While Halloween II hasn’t had quite as many releases as its predecessor, the list of releases is still plentiful – including one very short-lived format.
This article is primarily knowledgable on the film’s domestic releases, but any information about international releases is greatly appreciated as well.
Betamax
Halloween II received one Betamax release courtesy of MCA/Universal in 1982.
Laserdisc
Halloween II received one Laserdisc releases in the United States in 1983 alongside the release of Halloween III: Season of the Witch. The film was presented in the pan & scan format with an analog audio track and no subtitles.
In Japan, Columbia Video Disc distributed the film on Laserdisc for the MSRP of JP¥8800. This release notably featured the film in a letterboxed presentation and a stereo audio mix, as well as Japanese subtitles.
VHS
Halloween II‘s first VHS release was simultaneous with its Betamax release, and happened in 1982. MCA/Universal subsequently re-released it on VHS in 1983 and 1984, before its final release through them in 1987.
In the late 1990s Goodtimes took over distribution for much of Universal’s titles, with Halloween II being among them. Their first VHS release of Halloween II occurred on November 7, 1996 and presented the film in a pan & scan fullscreen transfer.
On November 11, 1998, GoodTimes released a new VHS release of Halloween II that presented the film in a letterboxed widescreen transfer, closely matching that of its simultaneous VHS release.
In 2001, after the rights reverted back to Universal, Universal put out a new VHS of Halloween II on August 28, 2001. It would ultimately become the final VHS release for the film.
DVD
Halloween II received its first DVD release by GoodTimes Video, who had licensed out the film from Universal. Just as with GoodTimes’ first VHS release, Halloween II was released on DVD on September 22, 1998 in a letterboxed widescreen format.
On September 18, 2001, Universal released their own DVD of Halloween II. Though largely barebones, the film was finally presented with an anamorphic widescreen transfer, making it compatible with widescreen televisions. Several more pressings followed of this release over the years.
October 10, 2011 saw Halloween II get a new release in the UK that featured an exclusive commentary track by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman.
On September 12, 2012, the ultimate special edition of Halloween II was released by Scream Factory featuring new commentary tracks, making-of documentaries, and a second disc featuring the television cut sourced directly from the broadcast master. It also featured reversible cover art, as well as a slipcover. Though still in print, the same content can be found on the simultaneously released Blu-Ray edition.
Blu-Ray
Halloween II first received a Blu-Ray release by Universal on September 13, 2011. This was notable as it was the first domestic release to feature any special features of note. The deleted scenes and alternate ending from the film’s television cut were included (though only added as an SD transfer), as well as the 80s horror documentary Terror in the Aisles that was co-hosted by Donald Pleasance.
Upon this release, controversy erupted as the opening titles removed Moustapha Akkad’s credit, and the audio was presented in a lossy format. Universal issued a disc replacement program on November 28, 2011, and began shipping the corrected disc for store stock right away.
Less than a year later, on September 12, 2012, Scream Factory put out a collector’s edition of Halloween II. Its special features were identical to its DVD release, with the exception that everything on the first disc was presented in high definition. The deleted scenes and alternate ending, though upscaled, featured commentary by Rick Rosenthal as well. Both discs would later be included in the complete collection Blu-Ray set’s 15-disc edition, while only the first disc was apart of the standard edition.
To tie in with the release of 2018’s Halloween, Scream Factory put out a new release of Halloween II. Everything from the prior release was carried over, but the main feature was now given a 4K restoration from the original camera negative.
Other Formats
Halloween II was given a released on the very short-lived CED VideoDisc format. Sized similarly to a LaserDisc but with the appearance of a vinyl record, the format didn’t catch on.
With the announcement that the 2018 Blu-Ray release would be sourced from a 4K transfer, there is the potential for a 4K release, but nothing has been announced yet.