Setting: Haddonfield, 31^st October 1978

Halloween II begins immediately after Halloween ends, a clever idea that few sequels have ever exploited. Beginning with the first few minutes of the end of the last film, we see Laurie hiding from
Michael, Tommy Doyle and Lindsey running from the house, and Loomis shoot Michael, who promptly vanishes after falling off the balcony. The film continues seamlessly with Michael hiding from Loomis and the Sheriff, and Laurie Strode taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital to recover.

Michael breaks into the school where he stabs a picture of a sister. Loomis is informed by Nurse Chambers that Laurie is Michael's sister but, by this time, most of the people in the Hospital have been killed by Michael. Dr Loomis arrives in time to save Laurie, shoots Michael another 6 times, then once in each eye, before filling the room he is in with gas and igniting it in a terrible explosion.

Halloween II is definitely a cleverly done sequel, carefully interwoven with the original so that the two can be watched as one film, rather than the unrelated sequels several modern slashers have spawned. There are many continuity references with major characters
from the original returning for little more than cameo roles, including the Sheriff, Nurse Chambers and Annie as a corpse, and the same horror films are still being shown on television.

The confined space of the hospital also adds to the tension, although the characters are less memorable than in the original; the nurses, for example, all blend into each other. It is also unrealistic that the hospital is so deserted, indeed, apart from a child who makes a quick visit, the only patient in the hospital we see is Laurie Strode. As far as sequels go, a good attempt, with the series still looking fresh.

The Post Special Supplement

Bluebottle

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