Saucy Cinema: Halloween Kills + Re-Ranking the Halloween Franchise!

Hey everyone!! It’s been quite a bit since my last post! I have some great BBQ and food articles in the works, but after watching Halloween Kills, I felt I had to return to Haddonfield for one more article (before the inevitable Halloween Ends article). In a year filled with phenomenal horror films like the Netflix Fear Street Trilogy, Malignant, and Come True (as well as the gorey, effects driven comedy, Psycho Goreman and the amazing Netflix series Midnight Mass and even the off-beat, surreal thrill ride Brand New Cherry Flavor), it is perhaps unsurprising that Halloween Kills comes off as one of the lesser genre entries this year. After all, the project is a sequel to 2018’s Halloween, itself a sort of sequel to the first/remake of the second film which rehashes several plot points from other entries. While some might argue that the Slasher subgenre rarely produces cinematic classics, particularly in this era, The Fear Street Trilogy alone disproves this notion, giving audiences a unique twist on the tropes while staying true to the spirit of the films they are clearly inspired by and love deeply. Maybe I should have written an article about those three films (hint hint) but alas, Halloween Kills simply inspired me to re-examine the franchise, especially in the light of the 4K releases of Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween III, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers from Scream Factory

Before I get to my new ranking, let’s talk about Halloween Kills! I’ve decided to focus this review on the appropriately themed “Tricks and Treats” detailing the negatives and positives of the film before moving onto my final thoughts, score, and ranking. So let’s take a look at the (NEW) Night He Came Home… Again (Part II)!

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TRICKS

So, my general gripes about this film come from two main sources. The first is my general disinterest for this particular take on the Halloween mythology. The idea of Michael Myers back in Haddonfield after 40 years is intriguing, as is the notion that Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) is no longer related to the killer. The previous entry did not build upon this idea at all, but Halloween Kills at least let’s the audience know that the Shape’s rampage is NOT about Laurie, which is nice. However, that all just begs the question of why Laurie’s family is still at the center of the narrative. Without the family connection, the first film could have introduced us to brand new leads, since Laurie is not essential to the plot. This film, however, makes it clear that while Laurie might be unimportant, the survivors of the Shape’s murder spree in 1978 are front and center to the themes the filmmakers want to develop. In fact, this story could be boiled down to one sentence- Haddonfield residents, led by the survivors of the original Halloween film, form a mob and try to hunt down Michael Myers to kill evil once and for all. 

First of all, this obviously has done before with Halloween 4: Return of Michael Myers, right down to the murder of an innocent man. I will say, Halloween Kills handles that somewhat better, as many in the mob realize what they’ve become. However, they learn no lessons, and by the end, are back together to try and kill Myers. This really muddles the message the filmmakers appear to try and make. In an interview, Curtis implies the film, perhaps inadvertently, taps into Black Lives Matter and the angry protests over the summer of 2020. The movie itself seems to imply that such protests are bad, except of course at the end, when the clear protagonists are part of the mob to try and extrajudicially kill Myers. They fail, so perhaps the message is that this mindset cannot squash evil. However, the multiple times the film goes out of its way to state that police and the mob should murder Michael Myers without a trial really makes the BLM comparison that much more tasteless. I don’t mind politics in film, especially horror. Heck, I teach a whole lesson on Horror and politics for Halloween. However, this is sloppy handling of the subject matter, and that contributes to an overall disinterest in this take on the characters and mythology. There aren’t many original additions in the last two films, only rehashes of the greatest hits.

The second primary source of grief is this interpretation of Michael Myers/the Shape, which often hues closer to Jason Voorhees at times. The opening scene with the firefighters in particular screams Friday the 13th more so than Halloween. This is especially annoying considering that the film actually gets a lot right about Myers and his “playfullness” with his victims. But the most egregious part comes at the end. While Laurie Strode (who has very little to do with the story, another frustrating aspect) is monologuing about Michael being something otherworldly, the Shape manages to survive multiple bullets, a severe beating, and a knife to the back of the neck. So okay, we are dipping into supernatural territory right? Not so, according to the director, David Gordon Green. This was pitched as a “back to basics” series of films, yet the filmmakers seem unable to decide which version of Michael they want. Do they want the man who stalks in the shadows, the supernatural product of druid cults, a slasher trying to ape Jason? Turns out, they seem to want it all, and it just doesn’t work.

