RetroCast: Halloween II(1981)

A podcast style re-edit of my earlier review on the underrated sequel Halloween II(1981) I still think it has it's flaws, but overall it's a solid sequel. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Jeffery Kramer, Lance Guest, Pamela Susan Shoop, Leo Rossi, Gloria Gifford, Tawny Moyer, and Dick Warlock.

Directed by Rick Rosenthal.

Trivia

Originally Tommy Lee Wallace(Halloween III) was slated to direct but dropped out to unknown reasons. At that point in pre-production the film was to be shot in 3-D

Dana Carvey made his movie debut in this movie playing an assistant. He can be seen receiving instructions from a blond reporter in front of the Wallace house.

The film is set immediately after the first Halloween. Since Jamie Lee Curtis had begun to wear a much shorter hairstyle in the 1980s, she had to wear a wig that matched her original hairstyle for the film.

Halloween II was originally written to take place in a high rise apartment building. Later in script meetings, however, the setting was changed to Haddonfield Hospital.

This is the only Halloween film to show the morning after the 31st, every other movie ends on Halloween night.

John Carpenter turned down an offer to direct, but remained involved with the production by writing the screenplay.

Pamela Susan Shoop (Karen) got an ear infection during filming of her death scene as the water in the hot tub was apparently "none too clean".

Believing Rick Rosenthal's version of the film to be too tame, John Carpenter shot a few gory scenes that were added into the film despite Rosenthal's objections.

The scene where the Boom Box Boy, played by Lance Warlock, runs into Michael in Haddonfield town square was shot on one of three nights of re-shoots done by original Halloween director John Carpenter.

The voice of Alice's friend (heard over a telephone) is the voice of Nancy Kyes, who played Annie in Halloween, and appears in Halloween II as the corpse of Annie.

The 17-year-old who was hit by the police car and burnt alive, at first believed to be Michael Myers, was supposed to be Ben Tramer, the boy Laurie confesses to have a crush in in the original Halloween.

Dick Warlock wore lifts in order to appear taller.

In the scene where Michael tries to attack Laurie as she's climbing through the window the scalpel that he's holding was actually just an eraser on a stick.

Was filmed at Morningside Hospital, 8711 South Harvard, Los Angeles which had recently closed and has since been torn down.

The only Halloween film to be produced by Universal Studios. After the massive success of the first film, Universal picked up the sequel. When the sequel didn't fare so well, Universal gave the rights to Trancas International , an affiliate of Universal's, who produced the films until 1989. In 1996, the rights were sold to Dimension.

The mask Michael wears is the exact same mask (a repainted and modified Captain Kirk mask) worn in the original film. It looks different in the sequel because the latex had decayed in the years between films, and Dick Warlock is shorter and stockier than Nick Castle, so the mask fit his head differently. All the subsequent sequels used different masks that looked rather different.

To get the role of Michael Myers, Dick Warlock revealed that as he passed by a room, the Michael Myers mask was on a table. He put the mask on and walked into Rick Rosenthal's office and stood there. After Rosenthal continuously asked him who he was and he didn't reply, he took off the mask and asked if he could play Michael Myers.

In addition to his role as The Shape (Michael Myers), Dick Warlock also appears as the policeman who accidentally hits Ben Tramer with his patrol car and crashes it into a van. Warlock not only drove the car himself during the crash scene, but also did all his own stunts as Michael Myers.

Interestingly, several of the scenes and lines in this film were taken by John Carpenter from the novelization of the first Halloween, which was written by Curtis Richards and published in 1979. The most obvious references are the neighbor appearing from a house near the Doyle residence and speaking to Loomis (their exchange is almost identical, and includes the "You don't know what death is!" line from Loomis), and Loomis going outside after shooting Michael to view his body (although Laurie accompanies him). Loomis also says that his gun "heightens my sense of security", a line said to Deputy Hunt in this movie.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Halloween II
• Movie Review
• Jamie Lee Curtis
• Donald Pleasence
• Charles Cyphers
• Jeffery Kramer
• Lance Guest
• Pamela Susan Shoop
• Leo Rossi
• Gloria Gifford
• Tawny Moyer
• Dick Warlock
• Rick Rosenthal
• 80's
• Horror Film
• Sequel
• Podcast

[MichaelAMyers2010]

Dude Michael never kills the old ppl Mr. & Mrs. Elrod or Jimmy (Lance Guest). Jimmy lives because he is the father of Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris).

Just thought I'd let you know...

[OcpCommunications]

@MichaelAMyers2010 Oh, yeah I forgot about that explanation..I did this review a long time ago so some of my facts might be off..

[22rayj]

8:37 in the TV version of this movie, it shows Michael cutting the power.

[MichaelAMyers2010]

I wasn't sure if you knew or not. I luv Halloween/Myers. Fave horror icon. Original series not Zombie. Anyway I agree H2 is solid a film but every movie has flaws. H1 has flaws. I think its where Laurie, Lynda, and Annie are walking home after school and Laurie sees Michael... A faint cloud of smoke can be seen drifting by...Its from John Carpenter's cigarette. So every movie flaws but whatever their there to entertain and the original H 1&2 was entertaining. I love&watch 'em both as a 4hr movie

[marioradium2]

great review mike

I agree that this film has one of the best horror movie climaxes

Mr Krabs must be the owner of that hospital. 

[ramboraph4life]

Solid job on the review Mike.

[mannygatillo]

great review