COMPETING FILM SHOWDOWN - Friday the 13th Part 2 vs Halloween II

Looking at film.  Sometimes two very similar films come out close together, let's see which one is better...

1981:  Slasher Sequel Showdown

1981 saw the release of Friday the 13th Part 2 and Halloween II sequels to Friday the 13th (1980) & Halloween (1978) respectively.  (Was respectively really needed, did anyone not get which was sequel to which).

See also a review of watching three films together:

Friday the 13th Part 2/Halloween II/A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge

Why did it happen?

Basically, the success of Friday the 13th the previous year.  .Although Halloween was left open ended, the creators had no interest in doing a sequel, but like the makers of Friday the 13th, they became convinced by the success of that film.

Round 1

TITLE

"The girl that survived that night at Camp Blood, that... Friday The 13th? She claimed she saw him." ~ Paul, Friday the 13th Part 2.

"Happy Halloween." ~ Budd, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - Friday the 13th is a slightly weaker title, the killing may take place on a Friday, but the date isn't really confirmed.  "Part 2" is a dangerous game to play as it implies a more direct sequel to the first film and may scare movie goers who didn't see the first off.
• Halloween II - "Halloween" is a slightly stronger title, with an obvious origin, and the roman numeral II is an OK addition.  Funnily enough of the two films this film probably should have had been called "Part 2"

WINNER: HALLOWEEN II.

Round 2

PLOT

"Then, he took his revenge, a revenge he continued to seek if anyone ever enters his wilderness again." ~ Paul, Friday the 13th Part 2.
"You mean from the Myers House? That little kid who killed his sister? But he's in a hospital somewhere!"  ~ Laurie, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - Jason, presumed to have died as a child in the first film get revenge on his mother's killer from that film.  Of course, she was killed because she was trying to get revenge for his death, but really didn't happen, he just hid in the forest for decades, apparently watching his mother.  Jason's story, in this film, comes from a ghost story and guess work based on it so it's not really strong.  Jason then starts killing trainee camp counsellors for reasons not completely made clear, probably random revenge.  There's also a whole section missing at the end where Ginny passes out and wakes up the next morning.
• Halloween II - Halloween II continues on directly from the cliffhanger of Halloween.  Michael is still on the loose and Laurie is sedated and taken to hospital.  Michael follows, murders ensue.  A strong concept.  The fact that our heroine spends much of the film drugged and Michael's new random kills are confided mostly to the hospital staff weakens it, though and there are additions like Laurie and Michael being related and something about a pagan ritual that are brought up but go nowhere.

TIE.

Round 3

HORROR

"I don't wanna scare anyone." ~ Paul, Friday the 13th Part 2.

"Samhain isn't evil spirits. It isn't goblins, ghosts or witches. It's the unconscious mind. We're all afraid of the dark inside ourselves." ~ Loomis, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - How much horror is there really in an 80s slasher film these days?  Actually, the scenes in Jason's shack get close, I guess.
• Halloween II - See above.  But not even a close with this one.

WINNER: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2.

Round 4

FINAL GIRL

"Please help me!" ~ Ginny, Friday the 13th Part 2.

"Why me? I mean, why me?" ~ Laurie, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 = Ginny:  A massive improvement on Alice from the first film.  Has an amazing ability to guess plot points.  May even have had sex and survived the film.
• Halloween II = Laurie: One of the best final girls ever in Halloween, mostly sleeps through this film.

WINNER: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2.

Round 5

THE KILLER

"Jason's a legend, Ginny.  A legend." ~ Paul, Friday the 13th Part 2.

"I shot him 6 times! I shot him in the heart-but... HE'S NOT HUMAN!" ~ Loomis, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - Jason:  First appearance as the killer (appeared only as a drowning child in the first film and hasn't yet picked up his trademark hockey mask.  One of the silent killers able to take a lot of damage, like Michael, but actually has an emotional element - his connection to his mother - which is used against him.
• Halloween II - Michael: Remains the stoic unkillable manifestation of evil he was in the first film.  Some attempts to give him a backstory, but as noted they aren't followed up on in this film.

