*** Official HALLOWEEN II (2009) Discussion Thread

Yeah, that's what let me down the most about the first one. I really did think there was some potential there, Seeing more of Michael's childhood in the sanitarium was an interesting idea, but he ruined the character by making him unaware of his killings and that the people he does kill "deserved" it for some reason. There are scenes where Michael is pretty much a nice kid but just goes into a catitonia when he kills. And the white trash family was pretty cliche too. I'm fine with Zombie doing his own thing with the story, but he completely misses the whole essence of Micheal Myers is supposed to be.

The characters were bad, and the heroine of the story is pretty much just as vulgar and obnoxious as any of the other characters. Not that it has to be a virginal, dowdy girl like J.L.C. but we don't really get anyone we care to see live in the Zombie version

Tell be about! Next thing you know he'll do a remake of "The Blob" but not have  the monster be a blob!

Regarding the amount of profanity in Zombie's movies, I know I'm in the minority but it rings true to me. From the age of 15, myself and the majority of all my friends (male or female) have all cursed as much as his characters. Now I realize that most people don't curse that much but the girls' torrent of profanity sounds real to me.

I honestly believe that I cuss more than anyone I know.  Perhaps this is due to watching GOODFELLAS and RAGING BULL at such a young age but even I role my eyes during all the profanity.  I don't mind teens cussing but it seems EVERYONE does in a Zombie movie.  It doesn't matter what they're doing or how they're feeling, they just cuss. 

When the thread gets broken up I'll post a spoiler in regards to one of the death's in the film.  Zombie likes to pulverize people in painful deaths but there was one here, which really didn't sit well with me and I think fans of this series as well as the original are going to dislike. 

I agree that both films contain things that work well but the problem is that they're in a HALLOWEEN movie and no matter how Zombie wants to "re imagine" it, this is still a HALLOWEEN movie.  Zombie's comments in regards to his remake of THE BLOB makes me realize that he doesn't understand that.  Perhaps his blob will cuss, slap strippers around, sleep with its daughter and carry a chainsaw.

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Halloween II (2009)". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "Halloween II (2009)" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.

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Crawdaddy

For me, the problem with his characters comes when most of the supporting cast are inbreds or drunken hillbillies or just sleazy in an unbelievable way (like the morgue van driver who wanted to bang one of the corpses). Maybe if the movie was set in the deep backwoods of Deliverance country, I could buy it a little more but I can't believe that that many freaks are running around nice, suburban Haddonfield, Illinois.

As for The Blob, I'm not worried about it because I'm sure that's another one of those movies that won't actually happen (at least, not with Zombie at the helm). Maybe I just read more about horror movies than other stuff but it seems like every name horror director is always attached to a movie and then they move to another movie.

"Tell be about! Next thing you know he'll do a remake of "The Blob" but not have  the monster be a blob!"

You must be psychic.:)

I was willing to give Zombie a mulligan and hope he learned from the error on the first one and could create a stronger film this time around. I griped about the first one, but I saw this anyway because I'm a Halloween junkie and the major papers I read today actually gave this moderately good reviews.

I thought there was potential in the first one but the flaws just outweighed the positives by too much. Well all the problems of the first were exponentially multiplied in this outing. At least the first one had a relatively simple concept, watching this one, I felt like this was meant to been seen while on acid, with all the mental imagery (which I agree was a total ploy just so Zombie's wife could have a part) Here's a hint, if you're an actress where the only stuff you get cast in are your husband's films, maybe it's not the right thing for you.

While I thought the first was flawed and weak, this was just confusing and made little sense. For example, if you're Laurie Stode, and so haunted by the experience of the first film, why the hell didn't you save a few bucks and high tail it to West Palm for the week of Halloween.

Once again, no characters who one could feel anything for. The Laurie Strode character was even more off putting than in the first film. I don't get why these horror filmmakers still don't understand that what makes good horror and suspense is not the monster, but offering characters that we want to see live.

The kills were boring, they were mostly just stabbings. Hell, I don't have a problem if you want to make an exploitave film, but at least offer some varietly of creative kills. Even the original Halloween II managed to do that.

As for the Loomis character, as much as I like Malcolm McDowell, his role in the film was virtually unnecessary. They should have dropped most of his role. It would have been more effective if the story had just acknowledged he wrote an exploitive book and then had him show up at the end. And speaking of which, how was it not discovered unitl this film that Laurie was Michael's sister, that should have came out almost immediately after the events of the first one.

The most significant of very few bright spots in the film was Brad Dourif, an actor who gives me the impression that he is a true professional. He was the only good character in the film. The only other good part was getting to listen to "Nights in White Satin" Which, even though I'm a big Moody Blues fan, did get what was up with how the song and the video (with a tv turning on by itself) kept repeating through the hospital parts.