TREATS

Again, when the film is portraying Michael as a child in an adult’s body, it gets a lot right, from the staging of the victims’ bodies to the slow stalking of Lindsay Walker (a survivor of the first film). Also, while the kills are a bit over-the-top for this franchise, the accompanying special effects are fun! A lot of care went into this movie’s effects work, and it shows. In fact, many of the film’s strengths lie in the technical aspects, including the score by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies and how the aesthetic captures the spirit of the holiday in smaller, rural town. I would even argue it embraces the holiday of Halloween more than the very first entry. So it ticks that box pretty well!

While the survivors of the original film carry the bulk of the plot in many ways- especially Tommy Doyle recast and played by Anthony Michael Hall- the MVP of the movie goes to Judy Greer, who continues her underrated role from the previous movie as Karen, Laurie Strode’s daughter. She remains in control of her fear throughout the film, which is more than can be said for pretty much every other character. Karen even lands the first real blow against Michael, ramming a pitchfork through him. Her demise is sadly predictable, but Michael appears to have take out his biggest threat, if we are being honest. From trying to save an innocent victim of the mob’s thirst for justice to desperately trying to save her own daughter, Karen remains the film’s moral compass in a way no other character quite manages to capture. RIP Karen, you will be sorely missed in the next installment.

So what are my final thoughts on this film and its ranking in the franchise? Find out below as I re-rank the series from worst to best!

THE RANKING

12. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers- After the fifth installment of the franchise introduced the Man in Black and the mysterious rune symbol to the mythos, it was up to this film to answer these lingering mysteries. Structurally speaking, we do not need any answers to why Myers does what he does. It peels back the curtain too far and ruins the mystique of the character. In short, it makes him less scary. It is doubly bad when that reveal is nonsensical and relegates Myers to a mere enforcer role- a tool for an ancient cult to carry out an ancient ritual regarding familial sacrifice. Granted Myers inexplicably murders the cult members, but that is the essential set up. It was neat to carry on the story of Jamie Lloyd (recast for this film) from the previous two entries, and Paul Rudd playing the boy Laurie Strode babysat on that fateful night in the first film has potential. Unfortunately the former is killed (fairly violently) and the latter is just not as engaging as the premise of his character. Dr. Loomis is not quite as insane as he was in the fifth film, but as a send-off for the character, this is quite a disservice, especially as it is implied he dies off screen at the very end. It should be noted that the Producer’s Cut- now available- is more coherent and contains a slightly better telling of the story. However, it also features more of the rubbish cult, an incest reveal, and Myers being defeated runes. Loomis ends the film as the reluctant leader of the cult, which is STILL fairly vague in terms of motivation. Myers has a few menacing scenes, and it’s nice to see that he’s behaving a bit more like Michael than Jason (SEE: my notes on part 4, 5 AND Kills), but in the end, there really aren’t very many positives I can find with this one. For everything they get right about Michael, the film just gets so much more wrong. Regarding the original timeline, it’s hard to ignore the damage it did to not only the two films with Jamie, but the entire Myers saga leading up to that point. SCORE- 3.5/10.

