 Here we have what I consider among the most disappointing movies of the entire franchise. Not to take away from anyone who may have enjoyed it, but I sincerely can't fathom why they went in the direction they did with this. Michael Myers is barely a part of things here. Instead, the screen is taken over by a character who has never existed before, and we end up having little thought toward it since this should have been as simple as the final showdown between Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney).
It all begins on Halloween Night in 2019, one year after the events of the previous two films. A young man named Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) is hired to babysit a little ass goblin named Jeremy Allen (Jaxon Goldenberg) on Halloween night. He fakes out his parents by being a sweet kid in front of them, but he gets away with things as long as the babysitter is irresponsible enough. Jeremy pulls a prank on Corey by locking him in a closet, thus making him panic due to probable claustrophobia. In his panic, he breaks through the locked door, only to send little Jeremy to his unfortunate death at the moment his parents come home. This, in turn, brands him a killer by the entire neighbourhood. He's arrested but eventually cleared by the judge on a technicality, taking on a sort of Freddy Krueger origin story. The difference is that Corey didn't mean to kill this kid. As the years pass, he lives as an outcast to the whole neighbourhood and is essentially bullied for what people assume he did without knowing the facts. I will give the movie that detail of the kill being a complete accident, as it's an interesting way to see how things might go. But we have a problem; this is a 'Halloween' movie, so what about Laurie and Michael and their quarrel: the reason we're here? Three years have passed since the incident with Corey and Jeremy, but Haddonfield is still focused on the events of Halloween 2018. So, while probably being focused on the right thing, it does take away from the Cunningham family's mourning. Kinda like how Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died on the same day, but the world was laser-focused on Jackson. Meanwhile, Laurie and her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), are living together, trying to return to normal as Laurie writes her memoir. Allyson mingles with people her age, one of whom ends up being Corey, and I'll give you two guesses where that leads. One day, Corey is picked on and bullied, leading him to stumble onto where Michael Myers has been hiding. He escapes but is immediately accosted by a homeless man, who he, in turn, kills, getting his first real taste for killing. He has now been infected by Michael's evil (pretty much the 'Jason Goes to Hell' concept), looks up to Michael a bit, and forms what I like to call a tag team with him. Of course, the only one wise to Corey being taken over by dark forces is Laurie, and it ends up being her trying to ultimately protect Allyson from something Laurie has been all too familiar with these past few decades. So basically, what we have here is what is meant to be the final chapter in the 'Halloween' franchise, which ultimately keeps its focus on Corey, pushing Michael to the background so badly that there's even a scene where Corey struggles with Michael and beats him. Meanwhile, Michael took on about ten firefighters in a frenzy in the last film (which I'd argue was the highlight). If you're a Michael Myers fan, this film is a disappointment. It's like watching "Shark Week," but all the sharks have gone into hiding for some reason, so the scuba divers are the big focus. Even the final showdown between Michael and Laurie, which we came here for in the first place, is disappointing. There's a struggle back and forth, and it looks like it will get pretty badass, but in the end, it's really sort of anti-climactic. I won't spoil what happens here, but one can likely guess how things end. This is the last of the 'Halloween' titles I give my lowest ranking to, and I feel it's with good reason. I suppose I get what they were going for, but it draws from too many other sources. I would have had a better time with a more simplified final showdown that reflected the atmosphere of the original film. This was a bit more like "Michael Myers and Friends." Nothing in the franchise - nothing! - can ever top the original. 1/5
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 We continue our modernized take on the 'Halloween' series here, ultimately deleting 'Halloween II' to 'Halloween: Resurrection' from existence, as though the last few decades never happened. And while I liked where this one's predecessor went with things, 'Halloween Kills' marks yet another beginning of the end for what could have been something so much more promising if things had only been written better. It's just my opinion, but poor Michael Myers can't seem to find an all-around good timeline to exist in.
