The Halloween Saga: Rob Zombie's Halloween II

Family is Forever

When Rob Zombie's Halloween was released it was a blast of fresh air that was sorely needed in the Halloween franchise. It was well made, scary, enjoyable and ended up making more money (unadjusted for inflation) than any other Halloween movie had before.

Pretty much right after the release, and subsequent success of Halloween, the producers green lit a sequel. And due to the overall good word of Rob Zombie's version, the producers gave him carte blanche do do whatever he wanted for the follow up.

While he worked on the exciting follow up more reboots were hitting the theatres. Friday the 13th came back and tried to reboot the series. The film started off really nicely but ended up rather weak at the end. Another reboot included the worse than the original Prom Night and news of an all new Nightmare on Elm Street.

Even though the reboot was working and making money at the box office, it seemed like a new craze was taking off. One that has been tried many times in cinema's history but always only lasted a few years. That craze was 3D and movies like the fourth Final Destination and My Bloody Valentine raked in the cash.

So when Halloween II was announced for an August 28th, 2009 release date it seemed to be coming in a turbulent time for the horror industry. Even still, after the great success of the first (ninth) film hopes were held high for the latest entry in the Halloween saga.

Halloween II opens with a great 10 minute sequel that echoes the original Halloween II. But sadly, as soon as that opening ends, the movie falls apart and sinks in the overweight of it's own ambitions. It is truly amazing that the man most responsible for the best Halloween film since the original could go on to make one of the worst entrants in the series.

Before the bad is discussed, let's mention the good. The entire surviving cast returns for this movie as does Sherri Moon Zombie as Michael's mother and for the most part, all the returning actors deliver solid performances. The opening scene is scary and tense and echoes not only the original Halloween II but Zombie's 2007 entrant in the series. That's about it for the good.

Where to begin with the bad. To start off with, expect for Brad Dourif and Danielle Harris, the returning actors (who are all playing the same characters) seem to be playing somebody else. The characters are not at all like the people they were in the first movie. I understand the idea that the events of the first film changed these characters, but to such a degree just didn't work.

Then there is the casting of young Michael Myers. A new child actor plays him and other than having the same hairstyle, this new kid just can't compare. He is bland and boring and unlike Daeg Faerch he just doesn't seem menacing, scary or believe. And Sherri Moon returns as Michael's mother, is given a much larger part, and totally destroy's all believability. Her acting wasn't strong in the previous film but here it is just terrible.

Which brings me to the story. Supernatural links, ghosts, an egotistical Doctor Loomis, psychiatry sessions, and a whole slew of contrived moments make up this loose collection of scenes that somewhat resemble a story. What was Rob Zombie thinking when he wrote this. Its as if he took everything that worked for Halloween and removed it for this film.

Even Michael Myers is bad in this film. In the last film he was perfect. Tyler Mane embodied everything that one could ask for in Michael Myers. Here, not only is he walking in fields for most of the movie, but he looks like a homeless guy (which isn't scary). A long beard and tattered clothes and he barely ever wears his mask. (Incidentally, it is never explained how he survived and why there is no hole in his mask after taking a close up shot to the head at the end of the first film.) In this film, for some reason, Myers grunts and grunts and grunts and even says something near the end of the film. What? Why?

Halloween II is long and boring and not very well edited. It is very dark and  shot terribly. Most of the time it is to hard to see what is going on. 2007's Halloween left a lasting impression on my psyche, this film I can't wait to forget about. With bad death scenes, stupid characters, bad acting, bad lighting, pretty much bad everything Halloween II has to be one of the most disappointing films I have ever seen. So much promise based on the first film and nothing delivered (minus the first 15 minutes). That first 15 minutes really elevates this review and without it I wouldn't be surprised if this film even got 20%.