11. Halloween Resurrection: If The Curse of Michael Myers did irreparable harm to the original timeline, it’s safe to say Resurrection killed the timeline established with H20. After a fantastic return to form in THAT film, and a cathartic moment for our original final girl, Laurie, Resurrection immediately retcons that film’s ending (it turns out Laurie killed someone Michael stuffed into his mask) and kills Laurie within the first 20 minutes of the movie. Apparently this sequence was filmed as a requirement to including the beheading of Michael from H20, but it’s actually IN Resurrection, so that’s the film I must judge. The rest of the plot follows our new lead characters as they are recruited by an internet entertainment company to wear cameras and explore the Myers house. Of course, Michael Myers shows up and starts killing everyone. Oh yeah and Busta Rhymes has a martial arts style showdown with Michael. When the strongest part of the film is the somewhat disrespectful murder of your former main character, you know there’s a problem. But for me, after Jamie Lee Curtis (playing Laurie) exits the film, the whole thing is downhill, with bland-to-just plain awful characters waiting to be killed. There’s some early 2000s sexual harassment played as comedy and awful cameras/internet streaming video sites for the worst kind of nostalgia. That said, the idea that Laurie is haunted by killing the wrong person certainly has potential, but it’s all wasted since she’s murdered so early (not unlike Jamie in The Curse of Michael Myers). This life shattering mistake she made plays into her demise, but we still get to see her outsmart her brother one last time, making the opening at least somewhat engaging. However, Michael’s victory is meaningless as he just simply goes back home and kills some more. This is a slasher movie without a real identity, no distinct direction, and an awful script. There is some surface level commentary regarding reality TV and voyeurism, but I can’t give the film credit for just bringing these ideas up. How this film shares the same director as the original Halloween II is beyond me. At least it doesn’t completely shatter the mystery of its character, instead feeding the characters bogus clues to his familial origins before revealing the narrative is all for show. However, it veers into the camp territory often enough to make it somewhat more enjoyable that the The Curse of Michael Myers, but just barely. SCORE- 4/10

10. Halloween (2007)- I remember not liking this one very much when it came out, but upon rewatch it stands out as one of the worst of the franchise. I don’t inherently dislike the idea of going for a deep dive into Michael’s life, although (again) it takes away from the mystique of the character. However, this IS a reboot, so trying new things is certainly welcome. The problem is that his broken home origin story and slow descent into silent killer don’t add anything and, while shown, and neither are really explained properly. There’s some lip service to the effect that of Michael’s home life creating a perfect storm interacting with his already damaged psyche resulting in a killing machine, but if you want to spend a pretty significant portion of your screen time to THAT story, you should probably develop it better. This is probably still the most interesting part of the film, as once Michael breaks out and returns home, the film devolves into a pretty repetitive and fetishticly violent retelling of the original film. The part Zombie includes from the rest of the franchise, however, is Michael’s familial connection to Laurie. This becomes much more important to the follow-up, so I’ll just move on. There are some positives here- The mask is well designed and frightening, Malcolm McDowell is pretty good as Dr. Loomis, and honestly most of the main cast is pretty good in general. Genre legend Brad Dourif is especially engaging as Sheriff Brackett, the father of Laurie’s best friend. That friend is ALSO played well by franchise returnee Danielle Harris (who originally played Jamie Lloyd in parts 4 and 5 of the original franchise). Scout Taylor-Compton plays a sympathetic lead with big shoes to fill, giving Laurie Strode an innocent quality, at least through the lens of director Rob Zombie. And it is that lens which constantly lets the film down. Whether it’s bizarre, sexually charged dialogue between friends played out in front of children, a completely out of nowhere rape scene leading to Michael’s escape (in the director’s cut), or even Laurie making lewd gestures with a bagel in front of her adoptive mother, everything feels so detached from the grim reality it feels Zombie is trying to ground his horror film in. As another positive, the homemade paper-mache masks Michael makes are pretty cool, a great choice by the set design department. Laurie’s journey to final girl ready to kill her attacker is brutal, but handled well all things considered. It’s just difficult to enjoy the nuggets of positivity when it’s buried under the garbage Zombie feels the need to pile on top of his film. Between the dialogue, the sexually charged violence, and the underdeveloped story, this is a film which fails in so many areas, and is fairly unpleasant to watch, though it is not totally devoid of merit. SCORE- 5/10

