Directed By: Steve Miner
Written By: Robert Zappia & Matt Greenburg
Story By: Robert Zappia, Kevin Williamson (Uncredited)
Based on Characters Created By: Debra Hill & John Carpenter
Cinematography By: Daryn Okada
Editor: Patrick Lussier
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams, Adam Hann-Byrd, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Janet Leigh, Adam Arkin, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Branden Williams, LL Cool J
On Halloween in 1963, Michael Myers murdered his sister, Judith. In 1978, he broke out to kill his other sister, Laurie Strode. He killed all of her friends, but she escaped. A few years later, she faked her death so he couldn't find her. But now, in 1998, Michael has returned and found all the papers he needs to find her. He tracks her down to a private school where she has gone under a new name with her son, John. And now, Laurie must do what she should have done a long time ago and finally decided to hunt down the evil one last time.
This is a film that tries to be a horror film and it hits the right note, but with all the humor and known tone of the film it fits more into a homage of horror and the series of films it takes place in. Skipping over the other sequels that have happened since part 2.
The director and writers decided to treat this movie as if Halloweens 3-6 never took place. This was a decision made to keep the plot simple and focus on the Laurie character.
This feels like more of a beginner horror film for a teen. Including all hallmarks of horror but having a certain lightness that doesn't bathe the audience in it's gore and extreme violence that most do. In other words it's almost like family friendly horror
I remember when he media was trying to make it look like Jamie Lee Curtis was passing the torch to Michelle Williams as the new scream queen. Where as Jamie Lee Curtis hadn't appeared a horror film in over a decade. Then Michelle Williams career got red hot as a dramatic actress and has never looked back.
I remember when this film initially came out looking forward to it as I was a huge Kevin Williamson fan at the time. So I had already read the original screenplay and knew it would differ. He bring all the tricks of his particular trade to the film. Even when i saw the film I defended it as I thought it was decent. Though watching it recently I can say it's not horrible, but it isn't exactly noteworthy except for Curtis' return to the series. For what it was hinted at might be it's finale. It wasn't and supposedly the beginning of the next movie in the series after this HALLOWEEN:RESURRECTION was a shot yet unused ending for this film. Cementing Jamie Lee Curtis never returning to the series.
The movie was made after a suggestion by Jamie Lee Curtis. She wanted to "20-year Anniversary" movie with John Caprenter, but the director declined.
During the scene where Norma is leaving, she stands in front the car from PSYCHO. The music playing in the background at this part is also from Psycho. Janet Leigh, who plays Norma, played Marion in Psycho. The license plate on the car is also the same as the second car Marion buys in Psycho, NFB 418, which are Norman Bates' initials.
Considering this is supposed to be the finale. The film should have been more of an original voice I realize this is almost a numbered sequel of a well worn series, but even the sequels had more excitement in it. This just feels like it tries to go more pathological yet is so lightweight you barely notice. The film should have been handled by a horror between more of a genre specialist. While Steve miner is an between all around direction who has directed horror before. He doesn't play to the film or genres strengths.
My experience watching this film is another not so great movie experiences with an audience. I saw this on opening night and sat next to a couple. Who I found out from before film chatter between them. That this was her first horror film, not in a theater mind you but ever. So I am sitting there and as each scary or violent scene comes on she doesn't scream like your average audience member. No her scream kind of builds as a heavy breath then scream but the plume accelerates slowly and stays there for awhile before she calls down. His happened throughout the film. So much so I had to go see the film a second time to fill in some of the blanks that I missed and convince myself the film was better than I thought after my first viewing and the only reason it wasn't great in my mind was the distraction of the screamer. Which worked in the films favor over the years until I really began to study an view it. Especially in the context of other horror films over the years and not in a nostalgic memory.
Since the film was dipped in clichés of the recent teen horror films that were prevalent around that time. Many horror franchises follow trends and sill made their mark. He'll even this film tried an original idea with it's third film and didn't work. It was foolish for me to think this series was above the rest and no willing to try and cash in and hold it's reputation.
The film isn't a total loss it's just so basic. That it sets the mood more as a murder mystery rather than a slasher film.
While it has always been mostly a slasher series. The Halloween saga are the series of films that has had survivors return the most in it's sequels and instead of wall to wall Violence, has tried to set itself apart by being more of a thriller with scares and tension.
Usually in the films there is a kill here or there to keep it on the pulse. Letting us know the danger and show everyone especially those to Michael Myers prey are expendable. Though with this film maybe because of all the teenagers. He seems to stay calm and hiding in the shadows until the third act of the film. Where the film sets up only a few characters left on this vast campus, For his bloodbath. Leaving only a chosen few to be victims as we already know who they will be. It is the only time other then the beginning of the film that the film comes alive with real danger. As the last act is set up with he carnage and is the action film like extravaganza you have been rain for throughout.
