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The Nights HE Came Home: The Halloween Franchise Review (10-Film Review)

Happy Halloween, Bidites! In case you don't know, no horror webte celebrates Halloween like HorrorBid, so I decided my contribution would be over the film series so popular, they named a holiday after it! Here we have brief reviews of all ten features in the series, from John Carpenter's 1978 instant clasc to Rob Zombie's awful sequel/remake. At the end you'll find two different rankings of the films, links to other reviews, and a not-so-surpring surprise. Stay tuned Bidites; it's...Halloween 1978 On Halloween night, 1963, x year old Michael Myers brutally slays his older ster and is committed to Smith’s Grove sanitarium. Exactly fifteen years later, he breaks out, hijacks a car, and heads for his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), a teenage girl, is stuck babytting on Halloween night, but little does she know that Michael Myers has come home, sporting a William Shatner mask, and plans to kill her and her friends. Now, the only person who can stop him is Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance), his doctor for the past fifteen years. Here it is: John Carpenter’s immortal clasc of the slasher genre, posbly the most successful independent film ever, and the one that set the stage for the slew of slashers in the ‘80s. What can be said that hasn’t already been stated multiple times by horror fans worldwide? It’s everything that you would expect from a great and effective horror flick. The characters are completely believable, the acting is great, the writing is flawless, the suspense is golden, the killer is creepy, and the score is undeniably one of the best (if not the best) of the horror genre.

Jamie Lee Curtis makes for a likable heroine that you root for till the power-packed end. Michael Myers is highly deserving of his icon status, thanks to Nick Castle’s eerie performance and the blank, featureless mask. Donald Pleasance was equally great as Dr. Loomis. Pleasance was great in such films as You Only Live Twice, The Great Escape, and even the trashterpiece Warrior of the Lost World, but I must say, in Halloween, he gives his greatest performance. Everyone else was great as well, and even though the P.J. Soles character was annoying, I still liked her performance. The main reason I, and millions of others, love it, is the suspense and scares. There are several scenes with Michael just standing at a distance, looking at the actors. Whether it is in the backyard or next to a bush, he has a certain aura of death and dread surrounding him, which translates off the screen perfectly, making Halloween one of the best and scariest slashers ever.

600px-H78_02.jpgThose who have not seen this film can not be condered horror fans, and not just because “everyone else says it’s awesome.” This is genuinely entertaining and suspenseful stuff here. On a first time watch, I found it to be slow, but on a re-watch, when I knew what I was getting into, I loved it. It’s not a fast-paced thrill ride like most of the ‘80s slashers, but it takes its time, which works in favor of the film because he builds up suspense and atmosphere “totally” well.

The Verdict: A horror clasc that deserves its worldwide fan base, Halloween is creepy, suspenseful, scary, and overall, great entertainment that’s perfect viewing this October 31st.

Halloween II 1981 Taking place immediately where the first film left off, Laurie Strode is taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital after surviving Michael Myers’s attempt at her life. However, even though he was shot x times by Dr. Loomis, Michael is still alive and he’s not through with her yet. Myers makes his way to the hospital and terrorizes the night crew there, while a shocking secret in both Michael and Laurie’s pasts emerges. Will anyone survive the night? Will Michael finally be sent to Hell once and for all?

When the topic of great sequels arises, Halloween II always comes to mind for me. It really is a perfect sequel in every way: It takes place immediately after the first film (it really is a great film for the fans), returns a majority of the main cast of the original, takes place at a great location that makes sense, continues the plot of the first while also keeping the great atmosphere and suspense, and it adds a surpring and interesting twist to the whole thing. John Carpenter takes a backseat here and just writes the film with previous collaborator Debra Hill. Rick Rosenthal directs, and it’s interesting to note that he would go on to direct Halloween: Resurrection (more on that later).

