A Look at the Halloween Franchise
Ahhh — Halloween is upon us once again. It’s that wonderful moment in the year when autumn is in full swing. The sun hangs lower in the sky, the air is crisp and the leaves crunch beneath scattering feet. The summer is off far behind us, but the winter is not yet upon us. It’s a time with an otherworldly feel — haunting, mysterious, peaceful. The Halloween season is the year’s twilight hour, and despite what Andy Williams has to say, this is “the most wonderful time of the year.” So, what better way to celebrate Halloween 2018 than to take a look at one of the horror genre’s most iconic movie franchises.
The Halloween film franchise is my favorite major horror franchise in the slasher genre, and sometimes I really don’t know why. It’s objectively the worst one. For the most part, none of the sequels are really great, and some of them are barely watchable. The Friday the 13th series has better kills and more entertaining characters. The Nightmare on Elm Street films have more creative premises, fascinating visuals and a highly charismatic villain. Even the sequels to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre have a bizarre twisted madness to them that keeps things interesting.
But what the Halloween series has, that the others do not to the same extent, is mood. These films are dripping with the essence of the season — the Halloween mood. Almost every film begins with some combination of the same few elements: shots of the sleepy small town homes, jack-o’-lanterns proudly displayed on front porches, kids in costume roaming the streets, dead leaves blowing about by autumn winds and of course the bold white letters that appear on screen to say “Haddonfield, Illinois.” And that music. John Carpenter’s 1978 score is undoubtedly one of my favorite horror scores of all time. It sublimely settles you in for what is about to unfold. Of course, I also love watching these movies because of the iconic Michael Myers aka “The Shape” aka “The Boogeyman” aka “Evil on Two Legs.” What Carpenter and Hill originally created was a cold, mysterious and indiscriminately murderous presence. At his core, Michael Myers is an unstoppable force of evil, without motive or explanation. And that is truly terrifying. So let’s dive in, shall we? From my personal worst to best, here is a brief look at each movie in the Halloween franchise.
11. Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Dir. Rick Rosenthal
Oh man, this movie. Halloween: Resurrection is what you get when a studio wants to capitalize on the reboot of the Halloween franchise, the new found footage craze and the popularity of Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks. As a follow-up to 1998’s Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, this film begins with the murder of series-heroine, Laurie Strode. After that, it’s a cringe-inducing collection of scenes featuring embarrassingly dumb characters wandering through Michael Myers’ childhood house as part of a “spooky” reality show being streamed live on the internet. The movie isn’t good-bad. It’s not even fun-bad. It’s just bad. In a recent interview with John Carpenter, he reflected on having seen Halloween: Resurrection: “I watched the one in that house, with all the cameras. Oh my god. Oh lord, god. And then the guy gives the speech at the end about violence. What the hell? Oh my lord. I couldn’t believe.” That about sums it up. Don’t ever watch this movie.
Rating: 0 / 5 Bustas
10. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Dir. Dominique Othenin-Girard
Halloween 5 stinks. It continues the story of young Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), now scarred from her experience at the end of the 4th movie — a pretty cool twist ending that this film completely disregards, by the way. Jamie has a bizarre, unexplained connection to Michael Myers that comes out in epileptic-like fits of frantic scribbling. Franchise regular Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is casually looking after Jamie, but really he’s just obsessed, once again, with finding Michael Myers and killing him for good. There are a lot of annoying characters, way too many false jump scares and super weird musical cues that, at times, make the movie feel like a Three Stooges sketch. There are a few good kills in a barn, though, so that’s something. Don’t bother with this one.
Rating: 1 / 5 Pitchfork Deaths
9. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Dir. Joe Chappelle
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is the movie that killed the chronological continuity of the franchise after its release. It foolhardily attempts to give a thorough backstory to Michael Myers through some weak explanation of Druidic rituals, ancient cults and and magic runes. The backstory introduces ideas that it blatantly abandons, and nothing ultimately makes sense. It’s awful. To make it worse, Paul Rudd is in it, playing a grown-up Tommy Doyle (the kid Laurie Strode was babysitting in the first film). Now, I have nothing against Paul Rudd; I love many of his comedic roles, but he is absolutely awful in this. Tommy is a hard main character to get on board with. There are infamously two versions of this film: the Theatrical Cut and the Producer’s Cut. If you don’t want to see Michael Myers defeated by a bunch of magic stones on the floor (oops, spoilers), then see the theatrical version. Plus, there’s a great head explosion in that one. Overall, though, you might want to skip this one.
