Halloween II: Director’s Cut

Rob Zombie’s Halloween remakes have proven to be divisive for deviating so drastically from John Carpenter’s brooding slasher classic. Every inch of Zombie’s films ooze with grit and grain. They’re bloody, brutal affairs that don’t leave much to the imagination with a trailer park aesthetic that is an acquired taste.

For this week’s Friday Night Film we are sharing a copy of Zombie’s difficult-to-find director-cut of Halloween II, considered to be the definitive version compared to the much messier theatrical cut. This version fleshes out Laurie Strode’s story and better illustrates her declining mental state as a consequence of the trauma she faced after narrowly escaping death at the hands of Michael a year prior.

Laurie is at breaking point, pushed to the edge by Dr. Loomis’ revelation that she’s Michael Myers’ sister. Little does she know, the unstoppable killer is back in Haddonfield and, driven by visions of their dead mother, he is determined to bring about a bloody family reunion.