Things kick off here kind of promising with a flashback to the events of Halloween, 1978, showing us a bit of a side-story that apparently took place that no one has yet seen. It involves a couple of cops called to the scene after Michael (Airon Armstrong, Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney) manages to escape at the end of the original film. As Deputy Frank Hawkins (Thomas Mann, Will Patton) and his partner Pete McCabe (Jim Cummings) patrol the rural streets of Haddonfield, they eventually find themselves at the Myers' house, where an encounter with Myers leads to an unfortunate accident, becoming what seems to be B-story to this, involving Hawkins and a desire for revenge on Michael. Some of these flashback bits do an interesting job of answering some "whatever happened to" questions involving certain characters from the '78 movie, namely the kid named Lonnie (Tristian Eggerling/Robert Longstreet), who was dared to knock on the Myers' house door but was ultimately scared off by Loomis (Tom Jones Jr./Colin Mahan). It's a bit more of a nod to one of several returning characters, all grown up than anything else, but I appreciate the approach the film took to tie things together just a little bit more. It's mostly used to give Hawkins a bit more of a backstory, but it's still neat to go back in time. In the present day, we go to a local Haddonfield bar, where we meet a grown-up Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall) accompanied by his childhood friend, Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards, reprising her '78 role), old bully, now friend, Lonnie Elam as mentioned above, and nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens, also reprising her original role). They have all come back to town to celebrate 40 years after they survive the events of 1978 (by the way, the film drills it into your head that 40 years have passed), but little do they realize, the Boogieman they remember is still on the loose, ready to make a comeback. But something's missing here? What of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer) and her granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak)? Well, they spend most of their time here in the hospital, which reflects 'Halloween II' ('81) just as much as the idea of forming an angry mob to go after Michael does. And the ones worst off here, as far as their wounds, are Laurie and Hawkins, who make a nice connection, but to see Laurie have to spend another sequel in the hospital after witnessing her badassery in 'Halloween' ('18) is a hard pill to swallow. So basically, this ends up being a chapter that features our hero stuck in bed and focuses a bit more on the returning characters, who are seemingly led by Tommy, who might be the most annoying character I can think of in these reboots. He constantly repeats lines that may have sounded good coming from Loomis, as they are so corny, specifically when he begins chanting, "Evil dies tonight!" I know the man has changed with time and is barely recognizable, but I still see and hear Anthony Michael Hall from his John Hughes phase. He's a great actor, but I think he's in the wrong role here. I don't hate this chapter, but I don't like it much either. It has some interesting stuff about it, such as the idea of the film focusing on mob mentality and how terribly out of hand it can get. It has the cool easter egg of including the 'Halloween III' masks, and I appreciate them seeking out some of the old cast members to come back, especially when their roles weren't that prominent in the '78 film. But most of what's cool about this movie does feel like fan service, and it feels like it takes a huge dip from its predecessor. It's funny, but any version of Halloween II seems about as cursed as any odd-numbered 'Star Trek' flick. 2/5  Remember back in 1978 when 'Halloween' came along and more or less ushered in the slasher genre as we know it? Without it, we might not have characters like Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger. But then, it spawned many sequels and slowly followed its lore into oblivion. This movie decides to retcon everything we've seen from 'Halloween 2' to 'Halloween: Resurrection' and pick it up from the first film. And yes, that even means 'Halloween II,' which takes place the same night as '78's 'Halloween,' is also out of the game.
One of the biggest things they do here is rid the franchise of the idea that Laurie and Michael are siblings. Instead, Myers is just a dude who killed a couple of babysitters one night back in the late 70s. He was since evidently captured and living at Smith's Grove Rehabilitation Hospital, and that part of the retcon kinda irks me due to how the first 'Halloween' ends. There's a big chunk missing between 1978 and 2018, and I'm usually all for using our imaginations to fill in the blanks. As much as I enjoy this chapter, I must be fair. This asks us to accept quite a lot over forty years. The big question is, who captured Michael in the end, anyway? 'Halloween' ('78) ends with Michael disappearing and decidedly still alive somewhere, doing his thing. I think we're supposed to assume that Loomis eventually gets him, but they could have explained things better rather than going from "he's on the loose" to "he's been rotting away in an asylum for a while now." However, we can call this a nitpick on my part. After all, forty years is a long time, and a lot can happen within that time. In the meantime, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is still struggling with the memories of losing her friends at the hands of Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) that fateful night. She has since trained herself to be a bit of a badass for the last four decades in preparation for Michael's potential return. However, her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer), and granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), try very hard to convince her to think everything's over. Michael's locked away, and she has nothing to worry about anymore. But soon, there's talk of a breakout, sending Laurie into action, hoping he'll come after her for a final showdown she's determined to win. The film does a good job with its overall intensity and allowing us back into this world the way it was before all of the occult and "Thorn" stuff took it over, and for that, I love it. Things feel "right" here despite a slight flaw or two, and I'd even argue that this is a better "Halloween II" than the original one from 1980 as it moves a bit quicker, and I love seeing Laurie have a "take no shit" attitude. But unfortunately, at least