PopHorror Let's Get Scared
What makes an amazing sequel? Nowadays there are sequels being made that have absolutely no relevance to the original whatsoever. That’s why Halloween II may be the best horror sequel of all time. It’s been 35 years and is still as scary as when it was first released. We are about to get into what makes this movie so amazing and why it is beloved by horror fans everywhere. So let’s not waste any time and get into why the boogie man, Michael Myers, is even more terrifying in the second installment of the Halloween franchise.
Although the movie was released October 30th, 1981 it is a direct sequel to the original Halloween of 1978 even taking place that same evening. For Halloween II, John Carpenter did not direct but he did co-write the script. Carpenter had stated that he didn’t want to direct so he got Rick Rosenthal, who later went on to direct Halloween: Resurrection (2002). The movie has a 6.5 rating on IMDB.COM and a 35% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have said this movie is said to have plot holes, but in my book, it is one of the best slasher sequels of ALL TIME!
Halloween II picks right back up where the original left off. We are taken back to the night he came home! Laurie Strode reappraised by Jamie Lee Curtis is being carted off to the hospital to treat her wounds. The news anchors are all over the place of the grizzly murders that had transpired in Haddonfield. There is a manhunt out for Michael Myers. However little did they know that he had unfinished business with Lori and tracks her down at the hospital. Will he finally complete his sadistic plans he has for Laurie or will his therapist Dr. Loomis be able to track him down and put an end to Michael Myers once and for all?
There are so many reasons to love this sequel and here are the top 5:
1. It takes place the same exact night!
2. The scream queen Jamie Lee is back and who doesn’t love Jamie Lee?
3. We finally get more to the story of why Michael is after Lauri – spoiler alert – it’s his baby sister. If you didn’t know that clearly you’ve been living under a rock for the past 35 years.
4. Oh, the poor Ben Tramer, clearly Laurie has possibly some weird connection to her brother as the man she has a crush on chose to wear the same exact costume which leads to maybe one of the most brutal demises in the whole franchise. I guess him and Lori will never get to go on that date considering he’s burnt to a crisp. Which is actually sort of ironic as at the end of the film Micheal gets lit up.
5. The death count upped the ante from the original and Michael was just more scary in general! For example, the nurse being completely picked up with one arm and her shoes falling right off and that sexy hot tub scene. That was steamy. We also can’t forget the blood being completely drained out of someone’s body. I’ll admit however there is a plot hole that I’m still unsure of, is Jimmy is alive or dead? But we are not here talk about plot holes we are here to honor a movie that is 35 years of awesomeness.
6. The movie takes place in a freak ass hospital! It seriously may be the creepiest hospital ever to be in a movie.
Here are some fun facts about Halloween II:
1.Jamie Lee Curtis actually had to wear a wig as her hair was much shorter than it had been in the original.
2. Originally this movie was supposed to have taken place several years after the original with Michael tracking Laurie in her expensive apartment building, however in script meetings was changed to the hospital.
3. Also, This was supposed to be the last installment of the Michael Myers story line and become more of an anthology, with the disappointment of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, they brought back Myers for Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.
Final Thoughts:
This franchise has brought joy to so many horror fans. I can say with almost absolute certainty we have not seen the last of Halloween or Michael Myers. Every Halloween these movies are marathoned on many different stations! A tradition I am proud to be a part of! Even though this was supposed to be the final installment and the movie is AMAZING, aren’t we glad we have such an epic franchise to give a something a little different each time we watch?! Happy Halloween, everyone!
Also be sure to check out : Halloween (1978).
