Halloween (2007)

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Halloween Reviews

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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

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