For this one, it feels as if they took scenes with the hospital crew, Michael, Loomis, and Laurie, and they decided to give each of them equal amounts of screen time. Due to this, it feels as if there really isn’t any main focus of the film. I’d say Loomis is the main character at the beginning, the hospital workers are the main characters in the middle, and Laurie is the main character near the end, with Michael making appearances throughout the entire film. This time, Dick Warlock replaces Nick Castle, and I have to say, I thought Dick Warlock did a better job. I don’t know why, but I found when Michael was chang Laurie through the hospital basement, I just didn’t get the feeling of dread I got when Nick Castle donned the mask. In the kill scenes, however, I thought he was great. Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance are at it again, with two more breakthrough performances. The rest of the cast is also great, but these two just stand out when looking through and remembering the cast. John Carpenter’s clasc score has been redone here, and even though it isn’t as scary, I found it to be great and really gets you ready for the awesomeness ahead. Halloween II is a rare sequel that manages to get everything right in terms of continuing the original and even expanding upon it. It should come as no surprise to most people that, yes; Michael is actually Laurie’s brother. I thought that twist was great, even if it wasn’t executed that well. The mask vibly differs from the one used in the first installment, but that’s not a huge deal, given how great this film truly is.

The Verdict: Halloween II is fast-paced, creepy, and a lot of fun. I would say it's more entertaining than the first, but the first is scarier, so by all means this is just as great as the original. Would be a fun watch on its own, but highly recommended as a double-feature with the first.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch 1982 In a complete departure from the original films, a man stumbles into a hospital in northern California, clutching a popular Halloween mask and rambling on about how, “They’re going to kill us all.” When the man is gruesomely slaughtered in a grisly murder-suicide, it arouses the curioty of Dr. Dan Challis (Tom Atkins) who meets up with the man’s daughter (Stacey Nelkin) to solve the mystery of what’s really going on. Their journey takes them to the sleepy town of Santa Mira, the location of the headquarters of lver Shamrock Novelties, where they discover a heinous plot devised by Conal Cochran (Dan O’Herlihy) that will kill millions of children worldwide. Can these two lovers put a halt to his plot and finally make Halloween a safe night? Ah, yes…the infamous Halloween III. John Carpenter’s original intent with the rest of the series was to have a standalone horror flick each year, and I must admit, that sounds really awesome. Well, nce most people are small minded dislike change, this film got chastised severely for not including Michael Myers, who had already achieved icon status. This is directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, who was the editor of the original and would go on to direct such films as IT and Fright Night Part 2. Wallace’s direction is superb, and manages to fully capture the feeling of a Carpenter film. Actually, when I first saw this, I thought it was Carpenter directing! I also liked the acting, especially by Tom Atkins. I’m so used to seeing him play a total badass, it was nice to see him tackle a dramatic role and succeed epically. I thought everyone else was great, and even though some of the characters were obnoxious, they still did a neat job.

I found the plotline of a killer masks a little ridiculous, but the way it is executed made it believable. There’s also some weird androids and ung the power of Stonehenge to make the masks kill the child wearing it. I never really got that, but I can accept it as long as it doesn’t muck up the rest of the movie, which it didn’t. There are also some unanswered questions, like why does Cochran want to kill all these children? He said something about returning Halloween to its roots, when they sacrificed animals and children, but why? Is he just insane? Is he some kind of warlock? On a potive note, the prosthetic effects were great, especially nce there are some great, gooey deaths that look very realistic. Like Halloween, upon first viewing, I found it to be rather slow, but when I knew what I was getting into, I thought it was a fun flick. There’s some great scenes, an intriguing mystery, and some great make-up effects, including one of the greatest decapitations I’ve ever seen. Tom Atkins is a stand-out reason why this film works, as well as the great ending. I would have preferred it if they cut down how many times Challis says, “Stop it!” But when it cuts to the credits, I just get chills down my spine.