Film Rating: 44%

Breakdown (How Halloween II scored 44%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 5 out of 10
Re-playability: 2 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Costumes: 5 out of 10
Directing: 3 out of 10
Editing: 3 out of 10
Acting: 5 out of 10
Music: 5 out of 10
Script: 2 out of 10

The Halloween Saga: Rob Zombie's Halloween

Evil Has A Destiny

Halloween: Resurrection came and went without much notice. It did poorly at the box office and was poorly received by critics and audiences alike. Even though the ending left room for a sequel, the possibilities for a ninth Halloween film were looking somewhat bleak.

Original films like The Ring (although a remake) and 28 Days Later were fairing well at the box office and it seemed like the generic slasher film was coming to another end. But in August of 2003, Freddy vs. Jason was released and ate up box office receipts. It seemed like the sure fire way to make money and bring audiences back in droves was to combine icons like Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger into one movie.

Another way of doing this was the reboot. Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn of the Dead were two of the first and both did quite well with audiences. Horror was booming and it was looking good that a new Halloween film would emerge.

On November 11, 2005, sad news hit the world of the Halloween franchise. Moustapha Akkad had died. The producer and man responsible for the continuing legacy had been killed. Along with his daughter, the two were killed in Jordan when a suicide bomber detonated his bomb. It was a sad day for his family, his fans and the world.

Malek Akkad, his son, took over the reigns and in 2006 began the process of making a new Halloween film. He, like many others, jumped on the reboot idea and hired Rob Zombie to direct the latest Halloween. And on August 31, 2007, Rob Zombie's vision of Halloween was released on the world.

This Halloween, by far, is the best Halloween film since the original. It outshines every sequel, including the great H20 and it brings new life to the series. Zombie added much to the story rather than just making a straight out remake and in the process fleshes out the characters and gives them more meaning.

The first hour of the film takes place following Michael Myers from a kid to an adult, from a torturous home life to the murder of his family to the sanatorium and his eventual escape. The rest of the movie is a remake and homage to the original film.

Dr. Loomis, now played by the great Malcolm McDowell, has more character than ever before. He has feelings, is troubled and feels not only responsible for Michael but like they are part of each other. Michael Myers as a boy comes off great. He is troubled and menacing and evil. We see anger and pain and trouble in his eyes and face and when he grows up we see it all in his eyes as the brooding adult he becomes.

Tyler Mane plays the adult Michael. He is a big man and he plays Michael brilliantly. His portrayal of Michael is probably portrayed here the best in the whole series, and yes, that includes the original. He is large and scary and says a lot with his eyes. He moves right, he acts right and after 8 Halloween films, if a viewer was to picture Michael Myers in their head, Tyler Mane as Myers is what they would picture.

The rest of the cast (minus Sheri Moon Zombie) are all great in the roles and bring lots to the film. Sheri Moon is the weakest link but even still she isn't terrible. The casting is great and features horror and film icons in many roles. Brad Dourif, Ken Foree, William Forsythe, Dee Wallace and Danny Trejo all make appearances (and that's just the tip of the iceberg). Danielle Harris of  Halloween 4 and 5 is back too, this time playing the best friend of Laurie Strode, and she makes a welcome return to the series.

The music too is just top notch. Tyler  Bates original score is haunting and noisy; modern and scary. He incorporates the original haunting theme in many areas of the film and really blends the two together well. As well, all the songs one remembers from Halloween and the sequels are present in this movie and show up as little homages through out. The music really works well and brings much to the film.

Great cinematography and great colours are present throughout. This is by far the bloodiest Halloween and the props and make-up department do a great job. Zombie's directing is excellent and he has created a jarring, tense and nerve racking experience. The editing is well done too, although the film could maybe be cut by about ten minutes, but otherwise everyone has worked at the top of their game for this film.

Rob Zombie's Halloween is filled with terror, scares, blood, gore and nudity. It has terrific directing, great acting, excellent music and the best of the best of the brooding Michael Myers. Although not as simple as the original, and maybe just a tad to long, audiences will be thrilled and exciting when watching this film. It brings Halloween back to it's basic, while at the same time it brings a whole new slew of originality to the story.

Whether one is a Halloween fan, or a horror movie fan who has never seen a Halloween film before, they really cannot go wrong by sitting down for two hours and watching Rob Zombie's immaculate version of Halloween.


