Halloween II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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Music reviews of Halloween II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Music Review: Excellent disc! A must for fans!
Rating: 5 Stars

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.

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