He’s dead. You saw it. I saw a man in a mask. It was him. I want to believe you, but I have to be sure. I can’t stop until I’m certain that he’s dead.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
As I mentioned in my Leprechaun post, back in 2017, as that year had a Friday the 13th in October I had an idea to review the sequels to different slasher films in on the Fridays, with of course Friday the 13th Part II, being reviewed on the actual Friday the 13th. Unfortunately, I never finished that Horrorfest or the films I had planned to review as I had some technological difficulties with my computer and the app wasn’t fully developed.
Instead I planned to review the two remaining films later, in hopes of trying to do it again the next time there was a Friday the 13th in October, 2023. In 2017, 2023 felt like it was forever away, but of course now it is next year. As Halloween II is the last of the slasher films I need to review before next year, I thought why not end on it? I especially feel it is full circle as my first year of blogging I ended onHalloween and now my 10th year of blogging I’m reviewing Halloween II.
Oh well…
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this film, all I remember is the “twist revelation”.
The film starts off with the end of Halloween. We see the last 10 minutes of the previous film when Michael Myers takes off and Laurie and Dr. Loomis are together. The best part of this opening is the music, John Carpenter really knew how to make something that sounded creepy!
Laurie gets sent to the hospital to be looked after her fight while Dr. Loomis is crazily searching for Michael Myers. He of course is busy killing, as several people hadn’t heard the news yet and haven’t taken any extra precautions.
At one point Dr. Loomis sees a man dressed up similar to Michael Myers, although from our viewpoint it is most definitely not him as the guy is smaller and the face mask not quite the same. He ends up getting chased by the Dr and Sheriff’s deputy, but while chase hit by another car and catches on fire. It happens so quickly I’m not sure why that happened.
So does that mean that the outfit he wears is an actual Halloween costume that can be easily purchased like in Scream? I thought it was one that Myers made himself?
One of the EMTs recognizes Laurie and gives her extra attention in the hospital. I know we should trust the EMTs but I’ve seen so many horror movies I don’t trust people, and I’m suspicious.
The police think that the case is over and that Michael has been killed, but Dr. Loomis is not so sure. He keeps saying he shot him six times and it did nothing. I know in the previous film he was supposed to bet he embodiment of the “boogeyman”, but in this he is actually of this Earth as we found in the end twist; so does that mean he sold his soul to the devil ? Or is he the Antichrist? Why does death not affect him?
Hmmm…
This film the pacing is a little slow. In the previous film they build up the characters so we knew them and there was an emotional reaction when they were murdered. With this film we have a double barreled cat and mouse, Michael hunting and being hunted, but it die strong the same. I think because none of these characters do we really know enough to care about except Laurie.
Laurie is recuperating in the hospital when one of the nurses has a side remark that they are having trouble with the phone, oh no! It’s Michael!!!! He must be at the hospital.
The security guard goes to check it out and of course is killed. It isn’t really as surprising or as suspenseful as it was in the previous film. When the security guard is talking to the nurse in the radio while investigating, behind her in the window it looks like Michael Myers is waiting and watching. At first I thought it was him, but I think it was just a trick of the light. It would have been creepier if he was watching her.
I think that’s the issue. Michael is just running around while in the previous film he was watching and looking and that added to the tenseness and creepiness of the film. No one enjoys being stalked. In this we haven’t really seen him.
The police are busy as already tonight is Halloween and they have to worry about drunks, mischief makers, and the like; now they are searching for a serial killer, trying to talk down riots, and having to work with after tragedy hysteria.
The cops are pretty certain the man killed by car and fire was Michael Myers, even though Dr. Loomis insists it is not him. The deputy starts taking Loomis a little more seriously when some boys are searching for their friend who never made jr friend, a friend who is similar to the dead body found.
Hmm…
Meanwhile, Laurie is sleeping when some repressed memories resurface. She is adopted and her adopted mother wouldn’t tell her anything about her real parents.
Meanwhile a nurse and the gross EMT (not the one into Laurie but the one who talks bad about women) decide to sneak off to the therapy room to have sex. Michael sneaks in and ups the temperature. When the gross EMT goes to check it, Michael kills him. I actually like how they did this scene as we can hardly see it through the glass doors and there is no sound other than the thermal pools. He kills the girl too.
It turns out that Michael broke into the school and left a message. He’s after his sister, planning to kill her. But who is his sister? Did he kill her already or is he planning on killing her?
The EMT into Laurie goes to check on her and finds her in a cationic state. He calls a nurse and after she checks her she goes searching for the Dr. But it’s too late, he’s already dead! And the nurse is next. Nurse…did they ever say her name?
I mean I knelt that we don’t have a lot of time to introduce the characters as so much is happening in one night, Halloween, it would be nice if their was as I don’t know who and if these people are and by not knowing them their deaths little affect me.
Michael goes after Laurie, but when he tries to kill end her he find the bed full of pillows. It turns out that Laurie must of had a premonition or something as she escaped her room just in time.
Hospital staff can’t find her, but we the viewer know she is alive and hiding. The EMT and a nurse talk about what to do next and when their separate we see they were staining in front of a doctor’s screen, one where Michael was hiding behind. Michael kills the EMT before he can leave the hospital.
The nurse tries to leave but the car is dead. She plans to take Karen’s car but it has a flat tire. With nothing else to do, she goes back to the hospital where she finds Laurie, but is murdered.
Now it is Laurie versus Michael Round 2: New Location. Laurie tried to get away, squeezing through a window, up an elevator, and out the hospital. But is it enough?
Dr. Loomis has been recalled as they don’t want to get involved with the legalities. On the way out of town the person entrusted to ensure Loomis leaves let slip there was a secret file on Myers and it turns out Laurie is his sister! Loomis uses his gun to force them to go to the hospital to try and save Laurie.
Back with Laurie, Jimmy the EMT is alive? I thought he was killed? He tries to start the car. It can’t and dies? Passes out? I’m not sure which but he lands on the horn and gives away their position. Laurie gets out of the car but her adrenaline is going and she is weak and tired from the night. She see Dr. Loomis arrive and calls out to him, but he doesn’t see her. Instead she tries to get back into the hospital as Michael is after her again.