Film Rating: 85%

Breakdown (How Halloween: Resurrection scored 85%):

Production Design: 9 out of 10
Cinematography: 9 out of 10
Re-playability: 9 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Costumes: 8 out of 10
Directing: 8 out of 10
Editing: 8 out of 10
Acting: 8 out of 10
Music: 10 out of 10
Script: 8 out of 10

The Halloween Saga: Halloween - Resurrection

Evil Comes Home

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later ended up being the best of the sequels in the Halloween saga. It was well made, well reviewed and eaten up at the box office. Unadjusted for inflation, it was the biggest money maker in the series. As well, it seemed to have put an end to the series with an ending where Michael Myers literally loses his head.

Around the release of H20, the horror industry was in an interesting time. Scream had reinvigorated the slasher (and horror in general) film at the box office. Horror movies were making money and doing well and being talked about. But unlike the original era of slasher films, where they dominated the box office for over a decade, the slasher as king didn't last nearly as long.

In 1999, one movie came out that reshaped the face of horror. And like the original Halloween in 1978, it was a low budget independent film that went on to break box office records. This movie was The Blair Witch Project and it scared audiences to the tune of $140,000,000, an unheard of number for the type of film it was.

Blair Witch was a found footage, faux documentary horror film. The camera was hand held and shaky and was controlled by the characters in the film. It was shot on film and video and it had a simple story. And like 1978's Halloween, it had no gore, no special effects, a simple story and about an hour and a half of sheer terror.

That's not to say the slasher film didn't play it's part at the movies. A new Friday the 13th (although now they were 'Jason' movies) film was released, a third Scream came out and a new original slasher style film came out called Final Destination. Horror was doing well and on July 12th, 2002 Halloween returned to the big screen.

Halloween: Resurrection follows the continuing story of H20, and like that film it ignores parts four to six. It turns out that Laurie had chopped off the wrong person's head, not Michael's. Technically this doesn't make sense based on the behaviour of the man behind the mask in the last 10 minutes of H20, but as a Halloween fan, sitting in the audience, one can let it go.

Resurrection goes on to wrap up the story of Michael and his sister and introduces a new story line. Michael returns home to Haddonfield, to his house and finds a reality game show being filmed there. Hence he has to knock off the people in his house, one by one and in increasingly gruesome ways. The reality game show allows for Resurrection to throw in a bit of a Blair Witch influence. Each character in the house gets their own camera and thus the view switches back and forth between shaky, video style footage and nicely framed, smooth film footage.

This makes for an interesting idea, and some cool scenes with Michael making his way through the halls and not being noticed by anyone except the audience, but overall Resurrection fails as a movie. First and foremost it fails because it is not scary. Myers himself works pretty well, he seems looming and scary, he walks the right way and he has the creepy head tilt, but once again he no longer looms in the background for very long. He's always clearly visible and ready to strike. Technically, for Resurrection's given story, this makes sense, but it doesn't work for the scare factor.

Like Halloween II, this film is directed by Rick Rosenthal. When he made part two he had taken Michael Myers and made him less of a realistic monster. He made the second Halloween a film filled with jump scares and didn't capture the tension that the original did. And following H20, he does the same thing here. 

But it isn't only the lack of terror that makes Resurrection ultimately fail. The story is plain and generic (although the first 10 minutes with Jamie Leigh Curtis are pretty good) and the dialogue is pretty poor. Most of the actual dialogue sounds fake and expositional, where the characters instead of sounding like they are talking to each other end up having conversations that spell out the story for the audience.

The acting for the most part is okay. The acting by the staff at the hospital is sub par but all the leads do a pretty decent job. Although his performance isn't bad, Busta Rhymes does end up sinking the movie some what. His character says some really stupid things and in one scene he  does some really cheesy and out of place kung fu poses and noises before he drop kicks Michael Myers. What was Rosenthal thinking when he included that?

