The Rewatchables – ‘Halloween II’ with Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

Release Date: October 28, 2025
Podcast: The Rewatchables (The Ringer)
Guests: Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan (plus Craig Robeck as regular guest/producer)
Movie: Halloween II (1981, Dir. Rick Rosenthal; written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill)

Episode Overview

This Halloween-themed episode of The Rewatchables dives into the cult slasher sequel Halloween II. Bill Simmons is joined by Chris Ryan and Van Lathan for a rollicking, detailed, and hilarious breakdown. The hosts discuss the legacy of Michael Myers, the slasher explosion of the early ’80s, and the movie’s long shadow in pop culture. The group debates slasher villain supremacy, critiques story choices, riffs on the movie's most rewatchable and unintentionally comedic moments, and examines the nostalgia and absurdity of ’80s horror.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Do We Keep Coming Back to Michael Myers?

• Michael as the Slasher GOAT: Simmons declares, “First of all? The goat. The goat.” [03:36]
  • He argues Myers is more realistic and funnier than rivals like Freddy or Jason, has a “greater sense of purpose,” and ties himself to Haddonfield as his “spot.”
• Comparing Villain Icons:
  • Van Lathan: “Freddy has by far the most personality. These guys don’t have any. Freddy’s making jokes. If you do kung fu, Freddy will block that shit with a different discipline.” [05:00]
  • Chris: “You, you like greatness. You respect greatness.” [03:39]

2. The Allure and Structure of the Sequel

• Chris Ryan praises how Halloween II picks up on the same night as the original, maintaining “the same compressed pressure and tension” [03:00].
• Bill compares it to other slasher sequels and to Rocky II: “The idea is basically the night keeps going, and he just kills more people.” [21:20]
• Debates over the hospital setting:
  • “I would have gone a little less hospital, though. Maybe 40 minutes in the hospital.” —Simmons [22:45]
  • Van pitches an alternate sequel: Myers escapes mid-transport and goes on a rampage “one town over.” [23:12]

3. Laurie Strode’s Sibling Reveal—Best or Worst?

• Simmons calls revealing Laurie as Michael’s sister “my second least favorite thing for a sequel” and argues the franchise is better when Myers “has no purpose. Yes, he’s just a fucking serial killer.” [17:51–17:52]
• Chris and Van agree that tacking on the family connection “feels really stapled on.” [16:34]
• “In this movie, you get the feeling… they said, why are people watching this movie?” —Van [15:59]

4. Slasher Movie Logic and Satire

• The hosts delight in the absurdities of the slasher formula:
  • The randomness of Myers’ kills; “He kills women and then fat guys.” —Van [07:48]
  • “It depends...on our old friend the idiot plot, which requires that everyone in the movie behave at all times like an idiot.” —Roger Ebert, quoted by Bill [30:55]
  • Loomis as comic relief: “Loomis is basically just doing bits from his stand up comedy show.” —Simmons [42:39]

5. Best / Funniest Scenes and Kills

• The unintentional comedy in the Ben Tramer death scene gets most attention:
  • “My favorite scene, not only in this movie, but maybe it’s in the running for a fav. horror movie scenes ever. Loomis and the sheriff kill...not Michael Myers. They just see this guy from far away...and they just leave this burning kid.” —Simmons [38:16–39:56]
  • “That is the most hilarious scene. Burned, blown up, hit by car, shot...” —Van [38:37]
• Hot tub murder scene: An extensive and hilarious breakdown of the logistics, ick-factor, and gratuitous nudity: “To legitimately have sex in the physical therapy hot tub of your job, you would have to really, really want it.” —Van [45:04]
  • “It’s so unhygienic.” —Chris [45:25]

6. The Evolution of Horror & Cultural Reflections

• Halloween II’s place in slasher canon and 1981 nostalgia—urban legends (razor blades in apples!), nurse hats, and boomboxes [53:19–54:25]
• “I love Halloween because I came to Michael Myers later…I like [that he] doesn’t talk, walks, kills, completely strong…Drives, relentless.” —Van [09:38]
• Reflections on how Halloween as a holiday has changed, becoming less for kids and more adult-oriented over the decades [54:48; 103:42]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Slasher Villain Debates

• Bill: “My favorite thing about Myers is horny Myers, which we really only get in 1 and 2. I like when he’s like, I’m not just going to kill both people in this hotel. Yeah. I’m going to watch a little. I’m a little bit of a voyeur. I might even try to grab some boob here.” [04:16]

• Van: “Freddy, to me, Freddy has pizzazz and flair. And to be honest with you, he was by far the most terrifying…because you had to fall asleep.” [05:00]

