of fans through the years; apparently, even Carpenter himself wasn't happy with it.  Many say that this is what led to later sequels and different timelines in the Halloween franchise.

 The second Halloween still gets its love, particularly from many devotees and especially this time of year.  

Now, four decades later, with so many similar films come and gone, 1981's Halloween II not only proves itself to be a perfect example from a time that can best be dubbed "the golden age of slasher films."  And now, watching it is a nostalgic, seasonally-appropriate favorite.

 Oh, Michael Myers, look what you started!

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

Sources:

IMDb

Wikipedia

 

Smashing Pumpkins: "Home Improvement's" Halloween Episodes

Tim (Tim Allen) and Al (Richard Karn) with

a Bob Villa inspired Jack O' Lantern on

Home Improvement's first Halloween episode

 By Michael Lyons

 

"More Power!" became the rallying cry for many when the hit sitcom Home Improvement debuted thirty years ago this fall.  Not only did the show make a star out of comedian Tim Allen and become a staple of 90s television, but in its second season, Home Improvement started a tradition of creating a new Halloween episode each year for eight seasons.

The series revolved around Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor (Tim Allen), the host of a popular home improvement show "Tool Time" (inspired by Bob Villa's real show "This Old House") and the trials and tribulations of his family, wife Jill (Patricia Richardson), and sons, Brad, Randy, and Mark (Zachery Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Taran Noah Smith).

The ongoing joke of the show is that even though Tim is "The Tool Man," he is all thumbs when it comes to anything related to improving the home.  His repairs and "fix its" usually had disastrous results. His co-host on the show was Al Borland (Richard Karn), who has the handiest skills, and neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman, an enigmatic figure, partially obscured in each episode by the backyard fence) provides wisdom.

The annual Halloween episodes of Home Improvement were so popular with viewers that they became expectations each year while the show was airing on ABC.  In honor of Home Improvement's 30th anniversary and "spooky season," here's a look back at all of the Taylor family's Halloween celebrations.

"Haunting of Taylor House" (1992)

Home Improvement's very first Halloween episode begins in typical Tim Taylor fashion, as he uses "more power" to carve a Jack O' Lantern and splatters Al with "pumpkin guts."

The Taylor's ready the house at home for their son Brad's Halloween party, where Tim has built a haunted house in the basement dubbed the "Catacomb of Terror."

Some adolescent angst between Brad and his girlfriend drives the plot, but the show never forgets it's celebrating Halloween.  The episode goes all in, with every square inch of the Taylor house decked out, the basement "Catacomb of Terror" looking as impressive as a theme park attraction, and Tim dressed as a zombie grandma named "Nanastein."

All of this, coupled with the show's usual well-timed jokes, makes this Home Improvement episode pure, wall-to-wall Halloween fun.  It's no wonder it became a tradition for the Taylor's and viewers.

"Crazy for You" (1993)

In the series' second Halloween episode, Tim becomes convinced that a "Tool Time" viewer named Rose is stalking him.  Is she, or is this a well-planned Halloween prank?

It's fun to see the prank tables turned on Tim in this episode and even more fun to see the producers "one-up" the Halloween theme.  Tim wears an impressively detailed zombie costume and Wilson, hidden behind the Phantom of the Opera mask, are impressively humorous and creative.

"Borland Ambition" (1994)

This episode features Halloween somewhat in the background, as the plot revolves around Al becoming obsessed with a hardware store he has purchased.  But, when Halloween does surface in the show, it does so in perfect, Home Improvement style, particularly a gag where the youngest member of the Taylor clan, Mark, dresses as Al to go trick or treating.

"Let Them Eat Cake" (1995)

Halloween provides the backdrop again for this episode.  It centers on Tim and Jill going to a cable award show on Halloween night, with Brad throwing a party while they're out, against their parents' wishes, as Mark is home sick with an earache. 

When "Tool Time" continually loses at the awards to a cooking show, Al decides to change into his costume and leave early for a Halloween party.  Of course, their show wins the big award, and Al must deliver his acceptance speech dressed as a mouse.

"I Was a Teenage Taylor" (1996)

A tangled web of Halloween pranks consumes Tim, Jill, Al, and the Taylor boys in this creatively funny episode that keeps you guessing.  Best of all, with this, Home Improvement returns to Halloween taking center stage for the plot.

The final prank on older brothers Brad and Randy is filled with fun costumes and creepy effects.  As the Taylor's friend Larry says, "In all my years, I've never seen a family go to such sick lengths to torture each other on Halloween!"

"A Night to Dismember" (1997)

Another fully Halloween-infused episode begins with Tim and Al dedicating "Tool Time" to "pumpkin racing," where they race Jack-O'-Lanterns on wheels around a small track.