in my opinion, this does continue a rough trend for this franchise in that it picks up from a certain place, retcons a bunch of other stuff, and sequels itself into (as mentioned before) oblivion. More on that with 'Halloween Ends.' However, sticking with this film, I can confidently say that Courtney makes a great Michael Myers in how he movies and creates an imposing figure. Laurie has officially become a badass over the years, which is awesome, and the film has a more dramatic tone that frankly outdoes most past sequels. It leans closer to the style and feel of the original, which is a breath of fresh air. We also tend to like a few horror tropes in these movies, and the film doesn't do a bad job of executing them to where they still work. The whole sibling thing between Michael and Laurie that they cut here doesn't bother me, but I might suggest it's unnecessary and may very well irk some of the more hardcore fans. Ultimately, the film returns to the series' roots, focusing on camera work, lighting and music to make things more intense and creepy. It's nice that it went back to something much more simplistic than where it went originally, ending on 'Curse.' It further proves what 'Halloween' showed in the first place upon its release in '78 in that simplicity is often much more effective in horror. On top of that, Curtis returns as a toughened-up heroine, much better than her return in 'H20' as an overprotective parent. All in all, it's actually a pretty great flick. But it also marks yet another path to take on the franchise timeline, ending in disappointment, as they all tend to do. 4/5  As much as I enjoyed the first Zombie 'Halloween' movie, there's something about this one that just plain irks me. Much of it concerns my confusion about certain scenes that take you right out of the movie - one specifically involving a mysterious horse. If you tell me that I just don't get it, then this is one case where you'd be right. I think Zombie tried to add a little art to this otherwise brutal piece, and, at least for me, it just didn't work. Some claim it's better than I remember, but I don't see it.
As the film opens, we see young Michael Myers (this time played by Chase Wright Vanek) hanging out at Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where he is one day visited by his mother (Sheri Moon Zombie) who gives him a gift - a statuette of a white horse. This symbolism would come into play later (as I mentioned), but it does leave the audience with a "what the hell was that?" reaction. I'm sure it actually means something very deep, but once again, cards on the table, I do not get it. Anyway, the film then picks up right where the last one left off, so there are potential spoilers for the ending of the first one here, but I'll try not to go into too much detail. Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) has a face-off with Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) at the end of the first film, which she survives, and Sheriff Lee Brackett (Brad Dourif) soon takes her to the hospital. Paramedics pick up survivors Annie Brackett (Danielle Harris) and Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell). Michael's unconscious body is taken in a separate ambulance, which, spoiler alert, he eventually escapes to have a movie. One full year passes with Laurie living with Annie and her father while Michael is presumed dead. While Laurie is still haunted, others have tried to move on, but as these movies go, we know moving on isn't easy. Aside from that, however, we have nothing more than an angry gore-fest with very little plot to go on and far too much high strangeness, including several hallucinations on Michael's and Laurie's parts. What's so irksome about this is getting such a straightforward film with the first chapter and then going onto this, which makes one try to think a little harder than they really need to. In truth, it all boils down to the same concept of Michael ultimately seeking out Laurie and Laurie being his little sister as he hacks and slashes his way to her (with a pretty big body count!) Honestly, that's pretty much it. In many ways, it ends up being your typical slasher flick, and it does a good job of embracing the brutality that Zombie seems to be able to capture so well. It does have a few decent things going for it, like the gore for the gore hounds who may be watching, as well as the overall design of the very imposing Michael Myers here. But I have to admit that this is one of the three chapters in the franchise I have at the bottom of the list as far as this franchise goes. There's so little to save it, and it's a huge drop from its predecessor. I feel like this one gets worse every time I see it, and it feels like so much more of a throwaway 'Halloween' flick. With Zombie, just watch the first one and call it a day. It's interesting to think that these movies came and went, and now we have a whole new soft reboot series to refer to, connecting to the 1978 original. These two Zombie chapters were a decent reboot attempt, but he did drop the ball with this one, trying too hard in some points but too little with others. These films make for an interesting little detour for 'Halloween' fans at this point in time, if only to say that you've seen them. But they're altogether unnecessary and don't connect to anything else except for the appearance of Danielle Harris, along with the characters' names being used in a rebooted sense. With all that said, these Zombie films certainly do have their following, but I feel like it has more to do with the fans being fans of Rob Zombie than they're fans of the 'Halloween' franchise. I like the first as a different take on things, but I find this to be one of the worst titles of the franchise. Zombie's chapters are a stand-alone side quest for 'Halloween,' in that they're ultimately skippable. I'll give him credit for giving it his best shot, though, as slasher remakes are damn hard to do well, and I still say he succeeded with the first one. But I think he went too far with this one, and I remain a bigger fan of his music than his movies. 1/5  While the original series of 'Halloween' flicks connects with the three latest 'Halloween' films, here's where we take a major detour and look at Michael Myers' story from Rob Zombie's perspective. By this point, Zombie was known for directing his music videos and the horrific duality of 'House of 1000 Corpses' and 'The Devil's Rejects.' I wasn't too big on either one, as the overall discomfort he provides with them is a bit heavy for me. I love his music, but I often wonder if anyone ever gave him a hug as a child.
