Director: Rick Rosenthal
Writers: John Carpenter and Debra Hill
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance
Body Count: 10
Review: Halloween II begins immediately following the end of the first film, with Myers suddenly disappearing from Dr. Loomis's sight. Loomis charges down to the front lawn of the Doyle house, searching for Michael. A neighbor asks him, "This isn't a joke, is it? I've been trick-or-treated to death tonight."
Loomis replies, "You don't know what death is."
Thus begins the best of the Halloween sequels. Though it pales in comparison to the original film, Halloween II is still an excellent slasher movie, thanks in no small part to the scripting team of Carpenter and Hill. Realizing that the story had to progress in order to keep the film from being a duplicate of the original, Carpenter and Hill create a "reason" for Michael's murders. They link Michael's evil to the ancient Druid celebration of Samhaim (or Halloween, for those unaware of Druid history).
In addition to the embellishment of Michael's history, some new depth is given to Curtis's character Laurie Strode. We finally discover why Michael is stalking her, and Dr. Loomis must once again combat the evil force that is "The Shape."
Halloween II has some great music, cleverly using the quaint "Mr. Sandman" song as a prelude to the carnage on the screen. John Carpenter's original theme is reworked into a more synthesized sound.
Though it lacks the punch of the first one, Halloween II is still a great slasher flick.