Another really strange omission is a wide shot of the Myer's house. Although it sounds small, a wide shot to show the outside of the house would of helped the atmosphere of the film in many ways. For example, seeing the Myer's house in a wide shot, establishing to the audience that they were back to where it all began could of built up tension, but for some inexplicable reason, all the audience ever gets is interior shots and quick close ups of various outside features. 

The film is rather well shot, with great choreography and editing, especially when you take into account that in addition to the film cameras, there were the six or seven video cameras that were used throughout the film. So the film does flow nicely and never really leaves the audience bored. But when all is said and done, and the end credits start to roll, especially after H20, Halloween: Resurrection sadly end ups  leaving one with a strong and overbearing feeling of disappointment.

 Film Rating: 64%

Breakdown (How Halloween: Resurrection scored 64%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 7 out of 10
Re-playability: 6 out of 10
Originality: 6 out of 10
Costumes: 7 out of 10
Directing: 6 out of 10
Editing: 7 out of 10
Acting: 7 out of 10
Music: 7 out of 10
Script: 4 out of 10

The Halloween Saga: Halloween H20 - 20 Years Later

20 Years Ago, HE Changed The Face Of Halloween. Tonight He's Back!

The sixth Halloween film, came and went in a blink of an eye. It was a waste of time for everyone involved, including the audience. With it's troubled production, reshoots and complete reworking of the story the movie ended up failing on virtually every level.

Since the late 80's it seemed that that slasher film itself was dying. They weren't performing as well, if at all, at the box office and their stories were getting more contrived and unoriginal with each passing film.   By the mid 90's the slasher film had all but died and very few were being released or even slated for production.

But all that changed in 1996. One movie was released and brought new life to the slasher film. That movie was Scream. Not only was it highly original, but it was scary, really funny and a well made homage to the original Halloween. It was a huge hit with audiences, raking in box office coin and shot new life into the slasher film genre.

Right away a new slate of Slasher films went into production and were released as fast as possible. I know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend are just a few that came out in the wake of Scream.  Jamie Lee Curtis had seen Scream, and realizing that Halloween was approaching it's twentieth anniversary, she approached it's writer to help her develop a new Halloween film starring Laurie Strode.  And so, on August 5th, 1998, with slasher films enjoying new life, Halloween returned to theatres with Halloween H20: 20 Years Later.

H20, it turns out, is the best Halloween film since the original. It is well directed, well acted, funny, scary and enjoyable from start to finish. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, a cast of young talented actors, Janet Leigh of Psycho, and Nancy Stephens who reprises her role from the first two Halloween films.

In regards to the story, this film is a continuation of events following Halloween II. Parts four to six are thrown out the window and are treated as though they never existed. Laurie has faked her own death and is living under a fake name in a secluded town as a head mistress of a private school. She has a son, a boyfriend and a cabinet full of medications that help her get through her days. And of course, Michael Myers comes after her and her son.

Right away H20 recreates the mood and tension that the first Halloween film was so good at. From the opening shots the audience is aware that Michael Myers is there, even without seeing him. And when they finally do, he is lurking in the shadows and backgrounds, teasing his victims and scaring the audiences, again just like the first film. Even though H20 is a little gorier than the original, it mimics it's style perfectly and makes for a very fun and scary ride.

Unlike some of the previous Halloween films, especially the sixth one, H20 got Michael Myers right. He hasn't seemed this scary or real since the original. His mask looks perfect, his body language is perfect and his walk is as menacing as ever. Credit goes to the man behind the mask, Chris Durand, as well as the director Steve Miner (who directed Friday the 13th parts 2 and 3). Miner does a terrific job directing and mimicking the style of the first film. Balancing humor and scares together is not an easy feat but Miner pulls it off with aplomb.   As well, he and the writers have included nods to other films including Scream and Psycho.

The film is nicely shot with smooth movements and great eerie lighting. The sets are realistic and the gore and effects look very real. The music is great and makes the pulse race, and plays around with the Halloween theme in new and exciting ways. And the editing is smooth and flows together well within the constraints of the story. There seems not to be a wasted frame in the 86 minute run time of the film.

