Halloween II (Rob Zombie)

[steev210]

Amazon finally updated the listing for the Alliance double feature of R. Zombie's Halloween I and II. According the packaging Halloween II is the unrated director's cut with no mention of the theatrical cut being included. It doesn't mention which cut of Halloween is included, however, it does feature the artwork for the theatrical version when it was released on DVD here in the U.S. Glad I didn't purchase this based on the information another poster gave.

Here's a link to the listing (with cover art):
http://www.amazon.ca/ZombieS-Hallowe...9336534&sr=1-6


Steve

[steev210]

Does anyone already own this and able to confirm which cut is included for R. Zombie's Halloween?

Thanks

[Agent Bond]

she saw the mother and horse (which made no sense in the theatrical version)

I thought it obviously clear that Laurie had finally reach the state of insanity like her brother by showing that. Plus the scene works so much better with her being alive instead of dead.

If I had to choose one, I'd say Director's cut. But I prefer Michael's escape scene in the theatrical better then the rape scene. It felt more "meant to happen on Halloween" like it was his destiny, not just some coincidence.

This. Not only was it needless to have the rape scene (seriously, what is it with Rob Zombie and rape scenes?), but I loved that Michael got out because he was pissed off and he wanted to instead of the idiot guard leaving the door open with Michael being an unintentional hero by saving the girl (Carpenter's Michael would've killed her too).

After years of being made into a joke by awful sequels especially in Resurrection, Michael's theatrical escape made him a badass again.

[drichter33]

Originally Posted by BladeRunner2007

Blind buy it but it is nothing like the remake. It has no Halloween feel at all. It is a very different, but also a very good movie imo.

Zombie took everything he needed and put that into his own specific world. I'm talking about white trash, rednecks, foul language, rock music and raw violence. He took the protagonists from his remake and changed them completely. They are now his characters, not Carpenter's anymore. Halloween II is 100% a Rob Zombie film and you feel it the entire 119 minutes.

The story takes place 2 years after the events of the remake and everybody tries to deal differently with their misery. There are no more all these happy people in their nice little world. Halloween II shows you damaged people in a rough and nasty world. Zombie even shows that on a visual level. The raw, dirty and gritty look of the 16mm film provides a rough, brutal and realistic approach. The marginal lighting is also very effective. This movie is really dark.
So visually Halloween II is simply stunning! And it all fits because the movie has a very dark and depressing atmosphere. There are no funny moments and as the movie progresses it gets darker and darker. It's really depressing.

Laurie lives now with Sheriff Brackett and Annie. She is haunted by terrible nightmares.
She goes to see a therapist but it doesn't help her at all. Her relationship with Annie is terrible. Each time they talk to each other it ends in a fight. Brackett tries his best to take care of these two girls but he can't quite live up to it. And Dr. Loomis ist very happy to be alive. He makes profit out of other people's misery. He's wearing expensive desinger suits, drives in a limousine, is a guest on a talk show and is publishing another book with the title "The Devil Walks Among Us". He is one of those "new-found-celebreties", a total media-***** and an *******.
Michael Myers has visions of his mother, Deborah, and lives in the woods (if you want to call it like that). His look has changed. He wears a hoodie, he's grown a full beard, his hair is even longer and more filthy, his mask is falling apart etc. and you can see his face. There is one scene where you can see it in bright daylight! But most of the time you see him at night, so it's covered by darkness or shadows. His mother has a lot of screentime.

Many fans are crying now: "This is not Halloween. Those aren't the characters we know and love!" And they are right. Those are Rob Zombie's characters, not John Carpenter's.
Zombie's film has NOTHING in common with the original Halloween. The Halloween Theme plays only one single time, and that is during the end credits. I know it's hard to believe but I didn't miss it, not even for a second! Practically there are no stalking scenes any more. Most of the time Michael pops up out of nowhere and suddenly appears behind his victims. And I'm pleased with that. Zombie knows exactly what he is doing, but not everyone will like it. Personally I love this film. I think it's brillant in every single way.

