Halloween II 4K UHD (1981)

[sanjuro78]

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

I'll be honest, I did, and I'll never look back. I just wish I had done it sooner.

I don't even have a great set-up - just a $500 TV and a $200 4K player, but having Dolby Vision was well worth it if I am going to be plunking down $30 a disc like this.

We can play the blame game all day, but that doesn't change the reality that on release after release, DV is just a better experience. We don't have to like the how's and the why's, but it just is what it is.

What player do you have? I got an LG player with DV, and a Sony TV with DV but the damn TV won't recognize the DV from the player, I called Sony and LG and both blame the other, I've tried 3 cords and even had Best Buy technicians out and no one can figure it out. So at this point I figure it's a handshake issue and just am gonna buy a new player and dont want to spend a lot.

[eledoremassis02]

Originally Posted by RLStern

That's an excuse, he's not be drunk 24/7, he clearly greenlit the storyline and thought it was good to go through SEVERAL drafts, so for him to claim he got drunk then regretted doesn't make any sense.

Truth is, he was forced to make the movie when he wanted to do other projects and not get pigeonholed with the series, hence why he got Rick Rosenthal to direct when he clearly had time to do it himself, even then did reshoots and new scenes for Halloween II himself.

Halloween II ended up being a success, where the brother/sister plot became the most remembered and iconic plot over the first movie, everyone saw them as siblings(perhaps this is also why he hates it)

It's ultimately his fault though, if he wanted to do other projects after Halloween 1 then he should've never put a cliffhanger at the end, making audiences expect a sequel.

Yeah we know he claims he didn't intend a sequel and that H1 was supposed to end there, but if that's the case he really messed up, because that's the biggest cliffhanger he's ever given in any of his movies, even Big Trouble in Little China

Carpenter's also full of it, for years he refused the franchise, but now he returns because he wants some dough, clearly doesn't wanna do it though because he just does the music.

If Carpenter hated part II like he claims(I don't believe him) then he HAS to hate the 2018 and 2021 films, those are like Halloween II on steroids, at least Halloween II had the same cinematography, level of acting, pace and feel as the original.

My personal feeling is, if he hated that twist so much he would have not included it in the extended TV scenes (even if it tied it more to the second movie). He could have just not shoehorned it into the 78 film. This was somthing he had creative control over. Arguably he could of even edited out that sister line in the second film.

I see it this way, either he didnt care, nor cared to mar the original with an idea he hated or, he thought it was an interesting twist that aged poorly and ultimatly help tank the franchise and stale the character (which undoing that would be what drew him to the 2018 film)

[Jay Mammoth]

Awesome transfer.
But why did Loomis take the cigarette from Hunt just to spike it on the ground a minute later? And stole Hunts lighter, he uses it later to light Marions cigarette lol

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by Jay Mammoth

But why did Loomis take the cigarette from Hunt just to spike it on the ground a minute later? And stole Hunts lighter, he uses it later to light Marions cigarette lol

Priorities

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by sanjuro78

What player do you have? I got an LG player with DV, and a Sony TV with DV but the damn TV won't recognize the DV from the player, I called Sony and LG and both blame the other, I've tried 3 cords and even had Best Buy technicians out and no one can figure it out. So at this point I figure it's a handshake issue and just am gonna buy a new player and dont want to spend a lot.

I can't officially recommend it - as all these players seem to be finicky and have their own "personalities" - but I have had good luck so far with the Sony x700.

It feels like a piece of crap build-wise (I wouldn't have it around small grabby kids, the disc door is filmsy as f)...but it has flawlessly played everything I have thrown at it so far. I have read of people having issues with it (you'll find that with most players) but it had a huge (130MB) update this summer right after I got it, and it's been running great.

Sorry to be so wishy-washy in my - LOL - best to do is check out the 4K UHD forum and see what others have to say, as well.

[Benh911f]

Originally Posted by Jay Mammoth

Awesome transfer.
But why did Loomis take the cigarette from Hunt just to spike it on the ground a minute later? And stole Hunts lighter, he uses it later to light Marions cigarette lol

Just a plot device so he’d have the lighter at the end of the movie when he needed it.

[dcx4610]

After watching Halloween Kills, I have a newfound appreciation for Halloween II.

While it's just more of Halloween, it gets Michael, the atmosphere and the pacing correct. The last Halloween to get everything (mostly) right...

At least tomorrow night I will wipe the stink of Halloween Kills with Halloween III.

[dcx4610]

Originally Posted by Jay Mammoth

Awesome transfer.
But why did Loomis take the cigarette from Hunt just to spike it on the ground a minute later? And stole Hunts lighter, he uses it later to light Marions cigarette lol

Actually, I can't believe this is the first time I really processed all that but since I was watching the UHD, I'm paying attention to all of the little details.

The cop hands Loomis a cigarette which he takes and then gives his lighter. Loomis spikes the cigarette in anger but pockets the lighter.

