Halloween II (1981)

Director:

Rick Rosenthal

Writers:

John Carpenter (written by) &
Debra Hill (written by)

Release Date:

30 October 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

More Of The Night He Came Home

Plot:

Laurie Strode is rushed to the hospital, while Sheriff Brackett and Dr. Loomis hunt the streets for Michael Myers, who has found Laurie at the Haddonfield Hospital.

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Halloween | Michael Myers | Sheriff | Madness

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Laurie Strode
Donald Pleasence	...	Sam Loomis
Charles Cyphers	...	Leigh Brackett
Jeffrey Kramer	...	Graham
Lance Guest	...	Jimmy
Pamela Susan Shoop	...	Karen
Hunter von Leer	...	Gary Hunt
Dick Warlock	...	The Shape / Patrolman #3
Leo Rossi	...	Budd
Gloria Gifford	...	Mrs. Alves
Tawny Moyer	...	Jill
Ana Alicia	...	Janet
Ford Rainey	...	Dr. Mixter
Cliff Emmich	...	Mr. Garrett
Nancy Stephens	...	Marion
John Zenda	...	Marshall
Catherine Bergstrom	...	Producer
Alan Haufrect	...	Announcer
Lucille Benson	...	Mrs. Elrod
Howard Culver	...	Man in Pajamas
Dana Carvey	...	Assistant
Billy Warlock	...	Craig (as Bill Warlock)
Jonathan Prince	...	Randy
Leigh French	...	Gary's Mother
Ty Mitchell	...	Young Gary
Nancy Kyes	...	Annie Brackett (as Nancy Loomis)
Pamela McMyler	...	Laurie's Mother
Dennis Holahan	...	Laurie's Father
Nichole Drucker	...	Young Laurie
Ken Smolka	...	1st Patrolman
Adam Gunn	...	Young Michael Myers
Roger Hampton	...	Patrolman #2
Robin Coleman	...	Medic
Jack Verbois	...	Bennett Tramer
Tony Moran	...	Michael Myers - Age 23 (archive footage)
Kyle Richards	...	Lindsey Wallace (archive footage)
Brian Andrews	...	Tommy Doyle (archive footage)
Anne Bruner	...	Alice
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kim Gottlieb	...	Photographer at Hospital (uncredited)
Helen Kelly	...	Nurse at the Hospital (uncredited)
Anne-Marie Martin	...	Darcy Essmont (uncredited)
Nancy Platt Jacoby	...	WWAR Sound Assistant (uncredited)
Lance Warlock	...	Radio-Carrying Teen (uncredited)

Directed by
Rick Rosenthal

Writing credits
John Carpenter		(written by) &
Debra Hill		(written by)

Produced by
Barry Bernardi	....	associate producer
John Carpenter	....	producer
Debra Hill	....	producer
Joseph Wolf	....	executive producer
Irwin Yablans	....	executive producer
Moustapha Akkad	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Dino De Laurentiis	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Carpenter
Alan Howarth

Cinematography by
Dean Cundey		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mark Goldblatt
Skip Schoolnik

Casting by
Mary Gail Artz

Production Design by
J. Michael Riva		(as Michael Riva)

Set Decoration by
Peg Cummings

Makeup Department
Frankie Bergman	....	hair stylist
John Chambers	....	makeup technician (as John F. Chambers)
Michael Germain	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jeffrey Chernov	....	production manager
Nancy Platt Jacoby	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William S. Beasley	....	first assistant director
Duncan Henderson	....	second assistant director
John Carpenter	....	director: additional scenes (uncredited)

Art Department
Kevin Conlin	....	property
Michael Diersing	....	construction foreman
Terry Feller	....	propmaker (as Terry G. Feller)
Andrew P. Flores	....	labor foreman
Matt Furginson	....	swing gang (as Frank M. Furginson)
Serge Genitempo	....	standby painter
Walt Hadfield	....	construction coordinator (as Walton Hadfield)
Darrell Huntsman	....	greensman
Jerry Palermo	....	construction painter
James A. Rathbun	....	assistant property master
Eugene J. Reed	....	property
Richard M. Sternbach	....	production illustrator
Daniel Stoltenberg	....	property master (as Daniel Lee Stoltenberg)
Jerry T. Tirado	....	leadman

