Halloween II (2009)

Superb direction for a violent movie that starts out strong, only to drift south into mediocre-ville. Following directly after the first Halloween, the aftermath of Michael Myer’s bloody massacre is played out through the eyes of Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton). Laurie struggles with the memory of that dreadful night and is visited by nightmares and visions of his return to take revenge. Halloween II showed glimpses of genius within the first 20 minutes but unfortunately when the legendary Malcolm McDowell (I’m a bit of a fan) enters the screen, the impact of the terror and the effect  all wears off. If anything could have made this movie perfect, it would be the implementation, directing and editing of the first scene being done throughout the entire movie. Without giving anything away, there is one moment that stands out in my mind where Michael stalks his wounded victim down some stairs and the camera, music and sound make you feel every step of her pain as she descends to futile freedom. The film is grainy and gritty, the scenes are filled with rain, and the homes are cluttered, messy and feel hostile. There wasn’t one moment of joy and happiness aside from a dinner scene where Sheriff Lee Brackett (Brad Dourif) shares a pizza with his daughters. Only rain, blood, dirt and immense misery exists in Halloween II. Michael’s homecoming is not a warm one, and the way in which Rob Zombie sets the mood it doesn’t warrant fanboi applause.

Bigger, bearded and about 100lbs denser, the killer, like his kindred spirit Leather face, is a linebacker with a blood-lust. When Michael starts to stab, it isn’t to the smooth, crooning voice of Bobby Darin singing “Mack the Knife”, no it’s nothing poetic, it is violent, bloody and there is no music. The silence allows us to hear the sound of that blade busting through bone, sinew and flesh. It is a sickening sound and he doesn’t stab his victims any less that 10 times, each time echoing that awful sound of murder.

If you thought the first movie was gory, you should be prepared to see it over again in this new skin. And I am being generous, the story of Halloween II is not the most compelling one. It is basically a wrap-up to the first one, with a bit too much emphasis on Dr. Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) and his newly written book on Myers. Showing Loomis doing book signings, complaining about old headshots and appearing on talk shows did more harm than good for Halloween II. As much as I love seeing McDowell chase tail a la Caligula or A Clockwork Orange, I came to see Michael Myer’s life and it felt as if they could have covered Loomis in one shot, versus 15 minutes. Still, with one of the better opening scenes I have seen in a horror movie, accompanied by a nice tie-in with the aspect of dreams, Halloween II is a solid movie. To quote a friend, you could take the first movie, attach this one to the end minus the teenage party scene and the Loomis close-up and end up with a 3 hour saga of horrific perfection.

I loved the direction, loved the mood, setting and ambiance and loved the intensity of Michael Myers (Tyler Mane). In the end, the final scene compliments the beginning beautifully and seals it all up in a nice white body-bag. If you do see Halloween II, please be sure to READ the beginning quote and watch very closely. It’s what makes this oh so special.