Not only does he light Marion's cigarette a bit later with it but he uses the same lighter to blow up Michael.

A very subtle but crucial MacGuffin.

[y2jman]

yeah so I went today got a Walmart 50 gift card using cash last 2 days I got this 4 and 5 in my cart Walmart website not 3<-still out stock

I put it in some dumb reason amazon rep email me a coupon 25 percent thing last Friday so I apply that it won't work

little did I know reason why it doesn't work because they are from market place not sold by Walmart<-they should had told me this in 1st place

so i'm completely lost and don't know what to do I dread have to pay 45.45 and I thought coupon will pay 20 and some change didn't know wouldn't work

the thing is I gotta have enough money to get 3 people in family birthday presents


so I just found that Halloween 4 is from deep discount<that is why I can't used coupon code dang it well now not sure what to do

[sanjuro78]

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

I can't officially recommend it - as all these players seem to be finicky and have their own "personalities" - but I have had good luck so far with the Sony x700.

It feels like a piece of crap build-wise (I wouldn't have it around small grabby kids, the disc door is filmsy as f)...but it has flawlessly played everything I have thrown at it so far. I have read of people having issues with it (you'll find that with most players) but it had a huge (130MB) update this summer right after I got it, and it's been running great.

Sorry to be so wishy-washy in my - LOL - best to do is check out the 4K UHD forum and see what others have to say, as well.

Appreciate it!! I know what you're saying about finicky players mine has a few quirks, like freezing up sometimes but most of the time it's fine (aside from the DV issue) in fact in almost never freezes up or skips during playback and the Donnie Darko theatrical cut first pressing disc didn't have the stuttering issue some people had.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

Ah yes the authoring house who did a bang-up job encoding these discs that look so incredibly excellently compressed. Awesome!

Are you making fun of Mr. Magoo’s encoding house located at Legoland? Monster! Blocked!

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Are you making fun of Mr. Magoo’s encoding house located at Legoland? Monster! Blocked!

Blocked AND reported.

[ronnie21]

well at least its not on the 2018 steelbook.....

[RLStern]

Originally Posted by Matt89

The biggest difference between 1978 and 1981 is that Friday the 13th came out in-between. That's what I meant when I said Halloween II was firmly planted in the 1980s. It had already shifted its focus towards the gorier bodycount-type of slasher film that became most associated with the '80s. Halloween is Hitchcock and Halloween II is a Friday the 13th movie.

And who's being belligerent? I've said multiple times that I like the film. It is possible to like something yet be aware of (or at least acknowledge) its flaws. HII is one of my absolute favourite slasher films, all I'm saying is that calling it a masterpiece is giving it way too much credit. Lol.

~Matt

Friday the 13th is from the same exact era as Halloween 1, difference is they had a budget so it had more gore. only reason Halloween 1 didn't have gore, isn't because they were trying to be artist, that had nothing to do with it and it actually takes away from the movie, the reason is because it was a very small budget independent film.

Halloween II is the same stylistically with a budget, so they can afford gore, body count is 8 instead of 4(5 total actually from entire movie but I won't count Judith for sake of the argument), and doesn't any effect as in this movie the entire movie is basically an extended 3rd act.

Originally Posted by IncrediblesFan82

Well said! And I agreed!

I have never believed him when he said he wrote it drunk. That was just his excuse to cover his bad writing choice. He could had many chances to change it. And I agree also that he is just doing these films today for money. Probably needs retirement money.

But I do give Carpenter props for trying to kill Michael once and for all in HII. I still believe this is where Michael's story should have ended. Loomis taking Michael out feels more justified than Laurie taking him out. Michael was Loomis' arch nemesis , and a much more interesting protagonist than Laurie.

Thank you, it just doesn't make any logical sense, if he wrote it drunk how did it pass through numberous drafts and through Debra Hill his co writer on the movie?

He says he got drunk and regretted it... ok then he would've removed it before he even got to a 2nd draft, movies aren't one and done.

They have to through numerous drafts, so he had to have liked what he wrote to approve it various times, he couldn't have been drunk 24/7, nor was he as he claims he was only drunk when he came up with that story, so if it was horrible it would've been removed as soon as he sobered up, so he clearly liked and approved that brother/sister storyline he now pretends to hate.

And after just watching Halloween Kills and how nonsensical it is, I don't think anyone could really argue against the Brother/Sister storyline, it was well done and took a positive inspiration from Empire Strikes Back.

Ask casuals who Laurie Strode is, and 9/10 they're gonna say "Michael Myer's sister, so that storyline did well.

Originally Posted by eledoremassis02

My personal feeling is, if he hated that twist so much he would have not included it in the extended TV scenes (even if it tied it more to the second movie). He could have just not shoehorned it into the 78 film. This was somthing he had creative control over. Arguably he could of even edited out that sister line in the second film.

