"Halloween" Retrospective: HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS

HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995)
Director: Joe Chapelle
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Paul Rudd, Marianne Hagan, Bradford English, Mitchell Ryan, J.C. Brandy, George P. Wilbur

Michael Myers and his niece Jamie Lloyd (now played by J.C. Brandy) have disappeared after the events that ended the fifth film. She has been captured and impregnated by the Man in the Black and is being kept underground in his cultish layer. After giving birth, the baby is marked with the Thorn symbol that Michael and the Man in Black had on them. She is able to escape with her baby, and calls in to the radio station to get word out that Michael is still around. A retired Dr. Loomis (Pleasence) and Tommy Doyle (now played by Paul Rudd) hear her plea and know he is still out there. Tommy was the child Laurie Strode was babysitting in the first one. He is now living in a boarding house in Haddonfield and is obsessed with finding Michael. His bedroom walls are covered in newspaper clippings relating to all things about Michael’s reign of terror. Michael kills Jamie once and for all but her baby was kept hidden.

Relatives of Laurie are now living in the old Myers house. Dr. Loomis heads back to Haddonfield to warn the Strodes that he may be back looking for the baby. The eldest daughter Kara (Hagan) is now living back at the house with her parents and six year old son Danny. Danny seems to have a sixth sense about Michael and the curse of Thorn. Tommy informs Kara about the history of the Myers house and how he believes Michael’s spree of terror is all linked to the curse of Thorn, which is why he is back again tonight.

How does the Strode family not know the history of the house? Kara’s dad seems to be the only one who knows as his brother was Laurie’s dad who sold him the house, but none of the rest of the family are aware of the history. They all live in the Myers house and are relative of Laurie Strode, yet no neighbor or someone from the Haddonfield community never made reference to those tragic events all these years ago. I find that hard to believe.

The film delves deep into the history of the curse of Thorn and gives more insight into how the Man in Black is involved. We got introduced to this concept in the fifth film, but it was never fully explained. I understand the idea of taking the story in a new direction to keep the franchise going, but I have never been a fan of the Thorn/Man in Black/cult aspect to the history of Michael Myers.

The film brings back some familiar faces and characters. George P. Wilbur who played Michael in the fourth film is back to play him again. He is the only actor to play him twice which is unfortunate as he is also my least favorite actor to play him. This film also marks the last appearance of Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis. He died shortly after principal photography wrapped. Even though the credits state “Introducing Paul Stephen Rudd”, this was his second movie he appeared in. Clueless was released earlier in 1995. He takes over the role of Tommy Doyle who was played Brian Andrews in the original movie. Danielle Harris decided to turn down the chance to appear as Jamie Lloyd again. Apparently, there was a money dispute.

The film is just a mess overall. It is widely known that there are various versions of the movie floating around. Most notable is a "Producer's Cut" that is quite different than the theatrical cut and includes an alternate ending. That version is not available commercially, but recently there was a screening of it held in Los Angeles that received a positive response. I would love to see it some day, so I hope it gets a blu-ray release. I originally regarded Halloween III: Season of the Witch as the worst of the the series, but even Paul Rudd can't save this dreck.

RATING: * (1 out of 5 stars)

My Ranking of the Franchise
1. HALLOWEEN (1978)
2. HALLOWEEN II (1981)
3. HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1989)
4. HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988)
5. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)
6. HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995)

"Halloween" Retrospective: HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1989)

HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1989)
Director: Dominique Othenin-Girard
Starring: Donald Pleasance, Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Beau Starr, Wendy Kaplan

“I prayed that he would burn in hell, but I knew that hell would not have him.”

Much like how Halloween II picked up with the ending of the first one, the fifth entry in the series picks up toward the end of the fourth film as we see Michael Myers being shot down a mine shaft. Despite Dr. Loomis (Pleasance) telling everyone he was dead, we should all know better than that. He slips out another exit of the shaft and floats down the creek.

One year passes for our characters; Jamie Lloyd (Harris) is now spending time in the Children’s Clinic in Haddonfield due to the incidence that occurred at the end of the fourth film. The psychological effects Michael (Shanks) has had on her had left her mute as well as possessing some sort of psychic connection to him. She has her bad days as she suffers from the continual nightmares, shakes, and sweats, but she does have her good days full of huge smiles. Her only way of communicating is by minimal sign language and leaving messages and drawings. Dr. Loomis has overseen her recovery and knows due to her recent attacks that Michael must be back.

