Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Halloween II (30th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

Top positive review

You don't know what death is...

September 8, 2017

Movie review:
Halloween 2 (1981) is a great sequel to a classic film, and its by far my favorite sequel in the Halloween franchise. The story picks up directly following the events of the first Halloween. Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken to completely empty Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and Michael will stop at nothing to kill her. Donald Pleasance gives a great performance as the unhinged Dr Loomis, who is relentlessly tracking down Michael. Jamie Lee Curtis isn't given much to work with, since Laurie is under sedation for most of the film. The gore is definitely ramped up for this sequel, and the effects look great.

Product review:
The Shout Factory Blu Ray looks and sounds fantastic. This release is packed full of extras. Multiple commentaries, making of features, trailers, and more. Also included is the TV cut of Halloween 2.

I would highly recommend this Shout Factory Blu Ray.

22 people found this helpful

Top critical review

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TheOneWolf

Good product; Shit shipping

October 21, 2018

Love the movie as I always have, however the shipping was beyond subpar in my experience, which is the only reason why I have given it 3 stars instead of 5. They used some kind of cheap paper/plastic envelope, resulting in NUMEROUS scratches (some minor, but also a few major ones) to the case, and the bottom corner of the case which opens was snapped off, so there’s a hole in the bottom and I can’t even close the case properly. Keep in mind I bought this brand new, and when I opened the envelope the shards from the case fell out. I would have most DEFINITELY returned it if not for the fact that the movie itself thankfully works fine, and I don’t feel like waiting for shipping again (just on the off chance of getting ANOTHER screwed up case AND the movie won’t work this time).

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James

You don't know what death is...

September 8, 2017

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

22 people found this helpful

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11 comment

Love it!

July 16, 2018

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

In addition to reviewing the first (original) Halloween movie I thought I’d travel on over here and grant another 5 stars to this Blu-ray. I watched Halloween 1&2 profusely as a child when my Mom was an avid VCR recorder and now, seeing it in such superb quality is wonderful and a great bringer of nostalgic feelings.

The price is cheap for such good quality. Plus seeing the extra deleted scenes that I hadn’t ever seen before were a plus!

13 people found this helpful

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chris mcglasson

more of the night he came home!

June 9, 2019

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

I generally don't bother buying steelbooks because I think for the price their not really worth it but this is an exception. this 4K transfer from the good old shout factory is just great! this is the best quality transfer I have seen of this film. this sequel is my favorite of all the halloween series. I even prefer it over the original halloween. now, I know a lot of people will disagree with me but I don't care much what other people think. I know there are fans who would agree with me. this movie has what, in my own personal opinion, things that the original lacks. halloween is a masterpiece, there's no doubt, but for a slasher film, it being the first, it just doesn't make sense to have little or no blood in it. I like a good dose of reality. people say you don't need gore to make a good film. that is true, hitchcock's psycho is a great example of this, the grand-daddy of slasher films. there wasn't much blood in it, basically just in the shower scene, but that was 1960. they couldn't really get away with much because of the censors. things have changed a lot since then. now you can get away with almost anything, just release it unrated. halloween 2 was written to keep up with the current trend of horror movies made in the early 80's. I liked the added use of graphic violence and gore. call me what you will but I enjoyed this film more than the first. I love dick warlock's michael myers! donald pleasence was just awesome in this film! my favorite line of his is, "you don't know what death is!", classic! jamie lee was great as always. all the other aspects of this movie were all done well. I couldn't ask for a better halloween sequel. the rest in the series I think all suck, except for halloween 2018, which I think is the best sequel since the original halloween 2. I love this movie! I highly recommend it. long live halloween 2 and michael myers!

7 people found this helpful

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TechnoMachinima1996

It still holds up as a completely worthy sequel/follow up to the first Halloween movie.

November 6, 2018

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

This Halloween movie was in fact the first one that I ever saw. As a kid I enjoyed this movie for a great scare or two but not having seen the first before it, I didn't totally know what was going on in the movie. That didn't ruin the fun of watching it, however.

They truly upped their game with this sequel. What one first notes is that even though this movie was made 3 years after the first(1981), it in fact continues to take place in 1978 to pick up where the first movie left off including a bit of flashbacks of the first Halloween to both refresh one's memory but also to get themselves ready for what is to come next.

