SCORETOBER!!!! Day 15 HALLOWEEN 2018!!!

Day 15

HALLOWEEN 2018

This is, the last time Halloween will come up on this list.

That might be sacrilegious in the minds of some, but there is good reason for it.

The film managed to bring John Carpenter out and offer more than a paid thumbs up, he was rather vocal in his not caring for Rob Zombies Halloween films and I absolutely understand, I feel those were fan films and I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it.

Carpenter and his son worked together along with Daniel Davies to produce the score. It’s the first time in a while that this series felt like it had life again and the music went a long way. It improved on the original theme while making its own in the process and overall it was a fun ride.

Also having just seen Hallween Ends I sincerely feel they should never had produced a trilogy what so ever, because Halloween Ends felt like 80% a different film someone slapped a Halloween title onto and 20% an actual sequel to the last flm.

Make of that, what you will. I will be going into that much much later down the road. Believe me.

As for now, let’s have some fun and enjoy going down this road one last time.

Also one final note before we do. There are fans out there that exclude all the other sequels in the franchise because of the new films. There are actual reviews on Amazon and Shout Factory of people saying it’s a waste of money to buy the other sequels in brand new 4k, because Halloween 2018 retconned the others.

These people have the right to waste their money on Onlyfans if they want instead. But fuck you. Those sequels happened, H20 happened. And while I cringe and stare off into the void whenever I hear the words spoken by Busta Rhymes “Dangertainment” in Halloween Ressurection. I still acknowledge that films existence.

Now, on with the film.

Every once in a while. A good idea escapes in filmmaking, and makes it onto the big screen. Far too often someone can given an idea with good intention, and someone takes that idea and savagely fucks it until its barely recognizable, and in no way was what originally was intended. Raising the question why did they even bother, and how can you mess up something made good with such a simple premise? This was one of those rare examples of a good idea that made it through, and the one who had that idea held onto it and guarded it. Given the many directions Michael has been taken before this film, it was a miracle they’d ever think to go back to the beginning, without reinventing the goddamn wheel.

They just put some snow chains on it and patched it up some. By holding back  on certain indulgences I wish they demonstrated later on in the other two films.

The film opens on Smith’s Grove hospital for the not so right in the head folks. We are quickly introduced to two characters looking to make a podcast/web documentary on Michael Myers and the Haddonfield murders. Michael has been living out his days in this hospital after the events of Halloween part 2, which saw him shot in the eye, and thanks to Dr. Loomis, burned by an explosion in the hospital as Laurie Strode escaped the explosion.

Since that time a new doctor has taken over for Dr. Loomis in his care for Michael, Dr. Ranbir Sartain. Who took over following Loomis’s death. Which is a bit muggy in this new timeline. It would make sense that Loomis died if the film took place following the events of Part 2. But his surviving also validates Halloween 4 as he and Michael are both scared from the fire. Though this film suggest Loomis retired then passed away, or passed away sometime after the killings in 78’, or he just noped out. It’s not clear and it’s kinda sad. But here we are, back where Michael escaped from in the original film.

It's a rare moment in the franchise as Michael is stood out in the open, wearing his hospital whites and maskless. Though they don’t show his face, you can still see his scars. Especially the scar on his neck from where Laurie stabbed him with her knitting needle.

Our interviewers, Aaron Korey(Jefferson Hall) and Dana Haines(Rhian Rees) are being walked through the sanatorium and given specific instructions by our good Dr. Sartain(Haluk Bilginer), they are warned not to expect much of anything from him. Not because he’s a mute, he -can- speak. He just chooses not too, he’s been that way since he killed his sister.

As they approach Aaron takes the initiative. Attempting at first a calm approach with Michael, whom he was told by Dr. Sartain watched the two arrive. But Michael is none responsive. Standing with his back to the pair. Seeing as this might all end up being a waste of time since there’s no content or story with the other party deciding not to speak. Well it might make for an interesting TikTok at the least, if they can just manage some music in the background. So Aaron decides to poke the bear and see what happens. “Hey crazy pants! I got your murder mask in my bag, wanna peak?” and as the famous Shatner mask painted white is pulled out in all its musty aged glory. Michael shows a single sign of life, faintly shifting his head toward Aaron behind him.

It's enough of a reaction to wake up every other pants shitting insane person out in the yard, as they all begin showing signs of crazy life, howling and making noises. All while Michael continues to stand motionless, aware his mask is nearby and having it dangled out near him. Seeing the reaction the crowd is giving him, Aaron decided to try the anger approach in getting Michael to speak as nothing is working at all how he’d hoped. He begins shouting out his name, Screaming at him to speak and as the crazies go crazier, and Aaron shouts out Michaels name. The movie begins, and we have our credit sequence. Hooray.

With that, our intrepid interviewers are moving right along and into the land of Laurie. Which I honestly feel should’ve been made into a survivalist theme park. I’m not saying remove Elijah T Scuggs from his Freak World and hand the reigns over the Laurie. But I am saying if she created a gauntlet in the backyard of fox holes, death traps, fire bombs and mines. It’d be pretty cool.

That being said, YES Laurie strode is a survivalist minus the patriotism and bumper stickers. She is a proud owner of many firearms of which she has read the manual for on all of, properly stores and keeps them clean after shooting, and this woman is showing us in every way without saying it. That the events In her life involving Michael, have left her shaken, and definitely in the mindset of “Fuck around and find out”, it’s appropriate and fun.

