Halloween II (also known as Halloween II: The Horror Continues) is a 1981 slasher horror film directed by Rick Rosenthal, and written and produced by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is the second installment in the Halloween series and is a direct sequel to Carpenter's Halloween, immediately picking up where it had left off. Set on the same night of October 31, 1978 as the seemingly immortal Michael Myers continues to follow Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to a nearby hospital while Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is still in pursuit of his patient.
Stylistically, Halloween II reproduces certain key elements that made the original Halloween a success, such as first-person camera perspectives and unexceptional settings, and the film picks up right at the end of the cliff-hanger ending of the original movie. The sequel was a box office success, grossing over $25.5 million in the United States. In terms of the response from film critics, the film has received mixed reviews both during its initial run in theatres and since. Several commentators criticized the film's generally uneven pace, certain plot holes and muted character performances, while praise was received to the film's genuinely scary moments that captured the spirit of the film.
Originally, Halloween II was intended to be the last chapter of the Halloween series to revolve around Michael Myers and the town of Haddonfield, but after the lackluster reaction to Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), the Michael Myers character was brought back six years later in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988).