Halloween II is brutal and I mean BRUTAL. There is not much gore but Michael is pissed as hell. Forget about the lousy "two-stab-attacks" with the old kitchen knife. Michael stabs his victims countless times, even if they are already dead. You can really hear his frustration and anger.
He is like grunting when he is doing his thing. The sound is phenomenal. You can hear every tiny little bone cracking. I did not expect such a high level of violence but it fits the mood of the film and I was even shocked at times. Especially during the "head-stomp-scene". Tyler Mane and Rob Zombie made Michael Myers finally scary again, but in a different way than Carpenter did.

The first 25 minutes are very intense and suspenseful. But the movie is able to hold that pace.
It never gets dull or boring. The film keeps your attention throughout the entire runtime.
Zombie even succeeds at creating emotional scenes. I want to name 3 scenes which really upset me (but there are a lot more!):

[Show spoiler]1. Brackett finds Annie
2. Laurie finds Annie
3. Laurie finds out that she is Michael Myers' sister

I don't want to go too deep into detail, but these scenes were really sad imo. Especially the first one! I think it was because of Brad Dourif's terrific acting and the homevideo footage of young Annie. But Scout Taylor-Compton's acting is very strong and believeable too. Tyler Bates' score is the final trigger-point for this flood of emotions. Scout & Brad have a lot more screentime this time and as I already said, they act much better. I think that's because their characters are much more intersting now, at least for me. One of Scout's highlights is her second therapy scene with Margot Kidder. Malcolm McDowell portrays the ******* wonderfully and is even better than in the remake. Well, actually I liked everyone better in this film. I really liked Laurie's new friends Mya and Harley, although they did not have that much screentime.

I think it's great that Halloween II is not your typical sequel, but a really great character study. It delves so deep into the characters and deals with them and their experiences, and what they have been through. Even Halloween itself is quite important to the story. The Phantom Jam was executed very well. It seemed like a real party, with real people and like a real place etc.

What did people hate the most about Halloween II? Right, Michael's mother! Almost everytime when Michael kills someone she is onscreen as well. I don't know why they hate it so much, but I really liked this story element and I think Sheri Moon Zombie looked really creepy in that outfit. And for the haters: Mommy and the white horse are explained at the very beginning.
Just pay attention!

The ending: I'm impressed. Really great. Zombie couldn't have come up with a better ending imo. For me it's the perfect closure. The last 2 scenes even gave me goosebumps (along with the music choice). Needles to say that the movie has a really great soundtrack and a very felicitous, dark and sad score.

All in all, I love Halloween II from beginning to end. Much better than the remake (which I really really like). Imo Halloween II is the best Halloween movie ever! Only John Carpenter's Halloween is better, but you can't beat that movie anyway. It's just impossible.

This time the Director's Cut is the far superior version imo.

4.5/5

I applaud you for having the balls to right all this on a board where you know purists and crouching waiting to attack. i couldnt have said it better myself. Your analysis is spot on with why i like this 2 part version of the movies. It is a complete, come full circle story and i am glad he bowed out of a #3.

It is different, brutal, in some ways more realistic and emotional. The first scene you mentioned in your spoiler with that memory flashback footage was very sad and always gets me too.

Part II is a movie in and of itself. Nothing like the sequel back in the 80's. Except for the opening scene which was a nod to the hospital setting.
My only disagreement is it feels a tad long in parts. i do fast forward a little bit.

Part I is very similar to the original, but with more back story and fleshing out why he does what he does, time in the hospital, and detail of his escape. I just wish they would release the theatrical cut because his escape was better and i hate that stupid rape scene.

[leem6453]

This movie seems to be very misunderstood and I have a feeling that it will get more respect as it ages. I found this interesting review that kind of dissects the film for what it really is.

http://www.kindertrauma.com/?p=10619

[mzupeman]

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/40471/halloween-ii/

DVDTalk also has a pretty positive review. The reviewer states that the main draw back of the first Zombie Halloween effort was that we didn't get enough time to give enough of a crap about the characters, but when both films are viewed back to back we DO get that with Laurie's breakdown. I agree with that assessment. The first film was the setting of the stage, the second was the aftermath and the character development part. Zombie doesn't get enough credit for Halloween II, especially considering the shitty time schedule and work conditions forced on him by the studio.

