nemesis
07-26-2001, 03:51 AM
Halloween(9/10)
John Carpenter’s hugely successful and very influential Halloween was made for just $600,000, and went on to gross $60,000,000 on its first release. It started the stalk 'n' slash genre and has never been bettered.
It's the simple tale of a psychopath: a six year old boy named Michael Myers kills his elder sister on Halloween night in 1963, is put into an institution and matures into a malevolent but ambiguous figure known as The Shape.
He escapes many years later and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, stalking a series of teenagers on Halloween night. Carpenter builds tension with some incredible wide screen compositions (the only movie of its type to my knowledge to be shot in Panavision), which leaves some unnerving spaces into which something leaps out or - more terrifyingly - doesn't. The ingenious use of the Steadicam (a.k.a. Panaglide) allows us to follow the characters (namely The Shape, hiding in the shadows) and adds a different dimension to the film.
Halloween is hardly a serious psychofilm; it's a thrill show. The presence of The Shape, faceless in a white mask, and that composition by Carpenter (an eerie tune which plays in your mind when walking alone at night); that's the real horror of Halloween. When released, suburbia was thought to be safe, where people could let their kids run free and leave their doors unlocked. Yet injecting something, one man or thing that could kill or pose a threat, and you create disequilibrium in a balanced, safe society. The result was terrifying.
While it seems similar to Carpenter’s previous T.V. movie Someone’s Watching Me, and some elements do look cliched after years of laughable wannabies and non-memorable sequels, you can't beat a late night viewing of Halloween. It was the most influential horror film of the 70's and tied for first place in the all-time best horror list with Hitchcock's Psycho.
Halloween 2(5/10)
Halloween 2 tries hard, but is not nearly as good as the original Halloween. The sequel picks up just seconds after the first one ends with Michael Myers still on the loose. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Curtis) has been taken to the local Hospital due to injuries inflicted by Michael earlier that night. Michael follows her to the hospital and Dr. Loomis spends half the film wandering around town with the sheriff (Charles Cyphers) looking for Michael. While at the Hospital Michael begins to dispose of nurses, doctors etc... in brutal and gory ways. The reason the original worked so good was because it was suspensful but not gory, and Michael was always in the shadows, but in Halloween 2 you see him all the time! And the music is not very good at all either. Still, if you saw the original Halloween you should see this one, just to find out why He is is stalking Laurie.
Halloween 3(2/10)
This attempt to make a Halloween movie without the familiar presence of Micheal Myers is dead from the beginning. This story is about a deranged mask manufacturer who has made and sold millions of Halloween masks that will kill any child wearing them on that scary day. When his secret is in danger of being revealed prematurely, he resorts to Myers-style slaughter to prevent detection. This one marked the end of John Carpenter's involvement with the series.
Halloween 4(8/10)
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a big improvment over Halloweens 2 & 3. Halloween 4 returns to the elements that made the original so scary, Michael is kept in the shadows, there is atmosphere, and the music is back to the what it was in the original, but it is updated a bit. Halloween 4 has Michael Myers waking up from a coma 10 years later and when he is being transported to another Hospital he makes his escape and once again returns to Haddonfield in search of his niece Jamie Lloyd (Harris). As Halloween Night approaches, Michael begins to roam the town, as he does not know what Jamie looks like. Once he finds a picture of her, he begins to stalk her and her older step-sister Rachel (Cornell) while they are trick-or-treating. Also Dr. Loomis knowing of Michael's escape, returns to Haddonfield to destroy him forever. As word gets out about Michael's return, the townspeople take the law into their own hands and begin a manhunt for Michael. Halloween 4 is very well directed and acted. Donald Pleasence plays Dr. Loomis even more over the top than usual in this one, but he is still very enjoyable. Halloween 4 is one of the better installments in the series, and is a good one to rent.
