Halloween – Wonderfully Weird & Horrifying

Alright, beasties. It’s that spooky time of year again. For this edition of Spooktober, I’m going to do a post a day but, like a great haul after trick or treating, I’m hoping to mix it up and deliver some surprises. There’ll be reviews, new or old, seen/unseen, TV or film. Depending on my wicked mood, lists, audio, or video may also exist. I hope you’ll enjoy it and remember: stay spooky.

Well, this is the end of Spooktober! Happy Halloween all! Of course, I have to end on a movie with the holiday in the title! This time I’m looking at the 2007 Rob Zombie remake. AKA the grungy, coarser take on the babysitting classic slasher that John Carpenter started.

If you’ve ever seen any of Zombie‘s previous work you know he has no qualms about getting dirty, gory, and disgusting. This takes aspects of the original story but flourishes it with some of its own creative and disturbing choices, the biggest being that Laurie is actually Michael Myer’s sister. It also shows more of Michael as a child, and how he became the killer he is.

After killing his stepfather and his sister he gets locked up where he develops a relationship with Dr. Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) who tries to help the young boy as he grows up, but to no avail. When he breaks out 15 years later, he goes back home to look for his sister, played as a teenager by Scout Taylor-Compton on Halloween night.

In many ways, the remake doesn’t bring anything exactly new to the table, but it still hits some bloody notes that go hard. I think I am a bit kinder to this film than some because I do understand what he was trying to go for with his intent. I love the original Carpenter film, and I’ve found things to appreciate about at least – some – of the sequels, but I find nothing compares to the first for many reasons.

That being said, I think that Zombie has a distinctive take but he’s already coming at a disadvantage when you have a beloved horror villain with an enormous fanbase. There are some thrilling kills, and Scout Taylor-Compton does a terrific job as Laurie, but is ratcheting up the R rating enough? I believe so, and I think after the newest three films maybe some will come back and think more favorably upon a second watch.

Not without its flaws and unevenly paced, Halloween remains an interesting turn for the series, and another opportunity for Zombie to flex his horror muscles.

That concludes Spooktober 22, until next year! Happy Halloween and stay spooky!

For most of us cinephiles, we remember the first time we saw a movie, whether it be in the theater, or at home. If the film shakes you, positively or negatively, there’s a residue left that seeps into your memory and makes it challenging to let go. Well, I don’t want to- so I’m going to highlight some Kristy horror history for this wonderful, special, month of October.

Well, here it is, the last day of Spooktober. I didn’t get to finish these by the end of last month, but- isn’t Spookytime, kind of every day?

It seemed fitting to finish with the film named after the last day of the month (and of course) the original, John Carpenter one. I’ve got some thoughts about the sequels, Rob Zombie’s takes, and the newest by David Gordon- Green, but I’m just going to spend the last of Spooktober 21′ talking about the O.G. Not only was this the first of its namesake, but it was really the defining slasher that would spawn many others, each hoping to capture its atmosphere and thrills.

I first saw this at a young age (of course) and I remember loving it immediately, struck by the quaint neighborhood and the day to day lives that seemed so innocent and bland, as they suddenly became haunted. Even just Michael Myers watching from behind shrubbery seemed ominous.

It’s Halloween night in Haddonfield, Illinois, and a group of teenagers are being stalked by a killer who has escaped a local Sanitarium 15 years after murdering his sister. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), is known by most even slightly aware of pop culture for good reason: she’s a memorable, tough and a relatable female protagonist. Curtis, who is the daughter of Janet Leigh (known for the iconic Psycho- you may have heard of it) really gave us the iconic scream queen we wanted, and needed.

The movie is also surprising, for its subgenre, in a way, because of its disciplined use of gore and blood. When you think of Halloween, it is the dread that’s coming for the characters, in the face of (Well, William Shatner) but, ultimately, evil.

Halloween is generous with its pacing, and by the time Michael Myers makes his first kill, it’s built up with a unique amount of suspense. There’s no reason a film like this needs a fast-paced murder fest. Rack up the tension, and when they come, the audience will feel them significantly more.

John Carpenter has mastered how to do horror (and movies in general) and knows how to capture a mood that embodies a film. This is meticulously made, with every decision working to craft the stylistic, iconic film many of us hold so dear.

The simple (not to be confused with bad) and enduring score by Carpenter is like the icing on this diced up cake. It’s like the inner dialogue for our killer, never letting up and making the entire film musically endowed with a spooky cadence. As he never speaks, and doesn’t give us any reason for his actions, so much of Myer’s is unexplained and unsettling. He’s a seemingly soulless, villain, and from the unforgettable prologue of the film, the frame of mind for the film is set.

Halloween resounds due to its expert work of direction and carefully built tension with a reminder that darkness exists in even the most peaceful of places. It’s still scary today, and a staple of the holiday-watching season.

Happy Halloween beasties! With so much more horror to talk about, this won’t be the end.

Tag: Halloween

Spooktober 22, Day 31: Halloween (2007)

Spooktober Day 31: Halloween (1978)