Movie Review: Halloween 2 (1981)

It was the dawn of the early 80's slasher craze. After the colossal hit that was Halloween, there have been a slew of movies capturing it's success. Friday the 13th, Just Before Dawn, My Bloody Valentine, The Prowler, Happy Birthday To Me, He Knows When You're Alone, and even Jamie Lee Curtis' own Prom Night and Terror Train were just a few of the slashers that was released from 1980 to 1981. So it wasn't long until a sequel to the 1978 classic was in the works.
To be honest, this movie is mediocre, practically riding on the coattails of the previous slashers I just mentioned. It still has the essence of the original, but it's not as brilliant. Though I still think it's a nice continuation and probably one of the better Halloween sequels. The first half is just a lot of stuff happening, like a paranoid teenager getting attacked by Michael, Dr. Loomis running frantically trying to catch Michael, and finally Laurie's love interest getting blown away in a car accident. By the second part, this is where the story picks up, although there's not much focus on Laurie and probably too much focus on the hospital staff/victims. It's pretty much your standard slasher flick at the end of the day, although I do find it entertaining than most of that era. Nothing mesmerizing but a good enough watch, no less.
The Story: Halloween Night, 1978, a bruised and unconscious Laurie Strode is taken to the local hospital after surviving her attack from the blood-thirsty Michael Myers. But somehow, somewhere, her attacker is still alive and out there waiting for his next prey. Laurie senses that he might find a way to the hospital. Turns out....Her senses are right. With a frantic, determined Dr. Loomis searching for the vicious night stalker and the unwitting hospital staff at bay, Laurie must find a way to survive the night before Michael strikes.....

The cast is good....Well for what they work with. There is just no character development or anything interesting about the characters, they were just there for the most part.

Jamie Lee Curtis is as good as always but she has literally nothing to do here. Most of her scenes consists of either being bedridden or walking around dazed and confused from sedation.

I wish there was more time with her but unfortunately 26 minutes is all we got. Yes, I said it, 26 minutes. It's a shame really because she's actually top billing I wish there was much more to say about Laurie but there really isn't. Though there is an important plot revelation between Laurie and Michael, in which I will discuss later in this review.

Dr. Loomis is in on the action most of the time, which I appreciate because we have more focus on the character now than the first movie. Donald Pleasance is as good as always and provides the right intensity he has for the role. This time he plays more of an amateur detective uncovering hidden secrets about his long lost patient all the while trying to stop his murderous rampage. Along the way, Nurse Marion, a minor character in the first movie, pays a visit with some encrypting evidence about Michael which is a deep dark family secret....So I appreciate that Dr. Loomis becomes the action hero he's known to be.
I know you guys want to know about the BIG secret (which is not shocking to some of you anymore) but first let's talk about the supporting characters, even though there's really not much to talk about.

First, you have Ms. Alves played by Gloria Gifford, the no-nonsense head nurse who runs the hospital with an iron fist.

 Then you have innocent, shy Nurse Janet played by Ana Alicia who is endlessly paranoid by the media surrounded Michael Myers.

Then you have Nurse Jill played by Tawny Moyers....She's blonde. That's all I 've got.

Here you have the loudmouth, obnoxious Bud played by the smokin' Leo Rossi, who rather goof off and fool around with his girlfriend than care for his patients.

Nurse Karen played Pamela Susan Snoop, maybe a uptight maternity nurse but secretly has a wild side.

And lastly, we have Jimmy Lloyd played by the adorably handsome Lance Guest, who is a pseudo-love interest for Laurie. But there is one problem I have with this character. Yeah, Jimmy is cute and all but given that Laurie is injured and critically traumatized by her ordeal, I just don't think that's the right time to ask for a first date.

And here's Michael, the ultimate boogeyman and Night stalker. Nothing has changed from the first movie. Stuntman Dick Warlock did a good job copying the same robotic inhuman movements that Nick Castle did so masterfully. Even the mask looks the same.

