Halloween II

(Slasher/Hospital/Brother)                                8**********skulls

*Blood* *Violent* *Strong Language* *Sexual Situations* *Nudity* *Not Particularly Gory*

1978/Color/93 Min./MCA Videocassette Inc.& Universal Pictures/Rated R

Director............Rick Rosenthal (Bad Boys, The Birds II, Russkies)

Screenplay......John Carpenter & Debra Hill (The Fog, Halloween)

Music..............John Carpenter & Alan Howard (Halloween III)

Producer.........Debra Hill & John Carpenter (Halloween III)

Executive Producer.....

Make-up by

Dramatis Personae

Laurie Strode..Jamie Lee Curtis (The Fog, Halloween, Terror Train)

Sam Loomis.....Donald Pleasence (Alone in the Dark, Halloween)

Leigh Bracket..Charles Cyphers  (The Fog, Halloween, Hunter's Blood)

Graham.........Jeffrey Kramery

Jimmy..........Lance Guest (Jaws: The Revenge, The Last Starfighter)

Karen..........Pamela Susan Shoop

Gary Hunt......Hunter Vonleer

The Shape......Dick Warlock

Jill...........Tawny Moyer (House of the Rising Sun)

Janet..........Ana Alicia (Coward of the County, Romero)

Marion.........Nancy Stephens

Mrs. Alvez.....Gloria Gifford

Assistant......Dana Carvey (Spinal Tap, Wayne's World, Wayne's World 2)

Dead Annie.....Nancy Loomis(Assault on Precinct 13,The Fog, Halloween)

Budd...........Leo Rossi

Dr. Mixter.....Ford Rainey

Critique: The mythic background is knitted into this movie in a way that would be paradigmatic for the genre. It's the festival of Samhain, October thirty first. The lord of the dead. Michael is dressed perfectly in his auto mechanics's one piece for the workmanlike way he goes about his business with a sense of purpose that befits his Captain Kirk mask. There is neither conscience nor reason, nothing resembling humanity in that one. Dana Carvey shows up just for a moment - don't blink, it's shorter than his mime bit in "Spinal Tap" - as an ambulance assistant cleaning up the Halloween mess.

Plot Summary: Dr. Loomis, doctor to Michael Myers, a life long mental patient, is looking baffled and dismayed: "It's still on the loose. I shot him six times' It's still October 31, 1978 Haddonfield, Illinois. Halloween night. Michael is still on the move, we see him enter a kitchen locate another carving knife to the tinkling strains of John Carpenter. Soon another teenager, resembling his long dead sister is located. Michael's steady stride continues. Meanwhile, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), the survivor of part one, is being taken to a local clinic "Please don't let them put me to sleep', she says, also aware that it's still Halloween night. The policemen of Haddonfield have heard just about enough from Loomis. After all, "No man could take six slugs. I tell you this isn't a man." is Loomis' chilling retort. Soon a masked figure is found and chased into the street. A speeding cop car slams into him, and he is burned beyond recognition. Was it the thing? The cops are ready to call it a night. They're ready to start pointing fingers. "Damn you, you let him out." Laurie finds out that Michael Myers was the bogeyman. The information stirs her to new fear. And then there's phone trouble at the hospital. That doesn't bode well. The security guard finds that the door's been opened and the lock is broken. Back at forensics, the dental work of the immolated corpse just doesn't check out. The police are sent back into the streets. A Marshall has come for Loomis; his patient has, after all, slaughtered Haddonfield. Loomis learns that Laurie is Michael Myers' sister. "He killed one, he's after the other." Loomis sends them to the clinic at gun point. Back at the clinic, a nurse goes to tell doctor Mixter that Laurie has had a bad reaction to the medication. Michael's gotten to him. Laurie knows something's up--she leaves her bed hopelessly drugged. Michael's definitely honing in. He clearly is at pains to keep her pure. Laurie finds a security guard hanging around. The Myers house is meanwhile under siege by the outraged Haddonfedlians. As Loomis notes, in order to appease the Gods, prisoners of war, criminals and animals were burned to death by the Druids. A thousand years later, it's the same. Back at the hospital a nurse and an orderly engage in some Jacuzzi play. Is that a good idea on Halloween in Haddonfield?