WINNER:  HALLOWEEN II.

Round 6

VICTIMS

"Paul? Paul? Where's Paul?" ~ Ginny, Friday the 13th Part 2.

"If that wasn't Michael Myers burning in that car there are going to be a lot of other kids dead tonight." ~ Loomis, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - The usual gang of two-dimensional hot young partying teens.
• Halloween II - Mostly annoying hospital staff.  Still a bunch of cookie cutter stereotypes but less interesting.

WINNER: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2.

Round 7

SEQUEL

 "I told the others, they didn't believe me. You're all doomed. You're all doomed." ~ Crazy Ralph, Friday the 13th Part 2.

"He was my patient for fifteen years. He became an obsession with me, until I realized there was nothing inside him, neither conscious nor reason, that was even remotely human!" ~ Loomis, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - Starts with the final girl from the previous film having flashbacks to the first and then has her immediately killed off and then starts on a new set of kids.  If you think about it for more than a second the connection between the two films make little sense, but you probably aren't meant to think about it for more than a second. A more-of-the-same (maybe slightly better) sequel.
• Halloween II - Picks up immediately after Halloween, weaker than that film, but follows up on dangling plot elements (the sheriff's daughter is found, etc).  A direct continuation but slightly worse.

WINNER: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2.

Round 8

EFFECTS & KILLS

"This place is starting to look like a Burger King." ~ Paul,  Friday the 13th Part 2.

"Why won't he die?" ~ Laurie, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - 9 or 10 deaths (all by Jason).  A bit of blood.  Some off-screen or off camera kills, but on screen includes throat cutting and spears through bodies.  The film also includes Pamela's unconvincing decapitated head.
• Halloween II - 13 deaths (10 by Michael).  A little blood, a lot of kills off-screen and with kills with syringes.  A effectively done burnt body.

WINNER: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2..

Round 9

SEX & NUDITY

"I ought to let you hang, you pervert!" ~ Terri, Friday the 13th Part 2.

"But you love me." ~ Budd, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - Full frontal female nudity, and some underwear.  One sex scene.
• Halloween II - Topless female and male butt.

WINNER: HALLOWEEN II.

Round 10

SLASHER RULES

"OK, a few words about safety.   Axes, knives, lanterns, saws.  They can all be trouble." ~ Paul, Friday the 13th Part 2.

"Look, Jimmy, rule number one, never get involved with a patient. Nurses, that's another story." ~ Bud, Halloween II.

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - See The Film Rules: Friday the 13th Part 2.
• Halloween II - See The Film Rules: Halloween II (1981)

To sum up:

WINNER: HALLOWEEN II.

Round 11

RATINGS

"Which one do you prefer?" ~ Ted, Friday the 13th.

"You talk about him as if he's some kind of animal." ~ Deputy Hunt, Halloween II.

IMDb

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - 6.0.
• Halloween II - 6.5.

Rotten Tomatoes

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - 32% & 49%.
• Halloween II - 29% & 64%

WINNER: HALLOWEEN II.

Round 12

SHOWDOWN REVIEWS

"These kids smoke better dope than I do." ~ Paul, Friday the 13th.

"Did you see the blackboard back there in the elementary school?" ~ Loomis, Halloween II.

• Another One's Treasure - Halloween II and Friday the 13th Part 2 - Friday the 13th Part 2.

WINNER: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2.

Round 13

READER'S POLL

"You're picturing a violent sexual liaison between the two of us in a pointless attempt to shock me." ~ Judge Anderson, Dredd.

Even if you haven't seen both films, do the survey.

RESULTS SO FAR

• Friday the 13th Part 2 - 7 (6 wins, 1 tie).
• Halloween II - .6 (5 wins, 1 tie).

Even though Halloween II throws in pointless new plot ideas that go nowhere it still makes more sense than Friday the 13th Part 2, however, the hospital setting really limits the Halloween sequel and it doesn't match the original.

Upcoming Showdown

2006:  Period LA Murder Showdown - The Black Dahlia vs Hollywoodland.

~ DUG.

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