Halloween II (1981)

It is still Halloween night 1978 and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is in Haddonfield Hospital recovering from Michael Myers’ near-fatal attack upon her in John Carpenter’s seminal horror film.

She now believes Myers to be dead, but somehow he comes back from the grave and the mayhem begins all over again.

The majority of the hospital staff have gone home for the evening and those who remain, like Karen (Pamela Susan Shoop) and Bud (Leo Rossi), head to the hot tub for a quick make-out session.

This becomes one of the film’s stand out murder sequences as Michael looms in the background, pumps up the heat lever on the tub forcing Bud to get out; strangles him before continually dunking Karen’s face in the scolding hot water simultaneously burning and drowning her to death.

It’s the movie’s nastiest kill, but it was lifted directly from Italian master of horror Dario Argento’s Deep Red (1975).

Slowly but surely, Michael makes his way through all of the hospital staff  – Jimmy (Lance Guest), Graham (Jeffrey Kramer), Jill (Tawny Moyer), head nurse Mrs Alves (Gloria Gifford), Janet (Ana Alicia), Dr Mixter (Ford Rainey) and bumbling security guard Mr Garrett (Cliff Emmich) – and tracks down Laurie for a drawn-out chase through the building for the conclusion.

At this point, Dr Loomis (Donald Pleasence) finds out about a secret file that was sealed after Michael was institutionalised that revealed his true relationship with Laurie Strode.

It turns out Laurie is, in fact, his sister, and since he murdered his older sister when he was 6 years old, they deduct that he’s obviously come back home to kill his other sister.

With the exception of H20, the sequels to John Carpenter’s 1978 horror masterpiece have been universally awful. However, like the aforementioned 1998 version, this was the only one to feature the original star, Jamie Lee Curtis, and is a better film for it.

Carpenter had a hand in the script but this is a by-the-numbers retread and the direction of Rick Rosenthal lacks flair.

Laurie Strode
Jamie Lee Curtis
Dr Sam Loomis
Donald Pleasence
Sheriff Leigh Brackett
Charles Cyphers
Graham
Jeffrey Kramer
Jimmy
Lance Guest
Karen
Pamela Susan Shoop
Gary Hunt
Hunter Von Leer
Budd
Leo Rossi
Janet
Ana Alicia
Dr Mixter
Ford Rainey
Mrs Alves
Gloria Gifford
Jill
Tawny Moyer
Mr Garrett
Cliff Emmich
Marion
Nancy Stephens
Marshall
John Zenda
Mrs Elrod
Lucille Bensen
Craig
Bill Warlock
Randy
Jonathan Prince
Gary’s mother
Leigh French
Young Gary
Ty Mitchell
Annie
Nancy Loomis
Laurie’s mother
Pamela Mcmyler
Laurie’s father
Dennis Holahan
Young Laurie
Nichole Drucker
Young Michael Myers
Adam Gunn
Bennett Tramer
Jack Verbois
Michael Myers, age 23
Tony Moran
Lindsey
Kyle Richards
Tommy
Brian Andrews
Alice
Anne Bruner

Director
Rick Rosenthal

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