Dr. Loomis shoots again and seems to knock him out, but he’s not dead. Do you think he sacrificed his sister and parents’ lives in order to be immortal or unlikable? And that’s why he needs to kill Laurie?
Hmmm…
Before when he was just an entity of evil I could see him being unlikable as evil never dies, but as a person with a family how come he can’t be killed?
Michael takes out the marshal and once again hunts Loomis and Laurie. Michael stand Loomis and tries to get Laurie but she shoots him in the face and this wounds him. Maybe tang is why he wants her dead, maybe his deal won’t he devil was that only those who share his blood can defeat him, home wanting to remove all those people?
Blinded by blood, Dr. Loomis uses this to gain some time by opening up ether and other aerosols. He tells Laurie to leave and then blows everything up. But Michael isn’t dead, you can’t really kill him…
He’s out there somewhere…
So that end another Horrorfest!!! I hope you all enjoyed it!
I hope you all have a fantastic and safe Halloween!
When Psych 3 came out my friend and I were super excited! As it had become our tradition to watch together we loaded up on the treats and set out to view it.
I can’t wait.
We start off with Carlton (yay Timothy Omundson is back!) cyrano de Bergerac-ing the solving of his case with Gus and Shawn. It seems that even though he’s back to work he’s very insecure in his abilities.
It’s so cute seeing them all be buds together, although Carlton would rather not be so emotional. It’s a great throwback to the show.
Along with callbacks to the TV show
They drop Carlton off at home and we see his adorable daughter, so cute! Shawn goes to visit his dad who has a great new big house (remember Carlton bought the previous one). They start talking and Henry reveals that Carlton has plateaued in his recovery and may not get better. Shawn also wants his father’s advice as he and Gus have been drifting apart. Shawn doesn’t like this and wants them to be same level of besties as before.
Gus is going overboard in planning his wedding and baby’s birth. The reason Gus is going so crazy is that Selene is still married and has refused to have Gus help her find her husband so they can get the papers signed. Gus is tweaking out as the clock is ticking and he doesn’t want his his baby born out of wedlock.
Shawn is getting suspicious about Selene and starts planning something! I’m on Shawn’s side as this is extremely suspicious. Why wouldn’t she want to divorce her husband? I mean in CA it’s really easy, she doesn’t need her husband to sign papers, if she has no clue where to find him she just has to post a notice in the paper of where she thinks he could be, and that’s it. Even if he didn’t want to her to divorce him he can’t stop it, and if she worried for her safety her fiancé and his partner work with the police, and her two best friends (Juliet and Chief Vick) are cops. The only conclusions I can draw is she does not want to be divorced, she committed some crime that she does not want her real identity revealed, or her husband has nothing to do with it she just doesn’t want her real identity to be discovered. In all those scenarios it’s Selene that is the issue.
Hmm…
Meanwhile Juliet is having second thoughts about no kids. Hmm…maybe film 4 will have baby Starfish Spencer?
Chief Vick is hoping to take her first vacation in years, but I don’t think that will happen. Chief Vick also wants fo help find Selene’s husband and leaves her office unattended with Shawn so she could go ahead and run the background check. Shawn looks up Selene and finds nothing.
But in the first film she have Gus a resume and references. Hmm…
Hmm…
Shawn knows something is up and that does not surprise me at all as I already thought she was off and after all, almost all the women Gus has either dated, been involved with, tried to date, or were into him; have also been crazy. Let’s run through the list. There was:
Shawn acts a little weird at dinner as he is trying to get info out of Selene, deciding to steal her purse and discovers her wallet has an imprint from a previous ID.
Gus find him and they have an all out brawl. At first this surprised me, but the amount of stress that Gus is under, it makes sense and it also reminds me when they fought while Uncle Burton was in town. they eventually hug it out and decide to go speak to Selene’s sister to try and get more info on Selene and prove that Selene is real.
While they make those plans, Gus tries to get Kurt Smith to play his wedding. It is funny how much these two adore him, and how he has become a part. From Psy Vs Psy to 100 Cluesto now Psych 3.
They go to Whitney‘s house, Selene’s sister, but she takes off when they try to question her. You’ve guessed it, she is not really Selene’s sister. Selene lied and paid her to pretend to be related to her.
Whitney is an actress and has done this many times before. She warns them that Selene told her that if anyone found out about their arrangement it would be very bad. They are able to get the skinny on where the two women met, Santa Monica, and set off.
Gus and Shawn head to Selene’s old apartment and question the general manager who remembers them and is not happy about Selene and her husband taking off in the middle of the night. That’s all she says and Shawn gets an idea of pretending to be prospective tenants, not the first time they have done so. They split up and head off to Spirit and Halloween City.
Let’s put on a disguise!
The two show up and all I can think of is the episode when they went undercover in 70s threads. Gus dresses up as a ventriloquist Willy Tyler, while Shawn looks like Rob Zombie. It’s hilarious because he totally does. If they ever wanted to make a movie about Zombie, they have the perfect actor. Shawn uses the apartment managers assistant’s mistake of thinking him Rob Zombie to mess up the apartment ceiling and get a box left by the former couple, hoping it’s Selenes.
Bryn actually remembers the couple and says they were very cute and very attractive. Gus tries to open up the locked box and Bryn tells them that the last night they were there they got into a fight and were never seen again. Gus gets the case open and they find a ton of fake IDs and a gun with filed off serial numbers.
That’s not good.
Henry looks at the IDs and tells them they are really good ones. Whoever is involved in this is in it deep…he then realizes that it is Selene.
Henry tells them that one of the IDs is not a fake. They follow the address on the real ID and end up in an abandoned town in the middle of nowhere. They get into the house and are looking through it when they run into Selene’s husband. They see his “murder wall” and that he has been stalking Ronald “the Bull” Cole who is a an arms dealer.
Selene is upset that Gus missed a wedding appointment and has also discovered that someone (suspecting Gus and Shawn) went through her purse. She recruits Juliet and Chief Vick to help her.