She lives secluded on her gated property out in the woods away from most the town. Somehow they managed to track down Laurie’s property which I imagine did not include a GPS device, I only say this because having a home out in the woods specifically as I write this. Any GPS you put my address into, will lead you directly into the middle of the woods versus the actual home. So lucky them!

What isn’t so lucky is that Laurie has a strict ‘fuck the press’ rule so she doesn’t care to talk to them that much. That is until the mention they have money and, honestly who doesn’t like money? Right? So Laurie is cool with them entering her home and daring them to say something about the stale scent inside.

Thankfully they are wise enough to ignore it.

Much as Laurie(Jamie Lee Curtis) ignores their entire project. She doesn’t care about Michaels story, because there is none. He has no side, there’s nothing behind the mask. She just wants him dead, same as Dr. Loomis.

Which itself is a fun dumb argument fans get into with this film, because of a recording the film plays with Loomis’s character recommending the only treatment for Michael is to kill him. Put a bullet in his head, check his vitals, make sure he’s dead, then cremate his body immediately. Some fans feel this is out of character and is something Dr. Loomis would never say. The man absolutely believed, just as Laurie does now. That Michael is pure evil. There is nothing resembling a human being there. You don’t treat evil or keep it alive. You kill it.

Laurie very much is on this wagon, and her arsenal is proof she does not care one duck fart about Michael. The funniest part is when Aaron and friend realize Laurie won’t be of any help either to them, so they decide to go for broke and tell her how they saw Michael that day, showed him his mask, thinking maybe he’d talk to them. But of course he didn’t, and wouldn’t. So they propose to Laurie. The possibility that maybe he’ll talk to her. So they try inviting Laurie. The woman who saw her friends murdered, and was left deeply traumatized by a killer who has made her change her entire life to devote it's entirety toward surviving and killing him. To go visit him at the Sanitarium before he’s moved to another facility for the rest of his life. Yeah. Good luck with that one. Though she would agree to meet and ‘talk’ to Michael if they arranged the two a private meeting space and she was allowed to bring several fire arms and a couple boxes of ammunition.

So Laurie was no help, and they are now out a few thousand dollars. A victory for the local Gun range, a devastating loss for Aaron’s wallet.

Now however it’s time to move on to some more clean looking and smelling people. Laurie may have had a crappy PTSD filled life, but she still managed two failed marriages and a daughter. A successful daughter at that who is married and has a family of her own. Making Laurie and Gram Gram.

We get to meet this wonderful family during Breakfast, as Daddy Ray(Toby Huss) sets up rat traps, making my beginning remark about a clean family seem radically wrong suddenly. It’s an odd scene that only happens to give us one line of useful dialog. That is absolutely untrue of his situation, but he still had to say how he did, The family is enjoying breakfast as their daughter Allyson(Andi Matichak) plays down having gotten into the honor society, and her dad attempts to give life advice while arming some new rat traps. One of them springs loose and snaps his finger, sending the bait he used flying, and prompting the wonderful line “I got peanut butter on my penis”

Peanut butter. On his penis.

For reference if you happen to not have seen the film, or currently watched it. The dad, is not naked, nor is he freeballing in the kitchen with his wife and daughter. Dude is wearing clothes. His dick is protected and thankfully covered. Why he chose to say “I got peanut butter on my penis, instead of “Shit, I got peanut butter on my pants”, no one will ever know. But we do know that we now have a new fun line to use, and this man felt the need to inform his family. That while peanut butter landed on his pants, and the rat trap snapped his finger. Likely spraining if not breaking his finger. He has Peanut butter, on his penis.

So with that awkwardness out of the way, and the parents having assured their daughter will head off for class. She indeed is ready to head off, but first must pester her mother. We need some backstory here and we’re going to get it as Allyson ask her mother, if she contacted Gram gram about meeting them for dinner later that night to celebrate her graduation.

Her mom thinks of an excuse on the fly, and lies her ass off. Which any kid can tell you, same as you can tell any kid. Yeah parents lie, it’s just nice when they can be honest with you when you really need it.

There’s a scene I actually like coming up, where Allyson and her friends are walking to school and discussing how every year around this time, Halloween. Her family members go a little crazy. Prompting one of her friends to make a comment that some audiences didn’t appreciate, but it made sense as this film was made in our current timeline. The trio begin to discuss what happened to Allysons grandma.

Vicky: I mean that is scary to have a bunch of your friends get butchered by some random crazy person.

Dave: Is it, though? Because, all things considered, there's a lot worse stuff that's happening today. And like, I mean, what, a couple people getting killed by one guy with a knife is not that big of a deal.

I mean he has a point, unfortunately. With violence in schools and murders being so common, the world is a lot different now versus in 78. Doesn’t make what happened any less tragic, it just offers feedback in an unfortunate reality. It still gets me that when I was in high school the worst we had was knowing if you fought someone, they’d likely jump you later with their friends. Now people get stabbed and shot. Scary times man.

We don’t spend much time at school thankfully. Especially since they’re graduating soon. But we do get a nice scene with Gram gram Laurie and Allyson talking in the school parking lot. Laurie is being kind and gifting her granddaughter the money she got from her earlier interview. Telling her to take it and do whatever she wants with it. Go on a trip, buy herself something nice, Just have fun with it and live her life.

