Halloween II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [SOUNDTRACK]

John Carpenter, Halloween (Related Recordings)

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: October 30, 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B00000153E
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,902 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent disc! A must for fans!, February 7, 2002

By	N. P. Stathoulopoulos "nick9155" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

For Halloween II the famous themes and cues were taken and given a grander treatment with some booming synthesizers and more instrumentation. The result might jar a few people at first, but give it a chance--this is a very rewarding, creepy horror film soundtrack.

The disc is short, and many of the themes are reused and somewhat recycled, not unlike the original soundtrack. All in all though you can listen to this disc beginning to end and get a great feeling for the film. Halloween II is a darker, more expressionistic film than the first while at the same time being more of a typical stalk-and-slash piece.

The real gem is the inclusion of Mr. Sandman by the Cordettes. I think it's the best use of this famous song in a film. Playing briefly before the prologue, the song plays in its entirety at the end of the film, extending into the credits. A cheery tune, it has forever been transformed into a somewhat sinister jingle for me after watching the film--and I love it. Definitely a nice stylistic choice by the filmmakers. The song's lyrics feature the female singers asking "Mr. Sandman" to bring them a dream--a dream man, in this case. The dream man in the film is, of course, the boogeyman in Michael Meyers. "Make him the cutest that I've ever seen" is juxtaposed with the plain, white-faced mask of the killer.

The best instrumental track here, to me, is "The Shape Stalks Again". It's the stalking music from the original film--the eerie, single-note piano bit--given a bolder treatment that is booming but still creepy. It leads into the operating room music, with its tense buildup to the climax.

Halloween II is a case where the filmmakers had more money, more time, and more resources, and they didn't squander it. Alan Howarth and Carpenter did justice to one of the most famous movie themes ever. It's not better or worse, it's different and very rewarding in its own right. This disc is a must for Halloween fans.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE SHAPE STRIKES AGAIN!, October 27, 2006

By	Boy from the 80's (PASIG CITY Philippines) - See all my reviews

With the music of the original halloween getting an improvisation here in the sequel, the soundtrack stands as the best soundtrack of all the halloween movies. from the opnening theme, to the 1-minutes stalking music, to the bonus "mr. sandman," halloween II is definitely the soundtrack to get creepy with.

As a teen, i have always wanted to acquire this soundtrack way back in vinyl form in 1981. i got this cd in 1995, and never regretted from then on that i did purchase this soundtrack, if only to immortalize the alarm-clock, heartbeat, synthesized horror i was looking for!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RE-VAMPED SLASHER SOUNDTRACK, August 20, 2000

By	David Felter (New York (Ripper)) - See all my reviews

If you liked the spare, repetitive score for the first film you may not like the sequel's sound. Director/composer John Carpenter leaves the piano behind and uses heavy synth to create a sense of doom and dread. I personally prefer this score to that of the first film because I think electronic music is often so much cooler and more interesting. The main theme is now a hard-driving techno-track that is much more fun to listen to than the original. The other tracks are more polished as well,(maybe with more $ to play with, Carpenter gave his score a face-lift). I recommended this c.d. to all Carpenter freaks, synth fans, and those who are both.