This film like some others in the genre, has the habit of blurring the line what exactly the slasher. Here Michael Myers is. An entity of evil sure, but is he still human? Super human? Super natural? As bullets stop him, but don't kill him. He always comes back until they do what they should have done many movies ago. As with most of the films. They always shot him, yet the beginning of the next film usually explains and shows the reasons for his survival. At least in Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN series reboot his reasoning for wanting to kill off his family is explained. Making it more understandable and interesting. Though the quality of those films is questionable and a bit too scattershot. The nicest thing I can say is that the direction is well crafted with those films.
Contrary to popular belief, Kevin Williamson was in fact not the original writer of the film. Originally, Robert Zappia was hired to pen 'Halloween 7,' which was planned to go direct-to-video after the modest box office performance of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Zappia's original script was set in a fenced-in boarding school as does the finished film. However, when Jamie Lee Curtis expressed interest in returning to the series, Kevin Williamson--who was coming off of his blockbuster success with Scream--was asked by Dimension Films to pen a treatment that added Laurie Strode. When the WGA deemed that Williamson did not deserve writing credit on the screenplay, Dimension Films--hoping to market the film as 'From the creator of Scream'--offered Zappia more money to share the writing credit. Zappia declined, and Williamson only possesses Executive Producer credit on the finished film.
The reports that Kevin Williamson's original treatment for "H20" included a scene in which "Halloween 4" through "6" are acknowledged as being "in continuity" and "canon" are completely accurate. The scene did exist, and involved a bitchy student at Keri/Laurie's school giving a class report on the "Haddonfield Murders", and going into great detail about Jamie Lloyd, Danielle Harris and JC Brandy's character from "Halloween 4" through "6". The student talks about Jamie losing her parents in an auto accident, as was the explanation in those sequels for Laurie Strode's absence. (In fact, the only reason for Laurie to be in the Witness Protection Program with her son under an assumed name as "Keri Tate" at all was because the original story for "H20" was conceived like this, with "Halloween 4" through "6" in continuity, and Williamson thus being required to create an explanation for Laurie's "death" in the previous movies and her subsequent resurrection.) The student's report chronicles Jamie's being hunted and eventually killed by her uncle, Michael Myers. Upon hearing this oral presentation in the classroom, a grief-stricken Keri/Laurie then retreats to a restroom and throws up. This scene was of course omitted from the actual film.
The original treatment for "H20" by Kevin Williamson was much more sparse on character detail and had a radically different ending. In the place of Nancy Stephens' character of Marion Whittington in the trademark "Williamson opener", a new character was originally to be created, "Rachel Loomis", apparently Dr. Sam Loomis' daughter, who would have the computer files on Laurie Strode/Keri Tate on her home computer. Rachel would come home to discover her computer on, and would swiftly be dispatched by the Shape. Also, in the climax of the treatment, there is a massive helicopter and bus chase sequence, culminating in the downed helicopter spinning out of control and decapitating the Shape with its out of control rotor a la "Mission: Impossible".
One of the biggest sources of tension between the filmmakers was the issue of the film's ending. Kevin Williamson's treatment had the Shape being cut in half by a helicopter rotor while early drafts of the script had Laurie stabbing him through the heart with a javelin while he was pinned between the two pieces of a retractable gym floor. Moustapha Akkad wanted the Shape to live at the end so he could produce more Halloween films while Bob Weinstein at Dimension Films wanted the Shape to die. Weinstein instructed screenwriter Robert Zappia to write two endings and send the ending with the Shape surviving to Akkad while they would actually shoot the ending where the Shape died. Zappia refused, much to Weinstein's annoyance. According to Zappia, Kevin Williamson concocted the film's ending where the Shape is "killed," as well as the twist shown in Halloween: Resurrection [spoiler] where it is revealed that the Shape had switched clothes with a paramedic. This solution managed to appease both parties. According to screenwriter Matt Greenberg, it was Weinstein who suggested that Laurie Strode decapitate the Shape with an ax.
Charles S. Dutton originally had a small role in the film as a detective, however his part was removed as script rewrites came in.
Moustapha Akkad (the executive producer) said that the killer in H20 was not actually Michael Myers, but in fact a copycat killer, and that this would be explained in the next Halloween movie. The idea was dropped for Halloween: Resurrection, which explained the reappearance of Michael Myers by revealing that he had traded places with a paramedic at the end of H20, who had then been mistaken for Michael, and was subsequently beheaded by Laurie.
It still holds a place in my memory, but this series of films has always stood apart as more willing to be different. Yet it is also the franchise that is the hardest to follow and stay a fan of, the reboot of the series hasn't really helped not to tarnish the memories and reputation of it.
Grade: C+
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