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
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