Selene’s husband Alan Decker was an investigator at a security firm and Selene was an insurance investigator. They met when they were on a case and fell for each other, marrying when Decker’s cousin came to town. They witnessed a gun fight and tried to tell the police but they weren’t interested as the person who committed the crime, Roger “the bull” Cole. They kept running but his goons were always after them. Decker tells the guys he left to save her, but Selene tells the women that Alan dumped her on a post card and she never saw him again. Since then Decker has been staying in the abandoned town to “try and finish the job” while Selene gave up and created a new life.
I also wonder did they even file the wedding certificate? If they were always secret and on the run it sounds like they didn’t and if they didn’t then they aren’t legally married.
Hmmm…
Decker makes Gus and Shawn a deal, they help him out and then he will divorce her. Decker has a plan, but Shawna be Gus have a “better” one that sounds like an amalgamation of some of their favorite films, but turns out to be the Take On Me music video. Remember when they sang that song to Tim Curry? Decker’s plan is for the guys to trip the power and Decker to go for the safe room.
Carlton is at home chilling when Henry comes back over to hang out and help Carlton out. He brings him the gun with the files off serial numbers to look over. The two have a sweet heart to heart and I hope that means Omundson will be in the next film as they supposedly have two more planned.
The girls are on the case and they head to the apartments to try and track the boys. When they get a call from Henry they are back on track and know exactly where to find them.
Time to get on the case!
Meanwhile Shawn and Gus have infiltrated the microbrewery/gunrunner faciltiy. Things start off well but then when they cut all the power and the security cameras stop. This causes the team to go out searching the facility.
Not long after they hear gunshots and Gus suggests their superhero personas from a few seasons back. The two find a dead body, a random dude who turns out to be “The Bull”. Gee I wonder who killed them? Who do you think? It’s Decker!!! Decker did it! Who else would have killed him?
Decker did make it to the safe room and got his “stuff”, “information”, “proof”? I was never quite sure what he was after. Decker admits he did kill the Bull and that he was never married to Selene but lied to keep her with him. Decker plan to cover up the murder by killing the guys and making it look like the Bull killed one of them, and that the other killed the Bull. Yeah that’s not going to work these guys are involved with the SFPD and the SBPD there are going to be a lot more questions and a big investigation. Decker is insane.
Selene finds out that Decker killed the Bull and it doesn’t even phase her, as he “was a monster”. Like she’s not concerned at all that Decker murdered a man and was planning on murdering two more.
Yeah Selene is weird. I don’t think Gus should marry her.
To save them, Gus throws his gender reveal box at Decker, and they end up knocking him out. Turns out they are having a boy! And of course because this is a movie Selene’s water breaks.
They try to find a way out and end up lost and stop in the safe room, but unfortunately the door shuts and they are locked in. They want to make sure they are married before the baby is born and video call Father Wesley to ordinate the ceremony while Curt Smith plays.
Only in a TV show episode would the baby come so soon and of course Shawn delivers it.
Shawn asks if they have Decker in custody but they don’t, they only found the dead body of “the Bull”. This was kind of a weird ending; we had no interaction with the “villain” (I’m still counting Selene as one), we have no real closure with Decker as why he decided to murder the Bull, what else was he lying about, etc. And Decker is just gone in the wind? I’m not happy! There better be a Psych 4!
We then see Curt Smith in the new “Wom” [Wham] band (something briefly mentioned earlier) and they make a music video with everyone that is basically aripoff of Last Christmas, or as much as they can do and not get sued for copyright infringement. It’s hilarious but that’s it that’s the end? What about Decker?
After the credits we get another end scene and it’s Decker printing film photos of Gus, Selene, and their baby. Creepy! This better mean there is a Psych 4 being planned! Come on peacock, Steve Franks, and James Roday Rodriguez.
When my friend and I saw the commercials for Psych 2 we were super excited as they were not only going back to Santa Barbara, but Timothy Omondson was well enough to be in it! We had to wait a while until we were both free; but when we were finally able to get together we we got our Quatro Quesos Dos Fritos and we were ready to watch!
This is going to get good…
We start off with a flashback of Carlton and his dad (Joel McHale). When watching the show, Carlton doesn’t talk about his dad to much just the one scene in This Episode Sucks when he is drunk and heartbroken over Marlowe being the blood bank thief.
We then are back in the present, as Chief Lassiter has been shot, by who we don’t know and Carlton can’t remember who, why, or what lead him to the factory in the first place.
From The Twilight Zone
Carlton is currently recuperating in a hospital when he is visited by Shane and Gus bringing him Morrisey the dog (the one they found in the abandoned asylum in Psych the Movie)
One of the things I loved about this show was how Carlton, Shawn, and Gus went from acquaintances, to colleagues, to friends. I was so happy to hear that Timothy Omundson was well enough to be in this as coming back from a stroke is extremely difficult and a Carlton was always my favorite character.
Their reunion is interrupted by Carlton’s nurse who is played by the same actress who was Stella in How I Met Your Mother and the crazy girl in that Lifetime sorority film with Mark-Paul Goessler…what was it? Hmm…I know, Dying to Belong
She’s totally bad, I have said it before and will say it again, you never trust the doctors/nurses they are always bad in horror/mystery films. (Unless they are Michael Rennie)
I don’t trust her.
They reveal that Carlton called them saying he has seen and heard weird things at the recovery hospital, but the nurse told them that Carlton was not only shot, injured, and suffered from a massive stroke, but he is also on several medications. They start thinking it is most likely all in his head, but all I can think is nope, this is Carlton. Remember the last time you thought it was just in his head and it turned out a nurse was drugging him?Hmm, hmm!!!
From The Great Gatsby
Shawn and Gus try to decline the case as no body no crime (throwback to Murder?…Anyone?…Anyone?…Bueller?), whenthe dog returns from running in the woods and has a severed hand. Now that we have a dead body part, we have a crime.
Shawn and Gus send the bone to Woody in San Francisco and make a big deal about shipping it, but they did that several times in Bones so I’m not sure why Gus is freaking out.
They head back to their office and I’m like Yes, we are finally home! This is what the fans want!!