It's a shame that Donald Pleasance wasn't around to make this film. Watching him as Loomis, along side Curtis as Strode would of been the greatest thing since sliced bread. But what we get instead is a well made sequel that was (if you don't count the alternate storyline) 18 years in the making.

H20 is fun and scary and funny and enjoyable and it delivers on all levels. It is well made, has great death scenes, great acting and a great story. And unlike most of the previous entrants in the Halloween films, it has a definitive ending that wraps things up nicely. And like most of the previous entrants in the Halloween films, it leaves you wanting more.


Film Rating: 80%

Breakdown (How Halloween H20: 20 Years Later scored 80%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 7 out of 10
Re-playability: 9 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Costumes: 8 out of 10
Directing: 8 out of 10
Editing: 8 out of 10
Acting: 8 out of 10
Music: 9 out of 10
Script: 8 out of 10

The Halloween Saga: Halloween - The Curse of Michael Myers

The Only Thing More Terrifying Than How It Began, Is How It Will End.

Halloween 5 came and went at the box office. Although a better movie than part four, it didn't perform as well at the box office. Audiences it seemed, were tired of the slasher genre of films. The last Friday the 13th (Part 8) and Nightmare on Elm Street (Part 5) had bad performances at the box office too. After 11 years it appeared that the slasher film was dying out.

As the 90's rolled in there were few slasher films to be seen. Friday the 13th seemed to have ended and the Nightmare series claimed to finish itself off in 1991 with the sixth film, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. Horror was taking on new (or at least different) ideas and the successes at the cinema screens were vastly different than the slasher films that dominated the 80's. Misery and Bram Stoker's Dracula were 2 of the biggest successes of the early 90's but in short, horror just wasn't pulling in the numbers.

In 1993, Jason goes to Hell: The Final Friday was released and was poorly received by both critics and audiences. The lack of horror movies and the lack of box office gold for horror movies seemed to have put a dent in the plans of Moustapha Akaad in regards to the Halloween franchise. Halloween 5 ended with lots of mystery and intrigue and, even more so than the first four films, was begging for a sequel to continue the story.

Thus production began many years later and on September 29th, 1995, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers was released. It continues the story of Jamie and Michael Myers, and answers who 'the man in black' was. It brings back Tommy Doyle, the boy that Laurie Strode babysat in the first Halloween and it ups the gore to levels never yet seen in a Halloween film.

But Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is also the worst film in the series. It is terribly directed, has even worse editing and for the most part the acting is terrible. The cinematography is terrible and Michael Myers doesn't even look right. It feels rushed and choppy and really has no ending.

Other than Paul Rudd (in his big screen debut) and Donald Pleasance (in has last performance), the acting in Halloween is sub par. The girl who plays Jamie (formerly Danielle Harris) is a terrible actress and many of the supporting roles are so stiffly acted that it's a wonder that Rudd and Pleasance come off as good as they do. Michael Myers too, is terrible in this film. He seems shorter, and has a pot belly. He walks and acts differently and the thing that is most off is his mask. It just doesn't look the same as it always has; and with all those changes Michael Myers comes off as an un-scary, pale impostor of the real menace from the previous films.

The look of the film is terrible too. For the most part it is to dark and things can't be seen well enough. It has shaky and badly choreographed photography and abismal editing. For no reason at all, and in impossible and stupid ways, there is an abundance of gore that makes absolutely no sense. Gore works well when it's done right, but to have a head explode, in glorious detail, just because, doesn't work. In fact, virtually every death in this film is very un-Michael Myers like.

Coming out of part five, the filmmakers attempted something very ambitious with this film, but ended up failing more often than not. The resolution of 'the man in black' story is rather weak and disappointing. It was a great idea to have Tommy Doyle back, older and wiser, who states over and over again that he knows how to kill Myers. In the end, he beats him up and runs away, again very weak. There is a scene where Loomis and a cop are looking at a murder scene. There is a large (re-occurring symbol burned into some haystacks. The cop asks what it is and Loomis says 'it's his mark', referring to Myers. This makes no sense in the context of both the previous films and this film.
The whole first hour of this film seems to be building to something. Although badly shot, badly acted and badly edited it is somewhat watchable. Then as the resolution to the film begins it starts to fall apart. By the time the end rolls by the editing and story both become incomprehensible. There is actually no ending to this film. It just ends. The last 15 minutes of The Curse of Michael Myers is so badly edited and put together it almost feels like the filmmakers just gave up and never finished their film.