That said, it might not be a huge surprise for people to discover that I thought Zombie would take the Michael Myers concept and mess it up again (worse than 'Curse' did). But to my surprise, thus far, I'd probably place this chapter of 'Halloween' at the top of my Rob Zombie movie list. The bar isn't exactly high (for me, anyway), but I can't deny that I enjoy his take on things here, especially with an origin story. But I completely understand why people don't like this concept, as the explanation that he's simply "evil" leaves a little more to the imagination and probably does work better for the genre overall. While I mostly agree with leaving things open to interpretation like that, I can admit that it's, at the very least, interesting to see an 80s slasher icon origin story. We never really see the killers before they become the icons they do. I've always thought something like a "Springwood Slasher" movie would be great (the origin of Freddy for those unfamiliar), but unfortunately, I seem to be the odd one out on this idea. Either way, this film pulls off a full origin story with Michael Myers and includes the fateful Halloween night when he returns to wreak havoc on Haddonfield, and I would argue that it's pretty well done. The film opens one unspecified Halloween night (although it's later supposedly implied to be circa 1990). Ten-year-old Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch) goes on a bit of a killing spree after showing signs of psychopathic aggression. While the original film has him take out his older sister, this one shows a domino effect where Michael starts with his bully and eventually moves on with people closer to him - and yes, one of them is his older sister, Judith (Hanna Hall). So, the lore isn't exactly ruined. He's eventually found guilty of first-degree murder, sent to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, and placed under the care of Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell). As the film continues, we see how Michael copes as he's locked away and institutionalized, slowly seeming to unravel over the next fifteen years. His biggest hobby involves making paper mache masks, which is interesting to me, giving a little hint as to why he always wants to wear a mask. Honestly, this is where I get a bit stuck on the review. I'd generally be with audiences in thinking the mystery behind Michael Myers is more intriguing than what's shown. But I also can't deny giving Zombie credit for developing a backstory for the character that looks at him more psychologically in a "true crime" sense than supernaturally. Getting back into it, eventually, Michael escapes the asylum. We then get a new version of the events that happened one Halloween night between Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton), Annie Brackett (Danielle Harris, who's rejoining the franchise here as an adult) and Lynda Van Der Klok (Kristina Klebe). The rest is about the same as the original, with a few odds and ends altered to suit Zombie's vision. This one's a little more risque and gory, and Michael is a much more imposing character here. It is pretty well done for a re-imagining of the Carpenter classic and, all in all, better than I thought it would be. In the end, I'd say that Rob Zombie did a decent job with this. It'll never measure up to the classic that is 1978's 'Halloween,' but like it is with any direction the 'Halloween' franchise goes, it's entirely up to the viewer's taste. One might not like this backstory to Michael Myers, which evidently includes John Carpenter himself. But speaking personally, I'd say that it's still worth checking out if you're any level of 'Halloween' fan, just to weigh your options with the franchise. This version is for those who like their horror a little more hardcore. But like any starting point with this series, it starts out more promising than what follows. 3/5  I humbly believe the first "Laurie Strode Relaunch" series of films should have begun and ended with 'H20'. Plenty of people disliked the film enough that it didn't exactly warrant any sort of follow-up, and it ended on such a final note with Laurie Strode standing ultimately victorious over her big brother, Michael. Yes, it's somewhat anti-climactic in how she's victorious, but I tend to be in the minority of people who actually enjoy how 'H20' ends. Call me crazy, but it just happened to work for me.