We get the distinct impression that Laurie is the black stain on the family photo album. Her daughter doesn’t care to talk to her, no one really cares to reach out to her, except for Allyson. She loves her grandma, and wishes things with their family were better, so she wouldn’t have to feel like she was sneaking off constantly when trying to see her.

They’re hammering home the extent of Lauries behavior and how deeply her life has been effected by what happened, and how it consumed her life for years. To a point she drank, she became a survivalist and gun nut. Eventually driving a wedge between herself and her daughter, and the rest of the town seeing her as a crazy lady of legendary tales.

We clearly get to see this later on at the family dinner involving Allyson, her boyfriend Cameron(Dylan Arnold) and Allysons parents, enjoying some fine dining Chinese food, until Laurie shows up and like a true alpha she grabs Ray’s wine glass, calls him a “BETAAAAAAA” and begins chugging it down. Her daughter immediately doesn’t waste a second in calling out her mom as being both a lush, and a crazy bitch. She’s literally said nothing bad, only claimed a nervous drink to calm her nerves, she’d been polite. But her daughter gives zero fucks. She hates her mom for how she was raised and there’s no excusing it. Apparently.

But Laurie decides to join the family in hopes of making things a bit less awkward. She even breaks down the moment she sits as she apologizes. She knows she’s not that well adjusted, and she’s lead a paranoid life both waiting for Michael to break out and find her again, and to hunt down and kill him herself. But the only one seemingly willing to give her a chance and talk to her, is Allyson.

She even tries opening up to the group, telling them she saw Michael, that she parked outside Smith’s Grove and watched him get loaded up onto the transfer bus. Admitting she wanted to kill him but she couldn’t do it. She just broke down in the car and came there.

You’d think that would garner some sympathy, maybe at the least warrant a heart to heart chat.

But NOPE

Princess bitchy pants Karen is looking for any excuse to belittle and toss her mom out of her perfect family moment which laurie is ruining for her! So Laurie finishes the last of Ray’s glass of wine, burps in his beta face and walks off out the door. Leaving Allyson embarrassed by her mom, and in front of her boyfriend who had to witness this family crash in the restaurant.

But Karen isn’t done, oh no. As the night concludes she tells her daughter she’s sorry she had to see Laurie like that, but that’s why she hates her mom. She explains she grew up being taught how to shoot guns, set traps, how afraid she was of the basement in her moms house, She learned to fight. Which honestly that….all of that, aside the basement nightmare place. The rest sounds pretty good honestly. Learning to fight and defend yourself. Learning to not be afraid of fire arms and how to properly handle them. That’s pretty badass. But unfortunately Child Protective Services felt otherwise and they took her from Laurie. Ever since then, she’s held a grudge with her mom Laurie and seems to enjoy constantly rubbing in her face what a well adjusted normal life she has, and how normal Allyson is, while reminding her mom she lives in a self created world of shit.

Daughter of the year, really.

Well thankfully we don’t have to deal too much with this family drama. This is a horror film after all, not a melodrama on dysfunctional families.

So the movie saves itself by introducing us to, truly one of the weirdest conversations between family members. Yes we are going from one family fun time to another. But this time with guns.

We have a father and son headed out in their truck for a bonding trip. Dad wants to take his son hunting. So they’ve loaded up their hunting gear and ready for adventure!

But his son is, complaining. Because he enjoys time with his dad. BUT.

He’d rather had stayed home and practiced his dancing.

He’s trying to get his dad to understand that, while he enjoyed hunting at one time, Dancing is really were his passion is now. And he’d rather spend the weekend at dance class practicing, versus smothering deer urine on himself and waiting for deer they can shoot.

The father is trying to reason this out while being understanding and not driving the truck over the side of the road and demanding to know if his son wants to be a ballet dancer, jazz, freestyle, or traditional. Because it matters damnit!

Well no one is going to have that  conversation unfortunately, as They nearly hit a bunch of damn crazy people roaming in the street.

Literal crazy people, like certifiable crazy.

The patients of Smith’s Grove who were being transferred with Michael have found their bus crashed on the side of the road, and are now freely roaming outside the bus. That is what I am saying.

Well now the son is scared and truly wishes he was back in dance class. His father mans up though and steps out of the vehicle to see if he can help anyone or what’s happened exactly.

Yeah. He dead.

Like super dead. We don’t see it, but yeah, he dead.

So left on his own, Tiny dancer grabs his hunting rifle and exits the truck. Headed for the crashed bus. As he does he stumbles upon a shot at one time armed guard. The man screams out at the boy “RUN!”, but he can’t. or won’t. He’s gotta find his paw!

As he choreographs an interpretive dance to retell these events back home in his mind. He wonders into the bus. Leading to a truly comical moment though it may not intentionally be so.

As he wonders around the bus, Dr. Sartain puts up his hands “Please, do not shoot, I-“ and the kid shoots him immediately. Realizing he has likely committed murder, he exits the bus immediately and returns to the truck he never should’ve left in the first place. He thinks to call the police, to try driving, anything. Something.

But he too is screwed. Michael is in the Truck with him, and the film shows us it doesn’t intend to back down, as the boy is smashed repeatedly into the side of the car door until he’s dead. On the pluss side Michael now has wheels, and no one is going on a hunting trip they didn’t want to go on.