More about how they upped their game was, the gore and great kills were more emphasized plus more sex and nudity, a bit of camp, plus a much greater example of what Michael Myers is totally capable of.

First of all, the hospital setting proved a perfect setting as it raised the suspense in terms of where and how Michael was hiding, where he would pounce next, and what readily available tools he would be using to his advantage on his victims. Michael's intensity and how terrifying a presence he is is intensified a whole lot this time whatwith his no nonsense way of killing his victims grows even stronger.

Jamie Lee Curtis not only puts in twice the strong performance as Laurie Strode in this sequel, but she continues to look gorgeous and sexy along with several other actresses in this that give way to some satisfying Halloween eye-candy.

Donald Pleasance also upped his game in his return performance as Dr. Sam Loomis. His intense desire to stop Michael at any cost plus stress and fear that he faces while doing all he can to just keep his focus while putting himself before others, makes for one great Ahab to root for.

The cinematography is still gorgeous and shows a feeling of dread as well in the outside shots that we get of the neighborhood in Haddonfield. One of the best parts of the horror is amidst all of the beautiful shots of the hospital is how a seemingly safe and friendly environment comes a total sense of fear and lack of security.

The script was brilliantly written with very few awkward lines plus some very talented actors to fuel it.

The nudity isn't alot but it's still great nudity.

My 2 most fave kills in the movie are: Michael forcing the sexy nurse's head into the hottub water after Michael turns up the heat and even if it was off camera, I enjoyed the creativity and genius of head nurse Mrs. Alves having her blood drained out of her body by Michael.

The soundtrack is even better this time with the basic theme song and all of the creepy and weird tunes that make it more scary.

Overall, when it comes to the first Halloween(1978) and this one, you simply can't go wrong with the gore, creative kills, beautiful cinematography, sensational score, sex and nudity, strong performances from the actors, Michael being very clever in how he handles his victims, great eye-candy, intensity of the actor playing Michael, the creepy and weird music, and best of all this picks up exactly where the last Halloween left off with flashbacks. One great 80's slasher that is not to be missed. 10 stars out of 10!!!

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Jared Bradley

The Night He Went To The Hospital

December 16, 2018

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

A direct sequel to the 1978 original, Halloween II is actually the first film in the franchise that I ever watched, although I saw the television edit shown on the SciFi Channel in the early 2000's (at least I think it was the Television Edit). Now, however, having seen the 1978 original and a few of the other sequels... well, it's better than most of the sequels (and the Rob Zombie reboot films), although since Halloween II was actually made by most of the original film's returning production crew and cast, it is also the closest to the original in tone and execution as well.

That being said, it does miss the mark a few times (in both edits), although I personally think that the most interesting thing about this sequel is actually the fact that it clearly is the only sequel with Michael Myers that intends for his death at the end to actually be his death. The guy burns to death after getting shot in the face on screen. Of course, this is also because John Carpenter was hoping that the Halloween franchise would become a sort of anthology series where each film told its own story. Following the backlash that Season of the Witch experienced, all future films in the franchise would feature Michael Myers and focus on his efforts to slaughter everyone who was related to him once a year on Halloween night.

As for the differences between the theatrical and television edits... well, honestly the film's story is mostly the same, and while the pacing of the television edit is clearly more slow and deliberate, this is a double edged sword. Some portions of the television edit are, well, kind of a slog, and yet others are far more suspenseful than the theatrical edit, with the lack of onscreen deaths in some areas letting the viewers use their imaginations. But again, some of the slower paced areas just come off as tedious to sit through. The theatrical cut is tighter in its pacing and gorier, but gorier isn't always better either.

Also... I'm going to be honest here, I've never cared for the whole Laurie Strode being Michael's sister plot twist. I'm glad that Halloween 2018 did away with that by making itself a direct sequel to the original, as it makes Michael Myers far more terrifying because his motives are more mysterious.