9. Halloween II (2009)- Zombie’s follow-up to his previous entry has many of the same problems, so this will be much easier to talk about. These negatives are compounded by a fake-out dream sequence involving Myers tracking down Laurie at the local hospital- essentially a retelling of the original follow-up. I don’t mind the film taking a different path, but sacrificing 20 minutes for fake-out is just plain wasteful. It also leaves audiences confused- how DID Michael live and escape if not via the method shown in the apparent fake dream? There’s also almost incoherent dream/hallucination sequences (with Michael’s mom and a white horse) which are important to the family theme of the movie that Michael has, and Laurie later somehow shares. This aspect isn’t wholly original, and this connection was explored in parts 4 and 5, making the whole theme feel particularly rehashed. Although one dream sequence has some visual flair (those pumpkin heads looked cool!) that I found to be interesting, the rest is fairly bland So why is it better than Zombie’s first foray into the franchise? It’s simple- when the film slows down and focuses on the trauma felt by Laurie, her best friend Annie, Annie’s father, and Loomis, it manages to be more engaging than the previous entry. Watching Loomis become a self-serving asshat exploiting tragedy is a fun diversion from the violence on screen. Danielle Harris and Brad Dourif in particular are fantastic in their roles, and when Annie does die, both Dourif and Scout Taylor-Compton react in a truly heartbreaking way. I did not expect myself to be that emotionally affected by a death in a Rob Zombie directed slasher, but here I am. The ending, in both the unrated and theatrical releases, essentially reveal that the trauma and sibling connection between Michael and Laurie have caused her to embrace the legacy of Michael and succumb to the murderous rage. It’s divisive to be sure, yet I cannot help but feel under a different director, the themes attempted here could have been executed much better, and we would have had a good movie rather than a poor one with better intentions than the previous film. SCORE- 5.5/10

8. HALLOWEEN KILLS- As much as it pains me to put this so low on the list, a recent rewatch of the series makes it plain that this is simply a lesser entry. From the paper-thin plot, to the rehashing of other beats from the series, to the bizarre experiment this trilogy appears to be, this film just has very little going on to really digest. Sure, there’s a commentary on mob mentality, but that’s so muddled it emerges as more of a detriment than a strength. Nevetheless, this is a competently made film, the mask still looks good, and Judy Greer is a stand-out. There is a considerable gap between this entry and the previous 4 in terms of quality, but perhaps that gap is more narrow pertaining to rewatchability. It peaks my interest somewhat for Halloween Ends, but honestly, I think I would rather have had parts of this and Halloween (2018) combined, and then just have Halloween Ends for a true trilogy once you include the first film. The most frustrating thing is how much Halloween Kills gets right with Michael, and how at odds that is with how much it gets wrong with the tone, story, and other aspects of the Shape. In the end, Halloween Kills is more interested in… well the kills than providing any thrills, providing the audience with a violent trick rather than a spooky treat.  Score- 6.7/10

7. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers- We are OFFICIALLY out of the bad entries of the franchise! Is this one good? Well… I would say it’s okay. Danielle Harris is still great as Jamie Lloyd, and she handles her character’s inability to talk in the first 2/3rds of the film well, using some fantastic face acting skills. Having the climax in the Myers house is also a good idea, in an attempt to give the series some sense of closure. The mask is also a bit more scary this time (although it looks a bit weird untucked) and the film features some good fake-out scares along with some genuine menace from our killer. A recent rewatch in 4K really brought home how great these stalking scenes in the daylight were. However, this film also introduces the Man in Black, unrevealed throughout the entire film (except for the lower half of his body as he walks around town) until he fires on the police precinct and frees Michael. This cliffhanger of Michael’s escape and the unresolved answer to the Man in Black’s role (along with the rune on his and Michael’s wrists) understandably leave a sour taste in the mouths of fans. This film also continues my least favorite element of its immediate predecessor- what I call the Jason-ification of Michael Myers. Simply put, Michael’s kills were always fairly simple, while Jason loves to use a multitude of weapons to creatively kill his victims. This characterization is not quite as prevalent here, but still noticeable. Donald Pleasence plays Dr. Loomis impeccably as always, but the character is written more unhinged than ever before seemingly willing to sacrifice a child to defeat Michael Myers. Jamie’s psychic connection with Michael is certainly an element fans may scoff at, as is the retconning of Jamie seemingly killing her foster mother at the end of Part 4, as it is revealed the foster mother survived the attack. It also opens with something of a retcon of the ending of part 4 showing Michael escape into a river, being inexplicably rescued and cared for before murdering his rescuer a year later. While the new teens aren’t all that interesting, Jamie’s connection to the new (semi) lead Tina and her reaction to her foster sister’s death keep me engaged throughout. The ending and mythos-adding elements are still the weakest part as it bogs down the film which, once these parts are in fact removed, is pretty standard slasher fun. Oh but those Keystone Cops are the WORST. Still, more rewatchable than any previous entry on this ranking. SCORE- 6.8/10