Now it can’t be Michael Myers without his mask. I mean if he just roams around in hospital gown and a beard, he’s just another crazy killer. So with his new Ford tuff truck, he takes off for the closest gas station to refuel on his way to a spirit Halloween shop. Well actually more like he spotted the two podcast, web show people who tried upsetting him by waiving his mask around. So he knows what to do.

It's really a great put together sequence as you should pay attention to everything happening in the background. While Dana ask the gas attendant where their bathroom is, we can see in the background Michael in his hospital white outfit roam from his truck to a van, where he strangles a woman inside it. We also see him pay a visit to the attendant while Aaron busies himself outside. Well Dana is relieved to find both the bathroom not crusted in disgusting things, and the bathroom is empty. Which means she can unleash all the gas she held in the car ride over. As she begins to take over the bathroom stall pissing out her best impression of Niagara Falls, and farting God Save the Queen. Michael wonders into the ladies room. The smell immediately burning his nostrils, his urge to kill rising.

Its still pretty tense despite the farting and flurry of pissing. As Michael stands in front of her stall door, he reaches a hand up over the top of the door and begins letting a handful of bloody teeth fall from his fist to the floor below, in front of Dana’s feet. She’s glad she was sitting on the toilet because now having had the shit scared directly out of her bunghole. It’s a bit less embarrassing and she won’t need to worry about being judged by the coroner later. But to her rescue who should arrive but the one and only Aaron. Who upon seeing Michael Myers in the bathroom, Decides it’s a good time to try for that interview.

But Michael took a vow of silence and instead beats the man to death. Allowing him to focus on doing the same to Dana. Who thankfully finished relieving herself, Unlike Aaron. And as they lay dying, Michael opens the cars trunk outside, discovers his mask and has a happy reunion.

So now the town can officially freak out, the sheriffs can begin to worry once more, and best of all. Laurie is picking up her “I was right” banner from Walmart. Ready to hang it up at her daughters front door. And deservedly so.

I’m almost not joking, as her daughter returns home with her husband that morning, the two are chatting and worry as they find their front door open. Her daughter suspiciously eyeing their home, ready to call the cops. Until her mom yells BOO! Gotcha. At the top of the stairs. Immediately and cheerfully criticizing her daughter for leaving the front door unlocked, and not having any access to any nearby weapons. Her defense sucks, and her home protection is a 0. Karen is not amused. She wants her mom out of her house, and her home feeling sane again. As the mother and daughter team bicker, the only person worried still, is Beta Cuck Ray. As he points to Lauries hand asking her why she has a gun. Asking her to put the gun down. Laurie stands her ground knowing the man won’t even stare her in the eyes for longer than 2 seconds before feeling the need to cower away. But Karen on the other hand is the boss of the house. So when her daughter tells her, as all daughters eventually tells the women that birthed them into this world, “Mom put the gun away”, she does. But not before offering it to her daughter for at the very least, minimal protection. Which she declines, and gives one of the funniest eye rolling speeches about the world, “The world is not a dark place, It is full of love and understanding, and I don’t need your psychotic rants to confuse me or convince me otherwise”

I myself am now on Prozac for my depression, but whatever the hell she’s on giving her that world view. I’d like to give a try.

Next is the most well done, long shot, semi realistic actions of a psychotic killer played a little over the top. Kids are out trick or treating and Michael is back, With his mask, and appropriate attire. But no weapon yet. Keyword yet.

So Michael takes a stroll, leading him to a nearby houses shed’s. Picking up a hammer as the nearest tool. He walks over to the door finding it open, wonders inside and kills a mother making herself a sandwich. As he beats her dead and we hear the body fall. He emerges back on screen and picks up the knife she used to cut her sandwich. Leaving the house he surveys the neighborhood and wonders over to the next house. Stalking unnoticed past the other kids and adults. Making his way into the house and stabbing a woman while she talks to her mom on the phone.

It's all completely emotionless, just going through the motions, one encounter after the other.

Well, as hardcore as it would be having a film of just Michael being who Michael is, we can’t have that. So we need to lighten the mood a bit. So lets check in with Allyson and Cameron! It’s the schools big Halloween bash and these two have kept secret their costume for the party! So what was it?

It’s Cameron going as Bonnie and Allyson dressed up as Clyde.  What a twist!

I guess?

So the couple are having fun being alive and being a couple, dancing. Taking funny and sexy pictures. Watching their cheerleaders do the best Hollywood choreographed dance routines, while their annoying friend Oscar dances along side these ladies as his life is a sad one and it’s lead him to doing things to make himself seem the center of attention at the school.

Well not all is that great as Allyson has to call and check on one of her besties who couldn’t make it. Checking in on each other and how her night is going as she is babysitting the coolest goddamn kid in the movie. As Allyson wraps up that call she heads back out to the dance floor looking for her man in a pretty dress.

She finds her pretty dressed man, but she also finds he is getting close with a tiger lady who’s pawing at his sack like a ball of yarn. You can never trust your man around cat girls. Or femboi cat girls. Just don’t trust your man around any cat people. Period.

She witnesses this tiger cat girl shovel her tongue down his throat and much to her horror, Cameron sucks on her tongue like a thirsty man squeezing every drop of water he can from a sponge in his mouth.

Naturally this means their relationship is over.