Halloween 5(5/10)
Although many Halloween fans feel that Halloween 5 is the worst of the Michael Myers films, you do have to admit that it is scary! People who are not diehard fans of the series usually find that Halloween 5 is by far the scariest of the series, even scarier that the first one! Some of the reasons that people do not like Halloween 5 are: the stupid looking Myers mask, the Myers house (which used to be a small dinky house, but in Halloween 5 is a mansion), and let's not forget that all of the teenage characters in the film are very annoying and you hope that some of them will be killed by Michael! Anyway, Halloween 5 picks up 1 year after Michael's killing spree in Halloween 4. Michael's niece Jamie (Harris) is now in a Children's Mental Hospital undergoing treatment for a strange condition that has made her unable to speak, and caused her to stab her step-mother on Halloween Night 1 year ago. Of course we all know that it is Michael, survived falling down the mine shaft at the end of Halloween 4. Michael returns to Haddonfield in search of Jamie, with whom he shares a strange psychic bond. Dr. Loomis (Pleasence) is trying to work with Jamie so the they can stop Michael forever. But Dr. Loomis is not the only person looking for Michael, a strange man dressed in black clothes is following Michael all around town. You know that this Man in Black and Michael are somehow connected because they have the same tatoo on their wrist. Now after seeing the climactic ending in Halloween 5 you will want to go out and rent Halloween 6 to find out what happens and who the Man in Black is. Halloween 6 was made 6 years after Halloween 5 and that is the longest time period that I have ever waited for a sequel. So if you saw the first 4 Halloweens, you might as well see 5, it's got it's moments. Especially an ending you will not soon forget !
Halloween 6(3/10)
Mercilessly hacked to pieces by its director the movie is an all around mess
Halloween 6:The Producers cut(9/10)
Okay to start, this version is way better than the one that was released in theaters. Although I don't remember much of that version, I do remember it being dissapointing. This producers cut in my opinion has to be one of the best in the series, aside from the first of course.
For those of you who don't know much about this cut, it has about 45 mins of unseen footage, like a different beginning and ending. I don't know why exactly they didn't release this version to theaters, because I'm sure if they did they would have made more money.
These cuts are kind of hard to come by, but if you talk to the right people or check ebay you might find a copy. The copy I had wasn't the best quality, but I could still see what was going on and that's all that mattered to me. Although it would have been nice to see it clearer.
Anyway, the changes that are in this film make the plot more interesting and keeps you in suspense through most of the scenes. It's interesting on how they explained Michael was so unstoppable. Makes sense I guess. A lot better than some dumbass demon inside your body, like in Jason Goes to Hell. Now that's a waste.
Watching this film just made me realize how badass Michael Myers really is. Having watched this it got me really antious on the upcoming sequel(Was until I read the script).
I also really enjoyed this film because it seems more darker than the previous films. I don't remember how the version that was released in the theaters ended, but the ending to this one was excellent. Makes you wonder how different H2O would have been if this version was released in the theaters. Probably would have stayed the same actually, since they ignored the previous sequels anyway.
H20(2/10)
Ever since I first heard of the filming of a new Halloween movie, I have been anticipating its opening night. That night came on August 5, and I was there. Something just told me this was going to be a good scare; possibly even more similar to the original than previous sequels. I was mistaken on both counts. This film had potential, but failed to realize it.
It's been twenty years since Michael Myers escaped from a mental institution and returned to his hometown to stalk his sister Laurie Strode. Keri Tate is a headmistress at a private school in California. Unbeknownst to all but her 17 year old son, Keri Tate is Laurie Strode. Needless to say, Michael returns and the hunt begins.
After a very promising opening scene, the movie goes south; and fast! Bogged down in melodrama, the plot is forced to drag along. The middle of the movie is devoted to examining the impact of her brother on her life. We learn that she is a raging alcoholic, as well as a prescription pill abuser. The problem with this is, Keri's problems are presented in a way that simply doesn't affect the viewer one way or the other. We're introduced to flat, cardboard characters; only this time, half of them aren't even killed off. The second serious problem with this movie is simple: it just isn't scary. One character bumping into another with the sound of some typical "jump" music is scary a couple of times, but becomes predictable after about the tenth. Michael has become older, it is clear. In fact, his killing spirit has weakened considerably. Sorely missing was the Michael of old. Any horror film with more false alarms than actual murders cannot succeed in frightening anyone over the age of 13. Out of left field, Keri suddenly becomes a big bad mama with an axe. The muffled climax wasn't exactly thrilling and ended far too quickly.
Halloween: H20 was an extreme disappointment to all fans of the John Carpenter original. When our good friend Myers returns to the big screen,I fear it will only get worse.
