Halloween II (2009)
October 19, 2022 7:24 AM - Subscribe
A year after narrowly escaping death at the hands of Michael Myers (Tyler Mane), Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) is at the breaking point, pushed to the edge by Dr. Loomis' (Malcolm McDowell) revelation that she's Michael's sister. Little does she know, the unstoppable killer is back in Haddonfield and, driven by visions of their dead mother (Sheri Moon Zombie), he is determined to bring about a bloody family reunion.
Also starring Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris, Brea Grant, Howard Hesseman, Margot Kidder, and Weird Al Yankovic (as himself).
Written & directed by Rob Zombie.
23% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The theatrical cut is streaming on Peacock. JustWatch listing. The Unrated Director's Cut is the one getting hype right now as underappreciated though. That one takes more work to find.
Also starring Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris, Brea Grant, Howard Hesseman, Margot Kidder, and Weird Al Yankovic (as himself).
Written & directed by Rob Zombie.
23% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The theatrical cut is streaming on Peacock. JustWatch listing. The Unrated Director's Cut is the one getting hype right now as underappreciated though. That one takes more work to find.
I went to a Thursday midnight screening when this first opened in 2009 and remembered thinking that it looked amazing but mostly being confounded by it. The movie was shot on ultra-grainy Super 16 film, and it has a lot of really striking compositions throughout. I just finally watched the director's cut version this week and was very impressed. It's really bleak and gruesome, but it's also clear that Zombie spent a lot of thought and care on how to continue the story and the character progressions from the first movie. It's definitely not "fun," but it is certainly a movie only Rob Zombie could have made. If you're into that sort of singular filmmaking (and can stomach the grime and gore), it's definitely worth a watch.
posted by tomorrowromance at 7:52 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by tomorrowromance at 7:52 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
I forgot to mention that I watched the director's cut from the Blu-ray in the Halloween: The Complete Collection set. I believe it's identical to standalone Blu-ray of Halloween II, and it does appear that these physical media releases are the only way to see the director's cut as of this writing.
posted by tomorrowromance at 8:10 AM on October 19, 2022
posted by tomorrowromance at 8:10 AM on October 19, 2022
I did find the Unrated Director's Cut for sale on Vudu for $8.99, which isn't that bad for a purchase.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:18 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:18 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Okay, so ... I watched this one recently and have objections. It has some effective horror scenes, but I don't think Zombie's entries belong in the Halloween universe; they should have named Laurie and Michael something else and gotten funding for their own franchise.
Carpenter, as far as I can tell, thinks that people are complicated but basically decent, and that bad things sometimes happen to people who don't deserve them.
Green, as far as I can tell, thinks that people are complicated but basically decent, and that bad things sometimes happen to people who don't deserve them.
Zombie, as far as I can tell, thinks that people are mean, aggressive, vulgar, and generally (psychologically) repulsive, and that trauma turns people into serial killers. This is a provocative thesis for a series but it doesn't fit with the others. (It's also reductive and unrealistic and reads like a self-serving excuse for a wounded narcissist's bad behavior, but that's a separate issue. Suffice it to say that most people who experience trauma do not become serial killers, else the world population would be in the thousands.)
I'm working through the series and Zombie's entries are among my least favorite--not the worst made (those are probably Resurrection and The Curse of Michael Myers)--but 3rd- and 4th-worst. I'm glad his part in the series is done.
posted by johnofjack at 9:02 AM on January 4
Carpenter, as far as I can tell, thinks that people are complicated but basically decent, and that bad things sometimes happen to people who don't deserve them.
Green, as far as I can tell, thinks that people are complicated but basically decent, and that bad things sometimes happen to people who don't deserve them.
Zombie, as far as I can tell, thinks that people are mean, aggressive, vulgar, and generally (psychologically) repulsive, and that trauma turns people into serial killers. This is a provocative thesis for a series but it doesn't fit with the others. (It's also reductive and unrealistic and reads like a self-serving excuse for a wounded narcissist's bad behavior, but that's a separate issue. Suffice it to say that most people who experience trauma do not become serial killers, else the world population would be in the thousands.)
I'm working through the series and Zombie's entries are among my least favorite--not the worst made (those are probably Resurrection and The Curse of Michael Myers)--but 3rd- and 4th-worst. I'm glad his part in the series is done.
posted by johnofjack at 9:02 AM on January 4
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posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:25 AM on October 19, 2022