Message Dan and Mike

Forty-five years after it hit theaters on October 30, 1981, we’re digging into Halloween II for the penultimate episode of Halloween Fest. The film picks up minutes after the original ends, and we both agree it plays less like a sequel and more like the second half of one long, bloody night in Haddonfield. Dan has always had a soft spot for it and says he may even like it more than the first one.

We break down the behind-the-scenes story, including why John Carpenter didn’t direct, how he ended up writing it (and by his own account drinking his way through the script), and how he came back late to shoot additional scenes when the studio wanted more gore. We talk about first-time feature director Rick Rosenthal and why we think he doesn’t get enough credit for the POV shots, long tracking takes, and Alan Howarth’s creepy synth-and-organ layer on top of Carpenter’s score.

Then there’s Dick Warlock, Kurt Russell’s longtime stunt double, who landed the role of Michael Myers by walking into the director’s office wearing the mask. We get into his slow, deliberate walk, the legendary firewalk stunt, and his kid’s famous boombox scene. We also cover Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, the great supporting cast, the infamous steam room scene, and the Shout Factory / Scream Factory 4K collector’s edition, which includes the TV cut.

Along the way, Mike tells the story of his featured-extra role in Passenger 57, we debate a few franchise details (fact-checking each other live, as usual), and Dan shares that the Halloween II cast is headed to Spooky Empire. We close with our desert island Halloween picks.

If you enjoy the episode, subscribe, leave us a rating and review, and check out the video version on our YouTube channel.

Support the show

Oh Brother Podcast:

• Support the Show! (Be The First to Listen with Early Access)
• Listen on all podcast platforms
• Subscribe on YouTube
• Follow us on Instagram