Principal Cast: Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon Zombie, Tyler Mane
Director: Rob Zombie
Genre: Horror, Slasher
The Basics
Two years after the bloodbath in Haddonfield. Il. Laurie Strode is fighting to put the pieces of her life back together. As Halloween draws near, she is plagued by nightmares of the carnage she survived.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sam Loomis has become a celebrity thanks to his life long study of the killer, Michael Myers, who had become one of the nation’s most well known spree killers. Loomis has a new book set to be released on Halloween documenting the events of two years prior, including bits of information that should have been kept under wraps.
But history tends to repeat himself when Michael Myers, thought to be dead, emerges from hiding. Guided by visions of his dead mother and his 11 year old self, Michael resumes the search for his sister, killing everyone who gets in his way.
Trick or treat.
Recommendation
Horror hounds and fans of Rob Zombie’s remake of Halloween will enjoy this one. The R rating is for graphic violence, language, and nudity.
My Take
When making his version of the original Halloween, Rob Zombie basically took the source material and reworked it in his own fashion, I.e. writing Michael Myers as a character and not just a shape, focusing on his origins a psychotic 11 year old, and building a dynamic relationship between him and Loomis. So in effect, while it had it’s differences, it was still similar to the original film.
This movie has nothing in common with the original Halloween 2. The plot for that movie was used as a dream sequence in the beginning of this film. Even though I’m a fan of the original sequel, I did like how rather than remaking another movie, Zombie built on what he added to the storyline, going further with his psychology of the character.
*Spoiler Alert* Even though Michael was developed as a character (not just a shape) in Zombie’s first film, he was basically still the “iconic” Michael Myers with the white mask, black jumpsuit, and butcher knife. In this film, we see a Michael Myers that departs from the classic visage. He dons a hooded jacket and wears a long, thick beard. But, when he is ready to kill, he wears the familiar white mask. Some fans of the franchise were put off by this, but I was all for the evolved Michael.
So the question becomes, “Since Michael Myers has evolved beyond what we’ve seen in the franchise, why even don the white mask at all?” We saw in the first film that Michael made a habbit of keeping his face covered, especially when he was in “killing mode,” and that the white mask held some unknown value to him, as he chose to hide it where he could get to it when he went home years later. So it would mke sense that he would still have it, though the reasons for such are kept somewhat hidden.
We’re also given an insight into his psychology when we see his visions of him speaking to his mother. This in and of itself is an important plot point, but what I found interesting in those exchanges what Michael’s vision of himself as the eleven year old who slaughtered his family, and it is this Michael who speaks to his mother. This was a good way to show that this is still who he is. His body may have grown, but his mind never did.
The question that rises on the mental state of Laurie Strode is, “Is her condition due 100% to post traumatic stress, or is there a genetic element at work?” We knew, even though she did not, that Laurie is Michael Myer’s sister. Was it possible that she had some of the Myers curse in her blood? It is never said who Michael’s father was and why he was not in the picture (I don’t think Ronnie was his dad.) Was he psycho? Is he dead, in jail, in a sanitarium, or did he just split? For that matter who was Laurie’s biological father? Was it Ronnie? We don’t really know. Suffice it to say that Michael and Laurie are more than likely half brother/sister, and the idea of them sharing a hereditary psychosis is fairly unlikely. The one parent we know they have in common, their mother, was not presented as having any mental issues until her son lost his mind.
The question I had about Laurie’s mindset in this movie came after she learns through reading Loomis’s book that she is Angel Myers, sister of the manic who haunts her dreams. When she learns of this, she goes to her new friends and confides what she has come across, but then decides to don a costume and go to a party and get wasted. At first I questioned this, saying, “is this something someone would do after being hit with such a bombshell?” After some though, I said, “could very well be.” Different people deal with grief in different ways. So it is believable that should would try to cope in this fashion.
As with the first movie, The Samuel Loomis created by Malcolm McDowell has almost nothing in common with the Samuel Loomis created by Donald Pleasance. His notoriety in the Myers case has clearly gone to his head giving him the personality of a prima dona rock star. I like this change in the character, but I could see this as his coping mechanism for losing Michael in the ordeal (Loomis thinks he’s dead.) He does want to transform himself and shed the skin of the dr. who cared for that patient, but there was just that one signifying line or action that would have clinched his psychology that was missing. That may be nit picking, but it’s a small thing that would have rounded his character.
The end of the movie was somewhat an enigma to me. As I have said, I find it unlikely or implausible that Laurie and Michael could share a psychosis, but when she is in his presence, she seems to see the same specter that Michael sees. I’m not sure how to take this. Is Zombie solidifying the fact that there is a shared psychosis between them? Is there a supernatural element? The delusion is broken when Loomis tells her there is nothing there. So was it genetics, or did she remember what she saw that night as an infant in some way. These thing are usually left unanswered deliberately to leave the viewer to interpret for themselves. But it seems that there is a connection, wherever it comes from.
Zombie chose to break away from the franchise when remaking the original Halloween, and keeps moving away from it with this film. There are times where it might not be recognizable as a “Halloween movie,” but that is what Zombie was going for.
Statistics
Story: Very Good. Though it slows down in a couple of places, the deep character development and psychological horror elements keep the viewer engrossed.
Cast Performance: Very Good. Same kudos as the first movie.
Violence/Gore: Heavy. This is one thing Rob Zombie is known for; highly bloody movies.
Nudity: Moderate. There is nudity in this one, but the sex is toned down to keep the tone of the film consistent.
Ambiance/Music: Good. A good mix of natural uneasiness in the wilderness scenes and claustrophobia in the city scenes, although I was a little disappointed that the iconic Halloween theme was not used until the very end.
Overall: 4.25/5.0
Interesting Stuff
-This is the first Halloween movie to show Michael Myers clearly without his mask.
-In the end of the Director’s cut, Michael rips off his mask and yells, “Die!” before attacking Loomis, making this the first time we hear Adult Michael speak.
-This is the first Halloween where we see Michael eat.
-Danielle Harris and Jamie Lee Curtis are now tied at four appearances each in the Halloween franchise. They both trail Donald Pleasence, with five.
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