Halloween (2018) #443

Halloween Movie Trailer

In 1978, John Carpenter introduced us to masked killer Michael Meyers and Laurie Strode, one of the most famous final girls in any horror movie. Forty years later both Michael and Laurie in 2018’s film simply titled "Halloween". At first glance, it feels like a path that’s already been on. To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the original film, we saw the return of Laurie Strode as Michael's primary focus in "Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later". The movie itself does a fine job of ignoring the previous installments of the "Halloween" franchise, taking place twenty years later after "Halloween 2", and wrapping up the the series in a more than adequate fashion. So why do we need this new chapter? Because it's finally been done right.

The original “Halloween” was written, scored, and directed by the incredible John Carpenter who has returned as a producer, offering his spiritual guidance and wisdom regarding the script. Mr Carpenter also helped score this movie as well, presenting a haunting rendition of his original score. The music in this movie is absolutely perfect as ambient tones and sounds as well as the general theme enhance the mood and fill in the quiet moments.

  

While it’s great to see Michael Meyers on the big screen again, the real star of “Halloween” is Laurie Strode, played by the outstanding Jamie Lee Curtis. She is dominant, she is fierce, and she owns every second of screen time that she is given. From the first moment you see her, you feel her pain and her sorrow, having spent everyday for the past forty years waiting and preparing for Michael to return. Her character is reminiscent of Lynda Hamilton’s portrayal of Sarah Connor in “Terminator 2”; both women tried to lead normal lives but their paranoia and other symptoms of ptsd ultimately ruined their relationships with their children. Through Jamie’s gut punching performance, you are given more reason to care about her daughter Karen (played by Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (played by Andi Matichak). Each character is fully developed and gives the audience the rare opportunity to actually care about the characters in a horror movie.

                              

“Halloween” is full of nostalgic moments, drawing ample inspiration from the original with a unique twist, subtle references and setting certain rumors to rest, and little details in staging; they even use the same font for the opening credits! But this film provides its own special moments, including the best dialogue during a babysitting scene I have ever seen. The most important choice that the film makers made was ignoring the sequels and reboots and choosing to set the movie directly after the original “Halloween”. This is the film that we wanted and the film that is worthy enough to properly celebrate the fortieth anniversary of this franchise.

Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982)

No matter how good the movie itself is, "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch" will always be considered a failure because it wasn't about Michael Myers. Produced by both John Carpenter and Debra Hill, the third installment of the "Halloween" franchise was meant to turn the series into an anthology of films based on the holiday Halloween in some fashion or another with the fourth film planned as a ghost movie. I can understand the general public and various movie critics being confused by this concept after the first two films were both about Michael Myers. It was an ambitious and creative concept that simply went against the norm.

Had it been on it's own and not associated with the "Halloween" franchise, "Season of the Witch" is still a unique and entertaining film. It has elements that I haven't seen elsewhere, solid casting especially with Dan O'Herliy as the villainous Conal Cochran. The version I saw looked restored or otherwise the original version had some very high film and lightening productions values for the time. My only complaints about the film is how often they play the annoying music of the Silver Shamrocks commercial and the cop out demise of Conal Cochran.

I should also add that this is the first film from the "Halloween" franchise that I saw from beginning to end, after being edited for broadcast TV.


Dr. Dan Challis becomes wrapped up in a mystery after a crazed man gripping a popular Halloween mask is admitted to his care. While sedated, the man is attacked and killed by a man in a business suit who promptly goes to his car and pours gasoline all over himself before striking a match, burning himself up and the car in an explosion. Dr. Challis is assisted by the victim's daughter, Ellie, who tells Dan that her father sold the popular masks in his shop near by. The last place he was seen before being admitted to the hospital was at the Silver Shamrocks factory where the masks were made. Dan and Ellie go to the small town where the factory is and soon discover that the factory is manned by dozens of the men who looked like the original assailant. After digging deeper than they should and attracting notice, Dan and Ellie are captured and soon learn about the diabolical scheme that the owner of Silver Shamrocks, Conal Cochran, has planned for all of the children who love to wear his masks.

Halloween (2007)

Just because you grew up loving a movie doesn’t mean that you should one day make your version because that version is going to turn out to be a horrible piece of crap that insults the original more than anything else. And for god’s sake, do not ruin the magic of the original by creating some insipid and horrible reason as to why a child grows up to be an unstoppable killing machine. This is the crime that Rob Zombie made and is convicted of by legions of horror movie fans across the planet when he made his version of “Halloween”. This film is a perfect example of what happens when a film maker tries to recreate something and he is clearly out of his league….or out of his mind. He takes the simplicity of the Michael Myers mythos and explains everything, that Michael had a horrible childhood with a P.O.S dad, typical bullies at school, and way too much time on his obsession with masks and his mom asking him to take them off. In fact, Zombie takes the first 35 or so minutes of the movie to explore Michaels’ childhood and how Dr. Loomis tried to help him before everything goes horribly wrong.

