Look! It's Michael Myers
I think he might hurt us!
We're running round, popping up and down
like Jamie Lee Curtis!
HALLOWEEN(John Carpenter, 1978)
Seminal classic in which serial killer Michael Myers returns to his hometown after killing his older sister fifteen years prior. He stalks babysitters on Halloween, namely virginal heroine Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), while his doctor (Donald Pleasence) tries to find him before more blood is spilled. Thanks to Carpenter's masterful use of the widescreen frame and his timeless score, the film remains one of the most suspenseful films ever made expertly outdoing the lessers and ripoffs that have followed in its footsteps. It's Carpenter's true masterpiece, though Assault on Precinct 13 and The Thing give it a good run for the money. GRADE: A+
HALLOWEEN II(Rick Rosenthal, 1981)
Picking up exactly where the first film left off, Michael takes his murder spree to the Haddonfield hospital where Laurie has been admitted while Dr. Loomis deals with the aftermath of the initial killings. Far more violent than its predecessor, it has several cool death sequences - hello hot tub? - and a much larger body count. This is a film that's much better than it deserves to be, as its existence is a bit redundant given The Shape is meant to be a metaphor for the terror that is always lurking, always ready to strike. It was better off to let him just disappear into the night. I will add I forgot that the twist of Laurie being Michael's sister was actually from this film, not the first. Rosenthal's direction is more than serviceable (to bad he blows it in a later sequel). Of course, he's aided by cinematographer Dean Cundey and Carpenter's score. GRADE: B+.
From here the franchise veers off in three directions.
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH(Tommy Lee Wallace, 1982)
The first is this film, which drops the entire Michael Myers storyline and goes its own way. This was actually the original plan: every Halloween the franchise would release a film that would tell its ownself-contained story. I have a bit of a history with this film as upon seeing it sometime in the mid 90's, I might have declared it one of the worst movies ever. However, many horrorphiles have stated that it's actually quite good when taken on its own terms. You will rarely see it on TV even with Halloween marathons, so most people have little to no affinity for it. So, surprise surprise - a rewatch has proven fruitful and I now admire it. A doctor (Tom Atkins) gets sucked into a conspiracy involving a Halloween mask corporation and their sinister plans. This reminded me a lot of early Cronenberg, and the violence packs a mean punch. It's by no means a great film, but it's definitely not a bad one. Quite a brave ending, and that damn Silver Shamrock song will be stuck in your head for days. Also, those masks are seriously badass. I wish they'd make them. GRADE: B
HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS(Dwight H. Little, 1988)
The second direction is this film, which takes place in Haddonfield 10 years after the events of the first two films. In this storyline, Laurie Strode has died leaving behind a daughter named Jamie (Danielle Harris). She is adopted by the Carruthers, and soon enough Jamie and her new sister Rachel (Ellie Cornell) are being targeted by Michael. Dr. Loomis also returns, realizing that Michael can't stop killing family members and has to save Jamie. This is very much standard 80's slasher fare with horny teens and a seemingly unstoppable killer. The three films prior to this in the franchise have aged pretty well, but this just feels like a big cliche. The ending adds a nice twist to the proceedings. The opening sequence is really gorgeous, beautifully capturing a crisp Midwest fall day. I'll add that the new Blu-ray edition of this has an audio sync problem that affects about 10 minutes. Boo! GRADE: C+
HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS(Dominique Othenin-Girard, 1989)
Picking up a year where the last film left off, Jamie is now in a children's hospital and Michael is still after her. Wow, there are a lot of problems with the storyline to this one. First and foremost, no one seems to be bothered that Jamie tried to murder her adopted mother. The adopted parents are conveniently "away" for the film. Rachel seems to be a completely different character, a little too peppy for someone who a year ago watched a lot of people get murdered. Jamie now has a psychic connection to Michael, and this is where the Druid connection is introduced. Dr. Loomis is now more or less a crotchety old man. There's also two cops and whenever they appear this bizarre overly comical music plays. All that said, much like 4 this is standard 80's horror with some fun kills. Harris's performance is, at times, almost too good for the film surrounding her. Something else I noticed in regards to this film and the previous one: the Haddonfield this is taking place in is almost completely different from the first two. I know filming locations are different, but this seems more authentically Midwest. GRADE: C
HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS(Joe Chappelle, 1995) - THEATRICAL VERSION