Sound Department
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator (as Joseph Brennan)
Thomas Causey	....	sound mixer (as Tommy Causey)
Carl Fischer	....	boom operator
Michael C. Gutierrez	....	sound editor
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound editor (as Warren Hamilton)
Gregg Landaker	....	re-recording mixer
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephen Purvis	....	assistant dialogue editor
David E. Stone	....	sound editor (as David Stone)
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gene Wahrman	....	dialogue editor
David Lewis Yewdall	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh	....	special effects supervisor (as Larry Cavanaugh)
Frank 'Paco' Munoz	....	special effects (as Frank Munoz)

Visual Effects by
Sam Nicholson	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (as Hill Farnsworth)
Donna Garrett	....	stunts
Glynn Rubin	....	stunts
Dick Warlock	....	stunt coordinator
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts
Jesse Wayne	....	stunt double: Donald Pleasence (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dic Alexander	....	grip (as Richard Alexander)
Jon Antunovich	....	electrician
Bobby W. Brown	....	electrician
Clyde E. Bryan	....	first assistant camera
Norris L. Essex	....	electrician
Jiggs Garcia	....	additional camera operator
Kim Gottlieb	....	still photographer
László Horváth	....	grip
Casey Hotchkiss	....	first assistant camera (as Case Hotchkiss)
Gary B. Kibbe	....	additional camera operator
Kris Krosskove	....	dolly grip
Walter Rexford Allen Lott	....	electrician
Drain M. Marshall	....	rigging gaffer
Terry Marshall	....	electrician (as Terry Marshall Jr.)
Thomas Marshall	....	best boy electrician (as Thom H. Marshall)
Steve Mathis	....	electrician (as Steven R. Mathis)
Riggs Murdock	....	second assistant camera (as Joseph Riggs Murdock)
Douglas Olivares	....	first assistant camera
Mark Pearson	....	best boy grip
Patrick G. Ralston	....	electrician
Douglas Ryan	....	additional camera operator
Joe A. Salamdino	....	grip
Dennis E. Shelton	....	electrician
Raymond Stella	....	camera operator
Raymond Stella	....	panaglide operator
Ray Thomas	....	electrician
Mark Walthour	....	gaffer
Ronald Woodward	....	key grip (as Ronald T. Woodward)

Casting Department
Susie Johnson	....	extra casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frances Vega Aubrey	....	costumer
Jane Ruhm	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Michael D. Ornstein	....	associate film editor
Brian Ralph	....	negative cutter
Kimberly Ray	....	assistant film editor (as Kimberly K. Ray)
José Antonio Torres	....	assistant film editor (as Jose Antonio Torres)

Transportation Department
Ray Appel	....	driver
Larry L. Berneau	....	driver
Alan Broberg	....	driver
Denny Caira	....	driver (as Dennis Caira)
Raymond Claridge	....	driver
James M. Downs	....	driver
Gary Hardman	....	driver
Bruce Hauer	....	driver
William Charles Hauer	....	driver
Bob Hendrix	....	driver (as Bob L. Hendrix)
Mark Jackson	....	driver
Gary Kincaid	....	driver (as Gary E. Kincaid)
James A. Lundin	....	driver
Jerry N. Marsh	....	driver
Kenny Moore	....	driver (as Kenneth James Moore)
Dave Pierce	....	driver
Wayne Roberts	....	transportation captain
Joe Sawyers	....	driver
Mario Simon	....	driver
Jim Sprayberry	....	driver
Andy Straub	....	driver (as Andy R. Straub)
Gary Vermillion	....	driver
Thomas Vilardo	....	driver (as Tommy G. Vilardo)
Eddie Lee Voelker	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Ami Agmon	....	location manager
Candy Artmont	....	script supervisor (as Candy Anne Marcellino)
Lynne Birdt	....	production coordinator
Andy Bonin	....	technical advisor (as Andy Bonin M.D.)
Bob Burris	....	craft service (as Robert C. Burris)
Steve Burris	....	craft service
Randi Chernov	....	producer's assistant (as Randi Linn Chernov)
Maurice Costello	....	registered nurse (as Maurice Costello Jr.)
Bernie Granados	....	first aid: construction (as Bernie Granados Jr.)
Egbert W. Jetter	....	caterer
Patrice J. Klinger	....	accounting assistant (as Patrice Klinger)
Deborah D. Lee	....	first aid
Don Post	....	mask maker
Geoffrey Ryan	....	production assistant
Art Schaefer	....	production accountant
Jamie Shourt	....	main title sequence: Shourt Works Ltd.
Geoffrey Ryan	....	location scout (uncredited)

