Rob Zombie's 2007 Halloween reimagining did little to impress critics, who seemed disappointed that the director had chosen to abandon the steady-handed terror orchestrated by John Carpenter in favor of a messier take that sought to shed some light on Michael Myers's childhood and psychological motivations. Still, some got it -- the Village Voice's Nathan Lee called it "a biopic, and a superb one at that... Zombie's portrait is every bit as reverent, scrupulous, and deeply felt as any Oscar grubbing horrorshow." Despite expressing reluctance to return to the material, Zombie's sequel arrives in theaters next week.
By some twist of fate, a second, unused trailer has "leaked" to the web just in time for Halloween II's release. And while the first was effective enough, this new one, dare we say, is kind of a treat. From Brad Dourif's Sheriff Brackitt getting the dreaded "the 9-1-1 call came from your own home" news to Malcolm McDowell's Dr. Samuel Loomis spelling the word "dead," to Margot Kidder as Laurie's post-traumatic stress counselor, to a terrifying extended sequence set to the Moody Blues's "Nights in White Satin," it's becoming abundantly clear that this is not your garden-variety Halloween retread. And that's not all! You get glass coffins! Family secrets! New Romantic outfits!
Verdict: Glad we don't have to wait until Halloween.