6. Halloween (2018). This film just keeps slipping down the rankings for me. For others, this reboot/sequel fixes the wrongs made by the other films- mainly making Laurie and Michael siblings- and establishes itself as a “true” sequel to the original films. The opening credits signify this, returning the rotted jack-o’-lantern to its original state, seemingly (and figuratively) reversing time all the way the back to the first installment. However, in many ways it simply retreads all that came before it without offering much new. Jamie Lee Curtis is back, again, and this time Laurie is something of a doomsday prepper, training her daughter and preparing for the day Michael Myers returns. Myers does and sets upon Haddonfield once again, his intended victims potentially include Laurie’s adult daughter and teenaged granddaughter. The finale, particularly with Judy Greer- playing Laurie’s daughter- fooling Michael into believing she is just another tearful fearful victim only to calmly shoot him is easily the best part. As soon as the shot is fired, Laurie appears behind Michael, revealing that she was hiding and waiting before stabbing him, trapping him in her underground cellar rigged specifically to trap Michael, and setting fire to the whole house. It’s good stuff, but with two sequels on the way we know this is not Michael’s true end. Michael tracking down the podcasters who have his mask is perhaps the most terrifying part of the movie, as he stalks a woman on the toilet and drops the bloody teeth of a recent victim. Michael’s short rampage on Halloween is not bad, but it feels super rushed and a cheap way to goose up the body count. It does illustrate that Michael feels free to walk around and kill whomever he decides to kill, but there are better ways to show this. Additionally there is some humor that feels disjointed and unnecessary, and an evil doctor subplot that feels SO out of place. It is so strange to imply the escape may have been orchestrated by this doctor and to have such a new and weird character be so instrumental to the plot just to kill him off. Still, this film gets more right than wrong, and Curtis once again gets to prove just how good of actress she truly is. Sadly, the franchise has given me the lingering fear that subsequent movies will retcon or undo elements from the previous installment. A good installment, but overhyped and bit sloppy in some sequences. Oh and the name for the new direct sequel being the exact name of the original is super awkward. I would still categorize this as a good film, and while the other entries may have lead to the film slipping down the rankings, Halloween Kills actually made me appreciate this one a bit more. SCORE- 7.5/10

5. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers- The recent 4K releases from Scream  Factory have been particularly kind to this entry, showcasing its strong visual style and atmosphere. This is a nostalgic favorite for a lot fans, including myself. Introducing fan-favorite Jamie Lloyd (played strikingly well by then newcomer Danielle Harris)- the daughter of (unexplainedly dead) Laurie Strode from the first two films- and reintroducing Michael Myers back into the franchise after taking a break from his story, The Return of Michael Myers also manages to capture the Halloween spirit better than most of the films in the franchise. The opening credits with the fall rural aesthetic beset by Halloween decorations is a personal favorite of mine. The mask may look dopey, but The Shape is back! While we know whom Michael will eventually be targeting, his methods remain as unpredictable as ever, and with his massacring of the police station (off screen), he is perhaps the most unstoppable he has ever been. Again, his kills are a bit more elaborate this time around, straight up stabbing someone with a GUN and this takes away a bit from the character. However, between the opening credits and the significant portion of the film taking on an almost haunted house feel, there is so much more that works here. The movie wastes no time retconning the end of the second film, stating simply that both Loomis and Myers survived (still not sure how). Myers wakes up ten years after his rampage to finish his family off, and in the end is gunned down by several of the citizens and police of Haddonfield, IL. The movie is much simpler than its follow up to its credit. Perhaps the best part is the finale as Jamie fulfills her family’s legacy by taking a pair of scissors and attacking her stepmother in a clown costume mirroring, but not simply copying, what her uncle did to his older sister in the opening minutes of the very first film. Loomis shouting “NO” over and over again really sells the tragedy here. There is a disturbing question of whether this is simply destiny for the family or a product of the trauma Jamie has gone through. Unfortunately this question is totally ignored in the follow-up in favor of a psychic connection. There is also a real lack of suspense and a sense of “been there done that” with the overall story. Nothing new is really accomplished, but while it fails to reach the heights of several other entries, it’s a solid and fun slasher perfect for the Halloween season, and if you haven’t already- give that 4K a shot, because it is simply gorgeous.  SCORE- 7.8/10

4. Halloween III: Season of the Witch- There probably isn’t a film on this list which time has been kinder too than the third installment of the Halloween franchise. Season of the Witch was to be the first Halloween film to set the premise of the franchise as an anthology of films, each telling a different story about the beloved holiday, but given the precedent of Halloween II, the premise confused audiences, which in turn led to the franchise just kind setting itself on repeat for a while. The opening credits featuring orange digital lines emerging to the tune of the banging score by John Carpenter set the tone for a fun Halloween mystery about masks, a fairly creepy town, and an evil company with a diabolical plan. Sure the lead is a misogynist who harasses his colleague, but his kids bring out the concerned citizen hiding deep within at the end. The mystery plot begins with a murder in a hospital and continues with the victim’s daughter and doctor investigating just what led to the grisly crime. They quickly discover a company famous for making novelties, including a set of three popular Halloween masks (and a heck of a jingle on TV to sell the masks), is planning on using those masks to play a trick on the kids of the world. The trick is.. uh.. murder. BUT there are allusions to ancient Pagans and their celebration of Halloween involving sacrifices, so there is some kind lip service given to motivation. It’s honestly just a blast to watch our leads come across automated robot (toy?!) body guards and hitmen on their way to trying to thwart the bad guy. The daughter is (somehow at some time) replaced by one of these robots, and in the end, our lead appears to fail to stop the deadly advertisement from being broadcast triggering the masks to murder their wearers. I wish there could have been more Halloween aesthetic and a more sympathetic lead. It also feels the creepy town is a bit wasted given the set-up of a town potentially controlled by the evil company head. Still, the practical effects are great, the deaths are gruesome (without being needlessly violent) with bugs and snakes being thrown in for good measure. There really is nothing out there quite like Halloween III. SCORE 8.2/10

3. Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later- Let’s get one things out of the way- this is a dumb title. As a follow-up to Halloween II though, it’s a fantastic exploration of what that trauma would do to someone. Instead of a paranoid mess who can barely hold it together (like in the recent 2018 film), Laurie Strode is a functioning alcoholic and headmistress of a school. She has nightmares and can be a bit of a helicopter parent, and Halloween is a big trigger for her, but she’s getting by, and she has tried not to let that horrible night define her. Laurie’s son, played by then unheard of Josh Hartnett, has turned 17, the same age Laurie was when Michael attacked her, and Michael returns to find his nephew and his mother on this fateful night. There are a few gripes- there’s a random shot of a CGI mask, there’s a LOT of shots of the eyes of Michael Myers, too many fake-out jump scares, and LL Cool J cameos as part of his weird pattern of bit parts in horror films where he almost dies, but miraculously survives anyways. There’s a bevy of future stars including Michelle Williams and Joseph Gordon Levitt, but the real attraction is the build up to the reunion between brother and sister. The moment where Laurie lets her son and his girlfriend escape while she returns to hunt her brother is a great moment for the character as we SEE the turning point from prey to predator. The showdown is effective and well-choreographed, and my favorite part is easily afterwards, when it seems the movie is going to end with Michael simply being wheeled out in a body bag only to surely return again. Instead, Laurie hijacks the van, Michael wakes up, and they crash. Michael, now pinned against a tree, reaches out to his sister, who reaches back before decapitating Michael with an axe in one of my favorite moments of the franchise. Granted, again, that moment is immediately undone by the next film, but in this one, it still works. Is H20 better than the 2018 film? It’s not close in my opinion anymore, as H20 is tighter, leaner, and more well paced. It’s not concerned with large body count (Michael even lets a mother and daughter he finds in a bathroom live while he steals their car), but instead simply wants to continue Laurie’s story without the goofy evil doctor or stuffed cast. Its strength is in its simplicity. SCORE- 8.5/10