The problem is, more Michael Myers was somehow still demanded by someone out there, and along came 'Resurrection' that turns back the clock and says that somehow or another, the dude Laurie stood triumphant over at the end of 'H20' was actually a random paramedic. It makes no sense when you go back and watch the final scenes of 'H20', but here we are. Meanwhile, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) is tucked away in Grace Andersen Sanitarium, awaiting Michael Myers' (Brad Loree) inevitable return and attempt to kill her. Spoiler alert: he succeeds almost immediately. Then, we're left with mixed emotions almost instantly. We're supposed to feel bad here, but it's difficult when the movie immediately seems to have been made to finally kill Laurie off and to do it within about the first 5 minutes or so. As for Michael, he does what he always does and returns home to his now abandoned house in Haddonfield, IL. It's important to remember here that in this timeline, 'The Curse of Michael Myers' never happened, so there was never a Strode family living in Michael's house circa 1995. As far as we're concerned, the house is as abandoned as ever, so it looks way worse than one might think. Meanwhile, in Haddonfield, reality TV director Freddie Harris (Busta Rhymes) and his partner, Nora Winston (Tyra Banks), are setting up in the Myers house to film "Dangertainment," a show that will have a collective of young adults staying at the Myers house, and unveiling potential clues as to what drove Michael Myers to become such a serial killer of legendary prowess. The cast of could-be victims is a collection of characters we don't necessarily like. The "survivor girl" or "final girl" is painfully obvious; the rest are altogether forgettable, and it stands as the only 'Halloween' film to not feature Laurie Strode or Jamie Lloyd as the hero. As a result, for a 'Halloween' film, it's sort of hard to care. Among the college students chosen to participate are Sara Moyer (Bianca Kajlich), Bill Woodlake (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Donna Chang (Daisy McCrackin), Jen Danzig (Katee Sackhoff), Jim Morgan (Luke Kirby), and Rudy Grimes (Sean Patrick Thomas). But honestly, the show's real star here is Busta Rhymes. I like how slimy his character is here, but at the same time, he delivers the laughs. They're cheesy laughs, but some of his lines give me a genuine chuckle, generally because they're ridiculous. He's entertaining to watch and have fun with the role, especially as a fan of his musical talent. To that end, I can openly admit that this is not one of the "Terrible Trio" I've briefly mentioned before (but not by its personally given nickname), which started with 'The Curse of Michael Myers.' As terrible as this is, I can't help but get guilty pleasure from it, mainly because of Busta Rhymes. There's even a scene here where he tells Michael off, and Michael listens to him! You have to respect that kind of power and laugh at how ridiculous that concept is, considering everything we've seen up to this point. It's silly and has no reason to exist, but it's not that bad for an ironic laugh. In the end, 'Resurrection' is a movie made for 'Halloween' fans who weren't done with Michael Myers yet, and probably has a niche audience of those of us who see it as a one-off guilty pleasure and nothing more. Technically, this is a follow-up to 'H20', and it evidently ends things all over again (openly this time, because even a closed ending can't stop Michael). Still, I contest that one can just as easily end this timeline with 'H20' and miss absolutely nothing from this except for maybe a few giggles if one can see past how crappy it really is. 2/5  Here's another interesting case in the 'Halloween' franchise altogether. Story-wise, we have to hit rewind on the timelines, return to 'Halloween 2', and carry this film over. Regarding the seventh 'Halloween' film, chapters 4-6 no longer exist, and Jamie Lloyd never did either. This film then opens the rest of the "First Laurie Strode" timeline, which was altogether despised by most fans, and to some degree, I can see why. But I must admit, I do have a soft spot for 'Halloween Water' - er, um, 'Halloween H20'.
