Confession: I’ve never seen any of the HALLOWEEN movies.
Sure, I’ve seen clips. I’ve heard the classic John Carpenter score. And I know the difference between Michael Myers and Mike Myers. Truth be told, slasher flicks aren’t my cup of tea. These flamed out in the 80s after the first HALLOWEEN and the first FRIDAY THE 13TH. The fact that I have to say “the first” speaks volumes.
Word on the street is there are something like eleven HALLOWEEN movies. Okay, something like isn’t really accurate, there are 11 HALLOWEEN movies. I know this because I just checked Wikipedia. Did you know the third HALLOWEEN movie is subtitled SEASON OF THE WITCH? I remember seeing the VHS cover for this circa 1983 or 1984 and my 10 year-old brain, fresh off POLTERGEIST, concluded it was the stuff of nightmares.
I don’t know about the other 11 HALLOWEEN films, but I can say that I loved 2018’s version, called, not surprisingly, HALLOWEEN. Side note: Is it possible to love something that made me clinch my bum cheeks so tight that Gene Needham was waiting on my doorstep when I got home?
If you’ve seen any of the trailers, the plot of HALLOWEEN isn’t too hard to figure out. Myers has been locked away in a sanitarium for the last 40 years. Two podcasters come knocking (think MAKING A MURDERER) on the eve of Myers moving from one insane asylum to another. Whoever signed the paperwork to transfer Michael Myers – the Michael Myers – on Halloween night was just asking for the poop to hit the fan. And while she didn’t sign the paperwork, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has been praying every night since 1978 that ol’ Michael would escape, that way she could kill him and her demons.
I’ll leave the rest of the story points alone, but if you’re like me and have never seen a HALLOWEEN movie, you’ll be fine. The movie does a great job of covering old and new ground. In fact, kudos to the writing team of Jeff Fradley, Danny McBride (yes, this Danny McBride) and David Gordon Green (who also directs). The script and overall feel are a tight mix of nostalgia and a hearty dose of life in 2018. HALLOWEEN is foreboding from start to finish, but has enough humor to make you exhale before the filmmakers terrorize you milliseconds later. This will definitely win the next two weekends at the box office.
GRADE: B+