Other than Paul Rudd and Donald Pleasance (who isn't even utilized enough), the only other merit to this film is the fact that, unlike part five, the Myers house is actually the Myers house. The last film used his house in the storyline but used a house that looked nothing like the house from the original films. This film at least brought back the original house, which turned out to be the scariest thing in the movie.

Although slightly enjoyable for the first hour, with uncharacteristically great murders, and a little bit of nudity thrown in for good measure, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is a big mess that is a complete waste of time. With high ambitions it had the potential to be great, instead it is a muddled heap of confusion and incomprehensibility. There is really no reason to watch this film, unless you are ploughing through the Halloween series and if you are, when this film ends you will be left with a very strong feeling of sadness. Sadness for Donald Pleasance, who's great career ended on such a poor and utterly terrible note.


Film Rating: 36%

Breakdown (How Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers scored 36%):

Production Design: 5 out of 10
Cinematography: 3 out of 10
Re-playability: 4 out of 10
Originality: 3 out of 10
Costumes: 3 out of 10
Directing: 3 out of 10
Editing: 3 out of 10
Acting: 5 out of 10
Music: 5 out of 10
Script: 2 out of 10

The Halloween Saga: Halloween 5

Michael Lives. And This Time They're Ready!

Halloween 4 was released in theatres and spent two weeks in the number one spot at the box office. Michael Myers was back and dominating the box office, and pretty much right away a sequel was given the go ahead. Halloween had returned, and like it's many imitators it officially entered the realm of the slasher film serial drama.

At the end of part four, Michael was dead and his niece, in a twist ending, had taken his place as 'pure evil'. The series was poised to move into new places and new realms of terror. 1989 came and saw the release of more Sleepaway Camp's, Nightmare on Elm Street's and Friday the 13th's. But as Halloween had returned to its roots and Michael Myers joined the echelon of horror movie icons, things began to change.

Audiences, it seemed, were growing somewhat tired of the slasher genre. The idea of seeing the same story play out again and again, with very little, if any, originality was starting to get old. The fifth Nightmare (in as many years) and the eighth Friday, just didn't play as well as the movies that came before. Audiences, it seemed, were ready for something new. And Halloween 5 was poised to do just that.

On October 13th, 1989, almost exactly one year after Halloween 4 was released, Halloween 5 debuted in theatres. The film opens up with the death of Michael Myers in part four, only this time you see he doesn't actually die. And although things had seemed like they would be different, within the first five minutes, it becomes clear that Halloween 5 is just going to deliver more of the same. After the abismal fourth entry in the series, and the poor (er) performances at the box office for Halloween's rivals, more of the same might not of been a good idea.

But surprisingly, Halloween 5 delivers more thrills and chills and entertainment than it's predecessor and makes for a rather enjoyable hour and forty minutes. Halloween 4, unlike the original and first sequel, seemed more like Friday the 13th (without the gore) than a Halloween movie. Halloween 5, on the other hand, feels like a true Halloween movie (with Friday the 13th gore).

In the first Halloween, Michael lurked in the backgrounds and shadows, hiding and watching and waiting for the right time to strike. This is what made Michael Myers scary. Part four ignored this aspect and had Michael up front, in the foreground, barely in shadows and thus much less terrifying. Part five brings back the shadows and the darkness, the lurking and the following, the scariness and the tension.
As well, unlike the fourth film, the man behind the mask, the man who played Michael Myers, actually felt imposing, and large and frightening. He moved right, he walked right, he wielded knives the right way and most importantly he tilted his head just the right way. Not since the first film did Michael Myers feel and act so right.