Production Companies

• De Laurentiis
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-EMI-Warner (1981) (UK) (theatrical)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• MCA Videocassette (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1984) (USA) (TV)
• MCA Videocassette (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Castle Home Video (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Bridge Entertainment Group (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray) (30th anniversary edition)
• Scream Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (collector's edition)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• Succéfilm AB (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Castle Entertainment (DVD)
• Flashstar (Brazil) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• MCA Videodisc Inc. (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Roadshow Entertainment
• Roadshow Home Video
• Tec Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Cineguild  sound concepts
• Creative Mobile Studio  titles/opticals (as Creative Mobile Studios)
• Goldwyn Sound Facility  re-recorded at
• Laurel Group  "Night of the Living Dead" courtesy of (as The Laurel Group, Inc.)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  color (as MGM)
• Pacific Title  titles/opticals
• Panavision  filmed in
• Pickwick/Maslansky/Koenigsberg Inc.  publicity (as Pickwick Maslansky Koeningsberg)
• Shourt Works  main title sequence (as Shourt Works Ltd.)
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"Halloween II: The Nightmare Isn't Over!" - USA (video box title)

Runtime:

92 min | Sweden:90 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:R | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (#26416) | West Germany:18 (Banned) | Iceland:(Banned) | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1983) | Norway:15 (video) (re-release) (1999) | Norway:(Banned) (video) (1986) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Norway:18 (re-release) (cut) (1988) | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1982) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1982) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1998) | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/18 | Italy:VM18 | New Zealand:R16 | Italy:T (VHS rating) | Germany:16 (DVD rating, uncut) | Germany:16 (cut DVD version) | Germany:18 (blu-ray) (uncut)

Filming Locations:

Kersting Court at Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre, California, USA

Company:

De Laurentiis

Trivia:

This is one of the only two films released by Universal Studios. After the massive success of the first film, Universal picked up the sequel. When Halloween III: Season of the Witch 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.

Goofs:

Continuity: The security guard is sent to find the reason the phones do not work in the hospital. A couple of scenes later, you see a nurse chatting on a hospital phone.

Quotes:

[after discovering Laurie is Michael's sister]
Sam Loomis:[to the Marshall] Turn this car around, now!
Marshal:I can't do that. I have orders.
[draws gun and points it at him]
Sam Loomis:Well those orders have changed!
Marshal:Doctor, you're getting yourself into a lot of trouble.
Sam Loomis:What is it you guys usually do? Fire a warning shot, right?
[Loomis shoots out the window, and the car screeches and turns about]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Backstory: Halloween" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Mr. Sandman

Family Ties – The ‘Not The Afternoon Sitcom.

What is interesting about this movie from an originality point of view is that the movie starts from the ending point of the original. We now have continuous story flow which is indicative of the strength of the original concept. Audiences did not have to put up with some ill – conceived spruced up story which gave an excuse to bring Michael Myers back to the big screen. From an unoriginal perspective, we do have the predictably higher body count. Fortunately it did not reach the levels attained by other sequels within the genre. The other predictable element of this horror sequel is that the death sequences are far more gruesome. Notwithstanding these obligatory elements, the sequel is relatively strong and although not as good as the original, this sequel did much to build on the ominous reputation of Michael Myers.

Looking at a sequel is surprisingly interesting. We have the original to compare to and we can access how the characters have developed. In this one, character development was not an issue since we are dealing with a story that follows events directly after the original. This in itself is interesting as we do not see this very often.

There are elements that contribute well, but also those that contribute poorly. The ones that contribute well is the soundtrack, the Shape and Donald Pleasance. Elements that did not work well here is unbelievable character decisions, and poor special effects.

