Halloween II 4K UHD (1981)

[Covcraig]

What's the odds the prices on these will drop on the Amazon US preorders before release?

[THF90]

Originally Posted by covcraig

what's the odds the prices on these will drop on the amazon us preorders before release?

100%

[Covcraig]

What do you think they'll drop down to, 30 each?

[dubhousing]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

Halloween II diehards, give it to me straight, do I need Halloween II? Don't get me wrong, I've seen it twice but it's been awhile and it was the DVD days, and my honest opinion was it felt forced and awkward, but I did appreciate the ending and how it paired nice with the first movie. I didn't outright call it garbage, like say Halloween 5, but I remember thinking 4 was just way better and I definitely wrote it off back in the day. I'm kind of wondering if the fresh scan and the new Atmos might give the film a new light for me. I have 1 and 3 preordered, but now II is singing to me.

My two cents... I'll leave my opinions hidden in case you don't remember the plot and want a clean slate for a re-watch

[Show spoiler]It's a mixed bag. As someone mentioned already, Carpenter and Hill made this film as a compromise and/or to head off a lawsuit (depending on which story you hear), and Carpenter wasn't pleased to do it, as he's related in interviews. I don't know if Curtis was obligated to do the film by contract, or wanted to help out Carpenter and Hill out of loyalty. I read the book Taking Shape, which is excellent, but I don't remember how they related it.

Anyway, Curtis's Laurie Strode is oddly sidelined for much of the film, and more passive (due to Laurie being sedated by a doctor), which is an odd decision, given Laurie was the lead of the original film. The scene where she was sedated was cut, which makes her passivity confusing, though she does rise up to give Myers a nasty injury in the climax.

As a result, Donald Pleasance's Dr. Loomis has much more screen time, and he's essentially a second lead this time. That's not a bad thing, as Pleasance is great, as always, and fun to watch. So that's one for the plus column with Halloween II.

The movie was a troubled production, with Rick Rosenthal trying to match the subtle tone of the first film. However, Carpenter took over production and shot news scenes to greatly increase the onscreen gore, as he felt II needed to compete with Friday the 13th and its imitators. The violence can get pretty ridiculous (the accidental death of Ben Tramer, complete with over the top car explosion, grates on me whenever I watch the movie, and the murder of Alice makes no sense, given the new revelation that Myers kills anyone that stands between him and Laurie).

The production struggles may have lead to some continuity issues in the theatrical cut, like the hospital losing power without explanation (a cut scene depicted Michael Myers shutting off the electricity), and Mrs. Elrod listening to a radio news bulletin of the bodies from the first film being discovered, before the police actually find them (possibly the result of a re-edit moving Myers' first scene closer to the beginning of the film).

For the plus column, Dean Cundey returned, and he brilliantly recreates the look of the first film, so it does feel like the two are visually consistent. His work is excellent. One of my favorite scenes is the close, where the camera (on a crane) rises through morning mist, showing EMS workers arriving on scene of what remains of the hospital, not quite clearly visible in the smoke and fog. Cundey shot this scene beautifully.

Also on the good side, Carpenter and Alan Howarth composed the score, expanding the classic theme with synthesizers. The score is definitely another one of the best things about the movie (along with Cundey's cinematography).

One more for the film's benefits - the climax, with Loomis and Laurie fighting Michael, is terrific, and has a dynamic sense of action and suspense missing from the rest of the film, mostly.

I have nostalgia for the movie, as it's the first Halloween movie I saw, when I was young, and I'll definitely buy the 4K. But the movie has major flaws.

[THF90]

Originally Posted by Covcraig

What do you think they'll drop down to, 30 each?

My guess is just below $30

[Christian Muth]

One of my biggest issues with HALLOWEEN II are the abundance of Michael Myers POV shots. Aside from the opening scene, there are no Michael POVs in the original. He's always in the frame and we're looking over his shoulder. It's like he lost any vestiges of being human

[Show spoiler]after murdering his sister

and thus the audience can never see through his eyes after that opening scene. In HALLOWEEN II, they threw that out the window with all the damn Michael Myers POVs.

Chris

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by covcraig

what do you think they'll drop down to, 30 each?

$27.99

[jstxanothrxstory]

For anyone who was wondering, this is the missing footage from the TV cut on Shout's release:

After Michael overhears the radio broadcast and begins to make his way towards the hospital, we cut to the mother with her child who bit into the razorblade. The scene after that is of Mr. Garrett, Bud and Jill overhearing a news report. Mr. Garrett comments that it's kid's on drugs, leading to Bud's, "Drugs. That's what wrecking society." comments. After that, Karen pulls into the parking lot.