Although now their office is being rented by a pop up cat restaurant. I would I love to go to something like that, but the FDA doesn’t allow it in that fashion. They are looking for some items they hid there and when they go to the landlord it turns out to be Shawn’s dad?! When Shawn left Henry ended up having to take over the rental payments and has been subletting it. Oh Henry!
Back at the hospital Juliet goes to see Carlton and thinks they have picked up the guy who shot him but Carlton is unsure. He doesn’t remember anything that happened other than a figure. Juliet wants to help but Carlton warns her to not lose her job over it. Oh Carlton!
Shawn and Gusbhave have gone back to the hospital with Morrissey to look for the rest of the body. Morrissey takes off and the two try to follow him. Woody calls the boys back and lets them know that they were able to get a print off the finger and discovered it was an up and coming tech CEO who committed suicide last week off a bridge; the body was never found. Yep it’s looking like he faked his death or someone did…just like Paula.
Juliet had left the hospital and goes to the crime scene to like around and see if there is anything that they missed originally. While scouting around, she finds a homeless girl who has the missing bullet they have been looking for in her leg. She takes her down to the hospital in order to get it, and help her.
That night Carlton is having a bit of an existential crisis when he spots a wounded person going from the woods into the stables. He also a sees his dad and we are uncertain whether it is real or not. Again I bring up the fact that the same thing happened in Here’s Lassie? And it turned out that the nurse was drugging him. Hmm, hmm.!!
Figure it out boys!
Back in San Francisco, Selene is freaking out that she hasn’t seen Gus in forever. Selene is completely in the right as Gus is really being a terrible boyfriend. You think after how long he tried to find a girl he would try harder to keep her.
Back at the clinic the duo is investigating and find flavored ice chips in a freezer in the stables; along with medical equipment. That seems super sus. Why would they store all that in the stables?
They get caught by the doctor, and end up revealing a lot of information, hmm could it be that they were drugged by ice chips?
Back in the bay, Chief Vick discovers Juliet has been investigating Carlton’s case. Vick warns her not to lie and to use her own time. Juliet heads back to Santa Barbara and is joined by Selene, although she doesn’t really want to bring her along.
The boys are investigating the tech CEO and aren’t sure why be would commit suicide as his life seems great: he has money, power, is the boss. Shawn looks through all the bank statements and finds something a little odd, a Viking ice bar off his usual tread. Hmmm.
Shawn and Gus head to the ice bar but surprisingly he doesn’t pretend to be Swedish like he has before. They speak to the bartender/owner and discover that the CEO had a lot of debts and was acting crazy saying “his secrets would be out soon”. Hmm…
Shawn then notices a “bearded Daryl Hannah” who turns out to be the owner’s son and also has a knife. Gus hits the bathroom before they leave and then his virus ridden phone causes him to accidentally take a pic of “Daryl Hannah’s” junk and post it. Understandably, he’s furious and follows Gus intent on doing him harm. Gus and Shawn steal a motorcycle and crash through a barn, discovering their “dead” CEO missing an arm isn’t dead. discover Kyle who isn’t dead but hiding out. But before we could get any real info from him, he’s shot and dead.
The police come and the two give Buzz the skinny hoping to leave before Juliet and Selene see them (and through all the lies they told.) As Gus and Shawn try to leave they accidentally knock over their ladies’ bags and find a pregnancy test. Oh no, baby Starfish Spencer will cease being a fun undercover job to reality.
Selene steals Juliet’s car and Juliet takes Buzz’s.
The guys head back to the hospital and Carlton shares some things he has seen, one of which is that he sees a mental patient who supposedly has no feeling in his legs running around at night. They try to patient to admit that it’s fake, but nothing they do works. This whole scene makes me think of the episode when they are trying to prove the guy is not insane, and an evil nurse is one of the players involved. (I’m sensing a theme here!)
However, they are caught by the doctor and banned from facility (just like security tried to do in The Old and the Restless. They decide to send their own person in undercover, Woody.
That’s not good. Woody always messes things up.
Meanwhile Chief Vick is at an interview and gets some interesting evidence back from the lab and ditches the whole thing as she needs to solve the case and help Carlton.
Back in Santa Barbara, the guys sneak onto the hospital grounds and hang out in the stables. Woody meets them and shares his intel (which isn’t much). He drops a pill and when Shawn goes under the cabinet to look for it, he finds a bundle of bloody clothes and realizes that someone patched someone up. Maybe criminals as those are the ones who would go to a secret doctor.
They think Dr. Herschel may be the one behind it all and bring in Nurse Delores (Stella from How I Met Your Mother) to help them. Shawn is freaking out about the possibility of being a dad and tries to question Carlton. His dad shows up as he knows something is up with Shawn and gets the deets from Gus. After finding out about baby Starfish he leaves Gus to sneaking around the hospital while Henry gives Shawn a pep talk. Shawn tells his dad he’s nothing like him, and Henry says that he agrees and thinks Shawn will be a better father.
Shawn looks at Carlton’s list and sees the previous indention from an earlier note. The boys stay while Henry goes to investigate about the “silent partner” Carlton wrote about.
Everyone falls asleep and Shawn wakes up to see another Mary vision, this time Mary is a baby. These visions/dream are really weird and I’m not sure why they keep adding them in. I like Mary and appreciate them bringing him back, but it’s weird that he comes in this ways. Shawn sings Baby Mary to sleep and Gus wakes up and sees it too and realize both have been drugged but with what? (Ice Chips!)
Gus and Shawn then see Wilkerson running around and they chase after him. Carton was right, he was faking! Willkerson was involved with the dead tech CEO Devin, (he was the silent partner), and they were cooking the books. He had a stroke and ended up in the care facility. He spilled everything to the doctor and then someone tried to blackmail Devin. Devin reached out to Carlton and Carlton was shot. They need to figure out who the outside person is.
Hmmm…
Herschel is gone but Woody has discovered new evidence, clothes form the Ice Bar. They head to the Ice Bar and find Juliet and Chief Vick waiting for them. The ladies had discovered the gun is traced to the bar owner, Over, who used to own a major crime syndicate and is starting a second life at the the bar.