From there, the show centers on Mark and his friend making a student horror film, which raises concerns from Jill, as she feels it reflects what he thinks about his family.  He asks his family to act in the movie, which leads to some great, cynical comments from Tim, mainly as he and Jill try to support their son, the movie director, no matter how gruesome his film may be.

"You want to help?" asks Mark.  "Let me chop off your heads."

"Okay!" answers Tim with a sarcastic smile.

"Bewitched" (1998)

The last season brings the usual array of Tim Taylor pranks in what may be one of the best Halloween episodes.  An excellent opening gag involves Jill pretending to be scared by Tim's pranks, as she has gotten so used to them.

The "Tool Time" episode features a detailed, tongue-in-cheek look at "How to design the perfect torture chamber."

Neighbor Wilson has a Halloween party and introduces the Taylors to his new girlfriend, who claims to be a real witch.  After Tim buts in and talks Wilson into breaking up with her, Wilson disappears...or is it just another elaborate Halloween prank?  Well, how else would Home Improvement celebrate their last Halloween?

 

Scares, costumes, creatures, trick-or-treaters, and exploding, flaming pumpkins all served up with some comforting, retro family-friendly laughs.  A marathon of some or all these episodes from the eight seasons of Home Improvement could most definitely give your Halloween "More Power!"

Sources:

bloody-disgusting.com

IMDb

 

 

A Knife Time Was Had By All: The 25th Anniversary of "Scream"

 

By Michael Lyons

"What's your favorite scary movie?"

This, now iconic line of dialogue, has become somewhat ironic for the film that coined the phrase.

That's because, twenty-five years after it was first uttered, one of the answers to the question could be the movie that gave us the famous phrase itself, Scream.

Penned by writer Kevin Williamson and directed by horror movie maestro Wes Craven, Scream turned the horror movie genre and the movie industry upside down and sent executives screaming down the hallways of Hollywood studios in attempts to duplicate the film's success.

Before the word "meta" was a thing, Williamson (a struggling screenwriter at the time) took a familiar story of teenagers stalked by a knife-wielding killer.  However, he set it against a world where the teenagers involved were familiar with the tropes found in some of the most famous "slasher movies," bringing up the familiar scenes found in such films. In contrast, a killer bears down on them in their town.

We hurtle into the film with a now-famous and chilling opening sequence.  A teenager named Casey (Drew Barrymore, in an extended cameo) is home alone and tormented, first by phone and then in-person, by a figure clad in a black robe with a terrifying mask that resembles the famous painting "The Scream" by Edward Munch.

The killer (eventually referred to as “Ghostface”) goes on to terrorize the town, especially high schooler Sidney Prescott (played well with tortured empathy by Neve Campbell).

And as students and residents get "offed" one-by-one by the mysterious masked murderer, what Sidney and the audience learns is that, in the words of the film's video store nerd, Randy (Jamie Kennedy, as great comic relief) is that "Everybody is a suspect!"

The killer could be Sidney's boyfriend, Billy (Skeet Ulrich), or his best friend, Stu (Matthew Lillard), or intrepid news reporter Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), or seemingly innocent Sheriff Dewey Riley (David Arquette), among others.

Throughout its twists, turns, and "red herrings," Scream smartly keeps the audience guessing and guessing incorrectly (at least during a first viewing) until the film's final revelation of who the killer is.

While this is going on, there are many references to the past slasher movie blockbusters that paved the way for Scream.  This starts right from the film's gripping opening, during which "Ghostface" (the terrific, tense voice of voice actor Roger L. Jackson) quizzes Casey over the phone about famous horror movies. 

 

The genre then goes on to serve as the backdrop for the remainder of the film, with tropes - such as characters saying "I'll be right back," only to be killed and the killer, thought to be dead - rising up one last time, are called out as events happen in the film.

There's an exceptionally entertaining scene in which Randy lays on the couch watching John Carpenter's classic Halloween while the killer stalks him from behind.

The best part is that Scream uses all of this, not entirely for laughs, but also to significant, horrific effect.  Craven, a true master of his craft, brought tens,e audience squirming scenes effectively to life.  A sequence in which Sidney is trapped in a car while the killer lurks outside is brilliantly executed.

Scream, released on December 20, 1996, generated tremendous word-of-mouth success, grossing $173 million at the worldwide box office.

Three sequels, parody movies, and a TV series followed.  A fifth sequel is slated for release next year.  'Ghostface" has also made appearances on countless peices of merchandise, and, especially during our current Halloween season, the costume is still a favorite.

Twenty-five years later, Scream has emerged, not just as perfect viewing as we approach Halloween, it's also left an indelible, horrific "slash" into our movie pop-culture consciousness.

And, if anyone needs proof of that, just simply say, "What's your favorite scary movie?"