| Halloween III: Season of the Witch Departing from the world of Michael Myers, this tells a completely new story about a toy maker, producing Halloween masks that when worn cause people to become possessed! Reflection� Again, a sequel that�s not liked by many, but isn�t all that bad despite the fact it�s not based around Michael Myers. I suppose this film was a way for producers to test if they could really open up the whole Halloween franchise, with different scary tales all centred around Halloween. However, the movie didn�t connect with fans, who were hungry for Michael Myers to make his return� Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers Over ten years after Michael Myers was burned to death in a hideous inferno, we learn that he actually survived. Although a vegetable, he has been held in a secure mental asylum. When the mental hospital finds another asylum willing to hold Myers� body, they are more than happy to sign over the Halloween killer. However, on route in to the new asylum, Michael begins displaying signs of brain activity and viciously attacks the ambulance drivers. The following morning, we find that Dr. Loomis, also thought to have died, is also very much alive, although terribly scarred. He is furious that Myers was moved without his consent. The hospital warden dismisses Loomis� concerns, but is shocked when the ambulance is pulled out of the river with the two drivers murdered and Myers gone�Back in the town of Haddonfield, we learn that Laurie Strode had a daughter � Jamie, but Laurie died when the child was very young. And unfortunately for Jamie, she seems to have inherited her mothers curse, as Michael is very desperate to meet and kill his niece. But Myers, once again, does not count on Dr. Loomis informing the local sheriff and launching a war against Myers. After a brutal chase, and a few casualties, Myers is cornered by a swarm of armed police, and a load of shotguns are unloaded into his body. Myers falls through what seems to be a cellar/well to his doom�.However; it seems he�s left a little piece of himself with his niece� Reflection� Now this is Halloween going back to its roots. The film is very much a slasher film, but the creepy atmosphere is back. This is evident from the very beginning of the film � from the deserted house, to the creepy music. This opening very much draws you into the movie and automatically gave me a chill. Then we arrive at the asylum where Myers is being held and when one of the ill-fated ambulance drivers says �Jesus� in response to a screaming patient, the orderly responds with �Jesus has nothing to do with this place.� The good thing about this film is that it works as a stand alone movie � when the ambulance drivers arrive to transfer Myers, we are given a brief re-cap of who he is and what happened to him. The movie then moves onto Myers going after the last remaining member of his bloodline � his niece, Jamie. This works very well, as at first Myer�s begins stalking her from a distance, haunting her. The character of Jamie, herself, makes for an intriguing young heroine, full of pain because of the loss of her mother, and teased at school for being the niece of �the boogey man.� She is played excellently by the very talented Danielle Harris, giving a truly powerful performance for one so young. The film, I feel does a damn good job of balancing the slasher elements and creepiness, for instance, the scene where Loomis arrives at a gas station/diner, and finds it deserted, and then sees Michael standing, watching. The deaths of the people there were done off screen, leaving this to our imagination. The other truly excellent moment occurs when Loomis and the Haddonfield Sheriff find themselves surrounded by a dozen Michael Myers! Overall, the film has a very good story, is directed very well, and has a climax that truly shocks and leaves us with our jaws hitting the ground. A truly excellent, if underrated sequel. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers Picking up directly after the events of the last movie, we find Michael having fallen down the cellar/well and being dragged down a river. He is either dead or unconscious and the river is pulling him violently. However, he is pulled out of the water by a passer by and taken to his nearby cabin to recover. Soon, Michael does awake, and kills the rescuer. He then plots his revenge, and begins to head for Haddonfield once again. Meanwhile, Jamie has been confined to a children�s mental ward for almost killing her foster mom. It seems before Myers fell to his apparent death, he fused a psychic link with his niece. She can now see the fate of his victims, and he is fully aware she can! Myers soon arrives back in Haddonfield and the nightmare begins all over again. After a few ghastly murders, Myers is actually captured by the police and locked in a prison cell. The monster has finally been caged, and Jamie�s ordeal is over. However, an explosion rocks the prison cells, and after the dust has cleared, Myers is gone, having been helped by a mysterious man wearing a long