But what of, the coolest kid in this film? Well we shall now get to that, as this is where things begin to kick up a notch, as the kids say. Or used to I don’t know. I’m so behind on the times.

Meet Julian. The funniest sassiest damn kid in the movie, and one of the more memorable characters in the film. He’s being babysat by Vicky. Who trying sneakily telling Allyson as they talked earlier how her boyfriend was bringing over a bunch of pot, by calling it ‘Alakazam’. Which honestly is the worst possible name I’ve heard for pot. There are a lot more clever and friendly to use terms around people, cops, and kids you can use to not say it, or use something that’ll either sound EXACTLY like pot, or make someone go, Alakazam? Do you guys mean Kazaam with Shaq?! OMG I love that movie!”

Julian is a wise kid and he knows what’s up. He straight up tells Vicky this, “I hear you telling your friends to come over here and you’re gonna smoke some weed, I know you’re talking about smoking weed. Don’t lie to me. That’s against the rules, I’m telling my mom” Vicky counters him without hesitation “Well, I’m gonna tell your mom about your browser history.” This, this has Julian concerned “You better not!” The kids great, no he doesn’t die! Thankfully.

He's a cool kid, so he gives Vicky a break,  he’s just busting her balls, and she’s cool with him, because he’s the coolest kid she knows. However her boyfriend Dave Is not the coolest guy. He’s a dumbass who gives pot smokers a bad name. Dude comes over as Vicky puts Julian to bed, and immediately is sparking up. He’s high, he’s horny, and he’s here. Vicky however, may be cool with this. But dude’s gotta pace himself. Otherwise your too eager to win the race you’ll exhaust yourself at the start. Know what I mean? I think you do.

Well shortly after they begin dry humping and smokin that tweed. Julian comes down the stairs in a panic. He’s screaming about a scary ass guy in a funky white mask in his room. Dave finds this amusing and ask Julian “Ghost and Goblins little buddy?” Julian is not having this and turns to Dave, “Shut up, Dave! I heard him breathing, and then I saw him. He’s in there. Boogeyman’s in this house! Send Dave first”

This kid is not about to send his beloved cool as ice babysitter in after the boogeyman. He is however comfortable if Dave gets his ass carved up. I like this kid.

Dave decides screw this noise and heads out to the garage to continue his pot smoking while his girlfriend handles this, and proceeds to. For no real reason other than complete disrespect of other peoples property, decides to fire up Julian’s dads motorcycle, and then tips it over in the process. Hopefully Vicky is faring better on her end.

Unofortunately we all know who is in that room, and Vicky, being the badass that she is, is headed upstairs. Immediately finding the king of Hide and Seek since 1978. As soon as Julian see’s this he screams appropriately “Oh shit! I’m gonna get help!” and calls 911 as fast as he can. Smart damn kid!

Dave the amazing wonder pothead hears his girlfriend screaming for help. So like Popeye with his Spinach, he takes a super hit off his joint and proceeds up the stairs with a kitchen knife. Julian does not encourage this but it’s his ass or Daves, and Julian wants to live. Dave however. Well I mean it’s a pothead going up against Michael so. Yeah. Figure those odds for yourself.

Thankfully with Julian calling the police, our veteran Officer Hawkins(Will Patton) answers the call, pulling out his side arm and entering the house.

Also out and about, listening to a police scanner in her truck, is none other than Laurie Strode. Packing heat and just biting at any news Michael related. She too hears the call and immediately arrives at the same house ready to take down the nightmare that’s stalked her since 78. Leading to a cool moment as she looks outside of the house scanning the scene, and happens to see Michael Myers staring from a window. Without hesitation she pulls her revolver up and fires. Only to find out she’s not shot Michael but destroyed a mirror reflecting his image. But thankfully Officer Hawkins spots him and gives chase, sending Michael out of the house into the open. Where Laurie waits. This time spotting the real shape, and shooting him in the arm. But he still manages to escape.

Soon Laurie and the officer are reunited and confirming their worst fears aloud that Michael is indeed back. Not long after the place is swarming with blue and red lights and an ambulance taking away the bodies.

Meanwhile, on the quiet side of town. Oscar the simp is comforting his bestie Allyson. Which she appreciates as he walks with her and confirms she deserves better than Cameron. Which is true, yes. However Oscar needs to slow his roll, and read the room. She’s glad to have his support right now, he’s a good friend. However Oscar takes this as his ‘in’ with Allyson and he tries for a deep kiss. Which she immediately repells and has to inform him that, Because she deserves better, does not mean she wants to be with him. He immediately crumbles and she is done with his shit. She’s done with men and their dicks, and takes off on her own, flipping him off as she does, and Oscar delivers the only reason he was in this film, his speech of excuses.

“Allyson I’m like really drunk right now. I got really horny at the party and like, all these girls were like, dancing on me. Their beautiful bodies got me all chubbed out Allyson. They were feeding me guacamole in all these sexy ways. It’s not my fault”

Unless your at a strip club licking guacamole off the tits of Candice krystal, I am not sure what sexy way someone could be fed guacamole. I also am not sure I really want to know any sexy way that would be done.

