Picking up exactly where the original left off, Halloween II is a serviceable sequel, continuing the story of Michael Meyers on that fateful night of October 31, 1978 in Haddonfield, Illinois. Scream! Factory’s 2-disc set is a marked improvement over last year’s 30th Anniversary Edition from Universal, with an improved picture and lossless audio, and an excellent making-of documentary.
Halloween II Collector's Edition
Studio: Scream! Factory (via Shout! Factory, under license from Universal)
US BD Release Date: September 18, 2012
Original Release Year: 1981
Rated: R
Running Time: 93 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles: None
Movie: 3 out of 5
John Carpenter achieved success in 1978 when Halloween, made for a mere $300,000, became the highest grossing independent film at that time, raking in $47 million during its original release. Producers Moustapha Akkad and Irwin Yablans approached John Carpenter about a sequel, but Carpenter made The Fog at Avco-Embassy instead. Allegedly, Carpenter was supposed to make The Fog with Yablans, who sued Carpenter, and the result was an agreement for Carpenter to write and produce Halloween II. And, at times, the film does feel like a contractual agreement, particularly in its confinement of Jamie Lee Curtis to a hospital bed through much of the movie, giving her very little to do but collect a paycheck.
The movie opens with a recap of the last few minutes of Halloween, much of it from the actual film itself, with Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) shooting Michael Meyers seven times (!) and saving Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). But when Dr. Loomis storms out the front door, Meyers is nowhere to be found, only an imprint in the lawn where he fell from the second story balcony. An ambulance arrives to take Laurie to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and along the way one of the paramedics, Jimmy (Lance Guest), develops a crush on her, checking up on her much to the dismay of Nurse Alves (Gloria Gifford). Meanwhile, Meyers is literally hacking his way through the neighborhood on his way to the hospital, stealing a knife from Mrs. Elrod (character actress Lucille Benson). Methodically, Meyers takes out literally the entire hospital staff before the final showdown between Laurie Strode, Dr. Loomis, and Michael Meyers. The deaths in Halloween II are much more violent and gory than what we saw in the original, and the imitators that followed Halloween, which effectively launched the slasher sub-genre, are the likely reason for the increase. Films like Friday the 13th, Terror Train, My Bloody Valentine, and Prom Night had taken movie gore to new heights (or lows), and Carpenter felt the only way for the sequel to compete in the marketplace was to give the audience what they wanted.
First-time director Rick Rosenthal (now a veteran television director) does a good job of replicating the mood and look of the first installment, but he had the luck of working with many of the same crew members from the original, especially cinematographer Dean Cundey, who gave many of Carpenter’s early films a dark and gritty look. John Carpenter was reportedly unhappy with Rosenthal’s cut of the film, and actually shot some additional and alternate sequences for added shock value. The result is a movie that works as a continuation of the first film, but really doesn’t break any new ground, and in many ways feels like a retread of the original.
Video: 4 out of 5
Shout! Factory has taken the same transfer used in last year’s 30th Anniversary Edition released by Universal, and cleaned it up a bit to remove many of the scratches and dirt that were reportedly visible on that earlier release. When this was announced on Shout! Factory’s website and Facebook page, fans had a knee-jerk reaction, fearing that the result would be an abomination littered with artifacts, edge enhancement, grain removal, and a loss of detail. I’m happy to report that that is not the case. Shout! Factory (or whoever they hired for the cleanup) did a marvelous job, removing most of the annoying dirt and scratches while retaining detail and grain. The 1080p transfer, using the AVC codec, approximates the film’s intended theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1, replicating how Dean Cundey’s shadowy cinematography would look in a properly tuned theatre. Blacks are nice and deep, shadows are well-detailed, and colors are consistent.
Audio: 4 out of 5
The real improvement, though, is in the new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Bass is deep, with excellent use of LFE and surround effects, and the score by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth resonates thanks to the increased fidelity and dynamic range. Dialogue remains crisp and clear, directed mostly to the center channel. The track is definitely not reference material, but that has more to do with the limitations of the source material than anything else. A DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono soundtrack has also been included in this release.
Special Features: 4 out of 5
Audio Commentary With Director Rick Rosenthal and Actor Leo Rossi: Of the two commentary tracks included with this release, this is the more engaging one, thanks to the friendship of these two men and the mostly fond on-set memories they had while making the film. However, many of the stories told are repeated in the behind the scenes featurette.
Audio Commentary With Stunt Co-ordinator Dick Warlock: Robert V. Galluzzo (Icons of Fright) hosts the track, keeping veteran stunt man Warlock engaged. The two discuss Warlock’s approach to playing “The Shape” (aka Michael Meyers), how many of the stunts were performed, and Warlock’s long association with both John Carpenter and Kurt Russell.
The Nightmare Isn’t Over (HD; 44:55): Director Rick Rosenthal, DP Dean Cundey, composer Alan Howarth, Lance Guest, producer Irwin Yablans, Leo Rossi, and Nancy Stephens discuss making the sequel, the problems they encountered, the reaction to the film, and the legacy. One of the most interesting reveals is when Cundey mentions turning down lensing Poltergeist in favor of Halloween II.
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: Revisiting the Locations of Halloween II (HD; 13:10): Sean Clark hosts this look at how many of the locations used in Halloween II exist today.
Still Gallery (HD; 5:02): Stills from the film’s press kit are presented here for about 5 seconds each, and you can use the chapter skip button to page through them faster if you’d like.
TV Spots (SD; 1:41): Two TV trailers and a network promo are included, obviously taken from an old VHS tape.
Radio Spots (3:17) Six radio commercials are presented, four in English and two in Spanish.
Alternate Ending (HD; 1:44): Rosenthal’s happier ending is provided here, with optional director commentary.
Deleted Scenes (HD; 8:06): Rosenthal provides optional commentary for this collection of deleted scenes, many of which were restored in the TV broadcast version.
Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:18): The film’s original red-band trailer is presented in washed-out and cropped 16:9 full screen.
Network Broadcast TV Version of Halloween II (DVD; 1:31:11): The NBC network purchased the broadcast rights to Halloween II, and ended up having to use much of Rosenthal’s original cut to squeak by Standards and Practices. That cut is presented on a DVD in 1.33:1 pan and scan and Dolby Digital 2.0 mono.
Original Screenplay: The film’s screenplay is available as a PDF on the DVD-Rom portion of the Broadcast TV Version disc.
Overall: 4 out of 5
Fans of the film who did not pick up last year’s 30th Anniversary Edition would be best best served picking up this recent Collector’s Edition from Shout! Factory, with slightly improved video, much improved audio, and a great set of special features.
lol. Seriously the Uni Halloween II is selling for under $10 new, not much you're going to get for it anyway. 