This film also marks the first appearance of The Man in Black. He is a mysterious stranger that arrives in Haddonfield that has some connection to Myers. He has a symbol tattooed on his arm and heads to the old Myers house. Fans of the franchise will notice they use a completely different house that looks nothing like the Myers house used in previous films. The concept and introduction of The Man in Black is poorly executed here. He makes a brief appearance in the middle of the movie and then comes back at the very ending. There is no real thorough explanation or reason why he appears in this movie. It really makes no sense until you watch the sixth movie. What would have happened if that never got made?

I criticized the second and fourth movies for having poor character development compared to the first movie. Maybe I should have considered myself lucky. We are introduced to more of Rachel’s (Cornell) friends including Tina (Kaplan) and some other truly obnoxious and annoying friends. Rachel is a smart character, so why is she friends with these idiots? You actually look forward and hope the Michael kills them off. Is that wrong of me to say?

Kudos to the make-up department for making Donald Pleasance burn make-up look far better than it did in the fourth movie. His character Dr. Loomis is getting more and more gruff and cranky with each movie. I actually think he gets a bit too rough with Jamie when he pleads for information out of her. He later goes so far as to use her as bait to trap him.

This is the only movie in the franchise that I have mixed feelings about. For being the fifth in a series, it really has some positive aspects to it. Don Shanks is one of the better actors to don the Myers mask and jumpsuit. The death scenes are getting far more gruesome and violent with each passing movie which makes it a bit more frightening at times. According Don Shanks in the audio commentary, the movie originally received an X-Rating due to the graphic nature of the kills. The stakes are higher for Dr. Loomis and Jamie which elevates the desperation and fear they each have of Michael. The camera work and over all film making is better here than in the fourth movie. My focus starts to veer and my patience wears thin with The Man in Black twist. They were probably trying to think of ways to continue the story or take it in a new direction, but they were not quite sure how to carry it out. The idea of a traumatized Jamie Lloyd in the hospital is all too reminiscent of Halloween II which feels like a cop out. You really need to watch 4 and 5 together, but 5 is the better movie.

RATING: ** 1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

My Ranking of the Franchise
1. HALLOWEEN (1978)
2. HALLOWEEN II (1981)
3. HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1989)
4. HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988)
5. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)

"Halloween" Retrospective: HALLOWEEN 4 THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988)

HALLOWEEN 4 THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988)
Director: Dwight H. Little
Starring: Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, Donald Pleasance, Michael Patki, George P. Wilbur, Kathleen Kinmont

“Jesus ain’t got nothing to do with this place.”

Michael Myers has survived the explosion that happened ten years ago. As he is being transferred back to Smith’s Grove, he kills the medical personnel in the ambulance and escapes. Michael’s old psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis (Pleasance), is made aware of his escape and tries to warn the police of his return to Haddonfield. Why would they believe him? Michael’s been in a coma for years and Dr. Loomis is just a crazy old man.

Seven year old Jamie Lloyd (Harris) is his only surviving relative. Her mother Laurie Strode died in a car accident eleven months prior and has since been adopted by the Carruthers family. She cannot escape her mother’s past as she continually has visions and nightmares about Michael. Even the other kids at school poke fun and tease her about how the boogeyman is her uncle. On Halloween night, her older foster sister Rachel (Cornell) is stuck taking her babysitting when their parents leave for the night. Dr. Loomis has returned to Haddonfield and realizes that the evil has returned. His intuition is correct that Jamie is Michael’s next target.

Due to an impending writers strike producer Moustapha Akkad wanted the script to be finished in a quick time period. Director Dwight H. Little brought in his collaborator Alan B. McElroy to crank out a script quickly before the strike kicked in. Little and McElroy paid close attention to the continuity in the Michael Myers storyline and the time period. We see the effects of the ending of the second film on Dr. Loomis and Michael as well as the mention of what happens to the Laurie Strode character. It is fantastic to have Donald Pleasance back to the series. You just need to get passed the poor burn make-up job on his face. Yes, it may have been an easy choice to have Michael target another family member but that is part of the character. I wish more attention would have been given on the supporting characters. They come across a bit generic and obvious. The character of Rachel is similar to Laurie and she has the slutty friends just like Laurie did. Even the gang of bar patrons that want to take matters into their own hands are a bit laughable.

The film was not shot on the same Pasadena streets as the first film, but they were able to pull off the Midwestern neighborhood feel of Haddonfield quite well even though it was shot in Salt Lake City. I think the feel of the neighborhood is vital to the story, so the continuity in tone and feel continues there as well. The very ending is definitely an homage to the first film. I do not want to give too much away but the filming harkens back to the Dean Cundey camera work that sets up the first film and we get to hear the infamous John Carpenter score. I wish we could have used more of this style throughout the film.