They figure out that he was a stroke victim and was at the Herschel house. They think he is the killer but when they find his dead body in the freezer, they know it has to be someone else. But, who?
As they skulk around they find Over’s son, his son who was furious that his father gave up the family business and that Herschel tried to blackmail them. The son actually joined in on the schemes and when Carton got too close and they took him out. When he survived they put him in the Herschel house to find out what he knew.
Then Selene comes into the room.
She should not have done that.
Over’s son is going to shoot Jules but Shawn freaks out and steps in the line of fire and so does Gus to protect baby Starfish. But it turns out Selene is the pregnant one. Gus faints, Selene uses her pregnancy test to shove it into the killer’s eye, and they arrest him.
Back at the house it turns out the nurse is the one behind it all. Told you, I knew it! She drugs Carlton but he has a vision of his father who encourages him to keep going.
Carlton ends up stopping the nurse by using one of his three hidden guns, using it to shoot his IV and stopping the poison and arresting the nurse. I love that line about the one of three guns, such a great callback to one of the best episodes.
Selene and Gus get engaged and all are happy and cheering. They head back to Herschel House and spring Woody from his undercover work. Carlton is finally able to go home and is reunited with Marlowe. He shares he barred her from the recovery place as he didn’t want to be seen that way. I’m glad they added that in, as for two who were such in love it was odd not seeing her earlier. Carlton walks to her and they do their romantic hand touch they used to do from back when she was in prison and all us fans cheered to see that Timothy Omundosn was walking on his own. So romantic and happy!
Such a great ending. I enjoyed this one much more than the first one.
Psych I was such a fan of this TV show and so sad when they ended it.
I remember the first time I ever saw the previews for this film and was super excited, my friend and I our anticipation was sky high. And I decided that this year I would review the three films of the Psych film series. They plan to write two more movies, but after the third one I’m not so sure they will be continuing them. But fingers crossed they do.
Let’s start the review
So this is a “holiday movie”, but not one as James Roday Rodriguez likes and wanted to make it like Gremlins, in more ways than one. Initially the plot was going to be different, but then Timothy Omundson had a stroke. While he was recuperating the team rewrote the script and had to create a slightly different film.
I’m really glad they care about the fans and decided to make this.
So in the last episode of Psych, they moved from Santa Barbara to Sam Francisco and it was weird to see it in this other location. I personally did not care for it.
We start the first film with Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) disguised as Soupcan Sam, I love that he gets a callback.
Shawn meets with the premier fence on the west coast El Proveedor, as he is searching for his grandmother’s ring; stolen in the season finale.
Why steal my ring it took my forever to find?
In classic Shawn fashion he waits until the prey is distracted and then takes off running, using his fake beard to zip line across the water. And then running down the street with chaos ensuing. Shawn runs into an office building and we see that guy from the morning show, Monty, working there. And we all know why Shawn went to that office, the it just has to be Gus‘ office: Badump there he is.
Gus is the best of friends and gets rid of the gang members, and we get that classic intro.
Juliet’s partner at the SFPD is the brother from Sleepover, Sam Huntington. Whenever I see him in law enforcement I always feel it is a continuation of his character in Sleepover. He and Juliet are working on a teenagers turned thieves ring case and grab one of the thieves who turns out to be Chief Vick’s daughter, Iris. Will we get to see her husband? All those seasons and we still don’t know what he looks like.
Juliet is a pushover and let’s here go free, but of course she’ll be sure to pop up in the film later.
Meanwhile Juliet’s partner, Sammy, is back at his home and discovers that a “Billy” a guy going by “The Duke” (Zachary Levi) has been waiting for him. Sammy gets the jump on the Duke, but it turns out he came with backup. I can’t remember their nicknames. But Gus and Shawn come up with some good ones for the minions.
Juliet goes to talk the chief and instead of letting her know the danger her daughter is in with this thievery ring, Juliet folds and withholds it from Chief Vick. Seriously Juliet, her mom should definitely know.
Chief Vick talks to Juliet about her relationship and all I can think what I always think, I wish Maggie Lawson and James Roday Rodeiguez stayed together. They were so cute.
In Chinatown we find Shawn’s Gremlins inspired shop. It’s cute, but it also looks too much like a set than a real office. It’s okay but I miss their old office.
One thing I feel this film really missed out on was a cameo ofTony Shalhoub as Monk from Monk. I think it would have been super cute like those all commercials they had when they first aired Psych. Especially as they had a mention of it in the series finale episode.
Shawn and Gus try to get on the case when they head to the hospital to see Sammy as he is in the ICU, but Vick seems angry to see him. I wonder what happens to make her anti-psychic?
Hmm…
As they leave the hospital the two run into Nick Conforth (Ralph Macchio). Nick tells them that Sam called him yesterday and said that no one he knew could be trusted, that he was looking into “The Crimes of Juliet”, he also knows where Sam was planning to investigate next.
They head toward the signal was but it looks like just a wooded area. Instead they discover that there is an asylum out there. But when they reach it, it turns out to be a condemned building. Eee! Another condemned asylum?!
They go into the asylum and find a bank of monitors that are getting into the SFPD. They call Chief Vick but when she gets there, everything is gone and they see Juliet there. Juliet gets angry and kicks them off the case and the two head to a planetarium party instead. There Gus meets a girl, of course. He’s not quite into the girl as she goes after him.
Back at the asylum Juliet had a lot of secrets and she’s not spilling them. It seems odd as she is always the straight arrow.
As they are getting the coroners report, Selene has tracked Gus down and wants to be with him. Man this girl is weird and I don’t care for the character but whatever. Selene researched Gus and did a deep dive and found out info from back when he was a child. She’s crazy, but we all know what Gus is into:
Back at the coroner’s office they so over Sam’s dongle in his stomach. They just take it out and plug it in and it works without even needing a serious cleaning to try and get it to work after it has been in blood and stomach acid and the like. Like they don’t even pause to wipe, just pop it in.
Shawn is freaking out over this Crimes of Juliet, but that has to go to the back burner as they head to the San Francisco office they get jumped by El Proveedo. Shawn gives him a psychic reading and does all the silly psychic hand movements and the rest that we have all missed seeing.