Though the main problem I have with Michael is a certain plot thread that is controversial till this day. You see Michael so happens to have a younger sister, and that younger sister turns out to be Laurie Strode herself. I really don't have a problem with this sudden plot revelation, it's just how it comes out of the blue and how it sort of gives Michael a motive when originally that's not was intended. Since Michael killed his older sister, it now seems that his only targets are his family members and kills anyone who gets in the way. It never really gives much information and it leads to nowhere.
The scenes in here are actually suspenseful. This one scene that got me is where Michael stalks and kills the lone teenage girl, Alice, at her house. It all seems quiet and normal all the while she's talking on the phone with her friend....until paranoia creeps in and then suddenly out of nowhere, Michael stabs and kills her while there's a close-up shot of his face. Just watch it for yourself:

Then there is the chase scene with Laurie which is still very effective as it was in the first one. Just imagine being drugged and dazed and this unstoppable killing machine coming after you. It's got to be a pretty scary situation. I mean I was practically at the edge of my seat.

And yes, like any other horror sequel, the movie is filled with creative kills. It's mostly Michael killing most of the hospital staff with surgical instruments. It seems a little over the top for some, but I think the filmmakers tried to keep things fresh and original since seeing a serial killer with a kitchen knife can be a bit clichéd and boring.
I should give note that although some of you may think this a run-of-the mill slasher, Rick Rosenthal really put his heart into this and wanted to make a true Halloween movie. It definitely shows and I give him much credit for that.
Now for some trivia:
John Carpenter did not find Rick Rosenthal original cut all that scary, so he opted to amp up the film's violence and body count, which explains the random (but well-done) scene of Alice's death, which wasn't in the original script.
Halloween 2 also has an alternate version called the "TV cut", which I've seen many times. There is a scene where Laurie finds Jimmy in the ambulance wither her. Which explains that they would later get married and have Jamie in the later sequels:

Jamie Lee Curtis had to wear a wig to keep in the continuity of the movie and it's quite noticeable, sad to say.
Nancy Loomis has a brief as Annie's corpse and Alice's friend on the phone.
John Carpenter had a hard time coming up with a certain plot twist to expand the movie more, so after six cans of beer and a presumably drunken mindstate, that's when he wrote in the concept of the Laurie/Michael siblings subplot. Yes, you guys it was John Carpenter himself who came up with that.
The film debuted with a 7.4 million dollar opening weekend. A good opening  but not as colossal as the first. The critics savaged the movie calling it "another mindless slasher." Sure  you could call it that but it still doesn't deviate from being a true Halloween sequel. Though it is somewhat flawed and drags most of the time, I still think it's an enjoyable movie with it's great suspense and action-packed finale.
My Last Word: It may not capture the magic of the original but it's still a solid horror sequel.

 

Movie Review: Halloween

This movie is one of my all-time favorite classic horror movies. I know I said that with Friday The  13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street, but this movie pretty much tops it for me. The suspense is spine-tingling, the thrills hit you instantly, and the jump scares are actually done right. This is what I call the ultimate slasher movie to it's finest.
It has all the specific tropes to make a slasher film: The isolated setting, the drug-using promiscuous teenagers, the innocent final girl, the masked silent killer, the old man who knows the truth, etc. Some of these tropes might be cliché now but it blends well with this movie, especially at the time it was made. The simplicity of the directing and the feel of the movie, makes the suburban setting much more authentic, especially once Michael arrives, like an erupting black cloud over a safe and domestic environment. It may not have any blood or guts like any horror fan would crave, but the suspense is so chilling it could turn your skin tight. Build-up, tension, atmosphere and suspense is what makes a horror film. I can say that so many times until anyone gets it. And I'm proud to say this movie does.
So without further ado, I would like to present one of the most successful horror movies of the 70's and a legacy that would change horror forever.

The story: in 1963, Haddonfield, Ill. There is a brutal murder in the Myers home. 17 year old Judith Myers is found naked and bloodied on the floor, being stabbed repeatedly by an unknown assailant. A shocking turn of events soon unravels when the unknown assailant turns out to be her seemingly innocent 6 year old brother, Michael. After spending years in a mental institution and primarily under the care of Psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis, Michael escapes  in a flash, prompting Samuel Loomis to go on a desperate search. Meanwhile, Michael Myers begins his rampage by returning to his hometown and stalking three teenage girls, including the introspective Laurie Strode. As the day goes on into Halloween night and the girls do their usual babysitting duties and other indiscretions, Michael, the shadowy figure who quietly creeps at any moment, will see forth his next prey, satisfying his violent urge to kill.....