Rating: 1 / 5 Paul Rudds
8. Halloween (2007)
Dir. Rob Zombie
It’s clear that director Rob Zombie wanted to explore his own vision of the Michael Myers legend in 2007’s Halloween. And the result is a mixed bag. Some people really hate this movie, and some people really appreciate this movie. I’m somewhere in the middle, but overall, it just felt kind of bland and uninspired. The first half of the film explores Michael’s upbringing, which is unnecessary and pretty dull (his step-dad is abusive, boohoo). The second half is, for the most part, a remake of the original film. The acting has its highlights and lowlights. Malcolm McDowell makes for a great Dr. Loomis — a worthy successor to Donald Pleasence. On the other hand, the performance of Scout Taylor-Compton, who plays Laurie Strode, is frustrating to watch. However, much of that isn’t her fault. This version of Laurie is written as an immature, ditsy, run-of-the-mill movie teenager. It’s a far cry from Jamie Lee Curtis’ portrayal. Halloween (2007) isn’t an awful movie, but you wouldn’t miss much by skipping it.
Rating: 2 / 5 Abusive Parents
7. Halloween II (1981)
Dir. Rick Rosenthal
After rewatching all of these films, I surprised myself a bit to find Halloween II (1981) this low on my list. It’s a very competent movie. It’s well-shot, well-acted and ups the primal brutality of Michael Myers in fun ways. But alas, when watching it, I just found myself generally bored. The film picks up immediately where the first film ends, on the same night Michael Myers terrorized Laurie Strode. Laurie was rushed to a hospital to recover from her wounds, and guess who shows up to finish the job? One of the worst contributions to the Halloween canon was established in this film: Laurie Strode is Michael Myers’ younger sister. Unfortunately, this was a story throughline that was present in every subsequent film (until this year’s most recent entry). Co-writer, John Carpenter, later admitted that he was most likely drunk when he came up with the plot twist and that it was a “terrible, stupid idea.” And he’s right. Establishing a familial connection between the villain and the hero demystified “The Shape,” and lessened his eerie, sinister nature. If you are interested in continuing the story from the original film and want a definitive “end” to Michael Myers, check out Halloween II.
Rating: 3 / 5 Hospital Fires
6. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Dir. Dwight H. Little
After the public rejected Halloween III’s attempt to branch the franchise off into an anthology series, the franchise returned to form in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. It introduces the character of Laurie Strode’s daughter, Jamie Lloyd, played wonderfully by Danielle Harris. In this timeline, Laurie Strode died years before in a car accident, so Jamie is now living with a foster family. Michael Myers is back and dead set on killing his eight-year-old niece. My main gripe with Halloween 4 is Michael Myers’ look. His mask is a bit goofy (too pristine), and his shoulder pads make him look too stiff and comical. Overall, there’s really nothing particularly special about this entry, aside from the overall atmosphere and the ending. The movie concludes with a wonderful twist ending, in true horror fashion, that shows just how far the reach of Michael’s evil extends. I’d say, give it a gander.
Rating: 3 / 5 Shotgun Impalements
5. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Dir. Steve Miner
In an attempt to retcon every sequel after Halloween II, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later brought back Laurie Strode as the main focus. We now find Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) teaching at a private boarding school in Northern California, under the name Keri Tate. When Michael Myers returns from obscurity and tracks her down, mayhem ensues, threatening the lives of her son, John (Josh Hartnett), and his friends. Though not a spectacular movie, it was great to see Jamie Lee Curtis reprise her iconic role and kick some serious Michael Myers ass. The original working title was actually Halloween 7: The Revenge of Laurie Strode, which would have indeed been appropriate. It was also nice to see Janet Leigh play a small role as Laurie’s assistant, while the film made nods to Psycho and, of course, her and Curtis’ familial connection. It’s a solid Halloween movie, with a whopper of a climax. Give it a look-see.
Rating: 3 / 5 Decapitations
4. Halloween II (2009)
Dir. Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie’s follow-up to 2007’s Halloween is bananas, and that’s why I like it. Many people regard Halloween II (2009) as one of the worst in the series, but it’s chock full of nutty things to love. The plot revolves around Laurie Strode’s internal struggle with what she experienced in the events of the previous film. She is scarred from her encounter with Michael Myers and is, as a 19-year-old, trying to maintain some semblance of normal, adjusted social life. This idea is actually explored pretty well throughout much of the movie, until of course the murder festival takes front and center. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis is on a book tour, capitalizing on the Michael Myers story without regard for its victims. He’s an arrogant, phony, money-hungry, vain scumbag, and it’s a unique, previously unexplored take on the character, wonderfully portrayed once again by Malcolm McDowell. A lot happens in this movie — some of it dumb, some of it interesting and some of it good fun. Halloween II (2009) has comically unrelenting stabbings, murderous hallucinations and batshit dreams about ghosts and horses. It’s quite entertaining, and honestly, you probably wouldn’t have much of an issue seeing this without having seen Zombie’s first Halloween. I say, check it out.