Other than the man behind the mask, the whole surviving cast of part four returns here, and again, unlike the fourth film, the acting isn't half bad. Donald Pleasance is his usual great self as Dr. Loomis and Danielle Harris brings out a stronger and more well rounded performance as Jamie then she did a year previous. She carries the picture and is a joy to watch. Not all of the acting is as good as hers but it is a sure improvement over the last entry. The main reason for this, it seems, is the director.

Helmed by Frenchman, Dominique Othenin-Girard, Halloween 5 is a rather well directed slasher flick. It has moody atmosphere, some great (not as good as Dean Cundey's glorious work in the first three films) cinematography and lighting, and decent editing. It has a cohesive, if not great, story and it flows well from the opening moments until the closing moments of the film.

The story has Michael once again chasing after Jamie, but thrown into the mix is a psychic connection between the two of them and a mysterious 'man in black' who keeps popping up in unexpected times and places. Who is this 'man in black' and what is he up to? The answer, it seems, will be told in the next film or films in the series.

There are many weak spots in the story though, like the inclusion of Rachel (Jamie's 'sister' from part four) 's friend, who for no reason is incredibly attached to Jamie and vice versa. Or that many incidents from the fourth film are forgotten, ignored or disregarded to make this film work. Probably the biggest and most frustrating inconsistency is the Myers house. The first two movies made Michael's house legendary and in this film the house makes another appearance, only the viewer at first doesn't know it. It looks different in shape, colour and design, and since not much exposition is given, it is kind of confusing as to where people are when they first get there.

But Halloween 5 does have some good gory deaths. It has nudity and sex. It has Michael Myers acting like Michael Myers. It has great atmosphere and creative and interesting camera work. It has decent acting and scary moments. It has unexpected deaths and an unexpected ending. It has all the right touches to make Halloween 5 a worthy sequel in the Halloween saga and a worthy entry in the sky high pile of slasher films. Even though it didn't deliver on the promise of something new that part four left the audience with, it still did what part four didn't and couldn't do. It brought Michael Myers back home.


Film Rating: 63%

Breakdown (How Halloween 5 scored 63%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 7 out of 10
Re-playability: 6 out of 10
Originality: 5 out of 10
Costumes: 5 out of 10
Directing: 7 out of 10
Editing: 7 out of 10
Acting: 7 out of 10
Music: 7 out of 10
Script: 5 out of 10

The Halloween Saga: Halloween 4 - The Return Of Michael Myers

Ten years ago HE changed the face of halloween. Tonight HE'S BACK!

Halloween III came and went in theaters. It was poorly received by critics and audiences alike and had no impact on the box office. Audiences were disappointed by the film, thinking nothing of the actual movie and even worse, thinking they were ripped off because Season of the Witch was not a 'Halloween' movie.  John Carpenter and Debra Hill left the series and went on to do other things and effectively the Halloween series was dead.

But the slasher subgenre of horror was still thriving. New films were being released such as Slumber Party Massacre and Sleepaway camp. In 1984, the fourth Friday the 13th movie was released and like Halloween, it called for the end of the series. And like the previous entrants in the series, it was a box office success. A few months later another seminal horror movie was released: A Nightmare on Elm Street.  With huge box office receipts for the film a sequel was rushed into production.

Over the next few years the slasher film was officially cemented into the annals of cinema history. Not only were they exceptionally popular but they created movie series that continually saw audiences excited for one more movie. From 1985 to 1988 three more Friday movies were released, three more Nightmare movies were released and even Texas Chainsaw Massacre got a sequel. This isn't even counting the countless other films in the genre that came out, such as Silent Night, Deadly Night and Cheerleader Camp.

The one common thing about all these movies, other than the fact that most were carbon copies of each other, is that minus a movie or two, they were all hated by critics. Which of course makes sense, as they had very little in the way of a story, showed lots of nudity for no apparent reason and had increasingly violent scenes of gore. But audiences cared less for the critics and flocked to the silver screen time and time again (or rented the video over and over again).

