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‘Halloween II’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

October 28, 2025 · Halloween II (1981) · Horror · 1:48:47 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Bill's top four worst ideas ever in a sequel for movies that I actually love

Ranked list · Bill Simmons · ▶ 12:55

  1. 4Rocky losing all his money to Pauly's investments in Rocky V▶ 12:55
  2. 3Godfather III making Michael's daughter fall in love with Sonny's illegitimate son▶ 14:21
  3. 2Michael Myers turning out to be Laurie's brother in Halloween II▶ 14:43
  4. 1Ganz/Kehoe becoming the Iceman in Another 48 Hrs.▶ 14:52

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 35:35The opening scene where Myers goes down, feels the blood, then the neighbor comes out and Loomis says 'This is some kind of joke or something. I've been trick or treating death today. You don't know what death is.' Then the music kicks in.
Chris Ryan▶ 35:25Agreed with Bill about the opening sequence, specifically praising the first 12 minutes and how they 'pitched up the soundtrack, the score'

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:47the apple razor blade

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:58Myers appearing behind Nurse Jill when she finds Dr. Mixter with the needle in his eye - the white mask in the background

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:44Dick Warlock as Myers - too short, too stiff, too robotic, mask doesn't fit his head properly
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:07Lori's character - Jamie Lee Curtis being incapacitated for the entire movie and in a fugue state
Van Lathan▶ 1:05:35Lori's character - agrees she's totally fridged in the entire movie

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:40Laurie Strode's parents are the worst movie parents of all time, not the Home Alone parents

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:46Jeffrey Kramer — Ben Tramer for one of the funniest 45 second cameos

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:08The Exorcist III — No apex mountain for any actors (Myers, Jamie Lee Curtis, Pleasance). Suggests maybe slasher era or hospital horror movies as categories, with Silent Rage as best of slasher era and Exorcist 3 as great hospital horror
Chris Ryan▶ 1:27:38Friday the 13th Part 2 — Friday the 13th Part 2 is better than Halloween 2, and Exorcist 3 is favorite hospital horror movie
Van Lathan▶ 1:27:17The Exorcist III — Agrees no apex mountain for slasher era (Rocky 2 would be apex for sequels directly after originals). Strongly endorses Exorcist 3 as top 3 most frightening movie he's seen

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:26Tom Hanks — Hanks for the paramedic role - tried to test drive Cruise in his head but doesn't see it

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:50Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson as the guy driving the car when Loomis says they have to turn around, or as the security guard Mr. Garrett who checks the basement. Also suggests Chris Collinsworth doing commentary on Lori and Michael's reunion
Chris Ryan▶ 1:36:33Byron Mayo as Bud in the hot tub scene, saying 'Karen, come on in. The water's warm. Don't worry. It doesn't get scalding in this physical therapy'
Van Lathan▶ 1:36:55Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson as Loomis, delivering lines like 'That motherfucker ain't human' and 'His eyes, motherfucker. There's nothing to him. I watched it for 15 fucking years'

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:16Suggests the score as a possibility but expresses uncertainty and notes there's not a lot of Oscar worthy material in the movie

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:27Asked multiple unanswerable questions: Did Sheriff Brackett get divorced? Did Ben Trammer's parents sue the city? How did Lori's conversation with her parents go? What would have been the funniest Dana Carvey use? Since when do hot teens work at hospitals? Also discussed memorabilia - the mask would be worth millions and is one of the greatest movie collectibles
Chris Ryan▶ 1:37:47Asked about the cop who killed Ben Trammer - would he face suspension or just come back to work? Also asked how would Michael Myers know how to drive, what Samhain is, or how needles work? Discussed the hospital workers being young adults, not teens
Van Lathan▶ 1:37:40Contributed to Sheriff Brackett divorce scenario roleplay and Lori's conversation with parents. Explained that people in old movies all looked older, around 27. Looked up mask value and found it listed for $1 million on michael-myers.net in 2012, disagreeing with Bill's $6 million estimate

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:23Just find your kids when there's a homicidal maniac on the loose in your neighborhood - check in, have a phone chain

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:33Halloween — Halloween one

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:57Dick Warlock — Agrees with Myers choice, praising his commitment to the character
Chris Ryan▶ 1:42:41Dick Warlock — Myers - he goes on an arc, is in the most scenes, and dominates the movie
Van Lathan▶ 1:42:39Dick Warlock — Big Mikey (Michael Myers)

Movies Referenced (42)

Rocky II (1979)

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 13:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Friday the 13th (1980)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 8:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Season of the Witch (2011)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 2:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Weapons (2025)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 32:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Prom Night (2008)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 8:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Terror Train (1980)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 8:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Exorcist III (1990)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:28:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A House of Dynamite (2025)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 34:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie's Angels (2000)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 36:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

John Carpenter

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Dark Star, Halloween▶ 15:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rick Rosenthal

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Bad Boys, Halloween II▶ 24:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeff Schu

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for I Am Legend, Green Lantern, Speed Racer▶ 1:24:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Kelly

2 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Blade Runner▶ 20:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Zombie

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for The Devil's Rejects, The Lords of Salem▶ 29:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 1:21:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (42)

Dana Carvey

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Wayne's World, Wayne's World 2▶ 42:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dick Warlock

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Firestarter, Escape from New York, Innerspace▶ 1:05:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leo Rossi

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Halloween II▶ 45:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 47:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jamie Lee

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Brave, Cold Mountain▶ 3:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Corey Feldman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, The Goonies▶ 12:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heather Thomas

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Fall Guy▶ 1:21:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Seinfeld

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bee Movie▶ 43:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Marilyn Chambers

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:07:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Caroline Bible

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Countdown, The Call of the Wild▶ 1:41:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Catherine Bach

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot▶ 34:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crazy Town

2 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Something's Gotta Give, Saving Silverman, Orange County▶ 1:04:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Debra Hill

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Halloween▶ 16:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 30:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Dean Cundey

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Jurassic Park, Apollo 13, Who Framed Roger Rabbit▶ 16:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Teresa Alvis

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Arlington Road, Crank▶ 1:14:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