This came along in 1998 and relied on several teen horror tropes at the time, thanks to films like 'Scream' and 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' For this, I tend to give it a little slack because it did okay regarding teen horror. I see it as just trying to fit in for the time, and there actually is a touch of nostalgia to this for me, as I can still pick out scenes I remember from the trailer. It essentially pinpoints one item of film that made me wish to explore the horror genre I missed out on growing up. I have several things to thank for that, but this was definitely one of them. Taking place in more or less real-time, this picks up twenty years after the events of 'Halloween 2', when, in the end, the explosion at the hospital was presumed to take out both Dr. Loomis (who will sadly never be seen again, rest in peace, Donald Pleasence) and Michael, whose body was never recovered. Michael (Chris Durand) swiftly makes a return, however, via the opening scene, in which he has a face-to-face with Marion Wittington (Nancy Stephens), who was the nurse from the first film who accompanied Loomis to Smith's Grove in the opening of the film. It's just one of several interesting cameos throughout the film. Anyway, Mikey's back! Meanwhile, over in the town of Summer Glen, CA, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) lives with her student son, John (Josh Hartnett in his debut film role), having faked her death and taken on a new identity as headmistress of Hillcrest Academy, "Keri Tate." Despite having a new life, she has been tormented by nightmares and visions of Michael since that fateful night in 1978. As a result, she gets pretty irritating throughout the first half of this film as the far too overprotective mother who is altogether convinced that even after all this time, Michael is out there and will come back for her. Then, when John, his girlfriend, Molly (Michelle Williams, not quite famous yet), and friends Charlie Deveraux (Adam Hann-Byrd) and Sarah Wainthrope (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) forego a camping trip to Yosemite to stay on campus and throw a Halloween party in one of the now abandoned campus buildings, it turns out Laurie's fears were warranted after all. Michael, still keeping it all in the family (without the "Thorn" explanation now), is after John, having just turned 17 - the same age Laurie was on Halloween of 1978. So the idea isn't THAT far from what happened in 'Halloween 4', but replace Jamie with John and change things just enough to be different. It's my understanding that so much of the criticism for this movie comes from various things that I have come to terms with. I still consider it an underrated chapter in the series, but some of the "bad" has finally been realized for me, and it's not quite as awesome as I remember. The mask changes all look pretty corny with the lighting, and Michael somehow doesn't feel as threatening. It takes us a little while to warm up to Laurie again. But for me, the biggest gripe is probably too many off-screen kills and zero creativity behind them at that. Then there's more that I understand but might disagree with, such as the somewhat anti-climactic ending, which I find fits in a particular way, but that's also a long story. Beyond that, I could classify this as one of the more fun ones to watch with cameo roles like LL Cool J as a security guard who's just trying to write a romance novel, the one and only Janet Leigh of Psycho fame, and Jamie Lee Curtis' mother, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is just kinda fun to go back and see before he got famous for more serious roles. The film is an odd balance for me, and I like it just as much as I dislike it. For me, it might fit alongside 'Halloween 5' as far as overall quality, and something I can see as a guilty pleasure at this point. I still, however, find it leagues above 'Curse' and will never understand why so many seem to dislike this one more. But hey, c'est la vie! To each their own. 3/5  If one decides to carry things on past 'Halloween 2' and delve into the "Thorn" storyline, this is where all of that officially ends. So for those keeping track, so far, we have "option #1" (the first two films, making up the original concept) and "option #2" (the first six films, telling the "Thorn" story). Anyway, I don't know what it was about the time, but it seemed like every major 80s horror franchise had to end with some explanation leaning toward the occult and/or demonic possession. This is no exception.
To make matters so much worse for this film, it essentially follows the formula of 'Jason Goes to Hell,' in which ultimately it boils down to a newborn baby who represents some kind of "final kill" for the killer in question. In Michael's case, it's the last of his bloodline, and as we can understand at this point in the game, Michael likes to keep it all in the family (even though his body count outside his family is much more). And to be perfectly honest, that is the gist of the plot here, except we replace demonic possession with an old Druid curse, and that's what drives Michael to hunt down his family members on Halloween. Just for a bit of a recap, however, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis of the first two films) has had a daughter named Jamie (Danielle Harris in the following two films), who goes under the foster name of Lloyd. In the fourth film, Laurie initially meets her fate off-screen in a car accident, and Jamie takes up the mantle as the final family member Michael wants to get to. Jamie was protected for the past two films, but the confusing ending of 'Halloween 5' also seals her fate, although we don't know what that fate is until the first chunk of this film. The film opens with Jamie (now played by J.C. Brandy) having a baby, surrounded by cult members who have evidently had her in their possession for six years. This would provide Michael with his next target. Helped by a midwife, Jamie flees the cult with her baby and hides it from Michael, knowing she's still not safe. But before doing so, she calls into a local radio station to get an SOS over the airwaves, heard by both Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence in his final 'Halloween' appearance) and a grown-up Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd) - the kid Laurie babysat in the first film. Both Loomis and Tommy manage to trace the call back to the train station, and there Tommy finds the baby stashed away. The film becomes one big escort mission for Tommy, as he also knows that the new family who have moved into the Myers' house (who