Rating: 3 / 5 White Horse Fever Dreams
3. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Dir. Tommy Lee Wallace
Once Halloween II (1981) wrapped up the Michael Myers story with a bow, it was John Carpenter’s idea to switch gears and treat the Halloween franchise as an anthology series, each film following a different, stand-alone story. And that is how we got Halloween III: Season of the Witch. The film centers around a doctor, Dan Challis (Tom Atkins), who investigates the small California town of Santa Mira (a reference to Invasion of the Body Snatchers) in hopes of learning more about a recent murder. The trail leads him to a company called Silver Shamrock Novelties, who manufacture popular Halloween masks for children. What unfolds is a bizarre story involving witchcraft, ancient Celtic rituals, killer humanoid robots and an evil plot to mass murder millions of children. Two of the film’s major highlights are the fantastical, disturbing makeup effects (crafted by Thomas R. Burman and John Logan), and the haunting synth-heavy score by John Carpenter and series-regular, Alan Howarth. In a lot of ways, it’s a shame that the Halloween franchise didn’t go in more of this direction. Having a series of unrelated films, all revolving around Halloween, is a really interesting idea to me. It could’ve been fun. Halloween III was a bold and unappreciated (at the time) experiment that unfortunately didn’t pan out. It’s bonkers, delightfully schlocky and a fun watch, overall. See it.
Rating: 4 / 5 Devoured Children
2. Halloween (2018)
Dir. David Gordon Green
When I first heard that David Gordon Green and Danny McBride were spearheading a Halloween sequel with Blumhouse Productions, my first reaction was, “Hmm, that’s different.” As time grew closer to the release date, however, I have to admit, I was pretty pumped for Halloween (2018). Having seen it, I say it was a fine sequel and a solid reboot of the franchise. The story was pretty run of the mill, as far as Halloween sequels go, but it did attempt to deal with certain personal themes, like PTSD and familial estrangement. Unfortunately, I don’t think these ideas were really explored in any fulfilling or interesting way. I suppose there needed to be room for all the many (sometimes hamfisted) nods and homages to the previous films. There was a lot I liked about the film, though. It was very well shot and put together. The characters were likable enough to care about them, and Michael Myers was finally made to be intimidating and scary again. Plus, Jamie Lee Curtis’ return as Laurie Strode was wonderful and very welcome. But I think the strongest aspect of the film for me was the music. John Carpenter returned, not only as a hands-on producer, but also to compose a brand new score along with his son, Cody Carpenter, and composer, Daniel A. Davies. It was haunting, visceral, familiar and refreshingly different, and it really drove many scenes home in a satisfying way. In a recent interview, Curtis said, “I really do believe that David [Gordon Green] gave me a chance to be an actress again. Because I haven’t. I sold yogurt that makes you shit for 7 years.” Well, just as Activia cleanses bowels, this film cleansed the bad taste of those awful sequels from the past. Give it a watch.
Rating: 4 / 5 Head Stomps
1. Halloween (1978)
Dir. John Carpenter
This is certainly no surprise. How can you compete with the original? The answer is, you really can’t. In 1978, John Carpenter and Debra Hill created Halloween, one of the most successful independent films of all time, and changed the horror genre forever. Films like Psycho and Black Christmas laid the groundwork for the slasher genre, but it was Halloween that established the legacy and dawned a new age of horror cinema, spawning countless copycats (most notably Friday the 13th). It’s a remarkable piece of film to watch. It has such a simple premise, yet it is so effective in its execution. Everything from Carpenter’s simple and styled directing to Dean Cundey’s brilliant cinematography to Tommy Lee Wallace’s impeccable production design and editing contribute to the beauty of how this film looks. In her film debut, Jamie Lee Curtis brought the smart, reserved, strong heroine, Laurie Strode, to the screen, and Donald Pleasence put his years of expertise and poise into bringing the brooding Dr. Samuel Loomis to life. Michael Myers was a different kind of villain. He didn’t speak, he didn’t run and he murdered without reason — like Jaws on land wearing a William Shatner mask (though that does sound awfully silly put that way). There’s honestly not much more to say about this movie that already hasn’t been spoken or written about in great detail, so I’ll just say, if you’ve never seen Halloween, see it. Watch it now! As the title would imply, it the quintessential movie to watch on Halloween night.
Rating: 5 / 5 “Totally”s
Well, there you go. It’s full of clunkers, snoozers and nonsensical timelines, but I still love the Halloween franchise, and it’s a really fun series to dig into during this time of year. So with that, dear readers, bundle up, pop in a movie, eat a sugary treat, sip on a warming beverage, and have yourself a very magical, spooky, Happy Halloween!
– Lou