The cast is phenomenal. Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Loomis, and P.J. Soles are quite the likeable bunch. I just enjoy seeing them together because they actually seem like best friends. It's that connection and chemistry that brings out  the best in the actors. But I would like to introduced to you one of the best of the best in Final Girl history and who paved the way for them ever since:

Laurie Strode played by the enigmatic, charismatic, and the always magnificent Jamie Lee Curtis. She's the one who give Laurie her strength. I mean this woman can act in anything from Comedy, Drama, Action, Fantasy, and especially horror. That's how versatile of an actress she is. The way she portrays Laurie is relatable and captivating. I feel like she was born to play this role. How they build up Laurie is very rich and investing. She's not just some girl who's in the background most of the time and screams and cowers through most of the film, we know her as a person. We identify with her, we relate to her, we feel for her. And that's how you write a heroine in a horror movie. Well, any person who takes a screenwriting class would know that.

She's a typical teenage girl with goals, dreams, and insecurities like the rest of us but in there, somewhere, we see a strong capable heroine who is willing to use her wits to fight for survival. And trust me, Laurie is like the MacGyver of Final Girls. Anyone who could stab an attacker with a knitting needle and make a wire hanger out of a weapon is a true badass in my book. Although Michael is the driving entity of the story, Laurie is the really truly the main character.

Then we have Lynda and Annie. They're you're typical promiscuous, pot-smoking, beer-guzzling teens but what makes them standout is that they're likeable, funny, charismatic, and seem like really good friends. And they're treated with respect unlike most horror movie victims later on in the slasher genre. They're not caricatures, they're characters meaning real people. And it's a shock when you see them die.

Annie is probably my favorite of the two. She's funny, blunt, and a blast to hang around with. Actress Nancy Loomis brings  a lot to the character and I think she did fairly relatable performance. Because, hey, I had friends like that. She's also a character I actually cared about.

Lynda, on the other hand, may come off like a typical blond in a horror film but she had a relatively perky, quirky side to her that was really enjoyable and entertaining. She is known as the "totally" girl because she's use to saying totally a lot which people would find funny and for some annoying. As Laurie would make a name for herself as the first Final Girl, Lynda would make a name for herself as the first valley girl. It has a nice parallel actually.
Here I would gladly introduced to you our hero of the movie:

Dr. Sam Loomis wonderfully played by the legend himself Donald Pleasance. Dr. Loomis is sort of the Van Helsing To Michael's Dracula, going through any lengths to stop the murderous psychopath.

Donald Pleasance gives such a good performance, in fact, he gives a sort of eloquence to the character that makes him much more memorable. The speech he gives about Michael is probably the best performance I've seen in Donald Pleasance's career. Dr. Loomis is like a Shakespeare hero in my mind. Intelligent, brave and willing to stop at nothing to save the people who are in danger, him and Laurie are indeed one of the best characters in this movie.

Now last but not least, here he is, The Shape himself, Michael Myers. There isn't exactly any development about him, which is a good thing. He is a sort of mystery, an entity that hides in the shadows. The way he moves, the way he projects is almost robotic and inhuman.

It all goes back to that pivotal scene where he stabs and kills his sister. Once his parents find him, knife in hand, the look on  his face is almost tragic. It's a blank look of shock, not having any recollection of what he'd done and through the years of maturity and basically having no childhood, his descent into being this evil remorseless serial killer has been set.

He soon becomes this manifestation of the grim reaper. This angel of death that creeps over your every move without knowing. That's what makes Michael Myers such a unique slasher villain.

All the way down to his iconic outfit. but it all goes to the infamous William Shatner mask:

The way the filmmakers mold it into something so eerie and fascinating make this the ultimate slasher movie mask. Yeah, there have been some imitators albeit some lame ones I might say, but this would be at the top of the Halloween memorabilia chain.
However, the one question that boggles everyone's mind is: Why does Michael kill? Well, why do people kill in general. It's the kind of question that could never be answered. That's what makes this movie so different than most slasher movies. It's not some mindless teen horror movie, it's actually a well-crafted psychological story of a man hell-bent on violence. It's something that could be analyzed on a film's studies class, that's how great it is.
What this film also masters is subtly. Subtly is the key, people. There are two scenes that I think are very memorable. First there is the opening scene:

The way it's shot, the way it's handled is very ingenious. You think it's an unknown intruder as you step into the mind of the killer. Once the killer is finally unmasked, it's really shocking. You would never expect a 6 year old to do a brutal murder like that. Though, there is one problem I have with this scene. The parents' reaction is kind of, well....dull. They just stand there for at least a minute, the mom casually putting her hands in her pockets. If the parents reacted in a more realistic way, the scene would've had a more powerful impact.