The Verdict: Halloween III is often regarded as the “complete failure” in the Halloween franchise, when it’s actually a fun, nonsencal flick with great acting, great effects, and solid directing worthy of Carpenter. Worth a viewing, if you can get past some crazy stuff thrown at you and know it has the pacing of the first Halloween. Good fun, if not as good as the first two.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 1988 Ten years after the events of Halloween II, Michael Myers is being transported back to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, when he overhears some of the hospital staff in the ambulance talking about him having a nephew. Michael kills the people in the ambulance, and heads back to Haddonfield to seek out his nephew, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris). As Michael gets closer to Jamie, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, Dr. Loomis, the Haddonfield police, and a group of rednecks are after him, and this time, they’re not playing around. After the colossal failure that was Halloween III, the producers of the Halloween films decided it was time to give the fans what they wanted: Michael back and more destructive than ever. And did they deliver? Oh yeah. Directed by Dwight Little and written by Alan McElroy, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers does a great job giving the fans what they would want from a Halloween film released in the ‘80s. Of course, they've upped the ante in terms of kills and action, because this WAS the ‘80s, and fans weren’t just content with suspense anymore. A very young Danielle Harris plays Jamie Lloyd, and she did a good job, condering her age. Whenever I start complaining to someone about kid actors in movies, they always tell me, “Oh, it’s just a kid…don’t be so harsh.” Well, then I look at something like this or True Grit and I say, “That doesn’t give them an excuse. They could do a whole lot better.”

Michael seems to be totally superhuman in this installment, as he survives gunshots, an ambulance crash, getting run over with a car, etc., as well as ung his hands to rip out someone’s throat, shove his thumb into someone’s skull, and more. While this is a complete departure from the methodical stalker of the first two films (even if he also seemed a little invincible in the second), but I rather liked it. I thought George Wilbur did a great job as Michael, making all the right movements to make Michael a frightening character. The mask, once again, has changed, but this time, it actually makes sense why it looks different, as it is a new mask that Michael picked up at a drugstore. On another note, the film seems to be a sort of remake of the first film, with scenes that bring the first film to mind, yet changing it around somehow. For instance, one person gets a shotgun through the chest and through a door, and is left hanging just like Bob in the first.

Halloween 4 may be just another film in the long line of Halloweens, but it sure is entertaining. There are some great and effective creepy scenes, as well as some scenes played just for entertainment value, which makes for a winning combination. Couple that with one of the greatest endings to a slasher and you’ve got yourself a great watch. People who haven’t seen the first two will enjoy it, while fans of the first two will enjoy it more because of all the references thrown around.

The Verdict: Fun for horror junkies and even better for Halloween fans, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers makes for a fun evening, especially when viewed after a double-feature of Halloween 1 & 2.

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers 1989 One year after the events of Halloween 4, Jamie Lloyd is staying at a psychiatric children’s’ hospital after the traumatizing events of the last film. Michael has returned once again to wreak havoc and terror on Halloween night after a year of hiding out, and Loomis has returned yet again to do battle with him. As Michael stalks and butchers Jamie's friend Tina's friends, Jamie discovers she now has a psychic connection to Michael, and she may know just how to finally stop him. Next to Halloween III, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is one of the most hated out of the Halloween bunch, and probably the most hated film to feature Michael Myers. Well, first let’s discuss the mask. I don’t know how they thought the fans wouldn’t notice how radically different the mask is, but it is so unnatural looking compared to the others, it’s almost hilarious. To me, it doesn’t really matter, because I actually thought it was a kind of cool change. I like to think that if this mask had been used in the first film, I wouldn’t be complaining because I don’t think it looks all that bad. Of course, the original is much scarier by a mile, but oh well. The title is misleading as well, because it’s almost the same plot as 4, and there isn’t any “Revenge of Michael Myers” to be found. Then there’s the man in black, an unknown man wearing a black trench coat and lver-toed boots that bears the same tattoo as Michael on his wrist, and whose identity and purpose would remain a mystery until the xth film, x years later.

However, I find this to be quite an enjoyable little flick, despite a few flaws. Like I said, I thought Michael’s mask looked cool, mainly because it’s so different. At one point in the film, he dons a completely different mask when he picks up Tina, who thinks it’s her boyfriend behind the mask and driving the car. Danielle Harris delivered another great performance, and the same goes for Donald Pleasance, even though I thought he went absolutely nuts at the end, but that was how the sequence was written, not Pleasance’s performance. Don Shanks made for yet another great Michael, with some of those gnature stalking moments that made the first film scary.