The version on the Shout release goes from Michael beginning his walk to HMH to Karen pulling into the driveway. A very quick dissolve (consisting of 5 or so frames) branches the two scenes.

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by jstxanothrxstory

A bit boring at times, and you can tell that John Carpenter, Debra Hill and Jamie Lee Curtis didn't really have their heart in it, but I dig the creepy hospital atmosphere.

That was my exact initial reaction when I first saw it, almost like they were forced to do it cause the money was too good to pass on but it seemed like they clearly never planned on another.

Originally Posted by Covcraig

What do you think they'll drop down to, 30 each?

They already are below $30 from Diabolik, don't sleep on it.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by jstxanothrxstory

For anyone who was wondering, this is the missing footage from the TV cut on Shout's release:

After Michael overhears the radio broadcast and begins to make his way towards the hospital, we cut to the mother with her child who bit into the razorblade. The scene after that is of Mr. Garrett, Bud and Jill overhearing a news report. Mr. Garrett comments that it's kid's on drugs, leading to Bud's, "Drugs. That's what wrecking society." comments. After that, Karen pulls into the parking lot.

The version on the Shout release goes from Michael beginning his walk to HMH to Karen pulling into the driveway. A very quick dissolve (consisting of 5 or so frames) branches the two scenes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sfz45hCc-U

[bookcase]

Originally Posted by Donl1282

I love Halloween II. That was actually the first Halloween film I saw and it’s my favorite Halloween sequel.

Same here! I remember being at my aunt's house on Halloween night and we watched it together -- I'm not sure who was more scared.

[Covcraig]

Cliff from Scream Factory did a live stream interview yesterday with a a couple of you tubers discussing the 4k releases as well some other things Scream factory related. Worth a watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REx5...ature=youtu.be

[Donl1282]

Originally Posted by Covcraig

Cliff from Scream Factory did a live stream interview yesterday with a a couple of you tubers discussing the 4k releases as well some other things Scream factory related. Worth a watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REx5...ature=youtu.be

In the podcast Cliff said they only went for the first 5 Halloween films because it’s too much to get all 10. Is he implying they will try to get the rest of the films on UHD after the first 5 are released?

[obscenephantasm]

Originally Posted by Donl1282

In the podcast Cliff said they only went for the first 5 Halloween films because it’s too much to get all 10. Is he implying they will try to get the rest of the films on UHD after the first 5 are released?

That was my takeway. He makes it sound like it wasn't an issue of getting the rights so much as Shout's choice to break it up into two waves.

Of course, there's always the possibility that he was limited in what he was allowed to say. I have no doubt there have been discussions, at least preliminarily, about acquiring all of the films

[Member-351780]

if they get the rights to put h20 out on 4k they should include the tv cut that played on fx.

[Donl1282]

Originally Posted by obscenephantasm

That was my takeway. He makes it sound like it wasn't an issue of getting the rights so much as Shout's choice to break it up into two waves.

Of course, there's always the possibility that he was limited in what he was allowed to say. I have no doubt there have been discussions, at least preliminarily, about acquiring all of the films

I hope they will release Halloween 6-8 and Rob Zombie remakes on UHD next September before Halloween Ends hits theaters.

[Member-351780]

Originally Posted by Donl1282

I hope they will release Halloween 6-8 and Rob Zombie remakes on UHD next September before Halloween Ends hits theaters.

my theory is that if these do well that's what they're gonna try to do. it'd make sense since the franchise will already have conversation assuming they announce the releases right after (within a week) the trailer premieres like they did with this.

[Crowbar_Faith]

Originally Posted by obscenephantasm

That was my takeway. He makes it sound like it wasn't an issue of getting the rights so much as Shout's choice to break it up into two waves.

Of course, there's always the possibility that he was limited in what he was allowed to say. I have no doubt there have been discussions, at least preliminarily, about acquiring all of the films

Smart to break it up, as releasing all 10 at their SRP price of $37 comes to about $370. Then again $185ish for 5 movies is a bit too rich too. Personally I’ll just be picking up Halloween II and maybe the first movie after I see some 4K comparisons to the current 4K release to see if it’s worth a double dip.

[DR Herbert West]

Down to $27.99 on Amazon.

[battlechateau]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sfz45hCc-U

All it would take is for SF to include this one scene and I would triple-dip on this film. Has anyone asked Cliff about recovering this scene? Perhaps if he's made aware, he might try to track it down.

Originally Posted by cblanchard2018

if they get the rights to put h20 out on 4k they should include the tv cut that played on fx.

Still got the DVD I bought off of iOffer with this cut. It's a wonder it wasn't included in the complete collection, could it be lost?