The second one is Bob's death scene. Once Michael closes in on his prey, he impales him instantly against the wall. He then examines the corpse in a odd, fascinated way. What makes it so creepy is that Michael has a sort of thrill in this, he sees how easily he could murder these people in one second. And that's a pretty scary notion.

Suspense is this movie's specialty. Just I mentioned in these two scenes, the build up to the climax holds up well. The way the camera moves slowly and reels in on a key scene is mastered wonderfully.
Now for some Trivia:
As you all know, the mask is a William Shatner mask. It was clearly inspired by the movie, The Devil's Rain, A 70's B movie he starred in.
The name Laurie Strode came from John Carpenter's first girlfriend.
Dr. Sam Loomis was named after the character in Psycho, the movie in which this inspired from.
Halloween was shot 21 days in the springs. As you can see, there are palm trees in the background and the feeling of the fall season is quite hard to contrast since it's head close to summer.
In the opening scenes, the hands of 6 year old Michael is Producer Debra Hill herself.
John Carpenter plays Annie's boyfriend, never seen but heard on the phone.
Actress Annie Lockhart, From Lassie fame, was the first choice to play Laurie Strode.
The first film in history that the steadicam was used.
It is the fifth scariest film by Entertainment Weekly. And rightfully so.
Halloween grossed over 47 million at the box office making it the most highly successful independent film to date. And through the years it has made it's territory as one of the most classic horror movie of it's time. It should be right beside the classic universal monster movies of the 1930's and 40's. It's that monumental. This movie is also known for creating movie monsters in our generation. It made Jamie Lee Curtis a star and Donald Pleasance a legend. I love everything about this movie. The characters, the acting, the suspense, and especially the classic theme music.
This will forever remain a slasher movie of it's time.
My Last Word: Yes! Go Watch it right now!

Movie Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Wow....This movie is insane....and there were moments in this where I literally cringed. And yeah, these scenes are pretty hard to watch. But let me set the record straight before I dive deep into this review. During the early stages of my blog, I was reviewing the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I sort of said that the original was like any other slasher film. I would like to take account of what I said and take it all back. Sure, Texas Chainsaw is a slasher but it's not a typical slasher at all. It's dirty, grimy, and unsettling to ever be noted as "just a typical slasher." I would think the REMAKE is a typical slasher to me than the original. You see the difference is the remake is more psychological horror where as the original was pure horror at best. And it sure is, this is a grindhouse cult classic that can hit you in way that you can't imagine.
It all boils down to how it's directed and how it's crafted by using every specific detail in each scene by that logic, this is why it is helmed as one of the most creepy and unsettling horror movies of the 70's.

The Story: Sally Hardesty and her friends decide to spend their idyllic summer road trip to visit her grandfather's grave where her old homestead used to be. There have been recent reports of grave-robbing and vandalism, so by the curiosity of Sally and her brother Franklin, they figure out what's what and to see if their grandfather's grave have been tainted. but little do the five friends know, the real terror of what's hiding behind the graves. And a certain skin-wearing, chainsaw-wielding maniac is at play.

There's not really much to say about the main characters. But I would say this, I like how they are portrayed realistically and is treated with much respect than any other modern horror films these days. They're not going on a trip to party, have sex or do or find drugs, they're there to learn and explore one friend's family history. And even though it has a by-the-numbers plot, it makes it interesting that the cast are more into studying and figuring out a landscape than the their own selfish endeavors.

Again, I don't know anything about Sally, but her will to fight for survival is very effective.

we see fear through her eyes and Marilyn Burns genuinely harbors that fear into her character. and judging what she endured on the set, I could definitely tell that is real terror.

From what she experiencing and the mental and physical torture she goes through is what keeps us invested and scared for the character.

Now let's talk about Franklin. Ugh....Why?....He is probably one of the most despicable, annoying character in this movie. He is loud, obnoxious, kind of dumb and a bit of whiner. I was just counting the hours for Leatherface to do the deed. I know the guy is in a wheelchair and it's quite upsetting to see a handicapped person get killed in a horror film, but you can feel Sally's and the audience's annoyance while dealing with this character.
Now let's focus on Leatherface and his insane, cannibalistic family. But mostly Leatherface.