Despite a few technical flaws (the Myers house looks radically different; almost like a Gothic cathedral), I found Halloween 5 to be a lot better than most people say it is. Like Halloween 4, there’s a fine mix of pure fun and creepy moments that works well, making Halloween 5 a fine follow-up to Halloween 4 that’s just as good, in my opinion. There are scary moments, awesome moments, great kills, great scenes of suspense, and the acting is good once again. The man behind the mask (Don Shanks) does a wonderful job, and I feel the Loomis character is even more developed, because when he goes batshit at the end, you can really understand why, given the first four films of this franchise. Don't let this one's reputation prevent you from seeking it out; it really is a lot better than you would expect!

The Verdict: If loads of technical flaws bother you, stay away. However, if you can get past those, you’ll find Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers to be quite a delightful viewing experience.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers 1995 Several years after the events of the fifth film, Jamie Lloyd has been kidnapped by a Satanic cult and has given birth to a baby that is the last line of kin in the Myers bloodline. Jamie escapes, but Michael finds her just outde of Haddonfield and kills her. Meanwhile, we are introduced to the Strode family, relatives of Laurie’s adoptive parents, who are now living in the Myers house. Myers returns, seeking the baby of Jamie, who is now in the hands of Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd), the kid Laurie was babytting in the original. So as Michael chops and hacks his way through Haddonfield looking for Doyle, his love interest Kara Strode (Marianne Hagan), her son Danny (Devin Gardner), Dr. Loomis, and the baby, the man in black’s identity and motivations are finally revealed, as well as what makes Michael so bloodthirsty. Like H20, I feel Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is a film made for fans of the original. It’s as if the director of this one asked himself questions like, “Whatever happened to Tommy Doyle, or Laurie’s adoptive family?” and made this film to answer those questions. In fact, I think this film would have been just as scary as the original, if not for this being a Dimenon film. There’s all sorts of flashy editing and unnecessary sound effects in order to get a jump every time a character opens a closet or turns a corner. Actually, even with all those things, Halloween 6 still manages to be quite scary, suspenseful and very, very entertaining. Pleasance returns for a final run as Loomis before his untimely death during production. It’s also interesting that Paul Rudd plays Tommy Doyle, nce the actor who played Tommy in the original declined to appear. I thought Rudd did a solid job along with the rest of the cast, even though I felt his character was a little overplayed in terms of his Michael Myers obseson.

George P. Wilbur returns as Michael, solidifying himself as the first person to don the mask twice (Tyler Mane would do it in Rob Zombie’s Halloween 1 & 2), and I feel he is a lot scarier in this movie. I don’t know if it’s just how he is shot in specific scenes, but he really drives the whole boogeyman feel deep. What I liked about it the most was how much they upped the kills in terms of gruesomeness. Even the ones that aren’t too original or gruesome I still like, such as the axe kill in between the sheets on the clotheslines. I felt they wrapped up the whole “man in black” mystery decently enough, even though it was pretty confung what they wanted from Michael and his bloodline. They introduce some cult aspects, but then they just switch over to this medical aspect. What the hell?

Anyway, no matter how you slice it, I feel Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is pure entertainment all the way. I know I’m going to get buckets of hate for this, but it actually took a scene that was very scary in the original, re-did it in this film, and made it better. It was the scene where Laurie is banging on the door, and Michael is right behind her, walking after her with his knife. They did that in this one, only with Kara banging on the door and once again, Michael is after her. I don’t know why, maybe it’s the way it’s shot, but I find the scene in part 6 to be scarier and more suspenseful than the same part in the original, and that’s really saying something. The kills alone are certainly worth a viewing, as well as the final fifteen minutes in Smith’s Grove (yes, we go inde the hospital). If all these reasons don’t intrigue you, I don’t know what to say, other than you’re misng out on some great stuff.

The Verdict: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is pure, entertaining popcorn fun that should not only please the Halloween fans, but the slasher fans in general.