Once the movie moves forward and introduces the high school aged Laurie Strobe, the film finds its groove and becomes the remake that we (or maybe just myself) were hoping for; an updated version that trades in the slow and steady build of tension for a more deliberate sense of adrenaline and violence. I’m still not sure how I feel about Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Loomis but I think this is because he plays such a prevalent role in the part of the movie that I don’t care for; his part in the later scenes is quite enjoyable. I do approve of the casting choices of Tyler Mane as an adult Michael, Dee Wallace as Cynthia Strobe,  Brad Dourif as the town Sheriff, and a slew of special appearances including Sid Haig, Ken Foree, Udo Kier, Danny Trejo, Bill Moseley. Scout Taylor-Compton did a great job as Laurie considering who she was replacing; the role of Laurie Strobe almost felt like it was written for the young Jamie Lee Curtis so you can’t be too harsh on Scout for giving it her best to fill this legendary role and making it her own. It’s obvious that the character of Laurie Strobe is not meant to be played the same just by the lines of dialogue.

What I didn’t like –

1.       The first 35 minutes.

2.       Michael killing the Strobes.

3.       The actor who played young Michael. Oh, I guess that’s a part of the first 35 minutes…

What I liked –

1.       The scene in which Michael escapes from the mental hospital.

2.       The kids that Laurie babysits.     

3.       Scout’s version of playing Laurie.

Actor Scout Taylor-Compton as Laurie Strobe (in the middle)

Actor Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strobe (on the left)

Actor Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Loomis

Actor Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis

Michael Myers 1978

 Michael Myers 2007

Michael Myers 2007

Michael Myers 1978 saying "Hello!"

Author's Note - Remakes

Remakes are a touchy subject for many people. There are several that feel like they are nothing more than an excuse to cash in on a recognizable title without even trying to make a decent movie. Michael Bay is guilty of this with his attempts to reboot both the “Friday the 13^th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchises.

Some remakes feel like the cast actually respect the original and just want to have fun making their version; these are fine because they feel more like plays whereas nothing new is usually added but some characters are fleshed out more or are played out with a different style. Some of these films actually use the original novel as source material more so than the original film production.

Then there are the very few where the cast, director and actors, are taking the original idea and are adapting their own interpretations. This approach works at times but can easily backfire as well. Just because your passion for the film and your ideas in how to fix it or make it better might not actually be the best for the project or the legacy of the original film.

While preparing for this theme, I’ve noticed that the opinions of people who saw the original versions versus those who are now just old enough see the remakes makes a large difference. Younger viewers are more accustomed to seeing CGI in almost everything, expect more violence and realistic gore than films from the 1970’s and 1980’s, and want to see cast members that they are familiar with. Keeping these notes in mind, I will try to write my reviews as neutral as possible.

Halloween 2 (1981)

Three years after his extremely successful hit, John Carpenter tried to recreate the magic but falls short with "Halloween 2". It was either a brilliant move or just a lazy one to have the movie begin exactly where it left off with the original is a point for debate. One thing that feels certain is that it is more like your typical slasher flick than a suspenseful thriller. Michael kills people just to kill them in this one rather than killing people who might be his sister Laurie and the people that get in his way. Speaking of Laurie being his sister, that reveal is the only reason why this film is validated in the first place; it helps create more of a mythos around Michael Meyers and explains why Laurie is his target.

The film begins immediately after Dr. Loomis shoots Michael before he can kill Laurie and falls out the window. When they look out the window, Michael is gone. While Laurie is taken to the local hospital, Dr. Loomis spends half of the movie trying to find Michael with the help of local authorities. In one moment of bad judgement, a kid dressed similar as Michael is shot and then hit by a car. Meanwhile at the hospital, nurses, doctors, and orderlies are killed by Michael as he continues his hunt for his sister. Eventually everyone meets up at the hospital and Dr. Loomis has his personal showdown with Michael, saving Laurie once again.

Favorite death scene - I saw the tv version of this movie when I was really young and the death scene that has always stuck with me was the nurse that was drowned in the boiling bath/spa. 

Halloween (1978)

“Halloween” is my all-time favorite horror movie. I love this movie so much that I’ve had the theme music as the ring tone for my phone for the past 7 years; or perhaps I just like the movie and really love the music…Anyway, the story is about Michael Myers, a homicidal maniac bent on killing his sister and her friends who happen to be near-by. Does this plot sound familiar? Will it should! This low budget movie from 1978 became the highest grossing independent film for years and, for better or for worse, encouraged a wave slasher flicks to be produced as well as a dismal franchise of its own. The success of “Halloween” proved that young director/writer John Carpenter and newcomer producer/writer Debra Hill were going to be well known and leave a lasting mark. “Halloween” also introduced the world to Jamie Lee Curtis, who would earn the title of Scream Queen just like her mother, Janet Leigh. “Halloween” has had such an impact that in 2006 it was included into the United States National Film Registry due to its significance.

I feel like I’ve known this film most of my life. I remember catching a glimpse of the first few minutes before being told to leave the room when I was little. Hearing that amazing and haunting melody and not being able to watch only increased my curiosity. When I finally was able to see it, while it was shown on broadcast television, I was blown away. It didn’t matter that it was edited for TV because the film really isn’t that violent or filled with nudity or drenched in profanity, it didn’t need those elements to tell the story. The other element that it didn’t need was the NEED to explain everything. When asked why Michael was so dangerous, Dr. Loomis replied that Michael was pure evil. That’s it and it was enough.

Favorite moment – When Dr. Loomis is hiding behind a hedge near the old Myers house and whispers creepy-like at the children who are daring each other to go up to the front door. His amused look after they run away terrified is priceless.