HALLOWEEN II is seriously the most screwed up film I have seen in 2009 so far.  I don’t agree with everything that Rob Zombie did in this film.  However, the intense wave of violence and blood does make me feeling like taking a shower after watching this sequel to the remake.   

Did Zombie really want to do a sequel?   Some fans of the original series will see this sequel as Zombie’s attempt to stick one more nail in Michael Myers’ coffin (unless someone get the idea to do Halloween 3D).   I know John Carpenter did think of a way to get rid of Michael Myers (send him into space) and even came up with a Hellraiser/ Halloween crossover (HELLOWEEN) with Clive Barker that the Weinsteins nixed.  The first film was a look into the psychology of Michael Myers while the second film partly deals with the trauma that Laurie still suffers a year after the events in the first film.  Zombie did say in an interview what he wanted to do to Laurie when he was talking about the first film.  He brings on his full intent by the end of HALLOWEEN II.   Also Zombie lays on the dream sequences (as Laurie first dreams of terror in the hospital and then visits by her dead Mom who haunts Michael Myers).   The dead mom of Laurie and Michael haunts Michael (all dressed in white and has a white horse).  Whether it is something that holds Michael and Laurie down psychologically remains to be seen or it could be a little supernatural. 

Michael grunts as he kills each new victim.  He does get around to finishing a little bit of what he couldn’t finish in the first film.   Loomis is the media-whore like he was in the first film (just more so).  He schedule the release of his new book for Halloween and pushes it a little too far by revealing something he shouldn’t (which sends ripples through Laurie’s emotions).   Annie has survived with a couple of scars to her face (and she doesn’t get much to do for this sequel because we have to make way for Laurie’s thinly developed new friends who are just targets for Michael basically).   HALLOWEEN II isn’t perfect.   I Believe Michael was more when we knew less about what was in his mind.   I do wish Rob developed Laurie’s trauma more in the sequel (the opening moments with her walking the streets covered in blood is quite effective though).    Zombie isn’t looking to scare the viewer.  He wants the viewer to feel haunted by his films.  HALLOWEEN II does that as the film makes me feel a little uneasy as it sticks with me.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Writer/ Director Rob Zombie details all of the things that went wrong during the making of the movie (including one day’s of footage being ruined and having to reshoot that day) in his audio commentary for the film.

25 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes include some bits trimmed for pacing reasons and others include a more brutal alternate stripper kill scene.   Audition and Make-Up test footage show the attention that Rob Zombie has put into this film.   Also you can watch six music videos from Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures in addition to four Stand-Up routines by Uncle Seymour Coffin.   Too bad the DVD doesn’t have some extensive behind-the-scenes material on the production or optional English subs for any of the extras like most SPHE DVD releases.

FINAL ANALYSIS:   With 10 more minutes, HALLOWEEN II is still as brutal and shocking.   Whether you like it of hate it, Rob Zombie is trying to make his own stamp on his version of HALLOWEEN.   If you liked the film or at least saw the first one, watch the unrated Director’s Cut of HALLOWEEN II.

This DVD review is (c)1-14-2010 (and the movie review is (c)8-28-2009 David Blackwell) and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com