In my previous Halloween article, I discussed the two different lines of continuity established by the different versions of the first Halloween film. Halloween II can pick up from either version, but the big plot twist introduced in this film is foreshadowed in the TV version of the first film via the new scene in which Michael Myers writes the word "sister" on the wall of his room at the sanitarium before he escapes. Therefore, it should be assumed that I am referring to the version of the first film with the extra scenes shot for the TV version included. This probably won't even matter, as there are so many things to talk about in Halloween II that those scenes won't even be a factor in the discussion. What does matter is Halloween II is a flawed movie.
There are several reasons for this, and John Carpenter is one of them. The impression I get is that he was tasked with making this film. He declined to direct but he produced it and wrote the screenplay, with the directing duties going to Rick Rosenthal. Not wanting to make the same film over again, Carpenter looked for something he could throw in there to give this second chapter something different. So, what does he do? He makes Laurie Michael's sister. You'll recall I previously discussed how mystery is a vital element in a good horror film, well there goes the mystery. Now we have a reason for why Michael kills: he's after his family and everyone else is just opportunity along the way. Oh well, this is the last Michael Myers movie in the Halloween franchise so, whatever, right? Wait, they bring him back in part four and he's still after family? Oh dear.
Well, the sister plot twist is really just a minor complaint compared to the main issue here. Remember how there were two versions of the first film? Well here we go again! Except this time, there is no "better" version in circulation. This is kind of Carpenter's fault too. When Rosenthal submitted the original cut of this movie, Carpenter wasn't all that impressed. He said it was about as scary as an episode of (the TV medical drama) Quincy. So Carpenter increases the violence and trims away some of the character development along with some of the scenes that give the movie some cohesive sense. Some of the excised material was added back into the TV version, but many scenes were rearranged or further edited for time. Both versions are a mess.
I don't know of any definitive cut of this film in circulation that puts the best pieces from both versions together, you basically have to watch both of them and then put it together in your head. It's no easy task so I'm going to attempt to guide you through the patchwork that is Halloween II...
There are several pages on the internet that list the differences scene by scene. I'm using IMDB as a reference myself, here. So rather than reinvent the wheel, I'm going to give my opinions about each difference, as to what should be in a definitive version of this film.
The differences start in the first few minutes of the film. Almost immediately, the TV version throws away a classic Dr. Loomis line after a neighbor complains about getting trick-or-treated to death: "You don't know what death is." All of this dialogue is replaced by the neighbor asking if this is a Halloween prank. I don't know why that line was changed for television, but here the theatrical version is superior.
We'll stay with the theatrical cut for the next part of the scene where Michael visits some of the neighbors. The only difference is in the TV version, it's suggested Michael kills the elderly woman he steals the knife from rather than the young woman down the block. The killing of the young woman was added by Carpenter to up the violence in the movie; it's not necessary, but it throws a bone to the slasher nerds.
After a few scenes of some minor edits and dialogue changes (I'll default to the theatrical cut when it's not really important) we find Laurie at the hospital being sedated. The TV version extends this scene a bit, and we have Mrs. Alves asking the EMTs, Bud and Jimmy, to leave the room. It's a minor difference, but for continuity purposes within the film, it's nice to have included as it makes her reaction to Jimmy later on in the film make a little more sense, and it casts Mrs. Alves as someone who is more concerned with the well-being of her patients than her theatrical scenes suggest.
The scenes with the kid who bit the razor blade are almost completely removed from the TV version. This isn't important to the plot but it should remain in the film. It's a Halloween urban legend.
There are several more scenes that appear in the TV version, mainly dialogue, that I would include simply because it makes us care about the characters more. In the first movie, you get to know Laurie's friends a little before they are killed, which makes it all the more tragic for the viewer. In the theatrical cut of this film, we don't really get that. The hospital staff is picked off one by one and it's no big deal. With the added, though minimal, character development, we get a greater connection to these characters, especially Mrs. Alves. Bud remains pretty much the same though.
The Jimmy and Mrs. Alves dynamic continues in the TV version when she catches him sneaking into Laurie's room. She allows him two minutes. Now we know why she tells him "time's up" later on when she ushers him out of the room. It's little things like this that make the film more cohesive. In this same scene we also have Mrs. Alves and Janet discussing the whereabouts of Laurie's parents, which makes the plot of the movie seem just a bit more tidy.
The next important scene from the TV version is when the lights go out. At some point in the film, the hospital goes dark. The theatrical version skips over the scene where the lights go out and the emergency generator goes on, giving the hospital a dimmer interior for the rest of the movie. This absolutely should have been kept in the theatrical version, it's sloppy to leave it out.