just so happen to be another bunch of Strodes- relatives of Laurie's adoptive family) aren't safe. This mainly includes Kara (Marianne Hagan) and her son, Danny (Devin Gardner), who I guess we're supposed to see as the next potential Michael Myers with this "Man in Black" who tells him to kill. Eventually, we learn that this apparently fuelled Michael in the first place. If there was ever a 'Halloween' movie I definitely did not like, it was this one. For starters, it's just the whole concept behind it. Back then, they seemed to have some rule that none of these killers could just be something supernatural. They all suddenly needed an explanation but never needed one with the original and arguably best films of their respective franchises. But on top of that, the film is also terribly acted, terribly cut and feels incredibly rushed. I would probably argue that the saving grace of this film is actually Paul Rudd in his debut film role, but it's for all the wrong reasons. He wasn't quite the charmer he is now. For me, 'Halloween' has its hits and its misses, but sometimes those misses are too rough even to be considered a guilty pleasure. Three particular titles come to mind, and this marks the first of them. I'm sincerely hard-pressed to find much I enjoy about this chapter and might rank it at the bottom of the 'Halloween' barrel. It's not without a decent kill or two, but that's about the extent of it. Otherwise, the film just copied how the 'Friday the 13th' franchise initially ended. But I suppose that's fair since 'Friday the 13th' was an admitted ripoff of 'Halloween.' Either way, this provides an altogether disappointing end to things. 1/5  While 'Halloween IV' holds a spot in my heart as one of the better, albeit maybe a bit slow, 'Halloween' movies, its direct sequel is, in my opinion, where the series starts to tilt downhill. I'd consider it a guilty pleasure, much like I'd consider most slashers from this era (that's why I love them so much), but this is also where the beginning of the concept of "Thorn" comes into play. Not until the very end, but still, it's there and would become much more abundant in 'Halloween VI,' but I'll get to that junk heap later.
For now, however, we'll focus on this "bridge" movie, in which Michael Myers (Don Shanks) continues to stalk his niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), but also gives us hints as to what they're planning for 'Halloween VI' with a whole bunch of confusing small details, such as the "Mark of Thorn" on Michael's right wrist and a mysterious Man in Black (also Don Shanks) who comes to town, only to come into play at the very end and leave the audience with more questions. They'll, again, be answered with the 'Halloween VI' review. For now, let's go back and spoil the ending of 'Halloween IV' for many, as that's essentially where things pick up. 'Halloween' fans understand how iconic the ending scene of 'Halloween 4' is with the image of Jamie in her full clown costume, brandishing a pair of scissors (don't run with scissors, kids) and bloodied after having just attacked her stepmother. This act admits her to the Haddonfield Children's Clinic, where she has been rendered mute after the attack on her stepmother, and her terrible dreams have been upgraded to hallucinations that seem to attach to her Uncle Mickey and warn her of who's next when it comes to his victims. Again, Harris' acting at such a young age is convincing as she makes things look almost painful when she's struggling with things. In the meantime, after Michael is seemingly blown away by Sheriff Meeker (Beau Starr) and his fellow Illinois PD officers, he gets sent down a river. He is discovered by an old hermit who evidently cared for him for about a year. Then, of course, on Halloween of '89, Michael wakes up to whatever this calling is to kill his family, and he continues his hunt for Jamie. At the same time, Loomis (Donald Pleasence) tries to intercept Michael's attacks, often offering Jamie straight-up trauma in the process, piled up on top of whatever she's experienced already. At times, it's actually almost funny, especially with the way Pleasence acts, delivering an almost unnecessarily Shakespearean weight to things. Rachel (Elle Cornell) and her friend Tina (Wendy Foxworth) visit Jamie regularly and try to make her life as pleasant as they can, but as far as likeable characters go in this chapter, these two make about the extent of it. The rest of the time, we have a combination of bumbling cops, a few teens we actually want to see Michael do away with, and a Loomis who one can't help but hate just a little bit here, wanting to stop Michael, whatever the cost may be. There's nothing pleasant about any of his interactions with Jamie, and I can only just feel bad for her in this almost more than in 'Halloween 4'. There are likeable characters here, but they're few and far between, including a sweet boy with perhaps a bit of a crush on Jamie named Billy (Jeffrey Landman, who would go on to sing alongside Little Richard for the 'Magic School Bus' theme song) and a cop who seems ready to do anything to defend her, deputy Charlie (Troy Evans). All the while, no one except Loomis and Billy really seems to be paying much attention to her significant hallucinations and what they actually mean. Despite the likeability of some of the aforementioned characters, it gets incredibly frustrating to watch at times. I think what really brings the movie down, however, is also what kind of helps make it interesting. That said, it's only interesting if you watch this, have 'Halloween 6' explain things, and then come back to this to pick up on it all. And it's not really in a fun way, like watching 'Fight Club' twice in a row. Here, it feels like more of a chore. Sort of a "why couldn't this be explained in 'Halloween 5'? Either way, this whole timeline would count as the first timeline to be trashed and retconned, so I'm not sure how much it matters at this point. But I( can say that the "Thorn Trilogy" ('Halloween 4' - 'Halloween 6') can still make for something of a fun guilty pleasure. 3/5  Following the original series, the next film is 1988's 'The Return of Michael Myers,' taking place in almost real-time on Halloween of '88, ten years after the events of the first two films. This chapter also begins the path of the "Thorn Timeline," or the "Carpenter/Akkad" timeline, which picks up after 'Halloween II' and continues to 'The Curse of Michael Myers.' It's just one of many timeline splits, but honestly, it is probably what I'd consider the proper timeline as, simply put, it's the original direction they went with it.