John Carpenter’s hugely successful and very influential Halloween was made for just $600,000, and went on to gross $60,000,000 on its first release. It started the stalk 'n' slash genre and has never been bettered.
It's the simple tale of a psychopath: a six year old boy named Michael Myers kills his elder sister on Halloween night in 1963, is put into an institution and matures into a malevolent but ambiguous figure known as The Shape.
He escapes many years later and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, stalking a series of teenagers on Halloween night. Carpenter builds tension with some incredible wide screen compositions (the only movie of its type to my knowledge to be shot in Panavision), which leaves some unnerving spaces into which something leaps out or - more terrifyingly - doesn't. The ingenious use of the Steadicam (a.k.a. Panaglide) allows us to follow the characters (namely The Shape, hiding in the shadows) and adds a different dimension to the film.
Halloween is hardly a serious psychofilm; it's a thrill show. The presence of The Shape, faceless in a white mask, and that composition by Carpenter (an eerie tune which plays in your mind when walking alone at night); that's the real horror of Halloween. When released, suburbia was thought to be safe, where people could let their kids run free and leave their doors unlocked. Yet injecting something, one man or thing that could kill or pose a threat, and you create disequilibrium in a balanced, safe society. The result was terrifying.
While it seems similar to Carpenter’s previous T.V. movie Someone’s Watching Me, and some elements do look cliched after years of laughable wannabies and non-memorable sequels, you can't beat a late night viewing of Halloween. It was the most influential horror film of the 70's and tied for first place in the all-time best horror list with Hitchcock's Psycho.
Halloween 2(5/10)
Halloween 2 tries hard, but is not nearly as good as the original Halloween. The sequel picks up just seconds after the first one ends with Michael Myers still on the loose. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Curtis) has been taken to the local Hospital due to injuries inflicted by Michael earlier that night. Michael follows her to the hospital and Dr. Loomis spends half the film wandering around town with the sheriff (Charles Cyphers) looking for Michael. While at the Hospital Michael begins to dispose of nurses, doctors etc... in brutal and gory ways. The reason the original worked so good was because it was suspensful but not gory, and Michael was always in the shadows, but in Halloween 2 you see him all the time! And the music is not very good at all either. Still, if you saw the original Halloween you should see this one, just to find out why He is is stalking Laurie.
Halloween 3(2/10)
This attempt to make a Halloween movie without the familiar presence of Micheal Myers is dead from the beginning. This story is about a deranged mask manufacturer who has made and sold millions of Halloween masks that will kill any child wearing them on that scary day. When his secret is in danger of being revealed prematurely, he resorts to Myers-style slaughter to prevent detection. This one marked the end of John Carpenter's involvement with the series.
Halloween 4(8/10)
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a big improvment over Halloweens 2 & 3. Halloween 4 returns to the elements that made the original so scary, Michael is kept in the shadows, there is atmosphere, and the music is back to the what it was in the original, but it is updated a bit. Halloween 4 has Michael Myers waking up from a coma 10 years later and when he is being transported to another Hospital he makes his escape and once again returns to Haddonfield in search of his niece Jamie Lloyd (Harris). As Halloween Night approaches, Michael begins to roam the town, as he does not know what Jamie looks like. Once he finds a picture of her, he begins to stalk her and her older step-sister Rachel (Cornell) while they are trick-or-treating. Also Dr. Loomis knowing of Michael's escape, returns to Haddonfield to destroy him forever. As word gets out about Michael's return, the townspeople take the law into their own hands and begin a manhunt for Michael. Halloween 4 is very well directed and acted. Donald Pleasence plays Dr. Loomis even more over the top than usual in this one, but he is still very enjoyable. Halloween 4 is one of the better installments in the series, and is a good one to rent.
