Rapid Review: Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

“You failed, Michael. Want to know why? Because I’m not afraid of you.”
– Laurie Strode

SYNOPSIS: Three years after he last terrorized his sister, Michael Myers confronts her again, before traveling to Haddonfield to deal with the cast and crew of a reality show which is being broadcast from his old home. – via IMDB

Holy crapsticks. I know this movie gets a lot of hate, and you know what? Totally justifiable. Like really. I remember this one from when I was younger (I was itty bitty when this came out, so obviously we were checking this out as teens), but what a waste of a film! I especially do not like the fact that it negated the end of H20, which was damn near perfect, and then totally peed all over the Laurie/Michael thing, and the way Laurie was handled here? Criminal. This movie has such a super long, bland title credits opening that I was already regretting this. Something I did think about in this one more than any of the others movies is how we never actually wonder too much about how Michael passes the time between hunting down Laurie/some doomed bloodline. Seriously – what does he do? Where does he get his information? It’s not like he chills at the library or goes to the DMV or anything. Like there were fresh spices in the house now – granted, most likely put there by Dangertainment – but all I could picture was Michael like this:

I know, right?! Anyway. Resurrection touts two disjointed stories – the opening with Laurie and Michael, and their messed up family history, and then this stupid found footage/explore the Myers house on Halloween angle. Ugh. They both sucked. The dialogue is cringe-worthy, and the camera work is shoddy. Plus there was the constant splicing of found footage in here, which felt gimmicky, and you know how much I love found footage. Also, the lead was constantly screaming, which just annoyed the heck out of me. And she didn’t know how to use a chainsaw, which is not the most shocking, but when it is the only thing between you and life or death, make it count! Michael Myers also had a crappy mask in this one, no lies. Hands down the worst sequel of the bunch. The others were fine, but this thing? A disgrace, a mess, a wreck. I totally get why it is so reviled. Pfffffffffff.

Rapid Review: Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

“If you want to stay handcuffed to your dead brother, that’s fine. But you’re not dragging me along. Not anymore.”
– John

SYNOPSIS: Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time and now the life of her own son hangs in the balance. – via IMDB

Heck yeah! I really liked this one. I feel that the sequels in this canon have been okay, but I outright loved this one again. I had a total blast. Michael Myers was sort of a different kind of beast here, different than what we have seen from him so far, but creepy as heck. I liked the story and the plot progression, even though I feel there were flaws. It took a moment to get used to this working in a different timeline from the last, but in a way I thoroughly enjoyed it because it meant no messy explanations trying to shoehorn Jamie in, or how Laurie wasn’t around, or why the son got preference. It just makes for neater storytelling. I really didn’t like Michael’s mask in this one – it made him look super stupid. It was the eyes. The pacing was good for this, and keeps you hooked from the off. The setting was also fantastic – rich boarding school? Heck yeah! I was also a fan of the throwbacks that were in this film, always worth it, and I enjoyed the little bit of humour that was mixed all about in H20. A lot of focus is placed on the emotional issues of actually surviving Michael (explored using Laurie), and how her trauma has affected those around her (son and relationships). It was quite something to see her come out of her shell a bit and fight back against Michael. Goodness knows this is a showdown we have been holding out for! Anyway, I thought that H20 looked good, it was entertaining, had all the relevant tributes, was creepy and had more scares, was pretty well acted, and most importantly, it was fun. Worth a watch, and an awesome memorial movie.

Rapid Review: Halloween II (1981)

“He was my patient for fifteen years. He became an obsession with me until I realized that there was nothing within him, neither conscious nor reason that was… even remotely human.”
– Dr Sam Loomis

SYNOPSIS: While Sheriff Brackett and Dr. Loomis hunt for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to hospital, and the serial killer is not far behind her. – via IMDB

The first sequel to Halloween is not bad. In fact, it is a darn solid entry, if you ask me. It takes place on the same night as its predecessor, and pretty much entirely goes down at the Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and that’s great. Initially when watching this, I thought the sheriff was awfully calm about his daughter Annie being killed, only to find out he had not been informed of this development, and then he did his nut, which was far more realistic. The iconic score is back and kicking, and cuckoo-katchoo Michael Myers is back on the hunt for Laurie. When Laurie woke in the hospital with Jimmy stroking her hand, I was like “wtf”, because let me tell you, if I woke up in hospital with some random stranger stroking my hand, there would be hell to pay. No kidding. No touchy, man! The direct continuation from the last movie is interesting, and makes it nice to watch back to back with the initial film as a marathon. It doesn’t bring anything super new to the table, and the plot progression barrels along. I don’t feel that the characters got as much development here as they did in the last movie, but they were still really fun to watch. Myers was way more aggressive in this one. The deaths improved here, too, which just goes to show what a little bit of extra budget can do. Loomis and Laurie were both excellent characters, and Pleasence and Curtis were brilliant picks to play them. Anyway, the atmosphere was maybe not as creepy as the last, but Halloween II is a solid movie that is well worth a watch, and complements the original every step of the way. Check it out!

Rapid Review: Halloween (1978)

“You’ve got to believe me, Officer, he is coming to Haddonfield… Because I know him! I’m his doctor! You must be ready for him… If you don’t, it’s your funeral.”
– Dr Sam Loomis

SYNOPSIS: On Halloween night of 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers stabbed his sister to death. After sitting in a mental hospital for 15 years, Myers escapes and returns to Haddonfield to kill. – via IMDB

I have been itching for the longest time to rewatch these movies, it has been a good long while since I have! Finally, I decided screw it, it’s time. Watching Halloween made me super nostalgic for old school horror… this is just how horror is supposed to be. Halloween is a prime example of a fantastic horror, and features the introduction of so many things we take for granted in horror movies nowadays (the final girl, sex = death, etc). I absolutely love the iconic intro tune and score for this movie – people just know what this is, and that’s fantastic! Let’s not forget the simple plot that was given to us to introduce Michael Myers, and his subsequent murder binge. It didn’t want bells and whistles, it was all about the horror, and it shows. The movie is shot well and is very atmospheric, which drives in the creep factor. The movie is also quite a slow burn, which is actually a really good thing (though it makes the movie feel a little longer than it is) – it takes time getting into the meat of the movie, and that is okay. It takes time to unnerve the audience, and then Halloween gets right down to the slash and kill factor. The progression is good, never loses the viewer, and it isn’t over the top, and is accompanied by solid performances and an exceptionally memorable score. This movie is a prime example of how less is most certainly more, more often than not. A million people have sung the praises of this film before me, and probably better than I can. Just know that it is a brilliant old school horror that is well worth the watch!