On Ben Tramer’s Death

• Chris: “He gets hit by the car and like dragged 10ft into the other car. Jackknifed into a van and incinerated.” [40:10]
• Simmons: “There’s so many questions like why, where was the cop coming from? Why was there a white van there just in the middle of the road?” [39:30]

Loomis’s Mania

• Chris: “He keeps trying to, like, convince people he’s not crazy.” [43:36]
• Simmons: “Loomis is basically just doing bits from his stand up comedy show that’s not funny to everyone who will listen.” [42:39]

Horror and Nostalgia

• Chris: “The score is fantastic. The unintentional comedy. It’s great. I was thinking, since the Halloween movies have been going on for so long, are there a lot of other horror films set around Halloween, or does this franchise kind of have Halloween?” [103:15]

• Craig: “These are definitely my types of horror films. I don’t love really, really scary movies, but this is that perfect sweet spot. I like these because they just feel like the holidays.” [103:00]

’80s Inexplicability

• Bill: “Who’s just hanging out at home with the door open at 11 at night?” [37:23]
• Chris: “There was no Apple Watch sandwich at midnight and watch Night of the Living Dead.” [36:39]

On Laurie’s Role in the Sequel

• Chris: “I just think Laurie’s a zero in this movie…incapacitating Jamie Lee Curtis…having her essentially in a fugue state…It’s kind of like, use her or don’t have her.” [63:33]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro, context, and first impressions: 00:00–03:16
• Villain Rankings (Myers vs. Freddy vs. Jason/Leatherface): 03:27–08:49
• Sequels, Supernatural vs. Slasher Logic: 10:07–16:11
• Sibling twist critique and franchise mythology: 16:34–18:39
• Best sequel structure / Hospital setting debate: 21:20–24:02
• Unintentional Comedy Hall of Fame: Ben Tramer (Rewatchable Scene): 38:16–40:12
• Hospital hot tub murder deep dive: 44:10–49:51
• What Aged Best / Worst and Movie Lore: 57:06–68:59
• 1981 Nostalgia & Urban Legends: 53:01–54:48
• Categories: Best Food, Character Name, Needle Drop, Flex/live research: 62:10–74:48
• Nitpicks & Unanswerable Questions: 88:25–98:27
• Halloween’s Changing Legacy & Social Commentary: 103:33–105:49

Additional Highlights

Rewatchable Scenes & ’80s Kitsch

• Opening Sequence: “One of the best starts…opening credits with the pumpkin, Loomis on the warpath, ‘You don’t know what death is!’” [35:13]
• Hot tub scene: “One of the better horror movie murders of the ’80s…the repeated…face comes up and there’s less skin.” —Bill [49:51]
• Myers’ efficiency at the hospital: “Kills the ER doctor, four nurses in, like, 45 minutes. Just, like, really efficient. It decimates the medical industry there.” —Bill [61:13]

Cultural & Social Commentary

• How Halloween II reflects urban legends of the era (razor blades in apples), the shifting flavor of Halloween from kids to grownups, and the “idiot plot” that drives so much of slasher horror [54:25–56:13]
• Noting the near-complete absence of Black characters in the franchise until the 2000s; Van jokingly speculates Myers was “radicalized by the OJ trial” [71:11–73:36]
• The bizarre lack of parental presence for Laurie Strode: “At no point did they go to the hospital and check her out…” [74:45]

Behind-the-Scenes / Trivia

• Jamie Lee Curtis wears a wig due to shooting another film, and “the wig…especially now that the screens are nicer, you can see it.” —Bill [67:02]
• Halloween II’s iconic mask was the same as the first’s, but turned yellow “because Deborah Hill was a heavy smoker and kept it under her bed.” [68:53]

Episode Tone & Style

Breezy, fast-talking, irreverent, and at times self-mocking, the hosts celebrate both the unintentional comedy and enduring power of Halloween II. They alternate deep genre analysis with nostalgic asides, pop culture riffs, and genuine admiration for the fun and creativity of slasher horror.

Conclusion: Who Won the Movie?

• Biggest winners: Michael Myers (“Big Mikey Mike, right.” —Van [102:05])
• Runner-up: Loomis (for “commitment to the bit”; his descent into madness carries the film’s energy)
• The hosts agree: Halloween II is no masterpiece, but its blend of tension, absurdity, and nostalgia makes it “the perfect sweet spot” for Halloween viewing [103:00].

Final Takeaway

Halloween II represents both the high and low of ’80s horror: more kills, more laughs, and a surprisingly sharp lens on the anxieties and pleasures of American suburbia. Simmons, Ryan, and Lathan chart it all with a blend of affection, irreverence, and pop-culture savvy—making this a can’t-miss episode for slasher fans and movie obsessives alike.