Halloween II was always going to be judged against the success of the first film; as is often pointed out in many of the special features on the Blu Ray, this movie is inherently derivative of the first whereas the first one was an original. With all that said, this film succeeds where many of the latter slashers would fail.
The setting is a huge asset here, as the hospital at night is wonderfully eerie and spooky. Similarly, the other half of the movie gives us Haddonfield up in arms over Michael Myers’ invasion of their idyllic suburb; notice how many shots have citizens mulling around the streets trying to catch a glimpse of the carnage.
Donald Pleasence gives perhaps an even better performance here than the first film; once he realizes that Michael Myers is an unstoppable force of evil, you begin to see him lose his sanity and become more fevered in his actions and dialogue. Jaime Lee Curtis unfortunately has very little to do here, mostly lying in a catatonic state for the first half, than shuffling around the halls of the hospital in the second. The rest of the cast is a mixed bag similar to the first film.
Rosenthal’s direction is solid, helped along by Dean Cundey’s continuity as cinematographer from the first film. And credit to Alan Howarth, who takes Carpenter’s famous score and dials it to eleven with a gothic vibe that works well with the idea that Myers is publicly on the prowl.
Best scene: the final showdown in the surgery room. Suspenseful and brings our three main characters of the two movies together.
I thoroughly believe film history will look back on Carpenter as one of the unsung masters of the the second half of the twentieth century. Here we have his first critically acclaimed work, a work of a director who is already in control of several key elements (directing, score, editing) that will be the hallmark of a remarkable career.
Memorable scenes include the "I wanted vanilla twist" scene that is deservedly one of the greatest shocks in all of film, and an ending
that has the three heroes standing as the smoke clears, looking at the police, not relieved but realizing they are fixing to go back into a world where a black police lieutenant, a white male convict and a tough-as-nails woman will be unable to come together again.
Also, a word must be said for Carpenter's score, which is just as memorable as the iconic "Halloween" score that would be upcoming.
Overall, if you have loved better known Carpenter flicks, watch this early gem and watch a master at work.
Does not live up to the great films that preceded it, mostly thanks to the lack of a compelling villain. Eastwood and Daly's chemistry carries this one, and I'm glad they didn't slouch and give this one a happy ending.
It has a decent twist, but the execution of this film turns what probably would have been a good to great horror film into a slog. Jennifer Lawrence is never a bad thing though, and she does pretty well with what she is given(which isn't much).
Not talked about a lot anymore, this is an entertaining documentary about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but also about the human condition. Worth watching with the whole family.
Bava strays away from typical horror and instead takes a more realistic approach here, using the premise of a heist gone wrong to show how evil humans are. The three villains here are bad, with absolutely zero redeeming factors. 75% of this movie takes place in a car, on a hot day with no air conditioning, which lends itself to a feeling of extreme claustrophobia.
The ending is classic Bava, and this movie is underrated.
Influential for the groundwork it would lay for the slashers that were just around the corner. This movie should be pure joy for horror film junkies. One kill in particular where a head is busted open just looks wonderful. And the ending is one of the great WTF moments in horror film history.
The cinematography is of course beautiful, and the plot isn't as awful as some reviewers said, but there is still something missing here that I can't quite put my finger on.
Average Jason film. Some great moments, the fistfight with Julian is some of the best work of the series. And the idea of Jason in Times Square just works. The climax in the sewer is also very effective.
Tom Cruise just has that "it". He is compulsively watchable, and elevates serviceable films like this into great entertainment. Also, the ensemble does well, and I was surprised to see Werner Herzog, in a delightfully enigmatic and chilling performance. Worth a watch.
Hilarious, brilliantly parodies the noir-era, but in a friendly way. "Cleaning Woman!" will have you howling with laughter. And Marlowe may be the best thing about this picture. Everyone needs to see this.
A solid addition to the series. The premise of having a telekinetic girl go against Jason seems desperate, but it really works in the film's climax. Judging by comments from the director, the film had to be heavily censored and the Paramount execs objected to some of his story ideas. While this is an above average movie for the series, I believe it could have been even better.
Anyone who is a fan of horror needs to watch this one as an early example of the parody of horror movies. There were so many laughs in this film, it is practically a comedy. Easily the best entry in the series since Part II.
About as awful as part 3, but thankfully with some moments of "This is so terrible yet hilarious." Particularly love Reggie's cousin, who is a Michael Jackson look-a-like, and the seemingly endless number of fakeouts at the end, leaving you not quite sure what to believe. This is easily the worst of the series up to this point.
Middle of the line slasher. Crispin Glover is here, and he somehow throws in a great performance in a movie filled with nothing but nudity and stupidity by most. I like the ending, Corey Feldman is utterly creepy.
Maybe it's because I live in a place that is quite a bit like the town in this film that it didn't affect me as much. I thought Jennifer Lawrence was tremendous, but movie had some serious pacing issues.
Comments 1 - 25 of 59
Movie comment on Halloween II
tigh66
Halloween II was always going to be judged against the success of the first film; as is often pointed out in many of the special features on the Blu Ray, this movie is inherently derivative of the first whereas the first one was an original. With all that said, this film succeeds where many of the latter slashers would fail.The setting is a huge asset here, as the hospital at night is wonderfully eerie and spooky. Similarly, the other half of the movie gives us Haddonfield up in arms over Michael Myers’ invasion of their idyllic suburb; notice how many shots have citizens mulling around the streets trying to catch a glimpse of the carnage.
