Halloween 2: How Does It Compare to Other Slasher Sequels?
 

Halloween 2: How Does It Compare to Other Slasher Sequels?
By Travis Desmond

As I talked about in my last blog, to us hardcore horror fans, John Carpenter’s original masterpiece “Halloween” is almost a perfect movie. Now the question is…does the (first) sequel build on that masterpiece or tear it down?

There are many flops in horror when it comes to sequels, but at the same time, there have been quite a few successes as well. Halloween 2 was released 3 years after the huge success of the original and it added some plot twists that many felt handcuffed the series going forward. Of course the main plot twist would be that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis’s character) is no longer portrayed as just the innocent victim that is being stalked by Michael Myers…but she is now his sister. This is something that even John Carpenter criticizes his decision about to this very day.

Is the much maligned sister twist enough to make this sequel a failure? I would say absolutely NOT. Compare it to other such sequels and you have a strong debate as to which is the greatest. Let’s look at the main 4 slasher series’ that most of us know and love: Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the aforementioned Halloween. NOES is likely regarded as the worst of these 4 sequels (though it does have a cult following) so we’ll put that aside. Also of some debate is whether Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a worth sequel to the original, but that will come another day. As it’s not exactly universally loved among the horror community (although I absolutely love it) we’ll put it aside as well.

Essentially this debate comes down to whether Halloween 2 compares favorably to Friday the 13th Part 2. Both, in my humble opinion, are two of the greatest “part 2’s” that have ever come down the slasher pike. Friday the 13th Part 2 of course introduces us to Jason Voorhees as a masked killer, while Halloween furthers Michael’s bloodlust while adding the gore to satisfy the 80’s slasher era fans. Both were released in 1981. Also, interestingly, both feature Michael and Jason offing police offers of some form. In fact, two of the authority figures (the one I’m referring to in Halloween 2 was probably just a hospital security guard) both receive hammers to the skull. Interesting parallel but that’s what I’m all about.

So, parallels aside, which is the better sequel…Friday the 13th Part 2 or Halloween 2? That’s a very HARD question and quite possibly should have been the title of this article. I’m going with Halloween 2. It ups the kills, adds more violence, and does a good job of making a second entry that takes place right after the original. Friday the 13th Part 2 is also amazing, but it’s a very short movie, has even more plotholes/unanswered questions, and I feel like it’s overshadowed by the movies featuring Jason in a hockey mask. So with Halloween 2 being, in my opinion, the best of the 4 major slasher series’…I’ll answer the question posed by this article…how does Halloween compare to other slasher sequels? It not only compares favorably, it’s flat out superior.

Now does the movie surpass the greatness of the original? If you want my rating (as well as Vic’s) you’ll have to tune into our episode on Monday September 22th at 9 PM EST! You can listen to the episode LIVE or in our archives on blog talk radio on Filling the Void Radio Network!

It don't pass the original by any means,but with the extra violence added to what,let's be honest would have been a rather tame Rosenthal sequel,it's up there with the best of slasher sequels.

However,it don't compare to the best slasher sequel of all time.....Richard Franklin's PSYCHO II.

I didn't even think about Psycho 2 and while it's damn good, I gotta go with Halloween 2. Psycho 2 almost screwed up the franchise by changing Norman's mother. Fun movie and all...and in fact, I like that whole series, but I guess I just prefer a masked killer like Michael Myers. Over the top kills, tits, and gore? That's right up my alley.

Mine too.But P2 edges it.
We'll just have to agree to disagree.:)

I think if Friday the 13 part 2 had been released with all the gore rather than the slaughtered version we see today, this wouldn't even be a conversation but because of that..... Halloween 2 pips it at the post. :)

Halloween 2 TONIGHT! 9 PM EST
 

TONIGHT at 9 PM EST! Monday September 22nd, we will be discussing the sequel to the John Carpenter masterpiece…Halloween 2! How does it compare to the original? How drunk will Travis and Vic get? Can Travis pull of a repeat performance and piss in his bushes again while on the air? This is PART TWO our Halloween Series retrospective as every Monday from September 15th to October 27th, we’ll be talking about each movie in the original Halloween Series. We have a blog up at travnvichorror.wordpress.com discussing how this sequel compares to other slasher sequels and of course, we’ll expand on that on the show as Travis does his usual run down of the movie while drunkenly stumbling over his words. It’s likely Vic won’t know what the hell is going on as for most of the Halloween show last week he was in another world. Stick around after the run down for “What’s Grinding My Gears?” as Travis and Vic bitch like a couple of women about the goings on in the world!

Travis and Vic's Drunken Horror Adventures 09/22 by Filling The Void Radio Network | Movies Podcasts


Also, FYI for anyone who hasn't seen it (who the hell hasn’t?) we will be SPOILING it heavily, so you're definitely going to want to check it out beforehand.

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September 22nd, 2014: Halloween II
 

September 22nd, 2014: Halloween II

This was another crazy one as Travis decided to try out some Angry Orchard and Redds Wicked Apple! It did the trick! As usual Vic was too drunk (or too drunk when we watched it) to remember half of the movie as Travis made references that confused him to no end. Did Travis piss on a rose bush on-air again? You’ll have to tune in and find out! It was your typical mix of drunkenness, belligerence, and general lack of political correctness that you’ve come to expect from these two. “What’s Grinding My Gears” was another highlight as Jer (@The1AndOnlyJer) called in from North Carolina to give the boys hell for calling him a druggie. They also got into a discussion about horror conventions, slashers, and a variety of other topics. Unfortunately, the sequel isn’t on YouTube so hopefully you’ve seen this bad boy before you tune in!

Travis and Vic's Drunken Horror Adventures 09/22 by Filling The Void Radio Network | Movies Podcasts

Travis’s Rating: 4 out of 4 Machetes
Vic’s Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Chainsaws