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
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