The music is for me the outstanding element here. The opening theme track seems to be updated with more bass giving a far more ‘in your face effect'. This is exactly what Michael is. He is no longer an unknown force. Haddonfield knows he is there somewhere in the shadows – lurking, waiting to strike. Therefore the theme does not emphasise the suspense indicative of the original – rather the gruesome intent of the villain. This seems to be more in line with the Halloween festival around the world where the costumes are loud. The movie had become more indicative of it's title.

It has been mentioned by other users here that the ‘Sandman' track is out of place. Although this may seem so on the face of it, I feel that it offers a contrast to the Halloween theme track as a ‘feel good' track is played and then we are led into the ominous theme track – muck like what would be done at Halloween parties. This sequence of track, probably not intentionally, highlights the way that this story has become synonymous with the festival as previously touched upon. It not only takes the name of Halloween. It takes the character of Halloween. Myers is the evil that never dies – the bogeyman. John Carpenter has created a story that identifies strongly with makes no small contribution. October 31st and has stolen into the ceremony. His music is a prime example of this.

The Shape is now played by Dave Warlock. The suspense lacking from the script itself becomes evident in his body language. His movements accentuated his evil presence and dehumanised him. It also shows us that he is not a normal human being - rather a cold, soulless entity that exists only to kill his sister. This was also evident in the first, but was more noticeable in this movie since we saw more of Myers. The Shape was given more screen time, but his basic character remained true to the original. A necessary keep – over since the sequel deals with the same night the attack started.

Donald Pleasance is as much affiliated with ‘Halloween' as Jamie Lee Curtis is. His major contribution is creating a sense of plausibility for the audience. He recites his lines with such authenticity that the audience will be drawn into the story. We think of the ‘mad scientists' of an era gone by, only this is not his creation but a shell born onto the world to carry out evil deeds. He is what Alec Guinness was to ‘Star Wars' and what Vincent Price was to horror movies. Pleasance adds to the aura of Myers and was a vital part of the ‘Halloween' franchise. Even with Jamie Lee Curtis on board in the most recent ‘Halloween' movies, the impact of the first two ‘Halloween' movies was never rekindled which is due in part to the loss of Pleasance. He was a great opponent for Myers.

The believability added by the abovementioned members of the cast was undermined by unbelievable character decision making. Curtis is always hiding not far away from Myers. Not rational for somebody who was previously attacked and knows what she is up against. There would have been more plausible solutions to making Curtis more of a helpless victim. She could have injured herself while she was trying to escape and the perfect opportunity for this was in the hospital when she narrowly escaped Myers. What she did, did not assist the story, but weakened it. It is these areas within which audiences drawn in may be lost.

The effects were weak in places. The blood drained on the floor was way too red. It served to weaken the movie since this is another element which may jolt audiences from their imagination. Special effects serve to add believability to the story and when attention is drawn to them in a negative sense, the story can only be adversely affected. It was also too much blood for a Myers kill. He strikes a lethal blow rather than causing too much gore. It is unfortunate that this seemingly obligatory element became a part of this movie.

I had seen this movie before the original and for some time favoured this one, mostly due to the haunting soundtrack. But I grew to prefer the original because of its suspense. The music, in my opinion, is still better in this sequel since it adds ominous intent to Myers and more truly reflects his character. But this was not enough to improve it over the original and if the weaknesses mentioned above were ironed out, we would have had a much stronger comparison.

What separates ‘Halloween' from other slasher movies is that Myers has real purpose, although there is no evident motive. He exists solely to kill his sister. Myers does not kill all that are within his territory, but those that may stand in the way of his objective. This is the essence of the story and gives reason for his continued existence. This has now been stopped in the most recent ‘Halloween' movie – ‘Halloween Resurrection' and although it is said that this gives way to a new story, it seems to lead it to older stories where the villain kills senselessly. It is true that it had to change in some way, but if Myers is not stalking a relative his core purpose is lost. I am sure that there will be another sequel and I am hoping that they bring back Laurie. The original concept was very good and if the story is going to continue, the foundation should be kept.