Recap
Welcome back to my ‘lore of Halloween‘ series exploring just why the various studio’s involved in the Halloween franchise feel the constant need to change up the timeline of the films every few years. (It’s not Back to the Future after all!)
I am a huge fan of 1981’s Halloween 2, it is like a Shakespearean tragedy with added laughs. Where H1 is relentless, H2 is enjoyable and reluctant to take itself too seriously. It may be schlock but its highly entertaining schlock and, as it was written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, the lore it introduces to the series is more canon than some fans would care to admit.
H2 follows on directly from the events of H1 (an idea merrily ripped-off by Friday the 13th part 3) with Laurie being transported to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital for observation after her ordeal. Unfazed by being shot several times and falling from a balcony Michael Myers wonders away and quickly tracks her down again bumping off the staff of the lonely and very empty hospital one by one.
Style and criticism
H2 was directed by Rick Rosenthal who went on to receive plenty of negative attention for his efforts on Halloween Ressurection. (although Ressurection has seen a ‘revival’ amongst fans more recently) The reception to H2 from critics was also lukewarm but overall Rosenthal does a good job of matching the look, feel and tone of H1. For example; we still get the classic slow zoom pumpkin opening credits (just seeing the names Moustapha Akkad and Dino De Laurentiis appear still gives me a little thrill or anticipation)
With help from Alan Howarth, Carpenter’s score is souped up to 100 using a synth this time and giving H2 a deep 80’s feel. He signals to us through his faster more chaotic theme that the innocence of the ’70s is well over just as it is for the townsfolk in Haddonfield after Michael has slain their young.
Rosenthal keeps the suburban Gothic feel going with shadowy wide shots down the long empty hospital corridors. And MM is as omnipresent as he is at the end of H1, continually appearing out of the dark top right of the frame to surprise his victims.
There are plenty of nods to the deaths in H1; the focus on Jill’s (Tawney Moyer) feet as she hangs in the air is similar to Bob’s (John Michael Graham) death, and Karen (the great Pamela Susan Shoop) is tricked into thinking MM is her boyfriend just as Lynda (P.J. Soles) is in 1.
Apparently, John Carpenter was among those less than impressed with Rosenthal’s interpretation of H2 resulting in a creative tussle and Carpenter shooting some additional shots and scenes to increase the overall level of violence/horror. But at the end of the day, it is hard to distinguish between who was adding vs who was subtracting to the overall quality of the final film.
Strode
Poor Laurie. Scared another one away. It’s tragic. You never go out – Annie Brackett H1
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