Halloween: H20 1998 http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/107/MPW-53692 Twenty years after the events of the first two films, Laurie Strode is now working at a fancy private school under the name of Keri Tate, having faked her death after the events of the first two. Her son, John (Josh Hartnett), is planning to stay behind while the rest of the school goes on a field trip to Yosemite for Halloween, along with two of his friends and his girlfriend. Unbeknown to all of them, Michael has returned to finish what he started, but this time, Laurie is ready to face down her brother once and for all. http://i2.listal.com/image/944468/600full-halloween-h20%3A-20-years-later-screenshot.jpg" class="photoborder" />To Jamie Lee Curtis, I say thank you. You see, Curtis realized the twentieth anniversary of John Carpenter’s Halloween was rapidly approaching, so she decided to plan a little 20th-anniversary for the fans that they would never forget: a concluding chapter to the trilogy that was satisfying and finally gave us closure on the franchise. John Carpenter declined returning to direct, and if this is how a different director did, I would have loved to see how Carpenter would have done Halloween: H20. Now, of course, Curtis gives a marvelous performance, and it so satisfying to see her go from mple survivor of the first two to kick-ass heroine. LL Cool J is in it as well, and even though his character really serves no purpose, he ngle-handedly broke the rules by proving the black guy can survive! Yes, the rest of the cast does a good job, as with a majority of these Halloween flicks.

Also, for the first time, Michael wears a mask where his eyes are completely vible. Even though it strips him of his eerie supernatural presence, I like how it makes him human so the audience fully grasps that this truly is Laurie’s brother, only behind a mask. There are some great creepy moments sprinkled throughout the first half, such as the opening with the nurse from the original, even played by the original actress, who discovers her house has been broken into and her teen neighbor goes in to investigate. The second half is mainly Laurie deciding it’s time to stop running from her past and face Michael, fire axe in hand. Even though I liked how we got to see what happened to the nurse from part one, the greatest in-joke is Janet Leigh as Strode (or Tate)’s secretary. She drives the same car that she drove in Psycho, and repeats Sheriff Brackett’s legendary quote from the original.

It may be obvious that Halloween: H20 is a film made in the Scream-era (it has that whole nineties slasher feeling), but it’s far from something like that. It decides to completely ignore parts 4-6, and opts to continue the storyline created in the first two. Just to see the full formation of Jamie Lee Curtis’s character over three films is great; going from frightened teenager to badass adult is entirely worth the purchase. Even though I raised my eyebrow at acting like the middle installments never happened, the way it ties up all the loose ends and is a satisfying concluon makes it one of the best sequels in the franchise, and posbly the best concluding chapter in a series ever.

The Verdict: Loaded with in-jokes and references, Halloween: H20 is a completely delightful concluon to a great franchise (try and ignore Resurrection and this plays even better). Bonus points for “Mr. Sandman” playing in the opening and Michael taking a shot to the balls!

Halloween: Resurrection 2002 Directed by Rick Rosenthal, who directed the awesome Halloween II, one would expect a great movie, right? I mean, when I first heard about the premise, I thought it sounded really cool, with each contestant having their own POV camera behind their ear. Well, guess what? This movie sucks. As I was watching the franchise, I knew there was going to be a film with bad acting somewhere down the line, and this is it! Bianca Kajlich is a complete joke, because not only can she not act, but she phycally can’t scream either, which is why all her screams are dubbed and sound the same. The rest of the cast is better, but that’s not saying much. In fact, I think the only actor that was decent enough in this crapfest was Ryan Merriman as Myles (Deckard). Tyra Banks was also decent, but she barely had any dialogue at all. And then there’s Busta Rhymes. Nuff said.

Really the only good thing about this movie is the kills. There are a few inventive ones on display, with the best being death by camera tripod. However, even though this film is made to tenth degree, it’s hilarious how awful it gets! Near the end, Busta Rhymes opens up a can of whoop-ass on Michael, and starts ung his kung-fu powers on him. Then there’s the scene where Rhymes’s character dresses like Michael and enters the house to scare the contestants, while the real Michael follows him. Rhymes, thinking it’s the misng cameraman, starts yelling at him, to which Michael just walks away. What?!? Why didn’t he kill him?!? But the real insult to the fans is the killing of Laurie Strode. Not only did this film contradict H20 by saying it wasn’t Michael behind the mask (why didn’t the paramedic just take off the mask, and why did he attack Laurie in the ambulance?), but it killed off the series’ major character in the biggest middle finger to the fans!