Donald Pleasence gives perhaps an even better performance here than the first film; once he realizes that Michael Myers is an unstoppable force of evil, you begin to see him lose his sanity and become more fevered in his actions and dialogue. Jaime Lee Curtis unfortunately has very little to do here, mostly lying in a catatonic state for the first half, than shuffling around the halls of the hospital in the second. The rest of the cast is a mixed bag similar to the first film.
Rosenthal’s direction is solid, helped along by Dean Cundey’s continuity as cinematographer from the first film. And credit to Alan Howarth, who takes Carpenter’s famous score and dials it to eleven with a gothic vibe that works well with the idea that Myers is publicly on the prowl.
Best scene: the final showdown in the surgery room. Suspenseful and brings our three main characters of the two movies together.
Movie comment on Assault on Precinct 13
tigh66
I thoroughly believe film history will look back on Carpenter as one of the unsung masters of the the second half of the twentieth century. Here we have his first critically acclaimed work, a work of a director who is already in control of several key elements (directing, score, editing) that will be the hallmark of a remarkable career.Memorable scenes include the "I wanted vanilla twist" scene that is deservedly one of the greatest shocks in all of film, and an ending
Also, a word must be said for Carpenter's score, which is just as memorable as the iconic "Halloween" score that would be upcoming.
Overall, if you have loved better known Carpenter flicks, watch this early gem and watch a master at work.
Movie comment on The Enforcer
tigh66
Does not live up to the great films that preceded it, mostly thanks to the lack of a compelling villain. Eastwood and Daly's chemistry carries this one, and I'm glad they didn't slouch and give this one a happy ending.Movie comment on House at the End of the Street
tigh66
It has a decent twist, but the execution of this film turns what probably would have been a good to great horror film into a slog. Jennifer Lawrence is never a bad thing though, and she does pretty well with what she is given(which isn't much).Movie comment on Spellbound
tigh66
Not talked about a lot anymore, this is an entertaining documentary about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but also about the human condition. Worth watching with the whole family.Movie comment on Cani arrabbiati
tigh66
Bava strays away from typical horror and instead takes a more realistic approach here, using the premise of a heist gone wrong to show how evil humans are. The three villains here are bad, with absolutely zero redeeming factors. 75% of this movie takes place in a car, on a hot day with no air conditioning, which lends itself to a feeling of extreme claustrophobia.The ending is classic Bava, and this movie is underrated.
Movie comment on Ecologia del delitto
tigh66
Influential for the groundwork it would lay for the slashers that were just around the corner. This movie should be pure joy for horror film junkies. One kill in particular where a head is busted open just looks wonderful. And the ending is one of the great WTF moments in horror film history.Movie comment on Dead Again
tigh66
A little confusing, but the performances are all spectacular here.Movie comment on What Dreams May Come
tigh66
The cinematography is of course beautiful, and the plot isn't as awful as some reviewers said, but there is still something missing here that I can't quite put my finger on.Movie comment on Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
tigh66
Average Jason film. Some great moments, the fistfight with Julian is some of the best work of the series. And the idea of Jason in Times Square just works. The climax in the sewer is also very effective.Movie comment on Jack Reacher
tigh66
Tom Cruise just has that "it". He is compulsively watchable, and elevates serviceable films like this into great entertainment. Also, the ensemble does well, and I was surprised to see Werner Herzog, in a delightfully enigmatic and chilling performance. Worth a watch.Movie comment on Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
tigh66
Hilarious, brilliantly parodies the noir-era, but in a friendly way. "Cleaning Woman!" will have you howling with laughter. And Marlowe may be the best thing about this picture. Everyone needs to see this.Movie comment on Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
tigh66
A solid addition to the series. The premise of having a telekinetic girl go against Jason seems desperate, but it really works in the film's climax. Judging by comments from the director, the film had to be heavily censored and the Paramount execs objected to some of his story ideas. While this is an above average movie for the series, I believe it could have been even better.Movie comment on Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
tigh66
Anyone who is a fan of horror needs to watch this one as an early example of the parody of horror movies. There were so many laughs in this film, it is practically a comedy. Easily the best entry in the series since Part II.Movie comment on Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
tigh66
About as awful as part 3, but thankfully with some moments of "This is so terrible yet hilarious." Particularly love Reggie's cousin, who is a Michael Jackson look-a-like, and the seemingly endless number of fakeouts at the end, leaving you not quite sure what to believe. This is easily the worst of the series up to this point.Movie comment on Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
tigh66
Middle of the line slasher. Crispin Glover is here, and he somehow throws in a great performance in a movie filled with nothing but nudity and stupidity by most. I like the ending, Corey Feldman is utterly creepy.Movie comment on Young Frankenstein
tigh66
Blucher!Movie comment on Primal Fear
tigh66
Gutsy ending for sureMovie comment on Manhattan
tigh66
Allen's Vertigo. His best, and most autobiographical. The last scene with Tracey and Isak is the most mature Allen has ever been.Movie comment on The Ghost Writer
tigh66
If this movie had been made ten years ago, MacGregor would still be running.Movie comment on Winter's Bone
tigh66
Maybe it's because I live in a place that is quite a bit like the town in this film that it didn't affect me as much. I thought Jennifer Lawrence was tremendous, but movie had some serious pacing issues.Movie comment on Friday the 13th Part III
tigh66
One of those it's so bad it's good kind of movies!Movie comment on Friday the 13th Part 2
tigh66
Better then the original in my opinion. Some interesting shots, especially like the pacing of the opening kill.Movie comment on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
tigh66
The Grey Havens scene is one of the most emotional I've ever seen put on film. Pitch perfect filmMovie comment on Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
tigh66
Drags at parts, but still hilarious.Showing items 1 – 25 of 59