Halloween 5(5/10)
Although many Halloween fans feel that Halloween 5 is the worst of the Michael Myers films, you do have to admit that it is scary! People who are not diehard fans of the series usually find that Halloween 5 is by far the scariest of the series, even scarier that the first one! Some of the reasons that people do not like Halloween 5 are: the stupid looking Myers mask, the Myers house (which used to be a small dinky house, but in Halloween 5 is a mansion), and let's not forget that all of the teenage characters in the film are very annoying and you hope that some of them will be killed by Michael! Anyway, Halloween 5 picks up 1 year after Michael's killing spree in Halloween 4. Michael's niece Jamie (Harris) is now in a Children's Mental Hospital undergoing treatment for a strange condition that has made her unable to speak, and caused her to stab her step-mother on Halloween Night 1 year ago. Of course we all know that it is Michael, survived falling down the mine shaft at the end of Halloween 4. Michael returns to Haddonfield in search of Jamie, with whom he shares a strange psychic bond. Dr. Loomis (Pleasence) is trying to work with Jamie so the they can stop Michael forever. But Dr. Loomis is not the only person looking for Michael, a strange man dressed in black clothes is following Michael all around town. You know that this Man in Black and Michael are somehow connected because they have the same tatoo on their wrist. Now after seeing the climactic ending in Halloween 5 you will want to go out and rent Halloween 6 to find out what happens and who the Man in Black is. Halloween 6 was made 6 years after Halloween 5 and that is the longest time period that I have ever waited for a sequel. So if you saw the first 4 Halloweens, you might as well see 5, it's got it's moments. Especially an ending you will not soon forget !
Halloween 6(3/10)
Mercilessly hacked to pieces by its director the movie is an all around mess
Halloween 6:The Producers cut(9/10)
Okay to start, this version is way better than the one that was released in theaters. Although I don't remember much of that version, I do remember it being dissapointing. This producers cut in my opinion has to be one of the best in the series, aside from the first of course.
For those of you who don't know much about this cut, it has about 45 mins of unseen footage, like a different beginning and ending. I don't know why exactly they didn't release this version to theaters, because I'm sure if they did they would have made more money.
These cuts are kind of hard to come by, but if you talk to the right people or check ebay you might find a copy. The copy I had wasn't the best quality, but I could still see what was going on and that's all that mattered to me. Although it would have been nice to see it clearer.
Anyway, the changes that are in this film make the plot more interesting and keeps you in suspense through most of the scenes. It's interesting on how they explained Michael was so unstoppable. Makes sense I guess. A lot better than some dumbass demon inside your body, like in Jason Goes to Hell. Now that's a waste.
Watching this film just made me realize how badass Michael Myers really is. Having watched this it got me really antious on the upcoming sequel(Was until I read the script).
I also really enjoyed this film because it seems more darker than the previous films. I don't remember how the version that was released in the theaters ended, but the ending to this one was excellent. Makes you wonder how different H2O would have been if this version was released in the theaters. Probably would have stayed the same actually, since they ignored the previous sequels anyway.
H20(2/10)
Ever since I first heard of the filming of a new Halloween movie, I have been anticipating its opening night. That night came on August 5, and I was there. Something just told me this was going to be a good scare; possibly even more similar to the original than previous sequels. I was mistaken on both counts. This film had potential, but failed to realize it.
It's been twenty years since Michael Myers escaped from a mental institution and returned to his hometown to stalk his sister Laurie Strode. Keri Tate is a headmistress at a private school in California. Unbeknownst to all but her 17 year old son, Keri Tate is Laurie Strode. Needless to say, Michael returns and the hunt begins.
After a very promising opening scene, the movie goes south; and fast! Bogged down in melodrama, the plot is forced to drag along. The middle of the movie is devoted to examining the impact of her brother on her life. We learn that she is a raging alcoholic, as well as a prescription pill abuser. The problem with this is, Keri's problems are presented in a way that simply doesn't affect the viewer one way or the other. We're introduced to flat, cardboard characters; only this time, half of them aren't even killed off. The second serious problem with this movie is simple: it just isn't scary. One character bumping into another with the sound of some typical "jump" music is scary a couple of times, but becomes predictable after about the tenth. Michael has become older, it is clear. In fact, his killing spirit has weakened considerably. Sorely missing was the Michael of old. Any horror film with more false alarms than actual murders cannot succeed in frightening anyone over the age of 13. Out of left field, Keri suddenly becomes a big bad mama with an axe. The muffled climax wasn't exactly thrilling and ended far too quickly.
Halloween: H20 was an extreme disappointment to all fans of the John Carpenter original. When our good friend Myers returns to the big screen,I fear it will only get worse.