Halloween: Resurrection is a bad movie in every sense of the word. The acting is awful, the dialogue is terrible, the writing is crap, and the events contained in this movie are laugh-inducing rather than scare-inducing (this film’s cringe-inducing, I’ll tell you that!). What’s worst is that this film had potential. The concept was really cool; combining a found-footage film with Halloween should have worked, especially with Rosenthal as the director, but it didn’t. This is a cinematic abortion in its purest form. It’s an insult to Halloween fans, and an insult to the character of Michael Myers. The best thing to do with this is to watch it after 6 and skip the first eight minutes. Do that and it would play a whole lot better as just a separate film that you can just laugh at.

The Verdict: Uproariously awful in the tradition of Troll 2 and lent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, Halloween: Resurrection is total entertainment for the sake of priceless, de-splitting hilarity.

Rob Zombies Halloween 2007 Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch) is an adolescent boy who tortures small animals, and is abused at home by his mom's boyfriend and at school by a couple of bullies. On Halloween, Michael snaps. He kills a bully, his mom's boyfriend, his ster, and his ster's boyfriend, allowing only his baby ster to live, and is locked in a mental institution. Seventeen years later, he escapes and heads to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where his baby ster has been adopted by the Strode family and is going by the name of Laurie (Scout-Taylor Compton). Michael stalks and kills Laurie's friends and anyone who gets in his way, all while being pursued by his former doctor, Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell). Okay, so we’ve got a near perfect clasc of the horror genre that is as iconic as you can get, so obviously, it needed a remake. Of course. Anyway, after the enormous failure that was Resurrection, the producers decided it was time to reboot the series, and for once, I didn’t mind, as long as they did it right. Unfortunately, they didn’t. Even though I enjoyed it to an extent, I still feel Halloween deserved better than this. Probably the best part about this movie is the acting and actors. Scout-Taylor Compton makes for a great Laurie, Danielle Harris did a fine job as Annie, and Kristina Klebe was a neat Lynda. I also enjoyed Daeg Faerch, Malcolm McDowell, and Sheri Moon Zombie. There’s loads of familiar faces in the cast as well, like Clint Howard, Danny Trejo, Bill Moseley, Udo Kier, Brad Douriff, Ken Foree and the great Richard Lynch.

I liked Tyler Mane as Michael Myers, because of his superhuman height and muscularity. He’s the tallest actor ever to play the part, and I think he may be the tallest actor ever to play a slasher, with a height of 6’9”. I liked his appearance in the film as well, with a cracked mask and the standard mechanics outfit. There were some scenes I enjoyed, such as the part when Laurie is in the ceiling and Michael is bashing the ceiling apart with a wooden beam, and when Michael attacks Annie and Paul. Actually, the only thing this film really has to offer is brutality. The whole time it’s like (first kill) “Oh! That’s brutal!” (second kill) “Oh! That’s brutal!) (third kill) “Oh! That’s brutal!” and it’s like that the entire movie, which is why I find it only decent enough for a ngle viewing. Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for brutality in movies (unless it goes too far), but if it’s like that the entire film, we have a problem. Zombie’s writing is great as well, and it’s entertaining enough just to listen to each character’s conversation with another.

In terms of a remake, Halloween is decent enough to watch once and maybe pull out again a few months (or years) later for another go. Zombie really covers everything you could have done with a remake of such a clasc by showing us the back story. Personally, I prefer that Michael was a normal kid that just snapped, instead of coming from a broken home and kind of taking revenge on those who wronged him. The acting and writing are the best parts of the whole thing, but they could have added scarier deaths instead of going straight for brutality.

The Verdict: Rob Zombie’s Halloween is a decent-enough remake of a genre clasc that’s worth a viewing, but not worth purchang.Rob Zombies Halloween II Two years after the events of the first, Laurie has gone to live with the Bracketts (Annie’s family) and is having recurring dreams about Michael, her real mother, young Michael, a white horse, and her killing people. nce Michael’s body was never found, Laurie begins to get worried, as Halloween is approaching. Well, as you would expect, Michael returns, more brutal than ever. However, Laurie soon discovers a shocking secret that’s been kept from her for nineteen years… Well, here we are with Rob Zombie’s sequel to his somewhat successful remake. Before I start, I just want to say this is not in any way a remake of the 1981 clasc. This is an entirely new film created by Zombie. I recall seeing this in the theater back in 2009 and absolutely hating it. I managed to check out the unrated cut of the film recently, and while it’s a little better, I would say this is the weakest film in the Halloween series. The acting and writing in this one is certainly a step down from the previous one, and I just though Scoiut-Taylor Compton was awful. The only person in this film whose performance I truly liked was Malcolm McDowell, who now plays Loomis as a complete money-grabbing scumbag trying to capitalize off the Halloween murders in Haddonfield two years before. I found his character to be hilarious in every scene he was in.

