Halloween (2018)

Halloween (2018)

Halloween movie poster

In 1978, Halloween kicked off the slasher genre. And, while it remains the single best example of the genre, the same cannot be said for its many dreadful sequels and reboots. Beyond spotty, the franchise, like its iconic villain Michael Myers, refuses to die, yet keeps coming back like a flat, emotionless, and often terrible stalker.

For the films' 40th anniversary, it is reboot once again, with a sequel to the original that wisely chooses to ignore all the intervening films. But is it successful? Sort of.

The good part here is that the film reunites Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode with Nick Castle, the original Michael Myers, and writer/director John Carpenter back as Executive Producer, creative consultant, and of course music composer.

The rest of the cast is merely adequate, with some odd casting choices, like Judy Greer as Strode's daughter

The film is pretty much a direct homage to the original, with a lot of references to that film, including some shot-for-shot recreations. In some ways it relies a little too much on this slavish loyalty to the original, yet it is the complete opposite of that film in one crucial way. It lacks a master like Carpenter at the helm. Carpenter's original was filled with tension, with the killing coming after a long buildup. This film however is long on on-screen killing and gore, almost from the get-go, but short on suspense.

Still, given how low the bar has gone with this franchise in the past, we'll take it.

The Good:

• Jamie Lee Curtis as an older, damaged Laurie Strode is outstanding
• Carpenter's signature musical score

The Bad:

• Lacks the jolts of Carpenter's original; to some extent Wes Craven's Scream is a better homage
• If you have a prisoner who is ONLY known for killing people on Halloween, why for the love of God do you choose to transport him between facilities on October 30th?
• If Laurie moved to a new house, how did Michael know where to find her?

Stuff to watch for:

• probably the only mainstream film to reference Repo Man
• references to every other Halloween film even as it ignores them

Pairing: Popcorn and Apple Cider

The Verdict:

***1/2 out of *****