Halloween: Being The Adventures Of Michael Myers | Halloween: The Night He Came Home | Halloween II
Halloween III: The Season Of The Witch | Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers
Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers | Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers | Halloween: H20 | Halloween: Resurrection

Setting: Haddonfield, 31 October, 1978

Halloween II, made between 1981 and 1982, follows on immediately from where Halloween ends - a clever idea that few sequels have ever exploited. Beginning with the last few minutes of the first film, we see Laurie hiding from Michael, followed by Tommy Doyle and Lindsey running from the house, then we see 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 being taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital to recover.

Michael breaks into Haddonfield's local school where he finds (or draws?) a child's picture of a family. He drives a knife through the picture's depiction of a sister which is later discovered by Dr Loomis. When questioning this, Dr Loomis is informed by Nurse Chambers that Laurie Strode is Michael's sister. By this time, most of the people in the hospital have been killed by Michael. Dr Loomis arrives in time to save Laurie, then shoots Michael another six times, followed by shooting him once in each eye - before filling the room with gas and igniting it in a terrible explosion.

… and he thinks that will stop Michael Myers?

Deaths:

Cast:

Characters with names in italics are recurring characters.

Review:

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. However, as far as sequels go, this is a good attempt, with enough new ideas to keep the burgeoning series looking fresh.

Further Reading

Halloween: Being The Adventures Of Michael Myers
• Halloween: The Night He Came Home
• Halloween III: The Season Of The Witch
• Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers
• Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers
• Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers
• Halloween: H20
• Halloween: Resurrection