Zombie has upped the brutality in Halloween II as well, and surpringly, I like that. There’s a stabbing scene in a dream sequence that was very brutal, and I loved it. I liked Danielle Harris, as well. Michael also sports a “hobo” look in this film, and I must say that was awesome. Other than those things, I disliked this movie. It’s as if Zombie completely abandoned everything that was good in the first and went straight for the throat with the brutality in this movie, which I dislike. The problem with this film is that it feels empty. It feels like there’s not a whole lot here, except the brutality, which sucks, because the first thirty minutes or so were very proming. Even though I highly dislike this effort, I don’t absolutely hate its guts. There are some good kills, Michael looks awesome, Dr. Loomis is a hilarious douchebag, and the first thirty minutes, again, are great. However, none of the characters are likeable, the word, “f*ck” is over-used to the max, and it seems like every bit of dialogue has some sort of sexual reference in it. I don’t know what twisted world Rob Zombie grew up in, but I’m glad I don’t live in it.

The Verdict: Unpleasant save for a few moments, Rob Zombie’s Halloween II is only moderately decent, and worth a ngle viewing alone. Well, there you have the Halloween series, maybe the most iconic film series in the history of horror cinema. There's been a lot of good ones and some real stinkers, but overall, it's a great series to watch in a marathon. There are really two different ways you can rank them: entertainment and scariness. I know I'm going to get flack for this, but here's a ranking for both:

Entertainment:1. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers 2. Halloween: H203. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 4. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers 5. Halloween II 6. Halloween 7. Halloween III: Season of the Witch8. Halloween: Resurrection 9. Rob Zombie's Halloween 10. Rob Zombie's Halloween II

Scariness:

1. Halloween 2. Halloween II 3. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers 4. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers 5. Halloween: H20 6. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 7. Halloween III: Season of the Witch 8. Rob Zombie's Halloween 9. Rob Zombie's Halloween II 10. Halloween: Resurrection

Overall: 1. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers 2. Halloween 3. Halloween II 4. Halloween: H20 5. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers 6. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 7. Halloween III: Season of the Witch 8. Rob Zombie's Halloween9. Halloween: Resurrection 10. Rob Zombie's Halloween II

And, of course, no Halloween article can be complete without... http://youtu.be/hIHUv2ooG38 Don't trust my judgment? Here's four other opinions on...

Halloween Retro Slashers Retro Slashers Oh The Horror Hysteria Lives

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ObscureCinema101 Monday 10/31/2011 at 08:39 PM | 86208
Fu*king amazing post! HALL OF FAME WORTHY!
Shakelford, J. Rusty Monday 10/31/2011 at 09:14 PM | 86210
reminds me of a piece i wrote a few weeks back. We share a lot of milar sentiments; great minds think alike, eh?

Good read my friend.
Matt_Molgaard Monday 10/31/2011 at 10:54 PM | 86218
Great breakdown, I agree with almost everything you said bar Halloween 6 being the best and Don Shanks being a good Michael (I thought he played that role really badly!).
joshk1986 Tuesday 11/01/2011 at 06:53 AM | 86247
I don't want to be the dick or anything, but Jamie Lloyd was Michael's NIECE, not nephew.

Unless there's some sort of Sleepaway Camp ending I missed

:)
KiKiKiKiAhAhAhAh Thursday 11/03/2011 at 01:27 AM | 86357
I love all of the Halloween movies, for different reasons. When you see them, you have to have an open mind, or else you'll compare it to the original, and end up desping the movie. I also think that there's a way to make everything come together. All the story lines can ealy go together (including Halloweens 3 and 6)
darkerdays Monday 11/07/2011 at 01:03 AM | 86592