Halloween 2 is an extremely divisive film for fans of the horror genre, but what causes the sequel to generate even more debate is the existence of Rob Zombie’s considerably different director’s cut—the best version of the film.
Rob Zombie’s reboot of John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween and its sequel are acquired tastes, and were controversial given how beloved the original is, but it deserves credit for forging its own path and attempting to go in a new direction with the slasher series, even if it didn’t connect with all audiences. Zombie has since continued to make gritty horror films, but his tenure with the Halloween franchise is over.
Halloween 2 removes itself from the “baggage” of the original franchise, and goes further into fresh territory that continues to have Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Michael Myers on a murderous collision course. Halloween 2—in many ways—is a messy end to Zombie’s story, but the director’s cut that was released does the sequel a lot of favors.
Rob Zombie’s director’s cut of Halloween 2 is fourteen minutes longer than the theatrical version. Most of the edits revolve around its representation of Laurie Strode, which producers were initially worried was too off-putting. Many of the characters more aggressive and tortured scenes were cut to improve Laurie’s demeanor, but it also results in her character feeling less defined as a result. The director’s cut does a better job to assert Laurie as the film’s true protagonist. This greatly improves the film’s story, since it better illustrates Laurie’s slipping mental state. The director’s cut removes Laurie’s stability and presents a more frightening, fragile representation of a survivor and how they constantly deal with fear on a daily basis.
These edits also help Halloween 2 work as a stronger companion to how Zombie’s previous Halloween effort is a character piece on Michael. This is perhaps best represented by several more therapy scenes that take place with Laurie that not only show her shifting more in Michael’s direction, but also emphasizes the psychic bond that they share. The theatrical cut muddles this idea, and takes away this important point of view. The director’s cut also has Laurie act more negatively towards her friend, Annie (Danielle Harris), as she slowly poisons this small source of positivity in her life. These additions and re-contextualized scenes improve the film’s pacing and themes, but they’re not without their faults. The fact that Michael Myers actually speaks in the director’s cut—let alone to just say “Die!”—is regrettable.
The other major deviation between the theatrical cut and the director’s cut version is that while the ending utilize similar footage of Laurie in the hospital, the director’s cut actually features her death, alongside Michael and Loomis. This final scene is a haunting vision of her tragic life finally being able to find peace after such a painful existence. The theatrical cut, while it keeps Laurie alive, implies that her survival involves her turning into the next Michael Myers. It’s an ending that’s dark for very different reasons. Both versions have their advantages, but the director’s cut of Halloween 2 tells more of the original tragic story of Laurie Strode’s decline that fascinated Zombie about the sequel in the first place.
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