The first trailer for Rob Zombie’s H2 has premiered on Yahoo Movies. The nitpicking over canon is inevitable, but I find this trailer to be quite strong and, in parts, genuinely unsettling. Zombie clearly isn’t preoccupied with horny teens, and for the horror genre, that’s a damn good thing. The many looks of Michael Myers in the film are glimpsed. From the cloaked “giant,” to the new version of the mask (which is weathered, almost Ed Gein-esque), alongside flashbacks of young Michael, and even stranger shots near the end, it’s all here.

Perhaps what will be talked about most is the footage of Sheri Moon Zombie. As Michael’s mother, she is seen urging him to kill (in his head? in dreams?). Her hair dyed white, eyes darkened, she conjures retro TV-horror hostesses and the bride of Frankenstein. Comparisons to Jason Voorhees’s maternal relationship are starting to pop up online. What do you think? Also shown is Scout Taylor-Compton, reprising Michael’s sister, Laurie Strode, as she’s rushed to the ER directly after the first film. The vibe I get is altogether more brutal, psychological (iffy?), and graphic than previous Halloween films. Also: rapper-free.

Watch the trailer In High Definition on Yahoo. H2: Halloween 2 opens nationwide on August 28, 2009.