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Scary Commentary: ‘Halloween II Vol I’ (Rosenthal and Rossi)

By Joey Click

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INTRO:

Welcome back, Deadites, to your weekly dose of Scary Commentary, where I relieve the horror heads weekly stress with the best bloody bits of a commentary track from a beloved film in our genre. This week, I take a look at a track from 1981’s Halloween II, featuring Director Rick Rosenthal and Actor Leo Rossi. It’s a decent track, but not great. So let’s jump in,  say trick’r’treat, and get down to it Haddonfield High schoolers .

Commentary track was originally recorded for the 2012 Scream Factory Blu Ray release of the film and can be found there, as well a part of Scream factory’s complete collection and deluxe complete collection.

PART I (00:00:00-00:30:00)

Director Rick Rosenthal and Actor Leo Rossi studied acting together(00:00:26)

Rosenthal, on the first night of shooting, came up with the opening crane shot to help piece his film and Carpenter’s original together seamlessly.(00:00:37)

It’s Time, Michael.-Dr. Sam Loomis

Doyle house used in Halloween II was the same as the one from the original. Located on Orange Dr in Hollywood.(00:01:20)

Actor Leo Rossi says he got scared when he saw Halloween II at the initial screening.(00:02:06)

Both commentators say nice things about Donald Pleasence.(00:03:34)

Opening title sequence is motion controlled.(00:04:41)

Dr. Mixter was named after a good friend of Rosenthal.(00:06:00)

A producer originally didn’t want Leo Rossi in the film because he was not from the west. Says Director and friend Rosenthal fought for him to be in the film.(00:07:29)

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Shot where Michael is in ally was again the Panaglide camera and operated by Ray Stella.(00:07:50)

When Michael goes from the ally and approaches the Elrod house, there’s an invisible cut at running time 00:08:25.

Lucille Benson, who plays Mrs. Elrod, was in Rosenthal’s AFI short film.(00:09:00)

New reporter, Robert Mundey, was played by friend of Nancy Stephens.(00:09:30)

Rosenthal liked Dick Warlock’s walk, calls it gliding.(00:10:14)

Crane shot when Laurie is wheeled from house was Rosenthal’s first day on set.(00:12:30)

If you look at the sky when Laurie is being wheeled out on a stretcher, the sun is about to come up and the sky is not black, but blue .(00:13:39)

Rosenthal says first night of shooting scared him.(00:14:13)

Mother of Gary “the razor blade” kid, played by Leigh French, is an old friend of Rosenthal.(00:14:33)

Gloria Gifford, who plays Mrs. Alves, was also in the acting class Rosenthal and Rossi were in.(00:16:28)

Rosenthal said he recently, a bit before he recorded the commentary, saw Halloween II in a theater and feels the film holds up.(00:18:52)

Rosenthal says the exterior of Haddonfield Memorial Hospital was a VA hospital and the interiors were made of two different places. The director calls the shoot tough.(00:20:24)

Guy with blue hat talking to reporter is SNL comedian Dana Carvey.(00:22:25)

Rosenthal says there were only two new crew member’s working on the film, other than himself. Everyone else is from the original. (00:24:24)

Ana Alicia, who plays Janet , was in the same acting class as the other three previously mentioned.(00:27:54)

Cliff Emmich, who plays Mr. Garret, was also in Rosenthal’s AFI student film.(00:28:11)

PART II (00:30:00-01:00:00)

Leo Rossi made up Bud’s version of Amazing Grace on the set.(00:30:28)

The coroner Graham, played by Jeffery Kramer, who went on to be a big producer.(00:40:35)

The officer, played by Hunter Vaughn Leer, hands Loomis the lighter that he would later use to blow up the hospital. I’ve never made the connection before; I feel stupid. Consider my mind blown. (00:43:15)

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Steam in the hot tub scene wasn’t steam but bee smoke.(00:49:20)

PART III (01:00:00-01:32:00)

Scene where Jimmy falls had to be done in one take due to the lack of wardrobe, and actor Lance Guest did the stunt himself.(01:06:32)

It was the idea of the location manager to have nurse Jill’s shoes fall of when Michael lifts her off ground with scalpel. This ended up being one of the greatest moments of the entire series.(01:08:58)

Care scene with deputy, one where Loomis finds out Laurie is Michael’s sister, is actually on a sound stage. Much like the first car scene in the original Halloween, it’s all man made. It’s called “poor man’s process”.(01:13:40)

The car doing a 180 degree turn after Loomis shoots the gun wasn’t in the script and something Rosenthal created while filming.(01:16:10)

If you look in the background at running time 01:18:45, you can see a tower with red lights attached. It’s actually a palm tree and Director Rosenthal had the idea to create the tower to cover it up.(01:18:43)

What is it you guys usually do? Fire a warning shot, right?- Dr. Sam Loomis

Jamie Lee Curtis dated Production Designer Michael Riva after Halloween II for a while. The two met while on the set and dated before Curtis married long-time husband Christopher Guest.(01:19:07)

Post production on Halloween II was about 12 weeks long.(01:21:20)

Donald Pleasence does the fall at the end of the film. Has elbow pads on for protection.(01:23:18)

Finale hospital fire was shot at Raleigh studios, on a set. The fire became extremely difficult to put out.(01:25:48)

Guy that helps Laurie out of the wheel chair and into the ambulance was an old hockey buddy of Rosenthal’s who only acted for a few years.(01:27:20)

OUTRO:

So that does it Deadites for the first volume of Halloween II’s Scary Commentary.. It wasn’t too interesting a commentary and it really drags. It’s obvious that the two were reaching for comments and a lot of the track feature either dead air or the pair making obvious comments. Either way, we did get a few nice bits to chew on. Hope you had as much fun reading as I did listening. Now go out, and get prepared for October, it’s upon is fright fans. And remember, I listen to the commentaries, so you don’t have too.

Join me next week as take a look at another track for 1981’s Halloween II featuring Stunt Coordinator and man behind this film’s “The Shape”, Dick Warlock. Only here, on Scary Commentary.

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