Thankfully fate is here to deliver us from Oscar, in the form of Michael. As Oscar sits in his remorse and failure. On a neighbors motion light covered yard. Michael appears and begins what is a pretty memorable fun kill. He appears suddenly with the motion lights activating. Then as they go out, he appears elsewhere. Only to puzzle and begin scaring Oscar. Until Michael appears in front of him and slashes at him. The boy takes off immediately screaming for Allyson and help. But Allyson still believes he is trying for her forgiveness and carries on. Oscar tries desperately to climb the iron fence to freedom. But his belly is too full of guacamole fed to him in sexy ways by sexy girls that rubbed up against him and got him all chubbed up. So Michael stabs him in the back, and Oscar sinks onto the iron gate, impaling himself on the fence.

Meanwhile Laurie rushes to her daughters home now with backup and proceeds to tell them she was right, shut up and come with me if you want to live. This time neither her daughter or her husband are putting up a fight. Laurie is taking them to her compound and passing out the fire arms. She’s been waiting for this, and he is not going to survive her night.

Meanwhile Allyson is headed over to her last veil of hope on this ruined night, her bestie Vicky. Pot would really help her night by now, she can only hope David hasn’t smoked it all. What she finds instead is the murder scene. Her friends bodies wheeled out and Officer Hawkins talking with Dr. Sartain about where to begin looking for Michael.

Realizing who Allyson is and knowing they need to get her over to Lauries they load her up. Only as they’re traveling Hawkins gets a call. They’ve had a sighting of Michael, and just in those moments, he begins to spot the shape too. Only he’s not going to do this by the book. He’s taking things the Road House way. He tells everyone to buckle up and drives his jeep straight into Michael, taking him out and sending him crashing to the ground. But he’s not taking relying on a clean hit. He’s getting out of the car so he can finish the job himself.

Only Dr. Sartain has other plans. He doesn’t want his patient dead. So he….okay so, time out.

This is the only thing in the entire movie. That made no sense to me, it makes no sense for a multitude of reasons, and I’m not going to read a comic book, or movie book, or web page to have it fill me in on bullshit they didn’t introduce into the film.

But for literally no reason what so ever. Dr. Sartain decides in that moment, with the Officer ready to shoot Michael in the head, the only thing he can do. Is stab Hawkins in the throat. Talk cheerfully about “So that’s how that feels”, he then proceeds to load up Michaels still breathing body into the back of the jeep, with Allyson. But not before creeping her out but putting the mask on himself. Because why not?

None of it makes any sense and it’s just….puzzling. Why the sudden turn, why the gleeful attitude suddenly about murder, and on top of it, because he IS gleeful about it, and accepting with killing. He runs over the legs of Officer Hawkins bleeding body. The man made some life choices, and no explanation is given.

We are just supposed to believe that he is so obsessed with Michael, that unlike Loomis. This guy is willing to kill, to keep Michael alive so he can….continue staring at him and asking him to talk when he hasn’t since 1978?!

It just makes no sense. But here we are, and poor Allyson has to put up with this madness in the car now while Dr. Sartain begins what he believes will be the final breakthrough in helping Michael. He will take Allyson AND Michael, to Lauries home. Reunite the two and doing this he believes. Will finally prompt Michael to speak and a break through will be made. He will get applause and awards and apple sauce.

Or Michael will wake up in the jeep, put his mask back on and slam the Dr. into the steering wheel before crushing his face in with his boot.

Which Michael does, and before he dies from stomping, Dr. Sartain has to again hammer into us all his request for Michael to speak before he kills him. Only Michael is more interested in stomping his head in like a Cantaloupe on a Troma filmset.

Leaving Allyson to run toward Lauries home, and Michael to give chase.

It also leads us to what I consider a homage to Monty Python’s The holy Grail, as two officers positioned outside Lauries house to watch over the place, discuss Bahn Mi sandwiches and brownies for lunch. Only stopping when they notice the jeep with its lights flashing stop and ponder why Officer Hawkins jeep stopped like that, and sit in their patrol car, pondering this, all while Michael makes a slow advance on them and kills them.

Well almost, they actually save Michael the trip and drive over to investigate. Then they die.

Meanwhile Laurie is readying the house making sure its safe. She’s keeping the lights off, checking on her daughter and hapless husband Ray. Who busies himself with a Yoyo while watching security monitors. Noticing the patrol car suddenly drive up to the house, and crash into garbage cans. Which is rather odd. So naturally, and against Lauries own instructions for no one to leave the house. He leaves the house. To discover a human head turned jack O Lantern in the car, and Michael there to greet him and kill him.

At least he died without peanut butter on his dick.

With that, Laurie grabs her tactical shotgun and readies herself.

Only she might have forgotten with time just how savage Michael is. As he bust a fist through her front door and grabs her. Smashing her face into the door. Another fist smashes through and he begins trying to strangle her and crush her skull. He may have just his hands through the door, but he can still toss her around like a ragdoll, and he does. Until Laurie is able to get her shotgun angled upward and blast off part of his left hand. Freeing herself and joining her daughter in the basement. Listening to the heavy foot steps above them, tracking him until she shoots again. Hearing his body hit the floor, she leaves the safety of the basement, telling her daughter she has to finish this. With that she exits the very cool secret entrance to the basement under the kitchens island, and stalks her home with a lever action rifle. Showing us the extent she went to for constructing this house to be a death trap. As she clears one room after the next. She pushes buttons on each doorframe and immediately a heavy metal shutter slams down sealing off that room.