After successfully getting out of that situation. The boys head home where Juliet is trying to figure out who is after her. She asks Shawn for help and admits that she didn’t follow the law in order to put certain people away. It’s interesting as she was so law and order in the series; and honesty was the most important thing to her. With such a huge stray from her character I wish we had background as to why.
Shawn doesn’t care as his psychic ability is a lie and searches the board figuring out the one behind it is the snitch, Billy. They look across the window and see Billy staring back. Originally Zachary Levi was supposed to play Z in Psych the Musical but there was a scheduling issue, so when they were making this film they reached out to Levi again and he was very interested.
Zachary Levi
We have a shoot out with Billy AKA the Thin White Duke, but he has an exit plan and associates, The Gentleman Dandy and Heather Rocklear.
The most interesting thing that was brought up in the conversation is that he isn’t in charge, someone else is. Who? My friends and I were trying to figure out which person from their past. I wa s thinking maybe someone from season one? Like the girl who murdered to get her grandma’s ring. Or maybe Shannon Woodward’s character from Scary Sherry Bianca’s Toast.
Henry decides to come to SF for Christmas and is a hipster. I think it was a random decision and he looks so weird.
That night Mary shows up in Shawn’s vision which is off as he usually only saw him when he was on the YinYang case, but both of them are dead. Is that a clue?
Hmmm…
They start singing Allison Road and then he sees Juliet as Princess Leia and Gus as Prince. Wait Allison, wasn’t that the name of the girl Yin chose as his new apprentice?
Meanwhile Vick’s daughter is kidnapped by the Thin White Duke and calls all the players to join him at Alcatraz. Even Woody and Henry.
They are on the ferry and Gus thinks about making a jump for it, and I’m like are you crazy? You’ll die before you make it to shore, the water is freezing, the currents deadly.
I have to say I really like that we are doing this thing at Alcatraz at night, not only have I been there I did the night tour and it is very scary, Uber creepy. I know a lot about it and feel like I’d totally be Gus in this situation.
And our behind the scenes headliner is, Allison! Yes, Allison from the Yin episode: Allison kills The Thin White Duke and shares her plan on how she wants to take down Juliet: 20 minutes, no lights, fights. Ready, set, go.
Vick goes searching for her daughter, Juliet goes searching for Allison, Gus tries to get to the lighthouse; and they are approached by the Black Gentleman Dandy/Ninja.
Allison goes after Juliet, and Heather Rocklear goes after Woody and Henry.
Meanwhile Shawn and Gus are too entertained by the Black Gentlemen Dandy swordplay they kind of forget about the trouble they are in. They have a heart to heart about the women in their lives and then run from the Black Gentlemen Dandy.
The men try to fight Heather but are only doing okay, until Vick comes in and knocks her out.
Allison has round two with Juliet coming up on top again. Gus and Shawn have been running but stop when they find that the Black Gentlemen Dandy has his father. They try to disarm the Black Gentlemen Dandy but he is able to outsmart him, although Woody saves the day when he comes with a shotgun. They save Iris and all reunite.
Back on the dock Henry goes his way fishing, Selene follows Gus to the dock and brings him flowers, and when Proveedor comes to find Shawn and bring him the ring he found as all of Shawn’s premonitions came true. It turns out that Shawn had a little help from MCNab! Yay! I was hoping he’d have a cameo!
They end up getting married right there on the dock with Vick as the maid of honor, Gus the best man, and El Proveedor does the wedding. Even the Black Gentlemen Dandy wishes them a happy wedding. And we get our pineapple in the last scene and Ewan O’Hara (John Cena) stops by on a case.
Shawn grabs thewedding gift that Ewan gave him and they all go out in a blaze of bullets.
I thought it was cute! I wish it had taken place in Santa Barbara but otherwise I really enjoyed it. It had a lot of inside jokes for the fans, it gave you exactly what you wanted and I loved that all the cast came back for it. Definitely a win for the fans!
This is a movie I love but I also have a hard time watching it as I am Veronica. I too was swayed by a crazy guy who tried to kill me. Luckily for both of us, we survived.
Heathers is a film that to be honest is weird to summarize. If you tried to give a synopsis to someone who has never seen it you would sound crazy. You like a film where they end up killing people and making it look like suicide? And it is a comedy? It is definitely odd, but like Mean Girls there is just something about it that pulls you in. The writing is great, the characters understandable and so relatable in its teen angst.
This film also deals with a lot of harsh issues and is not for everyone. It covers suicide, abuse, bullying, shooting, etc. if any of those things might be a trigger for you, it would be best not to watch this film.
Although, now as an adult watching this film I’m like Veronica you are a junior, why are you freaking out? You only have two years left in school and then you can go any where and do anything you want! Her family is rich and if her dad puts up with her calling him an idiot every day I’m sure he will pay for whatever she wants to do whether it is college, seeing the world, or moving to the City and trying to make it on her own doing whatever. I mean if she was poor, wasn’t the best student, or was stuck in her place, I would be more sympathetic.
The other thing I love about this film are the clothes, the ‘80s really could go over the top. I love that these girls are always wearing blazers, giant hats, ostentatious outfits, bright clothes- Veronica even wears a monocle. This juxtaposition of wealth and color with the sad dark themes of suicide works so well in ways I don’t fully understand. There’s just something about Heathers.
The film starts off with this crazy dream sequence, the three Heathers playing croquet, and Veronica (Winona Ryder) is buried up to her neck. She’s unable to move but finds herself at the will of the Heathers. She talks to them, being sarcastic and making cutting comments, but no change occurs as the Heathers ignore her words and she is still stuck in the same place.
“Heather McNamara: It’s your turn Heather.
Heather Chandler: No, Heather, it’s Heather’s turn. Heather?
Heather Duke: Sorry Heather
As I’m sure you can tell, the symbolism runs deep. The Heathers run the school with Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) as the Queen Bee, Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk) as her yes-man, and Heather Duke (Shannon Doherty) is treated better than the rest of the school, but still the one Heather C. likes to kick around.