Next are some alternate takes and added scenes with Loomis at the morgue and the Myers house, more dialogue back at the hospital, and some changes to the hot tub scene. These are not important and again I default to the theatrical cut.
The scene where Janet finds the body of Dr. Mixter and she herself is killed is cut from the TV version. We definitely want this to be left in, otherwise those characters simply disappear without explanation. Related to this are scenes of Jimmy walking around the hospital looking for Mrs. Alves; if placed properly, these scenes could add more suspense to the payoff of Jimmy finding her body, but they could also ruin the pacing if they aren't placed carefully.
There are some changes to the scenes with Laurie's dream and her subsequent pursuit by Michael through the hospital. I see no reason to not go with the theatrical cuts here.
The theatrical cut of Jill's death should be retained. In the TV version it's not even clear if she is actually killed. Michael is a killer, he's not going to leave someone alive who can interfere with his objective.
It's around this part of the movie where we get the biggest divergence between the two versions. All of Jimmy's searching, which should have all been placed before this point, has paid off and he finds the body of Mrs. Alves with all her blood drained onto the floor. This scene doesn't come until near the end of the TV version, but its placement is better in the theatrical cut. Jimmy slips on the blood and is rendered unconscious when his head hits the floor. Meanwhile, Laurie eventually ends up outside in the parking lot and hides in a car. Apparently this is Jimmy's car, as he gets behind the wheel in a daze and promptly goes unconscious again. The TV version cuts Jimmy entirely out of the car scene. In the theatrical cut, this is the last we see of Jimmy, he is presumed dead. More on this in a moment.
Everything else that differs between the two versions up until the final scene is better in the theatrical cut. As I just mentioned, the TV version has Jimmy's slip and fall near the end, thus having it coincide with the explosion and I simply don't get why it was placed there.
Finally, as Laurie is getting hauled off in the ambulance, the theatrical cut shows her alone, apparently the only survivor. In the TV version a figure sits up next to her, only to be revealed as Jimmy who has also survived. I like the TV ending better, it gives one last surprise to the audience, suggesting that Michael may have survived and is in there with her. It also ends the film on a lighter note, as this was supposed to be the end of the Michel Myers story, suggesting that Laurie will be able to put her life back together again.
So in summary, my ideal version would basically be the theatrical cut with the extra scenes that help the internal continuity and character development without slowing down the pacing too much, and allow Jimmy to survive. This would make a longer movie, but it would be a better movie.
Now for some words about the continuity issues between the surrounding installments in the Halloween franchise...
Between this film and its predecessor, there aren't many issues. Apart from an obviously different actor behind the mask, my only real complaint is with the slight differences in the recap of the cliffhanger scene. I like how Ben Tramer is carried over into this movie, it doesn't even really matter who he is, it's just a fun little "so much for the date with Ben Tramer" moment. In terms of continuity, this is a satisfying second part. The films in the Michael Myers saga that would follow are another matter.
It was always clear to me that, at the end of this film, Michael Myers was dead, along with Dr. Loomis. In addition to all the bullets, sharp objects and falls that Michael had taken up until this moment, he then gets both eyes shot out. If nothing else killed him before now, that should have done it. There's nothing but brain behind those eyes for the bullets to hit, but still, it just knocks out his vision. Next comes the explosion in a small room full of oxygen tanks. Both Michael and Dr. Loomis should have been unrecognizable piles of charred goo after that, but no, Michael comes staggering out, engulfed in flames. Finally he collapses and continues to burn.
That should have been the end of Michael Myers. It was supposed to be the end of Michael Myers. The next Halloween film went off in a completely different direction. The franchise was to become a horror anthology centered around the holiday. The problem was another horror franchise centered around a different day. Friday The 13th had taken off by this time, and there were three films connected to Jason Voorhees that had already been released when Halloween III had come out. The unstoppable killer was a thing, and people wanted more of it, thus we have the biggest continuity error in the series being set up at the end of Halloween II.
So how do we get a killer who has been blinded, blown up, and burned to get back up and start killing again? Well it takes time. It will be seven years before we revisit Haddonfield, Illinois. In the meantime, there's something strange going on over in California at some rubber mask factory. Does it have any connection to Michael Myers? The short answer is no, it's just a meta-sequel if anything, but there are some interesting theories. So put on your masks and gather around your screens, because next time I'll be paying Silver Shamrock a visit when I delve into Halloween III: Season Of The Witch.