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Halloween (2018) - Movie Review

While it can be argued whether or not John Carpenter’s 1978 thriller Halloween was the birth-giver to the modern slasher sub-genre, one thing that is not even up for discussion is the influence the film has had on an entire generation of filmmakers and horror fans alike.

Count David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Stronger) among those under the film’s influence. His knowledge, love, and respect of the Halloween franchise allowed him to become one of the first to successfully revisit the franchise with his sequel, Halloween. What makes his return succeed where others failed, is the way in which he pays respect with brilliant little homages that remind us why we so loved the original. The scenarios are familiar yet refreshing, while never outright imitating what came before. That fine line is a difficult thing to pull of in filmmaking. Just ask J.J. Abrams, who went the full imitation route with his Force Awakens. On the contrary, Halloween feels familiar and lived in, yet offers enough pleasant surprises to stand on its own to attract a new legion of followers.

"More violent, more bloody, and oftentimes more scary than the original, this Halloween is a wonderfully imagined addition to the franchise"


Halloween is the 11th title in the franchise and resets the timeline by assuming that none of the other sequels ever existed. It picks up 40 years after the tragic events of the first film and introduces us to a pair of investigative journalists (Rhian Rees and Jefferson Hall) who visit a prison for the criminally insane which has housed Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney, with a cameo by Nick Castle) ever since his reign of terror upon the sleepy little town of Haddonfield in the 1978 original.

Michael is looked after by Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer) – his new Dr. Loomis this time around, and leads our intrepid journalists to a red checkered courtyard in the middle of the prison where they will conduct their interview. This is one of the film’s most visually striking scenes and sets a spine-tingling tone for things to come. Letting us know that the shackles attached to Michael’s wrists and ankles aren’t enough to keep the dangerous psycho at bay, he is also chained to the ground and surrounded by a yellow outline demarking the “do not enter” area.

Of course, the interview goes nowhere as Michael continues to hold to his 40-year silence since murdering his teenage sister and a slew of others who simply got in the way. Perhaps he’s just biding his time. After all, he knows the authorities will soon begin transporting all the prisoners to a new facility. What could possibly go wrong? {googleads}

Well, we find out soon enough as, wouldn’t you know it, the bus transporting Michael and fellow prisoners crashes, allowing everyone on board – including Michael – to escape. And where do you think he is headed? You guessed it. Back to Haddonfield where he has some unfinished business to attend to.

But enough about Michael. This is Jamie Lee Curtis’s movie. Reprising her breakout role, she again plays Laurie Strode, forty years older and that much wiser, but now suffering from a bad case of PTSD that led to several divorces, alcoholism, and the estrangement from daughter Karen (Judy Greer), and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). Laurie isn’t doing well these days, but she knows Michael is coming. And she is prepared.

Laurie was always quite the badass. Even at 18 she was able to fell a giant with a single knitting needle, but she’s now eaten by paranoia and closeted in a heavily fortified house deep in the woods. Curtis is fantastic in the role, grizzled, gray and showing the wrinkles of what all those years of living on the edge can do to a person. Haunted by the past and never swayed by the distrust of family and loved ones, Laurie has prepared for this day and is ready to unleash an unholy hell when Michael returns. The matchup between the two is something for which audiences have been waiting for a long time. And it does not disappoint as Green surpasses expectations with a violent yet satisfying final confrontation.

Halloween (2018) - Movie Review

Carpenter comes on board as executive producer of the film, and his presence is felt throughout, especially when his updated score tinkles out that iconic piano sequence. Those chills? That’s John Carpenter doing it to us once again. Also, many of Green’s little visual flourishes such as the iconic Jack-O-Lantern and a background shot of a dollhouse fashioned after the original Halloween house, show the love and respect he has for Carpenter’s vision. And still present is that NOT knowing the “why” behind Michael Myers’ motivation that brings a guttural fear of the boogeyman.

More violent, more bloody, and oftentimes more scary than the original, this Halloween is a wonderfully imagined addition to the franchise that updates, and in many ways, improves upon the original while maintaining its fun B-movie practicalities. This is exactly what we wanted in a revisit to Haddonfield. Nothing more. Nothing less.

4 stars

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Halloween 92018) - Movie Review

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime:
106 mins
Director
: David Gordon Green
Writer:
David Gordon Green, Danny McBride
Cast:
Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak
Genre
: Horror
Tagline:
Face Your Fate.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Happy Halloween, Michael"
Theatrical Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Official Site: www.halloweenmovie.com/
Release Date:
October 19, 2018
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
January 15, 2019
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.

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Halloween (2018) - Movie Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Universal Studios
Available on Blu-ray
- January 15, 2019
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles
: English SDH; Spanish: French
Audio:
English: DTS:XEnglish: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1; Spanish: DTS 5.1French (Canada): DTS 5.1
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD-50, 1 DVD); Digital copy; Movies Anywhere; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Region-free playback

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment’s 1080p HD handling of this movie is fantastic! The images on the 1080p transfer using the AVC MPEG-4 codec are presented in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio of its original release and absolutely explode with a crispness that is pushed to the max. The tones are natural and amped up on saturation and dark tones. The dark tones are important and with this release they are dark and natural; effective in creating a sense of disturbing moodiness. The Blu-ray is presented in DTS-HD 5.1 lossless Master Audio and contains a good mix of levels for multiple channels requiring no tweaking from its audience in order for dialogue to be heard. Overall, a standout HD release.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • Unfortunately, none.

Special Features:

Plan on this title getting a re-release around Halloween (or sooner), because with no commentary, this one feels a bit of a let-down.  That being said, there are some supplemental items that will be of interest to long-time fans of the series.

Deleted/Extended Scenes

• Extended Shooting Range

• Shower Mask Visit

• Jog to a Hanging Dog

• Allyson and Friends at School

• Cameron and Cops Don't Mix

• Deluxe Banh Mi Cops

• Sartain and Hawkins Ride Along

  • Back in Haddonfield: Making Halloween
  • The Original Scream Queen
  • The Sound of Fear
  • Journey of the Mask
  • The Legacy of Halloween

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Halloween 92018) - Movie Review

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