The sad thing is that I do think Zombie actually does have some flair as a director. There were a few shots of Michael waking towards Haddonfield in the early evening that I liked. But the guy just does not understand what make a compelling story. It makes me think that "The Devil's Rejects" was just him getting lucky and making a decent exploitation film by accident.

I'm still going to go and see his movies but after two duds, I'm beginning to lose the faith that The Devil's Rejects gave me. Like I said earlier, there's parts of all of his movies that I think are fairly good but The Devil's Rejects was the only time that he was able to keep it together and make a good movie.

I'm curious what they're going to do with the rest of this series.  Zombie has said he's done and if that's the case I'm sure they could offer any new director the job and they'd take it.  Even if Zombie's "vision" won't be here, they can still continue the series.  It's too early to switch gears and try something different after just two movies.  It's too late to continue the original series.  Michael Myers is too much of a known name as is the title so something is going to follow.  I hope this doesn't turn into a CHILDREN OF THE CORN type thing where we just get direct-to-DVD features every few years. 

Zombie says he's done but if he can't get any more backing then it wouldn't shock me to see him back at some point.  I know he apparently has THE BLOB lined up and ready to go but I think his name value has taken a really big hit with these two films.  Even the defenders of HALLOWEEN are really, really attacking this one.

If Zombie jumps ship I'd love to see Carpenter's original idea come into play where each Halloween offers up a new type of story.  Myers is probably too famous to let this happen but if it does go the "direct to DVD" route, I'd like to see it done.

Of course, I just read that Zombie said his original cut of this movie was 4 hours and then he cut it down to 2.  This version runs 101-minutes so there could be twenty-minutes worth of "story" on the upcoming DVD.  I'm still wondering what he was even doing with a four-hour rough cut.

It did seem pretty obvious to me that stuff was cut from the film, most notably with the Loomis scenes. The way he was in one place and then instantanously in another place.

Well, I guess I'll strap on the Kevlar and be in the minority on this but, in combination with the remake, I think I'm fascinated by Zombie's take on Halloween.  And if he's really done, I think the ending, though a rip off of a classic film, is perfect, considering the characters of Michael and Laurie.

Maybe I accept his vision of this series and the character of Myers because I have absolutely no connection to the series or the character.  Yeah, I've seen the original and respect it but it really does nothing for me.  I didn't see it for the first time until I was almost twenty.  This character is much like Jason for me...just plain shallow. 

With this two film story arc, I gotta give Zombie props for trying to include story and character in a genre that doesn't even remotely focus on that from film to film.  All of Zombie's ideas don't work but at least he attempts to go beyond what audiences expect from the genre.

The criticism of the remake was that it gave reasons why Michael was how he was.  I never really saw it that way.  Nature vs. nuture, sure but it went beyond that.  This sequel gives us the true answer.  And while, yes, a ripoff of Friday the 13th, I still think he works like gangbusters, especially with the young Michael Myers playing along as well.

The other aspect I admire about the two films is their look and the look of the characters.  All too often, we get what we've always gotten, the pretty teens.  Here, it's dirty.  Laurie and Annie look like they've been through hell and back since the remake.  To me, it seems plausible.  I loved the brutality of Myers.  Inventive kills are not on the menu in this film.  It's all about getting the job done and he does with such force and viciousness.

Again, I know I'm in the minority but I'll take these two Halloween films over the the sequels to Carpenters.  I'm very much looking forward to his director's cut when it hits DVD later this winter.

Fire away!

I personally hope this series is done.

If the box office predictions are correct and H2 only took in $5.6 million on Saturday, it looks like this could run out of steam even faster than expected.

I just think Michael needs to go away for a long, long time.  Sadly, I think the producers will drag this series through the mud with a bunch of DTV sequels.  A damn shame.

Of course, it's interesting, too.  The producers are in a tough spot when it comes to which version of the character to use.  If DTV sequels are produced, will they follow Rob's continuity, or will we see a gradual return to The Shape?

"I honestly believe that I cuss more than anyone I know.  Perhaps this is due to watching GOODFELLAS and RAGING BULL at such a young age but even I role my eyes during all the profanity.  I don't mind teens cussing but it seems EVERYONE does in a Zombie movie.  It doesn't matter what they're doing or how they're feeling, they just cuss. "


There nothing wrong with profanity. People swear.

The problem is Rob Zombie cant write, and so all of his characters just spew out juvenile 12 year old verbal diaherra.










Edited by JonZ - 8/30/09 at 4:37pm

I really liked The Devil's Rejects.  I haven't seen any of Zombie's Halloween movies.  Are they on par with the Devil's Rejects or much worse?

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17231

 

Well, looks like HALLOWEEN 3D will arrive in Summer 2010. 

I think his Halloween movies are big steps down from The Devil's Rejects but I've seen people that loved his first Halloween (beyond HTF, I haven't looked at much fan response for Halloween II yet).

That has to be one of the best lines I have read in a long time. 

Thanks, Rhett, I could have given you more but I lost some brain cells watching this abortion.