[Filmmaker]

My wicked fiancee imported the Japanese Blu-ray of this (the only Region A option for viewing the, IMO, superior theatrical cut) for me for Christmas because I've been frothing at the mouth for it for over two years now but could never find $80 with nowhere else to go! Kinda bizarre to get a Halloween-themed gift for Christmas but this has been my holy grail for what feels like ages...my life is close to complete now, LOL...

[EvilAshLives]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but wanted to let everyone know that the Alliance double feature disc from Canada does contain the theatrical cuts of H1 and H2. I've posted pics of the front and back cover in the Canada sub-forum.

EvilAshLives

[Ned Schneebly]

Can you give me a picture quality review of that Canadian set?

[deepbreathsanddeath]

I just rewatched Halloween 2 yesterday, this time in it's directors cut form and to my suprise I really liked it. I remember not enjoying it much at all the first time when I saw the theatrical cut. I even felt the need to rewatch it again immediately after with commentary and I can't help but appreciate it all the more now.

By the sounds of it, everything that could of gone wrong, did go wrong and after a while Rob was just sick of it and was just going with the bullshit that kept occuring. Prior to watching it with commentary I actually felt like it was infact running smoother in the last half hour or so.

I can certainly understand why someone would hate these halloween films, especially the second one, but fortunately I don't feel the same way. Rob Zombie might not be a tremendous film maker but he knows what he wants and if he's able to, he'll accomplish exactaly that. It's unfortunate that he didn't get to make the film the exact way he wanted to for Halloween 2 due to constant stuff ups. You could really hear disappointment in his voice during the commentary. But for what its worth I thought what we were left with was fantastic.

It actually kinda ties for my second favourite in the franchise with Rob Zombie's remake that came before it, only because I consider them a whole entity despite the fact that they're such different movies. And it's because they're so different that I like them both so much. I'm glad I didn't just get more of the same. Despite what your opinion of the movie might be, you've got to respect the fact that he really did his own thing with Halloween 2 and took a chance. Many would say he failed so miserably that he should probably have his belly sliced open and be strung up in hollwood with his intestines hanging out as a warning message for other film makers.
... I disagree, obviously.

[John Floyd]

Hello everyone, I don't post much around here...I have a quick question about the main menu of RZ's H2 - what does the little icon do in the upper left hand corner of the main menu? - it seems that you can turn something on and off , but I haven't been able to figure it out for years! Any info is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by John Floyd

Hello everyone, I don't post much around here...I have a quick question about the main menu of RZ's H2 - what does the little icon do in the upper left hand corner of the main menu? - it seems that you can turn something on and off , but I haven't been able to figure it out for years! Any info is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

Does it turn off the clicking menu sounds when you select different options? I have the Japanese release, not the American one, so I can't confirm one way or another, but it sounds like it could be one of those rare icons...

[John Floyd]

You were correct! Thanks for your input!

[StoogeFan1118]

I have this film on blu-ray and I was wondering if there was a region free blu-ray of the theatrical cut of the film. I wish they would have included it on the current blu released in the US but I am willing to import one if the price is right. Thanks for the help

[Abaddon22]

Movie wasn't that bad in my opinion, but again, I am a huge Rob Zombie fan so I think I was required to like it lol. Someone snagged my edition when I moved houses I have to buy it again.

[Ned Schneebly]

Originally Posted by StoogeFan1118

I have this film on blu-ray and I was wondering if there was a region free blu-ray of the theatrical cut of the film. I wish they would have included it on the current blu released in the US but I am willing to import one if the price is right. Thanks for the help

Yeah Canada has a double feature that has part 1 and 2 theatrical versions (both on 1 disc) pretty cheap. The image for the product says Unrated but it's the theatrical versions of both i can confirm since I ordered it from amazon.ca

Japan also have a region A steelbook but it's been long out of print, you could get it but you'd have to pay

[WorkShed]

Originally Posted by mzupeman

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/40471/halloween-ii/

DVDTalk also has a pretty positive review. The reviewer states that the main draw back of the first Zombie Halloween effort was that we didn't get enough time to give enough of a crap about the characters, but when both films are viewed back to back we DO get that with Laurie's breakdown. I agree with that assessment. The first film was the setting of the stage, the second was the aftermath and the character development part. Zombie doesn't get enough credit for Halloween II, especially considering the shitty time schedule and work conditions forced on him by the studio.