The Hitchhiker chillingly played by Edwin Neal is the more observant and chaotic of three. The moment where he describes "how to make headcheese" in such graphic detail is really unsettling. And how the hitchhiker tells it in such childish glee along with the other weird stuff that he does, would make you think this guy is definitely not sane. He could strike you at any second which makes the character that much creepy.

Drayton Sawyer AKA The Cook played by Jim Siedlow is sort of the leader of the clan and is the "cook". At first,  you may think he's a nice normal guy especially since the group has encountered a couple of creepy locals but once Sally is attacked by Leatherface and is supposedly "saved" by Drayton, you sort of sense that something sinister is going on when Sally inspects the place as the camera slowly close in what's he's cooking in the barbecue. it's pretty suspenseful. When she decides to escape the place, however, it's all too late and Sally is captured under his whim. It's unexpected moments like that that keeps the tension rising in horror films.

Last but not least, we have Bubba Sawyer AKA Leatherface who is the head honcho of the family, doing all the killings, sawing, and skinning to provide for his family. You never see what he does in his secret hideout and maybe you don't need to see it. Just the thought of what horrors he does to these people is enough to make anyone sick.

But as I always do, I would like to talk about the aesthetic of his appearance. And boy, is it a creepy appearance. A mask made of his victims' skin, a raggedy, dirty suit under a bloody apron, and any specific tools including his trusty chainsaw to slaughter his victims. Yeah, he's a pretty scary guy. He doesn't do this on his own though and it's pretty much at the whim of his family, who seem kind of demeaning towards him. He kind of has a mind of child. A disturbed, psychotic child but a child none the less. Killing and mutilating people is all he knows, it what he's born into and that's....kind of sad. Not that I feel any sympathy for him but all in all, it's pretty messed up analogy.
This is known to be one of the most violent, goriest horror movie without showing a drop of blood. Just the implication of it makes it so. There are some pivotal yet violent and disturbing scenes to showcase how brutal this movie is.

First there is Kirk's death scene which is visceral and aggressive. To the build up all down to the bone-crushing sound effects will make you jump out of your seat and squirm at the same time:

Then there's Pam's death scene not so soon after once she discovers a room full of skeletons, some of it from animals but most from humans scrapped from the bone.

The close-up shots of the skeletons and Pam's reaction is a very uneasy, skin-crawling sequence.

But here's the real kicker. When Pam escapes the room, she is instantly captured by Leatherface and is hung on a meat hook from her back while Leatherface prepares to dismember her boyfriend while she watches. It's probably those scenes in horror movies that cut you deep. You always expect the unexpected:

But the dinner table scene is the vilest and horrid of sequences. To the close-up shots of Sally's reaction to the cackling laughs of the crazed cannibals, it's very disturbing and unpleasant and it's too much to just go on any further.

The climax of the movie is possibly the most intense I've seen in a horror film. Just look at the film clip:

The behind the scenes stories is a horror movie of itself. BLOOD, SWEAT and TEARS were put into this and I don't see how the actors even went out alive after this. It's truly horrifying let me tell you. Terri McMillan was actually hung up from meat hook by an apparatus with a nylon cord, causing her a lot of pain. Ouch!
Gunnar Hansen actually had to cut Marilyn Burns' finger when they couldn't get fake blood.
John Dugan was actually a teenager at the time, being put under pounds of makeup that took 36 hours to make. So to endure those agonizing hours, he was drunk through most of the movie shoots.
The actors had to shoot the dinner scene 27 hours straight. With no air conditioning, no venting machine, no fans, no nothing. All this time, they had to breathe in a horrible stinch coming from the dead animals and rotting food all while under a 100 degree heat. So in that scene, the actors were not ACTING crazy, they WERE crazy, hallucinating from the smell.
Franklin's actor was pretty much a pain in the ass in real life.
And lastly there was the climax where Sally is drenched in blood. And yeah, some of that is real blood you guys. Marilyn Burns actually cut herself running through the branches. Wow...just wow.
This movie was so terrifying, in fact, that many people couldn't watch the rest of it in the movie theaters. And it is also named one of the most scariest movies besides The Exorcist.

So there was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A movie so bone-chilling it could make the hair on your skin go up. Of course with a movie like this it was warranted for sequels but not for another 13 years or so. But I just don't see a movie like this need any sequels, maybe one or two should be fine I guess. But all in all, the original frightfest stands on it's own as a highly remembered classic.
Last Word: Yes, go watch it!
This review is also dedicated to the courageous Marilyn Burns who will live on as the slasher film's first final girl.