And so it was that in 1988, ten years after Halloween created this subgenre of film, Moustapha  Akkad secured the rights to the franchise and decided to cash in on the genre that he helped create. And on October 21st, 1988, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers was released. The first Halloween was original, scary, and well made, the second was well made and fun and the third was original and different. Halloween 4 pales in comparison, not only to the three films that came before it but to many of the imitators that followed in the original Halloween's wake.

Right from the beginning of this film things just seemed off. The credit sequence done so effectively in the first three is gone. Instead we get shots of barns, and painted skulls and windmills with the sun setting behind it. Sure it sets the mood of the halloween season, but it isn't very Halloween.

Once the story kicks in, we find that Michael Myers and Dr, Loomis didn't die at the end of part II, they were just horribly burned, and Myers has been lying in a coma for ten years. Laurie is dead, and her daughter is living with family. And so Myers awakens to go after her while Loomis chases after him.

The acting in Halloween 4 is by far the worst of all the four films. Ellie Cornell, the female lead, is rather stiff and stilted and Danielle Harris, who plays Laurie's daughter Jamie, is a great screamer and can show fear rather well, but when it comes to crying and other emotions she just falls apart.

Donald Pleasance is the only returning actor and as usual his performance is rather good but as a viewer one can't help but feel sad for him every time he appears on screen. He puts so much into his role and loves the character but everything else around him is so badly done that it becomes depressing watching him perform.
Take Michael Myers for example. While a terrible force of evil in the first film and a gruesome killing machine in the second, here he is rather lame. Not only does he move differently (no awkward and eerie head movements) but he just doesn't seem that imposing. He is seen mostly in full frame shots with lots of light and thus he just isn't that scary.  What made Myers so scary to begin with was his ability to become one with the shadows.

And the deaths in this film, minus two shots of gore, are pretty lame. They take place off screen for the most part, which seems to be a deliberate attempt at recreating the feel of the original. But in the original, Myers only murdered three people and although there was not much blood and gore, all three deaths were seen on screen in glorious terrifying detail. Here you don't see the deaths, instead the filmmakers either cut away from them or a character stumbles upon them long after they were killed.

The direction by Dwight H. Little is terrible in this movie. The editing is poor and the cinematography is weak. Gone are the glorious widescreen shots of Dean Cundey, only to be replaced by unintentionally shaky and bland shots with generic lighting and poor framing. The editing is choppy and doesn't flow well and the film, although only 88 minutes and the shortest in the series, ends up feeling a lot longer than it's predecessors. And although Halloween III had a lot of plot holes, part 4 makes it seem like an oscar winning screenplay.

Sure Myers can do some incredible things; find people when he should have no idea where they are; drive a car with out learning how to; but in this movie Myers has become something more. Now Myers can appear in one part of town in one scene  and in the next he can be in a completely different part of that town. He appears anywhere where the story needs him to be with no regard for logic, spatial awareness or sensibility. And when Loomis is looking for the schoolhouse, in Haddonfield of all places, he needs help, even though he has been there before.

After 7 years of waiting for Michael Myers to return to the big screen, he finally does and boy oh boy does he disappoint. There are very few good things to say about this movie.  The best thing about it is the Halloween theme by John Carpenter, and even that isn't heard enough. Donald Pleasance puts his all into the role but is let down by everything around him and the gore and nudity (now an almost requirement in the slasher films) is virtually non existant. Even when the opportunities arise to deliver the goods, they never happen. From the opening frame to just shy of the last minute, Halloween 4 disappoints. Then in the last minute, a twist arrives. It's rather interesting, it's cool, it's original and it opens up room for a rather original sequel. Other than that, Halloween 4 is a disaster, a mess and a complete waste of time. It should of been called Halloween 4: How to Kill a Franchise.

Film Rating: 40%

Breakdown (How Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers scored 40%):

Production Design: 5 out of 10
Cinematography: 2 out of 10
Re-playability: 4 out of 10
Originality: 3 out of 10
Costumes: 5 out of 10
Directing: 3 out of 10
Editing: 3 out of 10
Acting: 5 out of 10
Music: 7 out of 10
Script: 3 out of 10