I actually produced a fan cut that, I think, fixes a lot of the issues between the theatrical cuts and director's cuts of the two Halloween films. I cut the two films together, with a runtime of two hours and ten minutes. I don't know if I'll ever post it anywhere but some of the biggest changes include...

[Show spoiler]Halloween:
-The breakfast scene is much, much shorter and most of the excessive profanity is removed.
-Michael doesn't kill the bully in the park. His first victim is his stepfather.
-Love Hurts is cross cut between Mrs. Myers dancing and Michael getting the tape and knife in the kitchen after eating candy corn. His sad sitting on the corner bit is removed.
-The director's cut of the Smiths Grove sequence is included in near entirety (certain dialogue is removed. Michael no longer asks his mom if his family is okay.
-The theatrical escape is used.
-The deleted scenes of Michael attacking the graveyard groundskeeper and Dr. Loomis meeting the Sheriff in the graveyard are used.
-The two cops don't magically appear at Tommy's house to get killed. I never understood why they show up there since the 911 call was made in a completely different house.
-Michael hunting Laurie in the house is cut down substantially. The pacing was really off at the end of the film.

Halloween 2:
-Laurie wakes up screaming after shooting Michael at the end of Halloween 1. No more hospital sequence.
-Laurie is more of her Director's Cut self. Very brash, but Annie calls her out on her BS.
-Extended version of the first therapist scene that uses bits from both cuts to show the scene as originally scripted. Laurie talks about Annie and how Annie is a constant reminder of the trauma they went through (DC) and how she misses her adopted parents (TC).
-Laurie drinking in her room is gone.
-Dr. Loomis doesn't scream about his headshot. His character is vastly toned down in the second film. I felt this made the end of the film work better than it did otherwise.
-A lot of the terrible jokes are removed.
-The hillbillies don't come across Michael and get eaten.
-Michael is barely seen (just walking in fields) until the little boy runs into him while trick-or-treating.
-Michael doesn't kill Laurie's friend.
-The ending is more like the Theatrical Cut.

[jebhdb]

Has anyone found somewhere other than Amazon Canada to purchase the double feature? I would like to have the theatrical cuts, but the cost to have it imported is a little high.

[victimofthecity]

Originally Posted by leem6453

This movie seems to be very misunderstood and I have a feeling that it will get more respect as it ages. I found this interesting review that kind of dissects the film for what it really is.

http://www.kindertrauma.com/?p=10619

i agree. when i first saw the film i was utterly shocked. i hated it. i was frustrated and annoyed with it. but when i saw it last year again on blu-ray i started to like it. i mean there were parts of it that i still don't get and like, but i do find it enjoyable and interesting in some parts. and the art / shots in some parts are fantastic. really well done and the blu-ray shows them off superbly. it is also better to watch them back to back as someone else stated.

[mzupeman]

Originally Posted by victimofthecity

i agree. when i first saw the film i was utterly shocked. i hated it. i was frustrated and annoyed with it. but when i saw it last year again on blu-ray i started to like it. i mean there were parts of it that i still don't get and like, but i do find it enjoyable and interesting in some parts. and the art / shots in some parts are fantastic. really well done and the blu-ray shows them off superbly. it is also better to watch them back to back as someone else stated.

I think people had such a visceral reaction to Zombie's Halloween II because it was SO far outside the norm of what a Halloween film should be... but for a new timeline, I really, really appreciate that. Who wants to see the same old crap again and again? Isn't that why most remakes suck? They try to tell the same story but never succeed in being better than the original? Well, making your own story means that comparison no longer exists in some ways, and I think. But the longer this film is out, especially in the director's cut form, the more people can start to accept this for what it IS, instead of comparing it to all the other Halloween Myers films.