I’m not saying she’s overly ready for raiders and Michael Myers, but I am saying I might ask a contractor for similar designs to guard my toilet paper stash.

It’s also a nice flip of the script compared to the first film. Where Michael was stalking Laurie and she hid herself in rooms and a closet, being terrorized by the shape. Only to now have Michael hiding, as she stalks him through the house intent on destroying him. The callbacks don’t stop there though. Eventually Laurie winds up in one of the upstairs rooms and follows a blood trail. Finding it leading to of all places, a closet. Just like she’d used to hide from him. She rushes the closet ready to fire. Only to find no Michael. Only the folded body of her daughters husband. Witht hat distraction, Michael attacks. The two begin struggling with one another. Laurie, even at her age, which I say with respect, as I too am aged. Handles the giant unstoppable shape as best she can and stops several attempts from him to both jab out her eyes, stab her and choke her. Until finally he is able to toss her and she flies out the window crashing to the ground below. He sees her body laying there, watching her a long while.

Before hearing Allyson’s voice call out for her mom and aunt as she enters the house. He turns to the unseen source of the voice, then looks back outside. Once again seeing a familiar site from his victims point of view this time, as Lauries body is gone. He begins stalking the house as Karen calls out to her daughter and the two rejoin into the basement. They hear Michael above them and her mom is left with no choice, but to grab her old rifle Laurie kept. With her initials carved into it. She picks up the scoped rifle, shaken and crying. Calling out to her mom and getting no answer. She tries again and again before sobbing for her mom to protect them. Crying out that she can’t do this.

With that Michael shows himself at the entrance to the basement, knife in hand ready to finish the job. But in that moment Karen turns from sobbing to dead serious, “Got you” she takes aim and fires. Hitting him in the neck. He stumbled back and Laurie is back in the house now, stabbing Michael in the back and smashing his face with a frying pan. All three women are now attacking him, even Allyson attacks him with a kitchen knife. Eventually and finally. Michael takes a tumble down the stairs into the basement. Laurie calls out and the others join her. Giving us the final fuck yeah of the film as we are told by the matriarch The basement wasn’t to keep them safe, it was a trap. As Michael tries to take off after them, Blades pierce all around the top entrance of the basement under the kitchen island. Laurie turns a valve in the back room and gas begins flooding the basement. Michael stands up and watches the three women as Laurie takes a road flare, lights it and tosses it down into the basement.

Within moments the entire basement is on fire, and Michael stands there motionless as fire rages around him. The three women run for safety and are soon met by police and ambulance assistance. The three of them end the film, sat in the back of a truck, screaming at Michael to burn, as we close on a shot of Allyson holding the bloody kitchen knife, and credits roll.

The End

This movie really was a dare of a film. It was a gamble on whether or not fans would welcome it or hate it. Given how most of us can be, and honestly given how we’ve been treated in the past, can you blame us for being skeptical?

I mean, having the original cast members return, its not new, Having the man who directed it return to do the music, and serve as executive producer, while also giving his blessing. Praising the script? I mean that helps but. We also received similar treatment with Tron Legacy and that was…well it is what it is.

But again, the director had a story in mind. He got the character of Michael Myers and understood him. This pleased Carpenter and he liked how the character and story was handled. It was an honest surprise the film was as good as it was. Even though it did as I said start debates over the other films now no longer mattering. I mean hell Laurie Strode returned in Halloween H20, the film ended with the suggestion she was now somehow evil, only to have her return for Halloween Resurrection and being killed by Michael at the films beginning. So yeah, there is argument for the retcon. But I already answered my thoughts on that.

I loved the movie. It felt like a legitimate continuation to the series and the story was good. Simple and to the point. They handled everyone with respect and didn’t attempt retelling a story. Honestly if they had left it at this film? I would’ve been extremely happy. I would feel the film franchise reached a beautiful send off.

Hell I’d go even further and add that if they used this film as a soft reboot sequel, and the next film just focused solely on Allyson, continuing with her and her mom but not Laurie? I would see it. It could work. Instead we got Halloween Kills.

That movie was a mess. It makes for a fun drinking game anytime you hear “Evil dies tonight!” But otherwise the movie was a mess. It went from the return of Michael Myers as ‘the shape’, the turning him back into a Jason Voorhees machine of death who only grows stronger when he’s killed. Ending with the death of a character that really felt cheap but still yes it was an oh shit moment.

However with the release of Halloween Ends….

Again. I will get into that mess eventually. I really need to get that one out of my system, but I also need to focus back on this, and the main reason its on this list.

The Music

One of the best features on the disk for this film, is about the score. Just hearing John Carpenter, and now his son. Both of them going on about scoring films and the process they went through for this film. It’s just beautiful. Even if you don’t own the film  and just listen to the music. You can feel, and hear the absolute shift in the score from it’s original composer now to his son. Everything is upgraded from the original, and built on further.

You pick up the original score but again, as I’ve preached before with horror scores. They don’t take the lazy route slow down the tracks, they aren’t taking classic rock songs and slowing them down. They’re actually taking the original tracks and upgrading them, as well as creating new music that carries the same feel of the original.