While the original will always be the big "go-to" for me, I admit that I have a soft spot for 'Return' and 'Revenge,' which were released in parallel years to slasher horror peaking and falling in pop culture. With 'Friday the 13th' releasing 'The New Blood' and 'Jason Takes Manhattan' in those respective years, as well as 'Elm Street' respectively releasing 'The Dream Master' and 'The Dream Child,' I'd argue that Michael Myers held his own with a couple of steady movies while Freddy and Jason definitely started to take a nosedive on those latter-listed films. Michael Myers returned strong enough here, and after 'Halloween III,' he was missed by many. The film opens the night before Halloween, 1988. Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur) survived the explosion and fire after the events of 'Halloween II.' He has since been in a comatose state for ten years and is about to be transferred to Smith's Grove Sanitarium from Ridgemont Federal Sanitarium. The paramedics have a conversation that brings up Laurie's daughter, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), and this triggers Myers to pop awake, crash the ambulance, and start making his way back to Haddonfield, where he hopes to carry on his family-killing legacy. Meanwhile, our favourite melodramatic doctor, Loomis (Donald Pleasence) learns of Michael's escape, and the chase is back on for him as he returns to Haddonfield to intercept. Jamie lives in Haddonfield with her foster family - parental units, Richard and Darlene Carruthers (Jeff Olson and Karen Alston, respectively) and their daughter, Rachel (Ellie Cornell). Jamie is a bit of a tortured little eight-year-old girl. She knows about her mother's history with Myers, has terrible dreams about Michael Myers (who, being unfamiliar with, she refers to as the "Nightmare Man"), has to deal with school bullies, and struggles with her "sisterhood" with Rachel. Rachel loves Jamie, but is still pretty reluctant to take care of her on Halloween night while the parents go out. She'd rather go on a date with her love interest, Brady (Sasha Jenson). As the night wears on, Rachel and Jamie eventually go from having the fun of trick-or-treating to being safeguarded by Loomis and Sheriff Meeker (Beau Starr) from an unknown enemy who, Jamie eventually finds out, bears a striking resemblance to her "Nightmare Man" and has come for her as it turns out, she's his niece. So, this is essentially when the series first suggests that Myers has a blood lust for his family line, not just his sisters. And being the embodiment of pure evil, according to Loomis, numerous times, Myers is also prepared to kill whoever stands in his way without any real motivation apart from "because I can." For me, this is another 'Halloween' film that actually has the right atmosphere to it. I actually enjoy the fact that they bring a kid into it, as it brings the things like trick-or-treating a bit more into play, along with other Halloween traditions, including a prank that damn near gets some kids killed. Danielle Harris is well-known as a solid Scream Queen today, but this film was where she got her start, and it's clear that she was meant to be a horror icon from the get-go with that insane scream of hers, and very real-looking fear coming across her face most of the time. And, according to her, she had more fun as a kid in these movies than as an adult in Rob Zombies 'Halloween' films, so she kinda nailed it from the beginning. While perhaps not at the front of the franchise, there are still various things that make this chapter well worth it to me, which, other than Harris' convincing performance, include an array of pretty great kills, a little bit of extra intensity considering Michael's chasing down a child, the return of the cheesily awesome Dr. Loomis, and I guess above all else it still just feels like a somewhat proper 'Halloween' movie as compared to a few leaps the series takes in the future. It still kept the spirit of things here, and in my humble opinion, it's a decent tenth-anniversary movie that parallels in quality to the other horrors released that year. Truly, 1988 seemed to be when the slasher craze officially peaked. 4/5 |
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