I see it this way, either he didnt care, nor cared to mar the original with an idea he hated or, he thought it was an interesting twist that aged poorly and ultimatly help tank the franchise and stale the character (which undoing that would be what drew him to the 2018 film)

I agree, I think he really liked that twist because he stresses it in Halloween 1 TV version and Halloween II, because it really actually was a clever twist, in the original Myer's is obsessed with the murder of Judith that he tries to repeat it with these babysitters and specifically Laurie Strode who is very reminiscent of Judith Myers

So in Halloween II when they have it that Myers is still a random killer(People forget this aspect I'll to in a second), but wants to murder his younger sister Laurie like he did his older sister Judith as he's obsessed with it.

I think Carpenter saw the later sequels where they turned Myers into a drone who murders family members, a family killer.

People forget that's not in Halloween II, he doesn't go after any other family members, he wants to murder a babysitting sister again, it was Halloween 4 that took that great plot and ruined it by turning him into a family murderer.

Carpenter probably dislikes that and doesn't want to be held responsible for what happened in 4, but realistically he wrote no such thing, he never made Myers a family killer.

In Halloween II Myers wants to murder his sister again, and is still a randomly murderer, people forget he actually gives up pursuing Laurie as he lost he her and goes on to randomly murdering starting with Alice, until he finds out Laurie's location on the radio.

[Sabre95]

For anyone who is more familiar with the Shout releases, should I probably get these now or wait for a cheaper release down the line?

[cuzzin]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

Too bad The Last Starfighter stole Laurie before Ben's body was even identified

[Show spoiler]

That chain-smoking methadone addict.

[Kyle15]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

Are you making fun of Mr. Magoo’s encoding house located at Legoland? Monster! Blocked!

I apologize profusely for insulting the only bastion of physical media the movie world has left...it's already completely dead as is! I promise I've learnt my place! Honest!

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by Sabre95

For anyone who is more familiar with the Shout releases, should I probably get these now or wait for a cheaper release down the line?

All that's gonna happen down the line is you won't get the collector boxes. Doubt these will dip much below $20, which is where 4K They Live and Prince of Darkness are still sitting. I got them all for $25 average, I suppose if you can save $5 each someday and buy them all that's a decent deal, but I think the boxes are worth it, especially if you re-sell any someday.

[hungrywives]

John Carpenter from Halloween-A Cut Above the Rest: "I will say that what got me through writing that script was... Budweiser. Six pack of beer a night, sitting in front of the typewriter saying, 'What in the hell can I put down?' I had no idea. We're remaking the same film, only not as good."

An obviously half-joking anecdote that the entire internet has been clinging to for almost two decades. Carpenter was just trying to find a cute way of saying he didn't want to make a sequel but powered through it the best he could. He wasn't actually, seriously saying the only reason it was bad, or the only reason he made Laurie and Michael siblings, was because he was drunk.

[RLStern]

Originally Posted by hungrywives

John Carpenter from Halloween-A Cut Above the Rest: "I will say that what got me through writing that script was... Budweiser. Six pack of beer a night, sitting in front of the typewriter saying, 'What in the hell can I put down?' I had no idea. We're remaking the same film, only not as good."

An obviously half-joking anecdote that the entire internet has been clinging to for almost two decades. Carpenter was just trying to find a cute way of saying he didn't want to make a sequel but powered through it the best he could. He wasn't actually, seriously saying the only reason it was bad, or the only reason he made Laurie and Michael siblings, was because he was drunk.

Exactly, but a small niche think they need to worship Carpenter like he's flawless and parrot him, then pretend Halloween II wasn't good, when it literally had a more recognized story than of the other movies(Brother/Sister Plot)

This is what led to the disaster of the last two films, ESPECIALLY the latest film, they listened to a niche vocal minority and it basically ruined the films.

They took this idea to sound sophisticated and smarter than everyone else that it was the Brother/Sister storyline that ruined the series, when anyone with a brain can tell you it was the sequels after part 2.

So now they removed it due to them making that erroneous argument, and now we got a plot even worse, showing what people have said for years...

The brother/sister storyline wasn't responsible for making him a family killer in the sequels following 2 nor was it responsible for hurting the series in anyway.

Some even argue that Michael Myers didn't even know that was his sister, when she calls him by name he tilts his head and that it goes back to the fate lecture from part 1.

I don't accept that narrative, but some do, I just view the series the same way the mainstream audience has since 1981, escaped psychopath who murders at random Michael Myers wants to murder his sister Laurie like he did his sister Judith. it was brilliant, it worked, no one complained about it until they wanted to parrot Carpenter(out of some form of respect??)

This whole Sartain twist and any other idiots plots uses to get Laurie Strode involved doesn't work.

They either need to do the brother/sister angle or don't have Jamie Lee Curtis in a predominant role, because it doesn't make sense.