Okay, I'm very biased with this one. This was the first Halloween movie I saw. It was September 1996 and I had rented this along with The Truth About Cats and Dogs. I wasn't much of a horror aficionado back then (I know, right?) and if I did watch a horror movie it was definitely during the day. While I can't remember why exactly, I was alone in the house late Friday night. I started this probably after 10PM and about 20 minutes before the end, someone finally arrived home. Truth be told, I was relieved. I thought this film was so scary? It's probably one of the only times I remember being genuinely terrified by a film. I was 12, after all. In this, the character of Jamie (now played by a different actress) escapes from the Druid cult with her newborn baby only to be killed by Michael. A now grown Tommy Doyle (also a different actor, this one being the eternally yummy Paul Rudd) rescues the baby and takes it back to his apartment, located conveniently across the street from the old Myers' house where the dysfunctional relatives of the Strodes now reside. Dr. Loomis is caught up in the story, and Donald Pleasance died a few months after production. (Both this and H20 are dedicated to him.) Okay, it must be admitted: a lot of this film doesn't make much sense. The Druid connection is still rather dumb. The film has abrupt cuts - though some work in the film's favor - and it's easy to see where important stuff was trimmed. That said, it has mood to spare. It feels like Halloween perhaps more so than any other film in the franchise. The kills are good, Marianne Hagan makes a solid Final Girl (why didn't she become a bigger name?), Michael Myers is genuinely scary here, and Paul Rudd is as dreamy as ever. Yeah, I'm partial to this film for nostalgia's sake. It just feels so mid 90's. Aww, I miss it! GRADE: B
HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS
(The Producer's Cut)
Ah, the much anticipated "Producer's Cut" of #6. Long rumored to be never made public, and relegated to bootlegged copies being sold in the backrooms of Horror movie forums (and sometimes Ebay!), it finally arrived along with the Scream Factor/Anchor Bay box set. The major differences between this are what happens to Jamie in the beginning, and the final 10-15 minutes of the film. Other than that, little scenes are added here and there. It's more expansive, running about 10 minutes longer allowing the film to breathe a tad more. It's more in line with the aim of the previous 2 films, only doing them a bit better. I'm not certain I like the ending of this cut more than the theatrical. I liked the stuff underground with the planned sacrifice, but something about the theatrical cut's hospital scenes just made that version so...hardcore? Not just that, but it felt like a more potent ending. Though this version does get rid of that awful "OH GOD!" scream Hagan does when Michael tries to pull her through the bars. It adds a bit more supernatural, and I think the final encounter between Loomis and Myers is rather silly. You win some, you lose some. GRADE: B
HALLOWEEN H20: 20 YEARS LATER(Steve Miner, 1998)
And now, this film ignores the last three and creates the third branch off of Halloween II. Laurie Strode faked her death (though that could tie in with #4, I suppose) and is now named Keri Tate, residing as the head mistress of a posh California private school. She has a 17-year-old son (Josh Hartnett and his stupid haircut). Worried that Michael is still after her even after 20 years, her fears are soon realized after he tracks her down after killing Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens, reprising her role from the first 2 films). With a script that had input from then It Screenwriter Kevin Williamson (the first two Screams, I Know What You Did Last Summer), this is a really fun and suspenseful installment that returns the franchise to the more simplistic tone of the first two. Containing one of Jamie Lee's best performances, it also has a fun in-joke with Janet Leigh playing her secretary Norma. If the film has a major flaw, it would be that Michael doesn't have much of a personality in this. He's a little too generic, and even the mask feels neutered. However, the last act more than makes up for this. When Laurie screams out "Michael!" for him to get her, it's one of the most badass and powerful moments in the entire franchise. Everything from there on out is gold. Future triple Oscar nominee Michelle Williams and Joseph Gordon-Levitt also appear. GRADE: B+
HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION(Rick Rosenthal, 2002)
Oh boy, I was dreading a rewatch of this. The film shits (kinda cleverly, it must be said) on the fantastic ending of H20 and kills off Laurie in the first 10 minutes. The scene is actually okay, but then things quickly go downhill. And by downhill, I mean it free falls off a cliff hitting every protruding rock on the way down. The producers of a company called Dangertainment (OMG so clever!) stage a live webcam show from the Myers house where a group of college-age people will enter. Then, Michael shows up. This doesn't feel like a Halloween movie at all (it might as well be set in January) and it's really just a masked killer stalking annoying characters in house rigged with internet cameras. Like any modern film dealing with (then) modern technology, it's going to be dated in a matter of months. Unintentional laughs arise when we see just how slow text messaging was in 2002. The film's storyline also jumps to one of the contestants internet boyfriend at a Halloween party where the guests are watching the stream. This reduces the already minuscule suspense even further. Busta Rhymes is absolutely atrocious as one of the producers, with the other one being played by Tyra Banks. You know when Tyra Banks comes off as subdued and not annoying that the person she's paired with must be god awful. Thomas Ian Nicholas, Sean Patrick Thomas and genre fave Katee Sakhoff also appear. GRADE: D
RANKING:
1. Halloween
2. Halloween II
3. Halloween H20
4. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (both versions)
5. Halloween 3
6. Halloween 4
7. Halloween 5
8. Halloween: Resurrection
So yeah, I skipped the Rob Zombie remakes. Maybe another year...
Anyways, it was fun watching this franchise the past month. Next year: Friday the 13th. It's time for me to finally do that!
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