Halloween (2018)

In my review of the original film, I hated on it, that all changed dramatically when I saw this sequel 40 years in the making. This film unlike its predecessor, is an entertaining film with quality. Yeah, given this films genre and the title, it's supposed to be scary as hell, but, it's actually a thrilling film with suspense.

This film has a lot to offer, given the 40 year wait for the reunion of the Shape aka (Michael Myers) and Laurie Strode. This film has at all, frights, edginess, suspense, and action sequences that are some of the best parts of the film. Halloween is a phenomenal film, which is one of the best films of the year by far. 

This film has a very effective use of flashbacks to the 78' original. Flashbacks to the very beginning to where Michael killed his first victim. The flashbacks really help the film be as thrilling as if they weren't included.

Taking over the directing duties from jack-of-all trades John Carpenter, is David Gordon Green. Green makes a thrilling film, while still encompassing the style of Carpenters directing style. Green has made an authentic film that offers more thrilling and suspenseful qualities than frights. 

When the original film came out in 1978, this was the first film audiences saw Jamie-Lee Curtis. Her character is a frightened woman forty years after Michael's demise, her granddaughter is now put in her position. Laurie, who's been suffering from agoraphobia since that Halloween night 40 years ago, is now ready for him to escape that mental institution. 

Lee-Curtis does a great job in this film, way better than the original. Co-starring opposite Jamie-Lee Curtis, is the original Michael Myers actor, Nick Castle, Lee-Curtis' daughter on screen, Judy Greer and the granddaughter played by newcomer Andi Matichak. This cast does a great job at providing audiences with genuine performance and depth and curiosity. 

Once again crafting an iconic score, is not only the creator of the franchise, John Carpenter, but his son Cody, and composer Daniel Davies. The films score is electric and edgy. The trio of composers put a modernized twist into Carpenters iconic theme while bringing a new edge of sound to the film. 

The Halloween film genre can be a hit or a miss. But, this film is a total hit. This film is an outstanding film, its got edge and depth and complexity that you usually don't see in a film of this caliber. The direct follow-up of the 1978 original Halloween, does not disappoint. 

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions

Rate: B+ 

Director: David Gordon Green

Starring: Jamie-Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, Judy Greer and Andi Matichak

MPAA Rating: R-(for horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use and nudity) 

Synopsis: Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

Runtime: 1 Hour & 45 Minutes 

Hocus Pocus (1993)

One of the best things about the fall season is not only the leaves and trees, its the annual Halloween movie marathon on Freeform. One of my personal favorite Halloween movies is the cult classic, critic hammered film Hocus Pocus. Yeah, this film may have been a disaster at the box office, but has. been a cultural phenomenon for two decades and will continue to be a classic phenomenon and cult favor

Long before director Kenny Ortega made the High School Musical films, he made this one. Cooking  up a witchy film, that is fun and exciting and one of the best films of the genre. The sets, costumes and special effects are fun and vibrant, they keep the film on the right path. 

Veteran actresses: Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker are a witty and outright hilarious trio of comedic proportions. They add a balance that is equal and works in which the film is more entertaining. Co-stars: Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, Thora Birch and Jason Marsden are fantastic. They are the highlight of this film. The film has some of the most memorable one-liners & humor that make this one of the best halloween films.

Rate: A 

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

 

Halloween (1978)

A staple in horror films for forty years,  [It] Halloween has aged like rotten cheese. It was good then, but this is now. This film isn't your typical scary movie. It's a slasher, thriller. Not only that, but, it is terrifying in that the score is extremely effective. While it's a great horror film of its time, I see this film in the 21st century, thinking that it'll be as scary as it was 40 years ago. I was dead wrong. When this film ended, I was like: "this was dumb and weird."

Jack of all trades, John Carpenter not only directed the film, but he is also responsible for creating the score, writing the film and producing. One of the films most thrilling aspects is every time Michael Myers appears on screen faceless, the films iconic theme is tuned in. That right there shows Carpenters original approach on directing and scoring.

In her first film, Jamie-Lee Curtis, plays a terrified high school student, one of Myers sisters, and a babysitter. She plays her character in a dramatic way, but a little to dramatic, and cheesy.

The films best parts are when for 1. are whenever Myers appears on screen, he is breathing heavily and that is one of the best, yet creepy, parts of this film. 2. Whenever he shows up, the theme plays. I give this film credit for at least trying to be somewhat scary.

Orchestrating the madness is director of the film, and composer John Carpenter. Carpenter not only makes a film so original and the least bit scary, he makes a score that is possibly more terrifying then the film itself.

This film doesn't even make the climb as being still a scary movie forty years later, with a variety of films of this kind coming out every year. The horror films nowadays can be even scarier than this or perhaps worse? No, this film isn't all that bad. I just think this film is an average scary movie. In retrospect, this film was scary when it debut 40 years ago, but 40 years later, it loses its scare factor.

Photo courtesy of Compass International Pictures

Rate: C 

Starring: Jamie Lee-Curtis

Director: John Carpenter

MPAA Rating: R

Runtime: 1 Hour & 33 Minutes