black coat and a black hat� Reflection� This is where it started to go wrong, a bit. After leaving us with a shocking cliff-hanger, Halloween 5 opens fairly strong, but then goes down hill from there. Halloween 4 would have worked well on its own, without another sequel, leaving audiences wondering what happened. Anyway, after the opening, explaining what�s happened to Jamie and Myers, we move onto a rave that�s happening in Haddonfield. It seems the Halloween writes ran out of all there good ideas in No.4 and just made this one for the hell of it. This sequel reverts to being your standard slasher flick, void of any atmosphere. It works OK, but you find yourself bored quite easily. Then comes the conclusion where a bit of mystery is added, and whilst you do want to find out what happens next, you are puzzled more. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers It is several years since Michel Myers was aided in escaping from prison. We learn who helped him � a strange cult that worships evil, and see him as some sort of saviour. However, in this strange place, Myers� niece, Jamie has been kidnapped. She is a lot older and about to give birth! After the birth of a boy, the cult plans a ritual sacrifice, but one of the nurses that delivered the baby, helps Jamie escape with her son. However, Michael Myers witnesses this and after killing the nurse, sets out to find Jamie and her son. He soon does and kills Jamie, but not before she has hidden the baby. Frustrated, Myers heads for the one place where he may find answers � Haddonfield! Meanwhile, Dr. Sam Loomis, who had long since retired from any police work, is shocked when he hears a news report of brutal killings. He immediately knows who it is, and also heads for Haddonfield. Meanwhile, a young man, Tommy, has been studying the supernatural and cult phenomenon. He believes Michael Myers killings have some sort of purpose and that the birth of Jamie�s son was prophesised. It isn�t long before Tommy finds the baby and heads for safety, but he is interrupted by Myers! However, in a final battle, Dr. Loomis intervenes and tells Tommy to run; meanwhile Dr. Loomis with weapon in hand relentlessly beats Myers to his apparent death. Moments later we find Tommy and the baby have fled to safety. However, back at the scene of Michael�s death, we find only his mask and a hypodermic needle. His body and Dr. Loomis are gone� Reflection� Now before getting into it, I should state that the original director of the movie, jumped ship, causing editors to finish off what was left. Also, this marked the last Halloween movie for actor Donald Pleasance, before he unfortunately died. I wish I could say it�s a fitting tribute, but is certainly not worthy of the actor at all. Anyway, the movie opens strong and really draws you in, explaining what�s happened since the last movie and the revelation of the Myers cult! But then it begins to go down hill again, despite some nice editing in the form of flashes showing Myer�s and grisly footage from different parts of the movie. And again, the Halloween writers do it again � they have a really good character with Jamie Lloyd (although played by a different actress), but they quickly kill her off. Anyhow, the plot slowly moves on, and then we get to the climax, which suffers, partly due to Donald Pleasance�s death and from writers/editors not knowing what to do. In the end, audiences are left truly confused and scratching their heads. Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later This film ignores all events after Halloween II and is a direct follow-up to the first two movies, however, for purists; it does subtly include hints from the Halloweens 4-6, so the whole saga does fit together�kind of. After two decades of silence, Michael Myers returns once again to wreak havoc. However, we learn that his sister Laurie Strode, who was reported to have died in a car accident, actually faked her death. Michael learns of this when he breaks into the recently deceased Dr. Loomis� house and looks at his files. And so, Michael heads for Laurie � or Keri Tate as she�s now known. Keri works as a teacher at a private school, which her son, from a failed marriage, also attends. Although she has tried to re-build her life and move on, she is still haunted by what happened to her 20 years ago. Very protective of her son, she fears that one day her step brother � whom she saw die in a hospital fire � will some day return. But her fear begins to alienate her son, and as a way to bring them closer, she agrees to him going away on a school outing. However, her son, along with some friends, decides to secretly stay behind and have a party of his own. Meanwhile, Michael Myers has arrived at the school and it isn�t long before he kills the remaining teenagers, bar Laurie�s son and his girlfriend. The remaining teens run for their life, and are saved by Laurie. After getting them to safety, Laurie decides it�s time to finally stop running. She grabs a axe, and heads back into the school � it�s time she stood up to her brother, and finished