2. Halloween II- My favorite sequel in the series, when I was a young lad, this was the film in the franchise that scared me the most. Michael Myers truly became The Shape here, so unrelenting in his pursuit of Laurie Strode, and damn near unstoppable in his path of destruction. Again, there is a simple approach continued here that really stands out as a strength of these earlier Myers films (and later H20). Picking mere seconds after the first film ends, Halloween II is less a sequel and more continuation of the previous installment, following Laurie to the hospital and containing much of the action to that setting. Yes it is here that we are told that Laurie is Michael’s sister, apparently concocted by John Carpenter to try and explain Michael’s obsession with the girl. It may rob the true horror of being stalked by a complete stranger, unconnected to your life, and thus eliminates Michael Myers as the Boogeyman figure of nightmares. However, this twist is built upon well enough in (SOME) of the subsequent films, that its place in canon, for me, is not as divisive as it is for others. This one’s a bit more violent, and while not AS suspenseful as the first film, there is a real sense of dread as Michael comes closer and closer to Laurie who is simply exhausted from the previous attack. This means Laurie doesn’t get nearly as much play as I would like, but in a way, this is the Dr. Loomis show. Loomis manages to hunt down his white whale, a pursuit which appropriately leads to his own demise (until the 4th film and seemingly even H20 which implies Loomis survived). The kills here are bit more elaborate, but they are still simple (burning, stabbing etc) with the weird exception of the nurse found being drained of her blood. Still, there are few images from the series as striking as Michael walking out of the fire and collapsing while his mask burns away, killing the seemingly unkillable Shape (again until the 4th and/or 7th film). Watching the first two movies back-to-back is always a fun time, and with the shorter run times, the two-part experience is shorter than your average Lord of the Rings extended cut film. What better way to spend Halloween than spending a few hours watching the NIGHT HE CAME HOME? SCORE- 9/10

1. Halloween (1978)- I mean… it kinda had to be, right? This is still the best pure slasher ever made. Carpenter’s score, the iconic theme, the level of dread and suspense, casting of veteran actor Donald Pleasence, and star making performance by Jamie Lee Curtis all culminate in an absolute classic. The premise is simple. Michael Myers killed his older sister as a kid and has never spoken since. Fifteen years later, he escapes and returns to the town of Haddonfield to kill again, targeting unsuspecting teens all while being pursued by his psychologist, Dr. Loomis. The kills are simple, with Michael using a knife or his bare hands often to do the job, and the body count is actually pretty low. The Halloween holiday atmosphere is here, and there is a real unpredictability to Michael’s actions. The children being babysat, for example, escape with their lives, as does a child who runs into Michael while trick or treating. Their safety is never guaranteed, and Michael Myers feels like an inhuman Shape cutting through innocents to get to his next inexplicable target. That unexplained nature of his actions make Myers truly terrifying. Essentially this film is a classic, and basically perfect. If you have never watched it, you should immediately rectify that now! If you have seen it already, it’s the perfect time to pop some popcorn (or fix other snacks), turn the lights off, and return to Halloween night, 1978, in Haddonfield, IL. SCORE- 10/10