Veronica is in a weird place, as she’s not the doormat Heather D. is, but she’s also not as cemented in the group either. She’s still very much an individual, not a minion like the other two Heathers, but at the same time still goes along with all they do-even though she may voice a concern or complain about their activities-she still does it. Just like in her dream.
The film starts off with Veronica noticing the new boy in school, J.D. (Christian Slater). He’s got the bad boy look down pat, long hair, and wearing a trench coat. Very cool and the type of guy every girl falls for at least once in their life.
He’s a bad boy
They ask him the question of the day which is “what would you do if you won 5 million dollars but only have one day left on Earth because Aliens are going to destroy it?” He gives a pretentious answer, but Veronica eats it up.
Christian Slater has stated that his performance was heavily inspired by Jack Nicholson and I believe it as he is creepy! But he also is much better looking than Jack Nicholson and does that eyebrow thing we all love.
Oh, wow…
Veronica’s fallen for him, but gets dragged away by Heather as J.D. is not their crowd. Two football players Ram and Kurt don’t like him trying to move up into another stratosphere and run over to try and bully him. J.D. listens to their insults and pulls a gun out and shoots them.
Later, the girls are talking about the events and all the Heathers think J.D. is insane! But Veronica-poor Veronica is blinded by her crush on the bad boy defends him as “it was just a joke and blanks”.
Veronica no!!! NO NO NO! This is a big red flag, but Veronica doesn’t see it. Poor, dumb, in love, Veronica. Not only has her crush on J.D. blinded her from this scary, crazy event that has happened, but she actually likes what J.D. did. She never liked Ram and Kurt and thinks they should be taken down a leg or two. In her mind J.D. isn’t insane, but a vigilante, a Robin Hood against high social hierarchy.
This makes me so sad as this kind of thing happened all the time with women, and men. They meet someone who exhibits insane and dangerous behavior, but in their mind they make excuses, they reinvent it so it’s then staid go up against something, maybe “protecting” someone or something. But all it is, is a red flag that should be warning you to stay away-but so often it just draws people in.
Veronica is going with Heather C. to a Remington Frat Party, but on the way there they stop at the connivence store, where Veronica runs into J.D. She zooms in on him as she is fascinated by how different he is and wants to be with him. Veronica is an interesting character as she becomes “different people” depending on who she is around. With Heather she’s the popular girl with a slightly better moral code than the others-with J.D. she can rebel, be wild, and free.
J.D.: Is your life perfect?
Veronica Sawyer: I’m on my way to a party at Remington University… No, my life’s not perfect. I don’t really like my friends.
J.D.: I… I don’t really like your friends either.
Veronica Sawyer: Well, it’s just like – they’re people I work with, and our job is being popular and shit.
J.D.: Maybe it’s time to take a vacation.
Now I understand what Veronica is going through, high school can feel like a tremendous pile of crap while you are going through it, but at the same time I’m like Veronica it isn’t your job. You only have a year and a couples months left and then you can do whatever you want. Try not to take it so seriously.
I also love the outfit Veronica wears in this scene. I would love to own it.
The two separate with Veronica going off with Heather to the party. There none have a nice time as Heather C. Is pressured into things she doesn’t want to do to keep up with the college crowd and Veronica’s date only cares about sleeping with her and doesn’t like the word no. Veronica spends the rest of the night getting drunk and then throws up in the alley. Heather C. yells at Veronica, with Veronica finally standing up to her. Heather declares everything is over for Veronica.
That night Veronica gets out her monocle and really let’s her feelings fly in her journal-she especially shares all about her hatred of Heather.
Veronica Sawyer: [writing in diary] Betty Finn was a true friend and I sold her out for a bunch of Swatch dogs and Diet Coke heads. Killing Heather would be like offing the wicked witch of the west… wait east. West!
Veronica is interrupted by her musings when J.D. climbs through her window. I’m like Veronica, here is another red flag. You didn’t ask him over, he searched out where you lived, waited for you to come home, and climbed through your window without permission. Like it would be one thing if he got her attention or had asked her address or phone number-but he never did. It doesn’t matter how many times I watch this, I’m always like Veronica no! Even though I know what will happen next.
The two play strip croquet and Veronica confides in J. D. about her hatred of Heather. Veronica was really just trying to vent, but too bad she doesn’t realize her newly acquired boyfriend is a psycho!
The next day Veronica and J. D. break into Heather C.’s house as Veronica plans on making her a fake hangover cure and getting her semi-revenge. J. D. pours draino into a cup, but Veronica ignores him as she thinks it is just a joke-Veronica this is like the fourth red flag!
Veronica makes an orange juice and milk mixture and the two hawk some loogies into it. Afterwards, J.D. tricks Veronica into taking the draino one by kissing her. Everyone says it is an accident, but I think it was done on purpose. It is such a weird time to kiss her so to me it seems like a distraction, but then again he is a freak. He does almost warn her, but changes his mind so it could have be an accident turned into an opportunity. Either way they go into Heather’s room and basically double dog dare her to drink it, she does, and dies.
Veronica is freaked out and doesn’t know what to do, and says these iconic lines (one of my favorite parts)
Veronica Sawyer: I just killed my best friend.
J.D.: And your worst enemy.
Veronica Sawyer: Same difference.
Now Veronica is unsure what to do and wants to call the police, but J. D. convinces her to hide it by writing a suicide note. She’s so upset that she goes along with him. Again, another red flag Veronica.
The suicide note is an sensation. School shuts down for the cheerleader, they have a funeral service, and everyone talks about how lovely the note was, how Heather had such a poetic soul.
Veronica is amazed at how this whole thing has turned Heather into more of a “goddess” at school as all are worshiping her. At first she laughs about it, but then the worshipfulness starts getting to her. Later, she meets J. D.’s father and he and his father’s relationship is weird. Even more so when he shares how his mother died, she stayed in a building that his father was going to demo, committing suicide. The way his dad is I’m not so sure it was suicide, I’m thinking it might have been murder! Or it might have been the only way she could be free of him.
What is even more upsetting with Heather gone, Veronica hoped life would be better but Heather C. is still everywhere and Heather D. has stepped up to take her place. That always happens, Queen Bs are like Hydras, cut off the head and there will always be one to take their place.