this thing once and for all. After a brief cat and mouse game, Laurie finally stabs Myers repeatedly in the chest, sending him crashing over a balcony and to his death. Later, the authorities arrive and take Myer�s body in ambulance. Laurie is transfixed by it � she grabs the axe again, and then grabs a gun from a police man, forcing the ambulance driver to give her the keys. She then gets in the ambulance and heads speeds down the highway. Michael, very much alive, burst out his body bag and rushes for Laurie, but she slams on the breaks, sending him crashing through the window. Laurie then waits, knowing he�s not dead. Myer�s slowly gets up, and Laurie shoots toward him, crashing into him, but also taking herself and the ambulance down an embankment. Laurie is thrown out of the ambulance. Myer�s is send flying onto of a fallen tree, with the ambulance crashing directly onto him, crushing him! Laurie, bloodied gets up and grabs the axe. She walks over to Myer�s. She calls out to him, he begins to stir. She calls out to him again, and he looks at her. He reaches out his hand, begging for help. Laurie looks at him for them with sympathy. She is about to take his hand, but then looks deep into his eyes � seeing the conniving, evil monster beneath. Then with quick speed, she backs away, takes a swing, and chops off Michael�s head, killing him once and for all! Laurie stands, axe in hand, breathing confidently. After twenty years of hell and being afraid, the nightmare is finally over! Reflection�. I don�t need to say much about this movie, as readers of the web page know exactly how I feel about it, but�I�ll say it again anyway, although quickly. This is the definitive sequel to Halloween, bringing the saga to a fitting close. The film works on not only concluding the story, but also as a creepy thriller and slasher movie. Influenced by Scream (hey it was originally written by Scream supreme Kevin Williamson), the film does feature forgettable teenagers, although John, Laurie�s son makes for another intriguing character � played by the then relative unknown Josh Hartnett. But in the end, this movie is about Laurie and Michael, and as the original script was called, is centred on The Revenge of Laurie Strode. As I�ve said earlier, after years of being afraid, she decides enough is enough and for the first time, becomes the stalker, finishing things for good and finally ending her nightmare! Halloween: Resurrection I�m going to very brief with this, as I hate what they do to Laurie in the beginning of the movie. Anyhow, in a nutshell, Michael is not dead; he swapped masks with one of the ambulance men after Laurie stabbed him. Then with Laurie in a mental asylum, he goes there and kills her. Then, he goes back to Haddonfield, where a reality TV show is being filmed at his house � he enters his former home and kills most the people inside, until he is cornered, electrified and burned. But, as always, he is very much alive and will return� Reflection�. How many times can I say this � I hate the beginning of this movie! It�s just so wrong and so damn stupid! The whole bringing Myers back storyline works in theory, but is bloody stupid in reality. There is no way, the ambulance driver could with stand being hit by a car and then surviving being crushed by a van � only a superhuman monster like Myers could. And at the very end of H20, a very nice moment when Michael is reaching out to Laurie and she is about to reach out to him, before looking into his eyes and seeing the evil underneath. That moment is destroyed because of this movie. Anyhow, getting the opening of the film out of the way, the remaining reality TV storyline is OK�kind off. Yes, it adds a new and interesting touch with the numerous reality TV cameras, but it in the end it comes across like �just another horror movie.� I�m sure its not as bad as I think it is, but after a fitting conclusion in H20, this feels unnecessary and very much a step back. Halloween 9 � Latest News� It was reported on the web that the latest Halloween 9 would be a prequel, showing what drove Michael to kill his sister. Although it is just a rumour, judging by what we saw in Myers� house in Ressurrection i.e. chains, etc. showing that Myers was seriously abused as a child, I think the rumours are in the right direction. Although it may sound like an interesting idea, I think instead of disturbing psychological thriller it should be, we�re going to get the �Michael�s parents are from hell� storyline. If you ask me, it�s far scarier not knowing why he did it, and just leaving it down to one word�evil. Halloween � Virtual Sequel Idea � Set after or before Halloween 4, this re-unites Laurie Strode and her daughter. After having Jamie, Laurie was in a terrible state, and so faked her death to sort herself out. She felt Jamie would be better with foster parents. But now Laurie has re-built most of her life, and now learns that Michael is alive and after her daughter. She heads back to Haddonfield to rescue her daughter and finish things with her step-brother once and for all. |