It’s just a really cool thing, when you have the original composer saying “Okay here’s what I did, it’s iconic so…make it better.”, and the new composer you hand it off to is your son, who’s an actual musician. And not only improves the iconic original, but reinvents it. Using the same scales the original was built on and adding an almost industrial feel. A menacing quality. Hearing that and finding not only is the original composer impressed with it, but continues with you on making new music with familiar themes. It’s the magic that makes the score for this film stand out.

They capture the feel for Michael and his return perfectly, Laurie’s struggle, a new Haddonfield revisiting its past.

The music is stunning. The fact you have two carpenters, combining their styles together and tossing in the musical mind of Daniel Davies. It’s just magical. It created a new sound entirely for an old property while still holding its roots. It’s just. Yeah. A pleasant experience beginning to end and the fact we have three new albums of music. Honestly that’s the best gift from this trilogy of new films. The fact we got three new albums of music from these three.

But over all of them, and including Halloween Ends, which I did absolutely love the music from. This score is still king over all others.

Yes even the original.

The main reason in my logic there? Because the original is iconic, absolutely. It’s also over played to a point, as I’ve mentioned where you can play the main theme, and even people who have never seen the film know what its from. It’s simply “Halloween”.

So when you are able to take that kind of sound,and improve on it. Up until last night it’d been a loooong while since I’d seen it. But the films new music just dominates my memory over the original. Tracks like The Shape Returns, still raises the hairs on my neck. It begins with the familiar while bleeding in the improved and finally giving us the new in such a beautiful progression. I vastly. HUGELY prefer that over the original. By far. It just carries something -more- with it. It’s heavier, crazier, and still plays off in homage to exactly what it’s breathing renewed life into.

Even things like “The Bogeyman” which does EXACTLY what I preach against, in playing a slowed down version of the original music. It should be annoying, it should be absolutely so. But it manages to escape it. It fits. Its not slowed down so much to the point it sounds creepier being played as such. Its just fitting. It works so, yeah proven wrong, I’ll admit it. Kudos to them.

Lauries Theme, is tragically short. But it’s a great crafted bit of music that managed to sound like it could’ve come from the original while remaining new. It’s really beautiful sounding and absolutely does carry the story and soul of Laurie. I love when music can really capture a characters essence. It’s like the John Williams effect and its great when composers can tap into making a track that really brings out more backstory of the character.

But a surprising track, something actually I really enjoyed as we didn’t hear it so forwardly in the film, there’s a track that almost sounds like it doesn’t belong in this film but another, like a Bladerunner film, “Say Something”, it has a very cool vibe to it, sounding futuristic and menacing. It’s funny but part of me while listening to that track always thought, if something like popped up in Stranger Things, it might actually have been scarier and better versus waiting for the latest season to actually achieve that.

The ending of the film, Halloween Triumphant, which the name alone I love as it reminds me of the Phantoms masterpiece he forced the cast of his opera hall to perform Don Juan Triumphant. I’m a nerd it makes me grin and happy.

The final track is pure bliss. Pure horror bliss. Like a well done remix and beautiful send off for a film that’s had one hell of a legacy. It just adds more to the feel that this film should have, and likely was at first a stand alone send off. It’d be a beautiful score to go out on. Absolutely.

John Carpenter hits different with people. You either walk away loving his style of music and style of improvisational scoring. Or you feel its annoying and overly blown up for being simple or synth.

But adding in his son, and Daniel Davies. It creates a new Carpenter sound.

When they released(the three of them) the 3 part album ‘Lost Themes’, it was really a fun cool gift to the ears. You could absolutely sense these bits of music working in any number of his past films. It left you with a sense that you wished there were more of his films out there with that music. But it also, if you are wise and knowing. Reminds you of his later works like The Ward, Ghost of Mars and Vampires.

While one of those films was quality and another was fun. The music was. Lacking. So the idea of Carpenter coming back and scoring a film, having it carry something with weight the later works he put out lacked. Well, that’s why it was such a pleasant and absolute gift when you put their group to the test and give them a film to score. Three in fact, and they absolutely showed that magic is still there, and better than ever.

It's something I wish I could say of films like the new or I guess I should say recent sequel trilogy from Star Wars. I honestly can’t recall any piece of music from it. It just doesn’t have that feeling to it, heart. Honestly the last Star Wars score I recall and still sticks out for me is Revenge of the Sith. The new trilogy just, well like the story, lacked heart and genuinely felt like something churned out by a company.

This however does not. It helps this film stand as a great example of how to reboot a series properly and give it not only life, but its own feet to stand on. Think of the original score as training wheels, and the film scores progression as taking those training wheels off.

You can’t ask for more than that. It’s beautiful, its haunting. And created something new yet familiar that just works. Perfectly.

Check out the score, and the film. Maybe not see Halloween Ends, maybe also forget Halloween Kills. Just buy this score and film. And treat the scores to the last two films as what if soundtracks.

But absolutely check this out, it more than earns its place here versus the original and has that quality I feel in the long run will not only hold the same iconic sound for people as the original. But will run side by side with it, if not surpass it. I’d almost bet on that really. But that’s just me.

Until tomorrow people, enjoy and remember this. Remember this

Herb, Aunt Mary, Skunk, Bammy, Jay, Jolly Green, Tied stick, Dinkle, Broccoli, Woowoo, ace, moon rocks, Cheech, blazing trees, tea party,

All of those, sound better, and less conspicuous than “bringing Alakazam”, slightly suspicious? Maybe. But still better. Your welcome.