After the funeral, Heather M. asks Veronica to help her out as she needs someone to go on a double date with her as she is going out with football player, Ram. Veronica insists that she is dating J. D. and she doesn’t want to go out as the guys will just want to tip cows. Heather continues to beg and Veronica agrees only to have a horrible night as the boys get drunk, tip cows, and when Kurt tries to make a move Heather goes off with J. D. (who just happened to show up another red flag). Kurt collapses drunk in a field and in the background you can see Ram date rape Heather. I forgot how disturbing this film can be.
The next day Kurt and Ram spread a story about Veronica that she was with both of them and this makes Veronica and J. D. furious. J. D. wants to get revenge and decides to use some German guns that use “blanks”. He asks if she she knows German, she says no, and then he gives the guns a German name, words which mean he is lying. Veronica is so mad at the guys for spreading lies she goes along with his plan to “kill” them, thinking she is using blanks. I’m like Veronica no! Another red flag, but J. D. is kryptonite to her common sense as he can tell she wants to be a cool, rebellious, person of action-and totally plays into it. Plus he is hot. Unfortunately, attractiveness can really blind you to faults.
The next morning Veronica is happy and giddy to play their prank. She watches as J.D. pulls out all the evidence to make it looks as if they were gay lovers who decided to commit suicide. Again, it is so easy to be like Veronica how can you not see what is happening-but J. D. has really manipulated her. They go to commit their act, Veronica having the guys strip, before they “rip her clothes off”, and when they are in their underwear, they shoot. Ram dies with a bullet in the head, while Veronica misses Kurt. J. D. yells at her and shepherds Kurt back to their suicide circle and Veronica shoots him. They finish setting up their little scene and take off as they hear police, jumping in the car and pretending that they were out there making out.
They go to school and this is one of my favorite parts when Veronica has seen what is happening and realizes she doesn’t want this life. She didn’t really want anyone dead she was just being dramatic and upset, but she’s no killer. The two argue with her going did not (meaning she did not want them to die) and J. D. saying did too. The remaining Heathers see her and think they are just having an argument about their relationship.
She should not have gotten involved with him.
Everyone in school finds out about the football players and their note. All are shocked and the two become martyrs for the lgbtq+ cause. Again Veronica is amazed at how such horrible people could have their whole personality changed by death and an eloquent suicide note.
Heather M. is having a really hard time-she’s a follower and her leader killed herself. She poured her sorrows into this new relationship with Ram, who raped her, and then it turns out he’s gay? And he killed himself?! She’s really lost and confused and traumatized-poor girl.
Meanwhile, J. D. has some plans and blackmails Heather D. with fat camp pics of her and Martha “Dumptruck” Dunnstock to get people to sign a petition for Big Fun to come and play at the school their hit song “Teenage Suicide (Don’t Do It!)”. Heather goes along with it, lying about everything in order to get people to sign it. But what is he planning?
Veronica decides it is time to cut all the toxic people out of her life. She dumps J. D., fights with Heather D. over her wanting to wear Heather C.’s scrunchies and take over Heather’s spot, and tries to rekindle her old best friendship with Betty Finn, a real true friend she traded for the Heathers. The two go to play croquet, but the happy afternoon is ruined by Heather D.
Heather D. shares that Martha tried to kill herself only to fail when she didn’t get hit running into traffic. Heather D. makes fun of Martha trying to be cool and failing again. Heather D. and Veronica fight, with Veronica slapping Heather for her cruel words.
Veronica and Heather make up and again we see Veronica has a way out of this, but she doesn’t take it. Instead she goes along with Heather D. as they listen to a radio program Hot Probs, and listen as Heather M. calls in and complains about her perfect life. Poor Heather, she is just trying to figure out what is going on. The next day all the kids in school are making fun of her, and she starts thinking about committing suicide. Veronica notices her leaving class and goes out saving her.
“Veronica Sawyer: If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn’t be a human being. You’d be a game show host.”
Veronica starts to unravel at the chaos she has created. Heather D. rules the school, J. D. tells her parents that she is planning on killing herself (laying the foundation to kill her and hide it as suicide), she finds a hanging doll in her room (courtesy of J. D. and she is full of strange nightmares that highlight the guilt she feels over the killings. Like Veronica should try and seek out help about J.D. or get a restraining order. He won’t give up until she is dead.
After she has a nightmare about J. D., she decides it is time to take control of her life. She pretends to kill herself, hanging so that when J. D. visits that night he reveals his whole plan to blow up the school. The next day Veronica finds him and takes him out, this is such an awesome scene. A fantastic scene!
Veronica Sawyer: You know what I want? [shoots J.D] Cool guys like you out of my life.
After the bomb goes off and kills J. D. we have a smoking Veronica who comes in for the 1-2 punch; first she takes out Heather being the new Queen B, and then she invites Martha to be her friend.
Veronica Sawyer: Hey, Martha. My date for the prom kinda flaked out on me. I was wondering, If you weren’t doing anything that night, maybe we could rent some new releases and pop some popcorn.
Martha ‘Dumptruck’ Dunnstock: I’d like that.
Veronica Sawyer: Yeah. Me too
Such a great ending to this film. It’s weird as it has seriously dark moments, comedic moments, is very sad, but also extremely enjoyable. It’s just one of those films.
We threw a Heathers themed croquet party where we served spaghetti with lots of oregano (Veronica’s favorite). Two dressed as Heather Chandler (red Heather), one as Heather Duke (green Heather), one person came as J.D., and I was Veronica, because I am Veronica.
Looks pretty close, right?
Also our Facebook cover
So with today’s topic, as J. D. is a horrible person and October being national domestic violence awareness month, I felt compelled to share this.
I Am a Survivor of Domestic Violence and I Know Help is Out There:
Are you being abused?
It’s abuse when someone who should care about you does or says things that hurt you or make you feel afraid, helpless or worthless. Here are only a few examples:
Slapping, hitting, punching, choking, grabbing, shoving, kicking you or your kids, your pets
Threatening you, your kids, friends, family or pets
janeaustenrunsmylife 