Also, the video transfer on the Blu-Ray is fantastic, and the audio sounds great. Tragically, this applies only to the theatrical version. The television edit is on the DVD and it is presented in a cropped full screen aspect ratio and mono sound. Bonus features are plentiful, including two audio commentaries, A retrospective documentary, trailers and TV spots, a collection of deleted and alternate scenes, and alternate ending, a location featurette, and the Halloween II film script on the DVD. All in all, it's a pretty great package.

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MonsterZeroNJ

Sequel to Carpenter's masterpiece is a classic in it's own right.

December 13, 2013

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

With John Carpenter’s Halloween a big hit, it was inevitable that there would be a sequel. And while he had no intention of directing it, Carpenter along with Debra Hill wrote Halloween II which takes place on the same night of the original, basically picking up right where the first film leaves off. The flick continues the story with an injured Laurie Strode (Jaime Lee Curtis) being taken to a hospital in Haddonfield while Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) and the police scour the neighborhood for the still at large Michael Myers (stuntman Dick Warlock). But, unbeknownst to them, Michael has discovered Laurie’s whereabouts and heads to the hospital to find her, leaving a trail of bodies along the way and once there he begins to decimate the hospital staff in search of his prey. It is in this film we find Laurie is actually Michael’s other sister and he has come home to finish the job he started 15 years ago. While Halloween II is far from the masterpiece that Halloween is, it is a classic in it’s own right and in retrospect is definitely among one of the better slasher flicks of the 80s. Carpenter chose unknown Rick Rosenthal to direct and it’s hard to tell just how much of the film’s effectiveness is his, as it is said that producer Carpenter was unhappy with the film and did some re-editing and reshooting himself upping the gore and nudity quotas… which, in turn, made Rosenthal unhappy with the film. Photographed by Dean Cundey, the look of the film certainly matches the first and with Carpenter again handling the music, the atmosphere is there. The two flicks fit together quite nicely but, it’s hard to tell just how well Rosenthal did as director when Carpenter basically took over post production and added new material and rearranged sequences. The result is a solid slasher with some decent kills and gore and some nice suspense sequences as Myers stalks Laurie and the hospital staff in the dark hallways of the nearly abandoned hospital night shift. It has it’s intense moments and it certainly is a bit more brutal then the first with a much larger body count. Though, obviously it doesn’t have the first film’s finesse. The cast all perform well with Curtis once again strong as Laurie and Donald Pleasance seamlessly reprising his role as Loomis. Dick Warlock gives Michael a powerful presence and newcomers Jeff East, Leo Rossi, Ana Alicia and Pamela Susan Shoop are all suitable as hospital staff and potential victims. Who actually deserves more credit for making this sequel a solid slasher and a decent follow-up to Carpenter’s classic is not clear but, what is clear is that despite the large shoes it had to fill, Halloween II is an entertaining and effective slasher sequel that over time has come to stand on it’s own and has earned it’s own reputation as a classic. Scream Factory's restored and remastered blu-ray is a beautiful disc filled with some fun extras that they are fast becoming famous for and includes the re-editied TV version as well!

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Patrick L James

Halloween 2 more of the night he came home shout factory edition!

November 12, 2018

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

Does that is awesome it includes both the original special features for the 30th anniversary and 2 new making up features into Avery fisting the set 30 years later and also includes the television version from the broadcast NBC Premiere. Not a single complaint except! even if its a 4:3 full frame cut, why not touch it up or have both films on the bluray. i though the DVD was dvd of the bluray. its a bit confusing, though if you also have the 30th Ann. ed not everthing is trasferred to shout factory deluxe set. I loved seeing the TV Cut, brought back memories of this and H1 being on tnt late after trick r treating

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Bruce

Either Double Disc Won't Lead To Terror In The Aisles

October 26, 2019

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

First off, I had already bought the Shout Factory edition, and now the Steelbook edition. I don't want to mention which user review stated that the Halloween II Blu-Ray had Terror In The Aisles on the TV Version disc, but after purchasing the Steelbook version of the Shout Factory version, I can say with full certainty that these two Blu-Ray versions DON'T have Terror In The Aisles on them. The Shout Factory discs weren't shown listed with them at all, and I scoured the discs, and no easter eggs. The price of $9.99 might indicate the third option as being the one to get, but after spending the money for two Blu-Ray sets with only the cases being the only differentiating factor, I am a bit reluctant to order yet another one. But maybe some other time. For now, I'm a little happy to have such a nice Steelbook addition to my collection.

