The Twin Geeks 139: Halloween II

Would it truly be Halloween if we didn't revisit the beloved Halloween franchise? Probably, but we'll do it anyway, as its always a seasonal treat to dive into a series of increasing mediocrity defined by its weakening representation of its famous masked killer. Highs and lows abound in this infamous autumnal franchise, with the second entry being one of the supposed better entries in the long-running series. A film which could be described as "a complete shell of its predecessor"; "a vapid amalgam of the burgeoning slasher genre"; or "that movie John Carpenter pulled out of his ass because he was contractually obligated to," Halloween II is often criticized for expectations it fails to meet. Some of these disparagements are undeserved. Taking another look at the atmospheric cinematography provided by returning DP Dean Cundey, and the magnificent synthesizer score delivered by Carpenter and Alan Howarth, Halloween II shares much of the succesful DNA of its masterful predecessor. On the other hand, its also a shoddily written retread of the first film with only an inane plot twist subbing in as character development in a film otherwise filled with pointlessly graphic and nonsensical kills -- essentially, then, a bog standard slasher film of its time. We talk with noted Halloween expert Jesse Sparks in our annual return to the franchise, as well as a rundown on everything the latest film in the series Halloween Kills, does to evade or replicate the failures and successes of the series' shoddy track record. And, as is tradition, we go through the major highlights of our respective seasonal horror marathons and tag a handful of films to add to the list for next year. All of this and more from your independent resource for classic and contemporary cinema.A production of The Twin Geeks | Join our Discord