One of my biggest problems with the movie is the lighting. One of Michael’s victims is thrown into the power grid and the whole town loses its power. The majority of the film is very dark and in turn poorly lit. The majority of the interior shots are lit by fire places, candles, and kerosene lamps which do not provide ample lighting. It was obviously a specific choice as an attempt to make the film scarier. In turn, it just fizzles out as I find it just makes the action harder to see.

Like the title suggests, the film provides a good return to the story of Michael Myers after the side step that was Halloween III: Season of the Witch which veered terribly off track. The overall concepts and focus on continuity help the film from being just your standard horror sequel schlock. To non-fans of the series, I am sure they still consider it pure crap. The main problem is that the film is just not that scary. There are some directorial choices that lack suspense. George P. Wilbur, who plays Michael Myers, is missing the physicality of giving the haunting and eerie feel of Myers. Even though he wears a mask and jumpsuit, there is still specific way to play that character. The actor has to be more than just this looming figure that kills people. True fans of the series, like me, can find an appreciation for this fourth entry, but it will not win over any newbies to the series.

RATING: ** 1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

My Ranking of the Franchise
1. HALLOWEEN (1978)
2. HALLOWEEN II (1981)
3. HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988)
4. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH(1982)

"Halloween" Retrospective: HALLOWEEN II (1981)

HALLOWEEN II
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance, Charles Cyphers, Pamela Susan Shoop, Dick Warlock

Even though it was released three years after the first film, the story picks up toward the ending of the first film when Laurie Strode tells Lindsay and Tommy to go get help at the McKenzie’s house. Despite being shot numerous times by Dr. Sam Loomis (Pleasance), Michael Myers (Warlock) has survived and is “on the loose”. The infamous John Carpenter score takes over as the opening credits roll. Laurie has survived the horror after being stabbed in the chest by Michael and is being taken to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. Try not to roll your eyes too much at the very obvious wig Jamie Lee Curtis is now wearing.

News breaks that numerous teens have been murdered in Haddonfield, and the town goes on high alert. Dr. Loomis and Sheriff Brackett (Cyphers) take to the streets to continue their search for Michael. Blame is quickly put on Dr. Loomis as Michael was his patient and is now missing. No one knows what Michael looks like and with his mask on, he blends in with every other person walking the streets. You would think his creepy head tilts and slow walk would scare some people. Michael heads toward the hospital to continue his attack on Laurie.

These first two Halloween films are not just about Laurie Strode as a victim, but also focuses on Dr. Loomis and his relationship with Michael. Both the first film and now the sequel pay close attention to the relationship Michael has with both of these people. If you have never seen the first one, it accomplishes the obligatory recapping of the events and details of who Michael Myers is and what happened when he was a little boy. Horror sequels sometimes become origin stories and sometimes hidden truths about a killer get revealed. Halloween II takes a deeper look into history of Michael Myers and answers the question of why he is after Laurie Strode. I am obviously not going to reveal that here!

Director Rick Rosenthal, with help of Hill and Carpenter, tries to make the sequel have the style and feel of the first Halloween. Some of that attempt works well while some of the other approaches to the sequel really miss the boat and ignore what made the first film so eerie and haunting. Some of the earlier scenes are shot through the eyes of Michael Myers, which is how the first film starts and gives us the unique “through the killers eyes” perspective. The deaths are far more gruesome as he uses more than just his butcher knife on his victims. Michael adds hospital tools to his repertoire of killing devices. I personally think he should just stick to his large kitchen knife. It’s his signature weapon!

The script just is not up to par with the original. Debra Hill wrote some fantastic dialogue in the first film for all of the supporting players making those characters memorable. Much of that is missing here and we are reduced down to numerous hospital workers as supporting players which makes each death less personal. Even Jamie Lee Curtis is left mostly mute and traumatized without much to do except hobble around the hospital. She does a fantastic job, don’t get me wrong.

I remember watching Halloween II first before seeing any of the other movies in the franchise. I think I was around twelve or thirteen years old at the time. My parents never let me watch rated-R movies, let alone horror movies, at that age. I was spending the weekend at my friends Brad and Brett’s house, and they were allowed to watch those types of movies. Needless to say, I took full advantage of the situation. Isn't that what you’re supposed to do at a slumber party? We went to a haunted mansion earlier in the evening and then rented Halloween II from the video store. I cannot remember the circumstances of why we got the second one over the first one. Maybe the first one was checked out at the time. This started my never-ending love of the Halloween series. A couple of years later, I rented the first one which then cemented my continual fascination of Michael Myers.

RATING: *** (3 out of 5 stars)