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Shan

"Okay, let's get her clothes off." (Blu-Ray Review)

September 22, 2011

Format: Blu-rayVerified Purchase

Growing up, this was the first Halloween I ever saw. At the time, I was 7. I didn't know about sequels, so I thought this was the beginning and I didn't know why Michael was killing everyone in the hospital. But it sure got to me. I think the dark, creepy-ass, nearly-deserted hospital did it for me because we've all been to a hospital and they usually make us uneasy to begin with. I've seen the movie about 100 times since it's first releases on VHS and DVD. This one is the best.

First, let me explain that I do not own a 60-inch Plasma with a 7.1 Surround Sound Home Theater System. I own a 37-inch LCD HDTV and a Sony Blu Player. I did watch this twice, first on HDMI input and second on Component. Sharpness was just about the same. The HDMI enriches the color, almost too much sometimes and adds a lot of oranges and reds. There is some grain in different spots throughout the movie, but it depends on the lighting. It got kind of hazy during Laurie and Jimmy's talks in her hospital room, as well as the end in the operating room. A few scratches and dots here and there, but hey it's a 30-year-old print. Overall, though, the picture was a great improvement over the DVD. Again, this all depends on what kind of monitor you use. HD does sharpen all of the flaws, as well, but they're magnified even further when you use a giant screen. Even on a TV, you can tell the difference between the different audio streams offered. The Dolby 2.0 sounded kind of hollow with a little bit of tin in it. The Dolby 5.1 sounded fuller.

And lastly, we finally get some extras for Halloween II! There are about 8 deleted scenes. Don't get your hopes up if you're looking for uncut gore. It's all character developement. Some of it's the hospital staff, and some of it's Loomis with the police. Laurie getting checked over after they sedate her (that's where the title of my review comes from). There's a lot of Jimmy talking, or least trying, to talk to Laurie. Some stuff between the nurses. And a few drunk Dr. Mixture scenes before he goes to "watch the fish" in his office. There's also the Happy Alternate Ending. I think I saw this on TV awhile back, because I remembered it perfectly. It kind of confirms what was already insinuated in Part 4. The biggest bonus on this disc is Terror in the Aisles! Full Widescreen HD, with great sound and subtitles. I watched this on satellite about a week ago and this blows it away. Sure, there are some bad spots from the old clips, but even a lot of them look great on here.

My biggest gripe with this disc is some things that Universal did to it. Yes, they removed Moustapha Akkad from the credits and changed the font. They also jacked up the menu. I love seeing the pumpkin split open and the skull hidden inside. But, they added a BD-Live pop-up add on the menu! If you're connected to the internet while it's on, it cycles ads for Universal content right there on your DVD Menu! They also added some kind of funky built-in screensaver to their discs. If you pause for too long, it overrides your player's built-in screensaver and you get one that says Univeral. It looks cool, but you can't just hit Play and turn it off. I couldn't get mine to turn off, so I stopped the disc and had to find my spot again. With a little research, I found out that you have to hit ENTER on your remote for it to resume your playback. I hate that sort of thing.

All gripes aside, you can't go wrong buying this disc. I got mine on sale for $9.99 right here on Amazon, but it's back up some now. It's worth the purchase, so you can relive some of the greatest horror moments from your past.

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Julia C. Hoover

Jamie Lee Curtis / Halloween fan

October 19, 2018

Format: Prime VideoVerified Purchase

Honestly, I'm addicted to this series, but Jamie Lee Curtis makes the movies for me. The ones without her aren't as good. But in any case, the movie picks up where Halloween left off. Michael Myers is back, still roaming around Haddonfield while Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) recovers in Haddonfield Hospital. Guess where Michael heads? So he starts picking off the security and medical folks one by one while Laurie starts to understand that all is not well.

I get that Michael has no words, but for an actor without words, Dick Warlock does a great job of lurking and stalking and such.

And finally, Donald Pleasence as Loomis would steal the show if it weren't for Jamie Lee Curtis.

Fabulous, and so I bought it.

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