Halloween (2007): Horror Film Review

From Rob Zombie Comes the Re-invention of Michael Myers

Mar 17, 2009

With A Nightmare on Elm Street lurking and Friday the 13th done, it's time to deal with Rob Zombie's take on Halloween, covering the 'holy trinity' of horror franchises.

As with the new Friday the 13th a plot summary here hardly seems necessary, so let’s skip ahead. Or rather, back.

John Carpenter’s 1978 Horror Classic: Halloween

More than Hitchcock’s Psycho or Hooper’s Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween started the modern trend in slasher films.

For Carpenter, as with Hooper, the aim seemed to be a no-frills horror whose strength would be it’s simplicity. Made brilliantly on a shoe-string budget and expertly directed, his film wasn’t about structure and storytelling, rather than distilling a cinematic experience into something as nearly pure as it can be. Consequently, Halloween turned out something of a classic.

The film’s popularity has led to a lot of in-depth critical analysis, though most of the interpretations into it’s morality and social commentary seems unnecessarily overblown. It may be a classic, but it’s not Carpenter’s best, with all it’s power in the one-time experience of first seeing it.

Still, it was more than justifiably successful, which is more than can be said of the countless copycat killers that followed, including the majority of it’s own seven sequels. Justifying a re-make then, would be diificult at best.

Director Rob Zombie Humanizes Michael ‘the Boogeyman’ Myers

Deflating the idea of Myers as a supernatural talisman, according to one view, renders the whole thing moot. However, we’re talking re-makes here, not sequels, and with most re-makes being moot by default, surely the best way to go was to expound on the material, even at the cost of what made the original great.

Zombie’s version should, after all, stand on it’s own merit and not on that of Carpenter’s.

So the film’s opening half-hour looks into Myers’ childhood and models him to a psychological profile (at an early age, for instance, Myers kills small animals and often tries to hide what he feels is his true face behind a mask). It goes on to show the 10 year-old Myers killing a school bully, his stepfather, his sister and her boyfriend on Halloween, sparing only a second sister - the infant Laurie.

Whatever the opinion on taking this approach, Zombie’s delving into the night of Myers’ first murders undoubtedly gives us the most disturbing scenes in the entire franchise. A big thumbs up then.

Also explored is the role of Dr. Loomis and his time with the institutionalized youth. More thumbs up for the effort, but sadly these scenes fail to bring much insight or atmosphere. There’s a near-palpable attempt to mirror Friedkin’s Exorcist, but the dialogue is lacking (besides the fact that Myers refuses to speak after a while) and the segment seems edited to keep the running time down.

That’s a shame, because it’s only as the film begins to walk in the original’s footsteps (with an adult Myers escaping to seek out his little sister), that it starts to lose the obvious zest that came with filming the new material and we’re back into the familiar territory of re-shooting the same film with a few minor alterations and additions.

The most noteworthy change – and in this opinion a smart move – is that Zombie has thrown into ambiguity the nature of Myers’ confrontations with Laurie. It seems that Myers is out to enlighten her of his true identity, and her own, rather than simply kill her, and bravo to Zombie for this much-needed added dimension.

Tyler Mane as Michael Myers and the Halloween Cast

Some fans have criticized the use of Tyler Mane as an attempt to ‘beef-up’ Myer’s physical stature from Nick Castle and co’s predecessor. However, the line of thinking here has more to it that just trying to make the film’s antagonist more menacing.

There’s enough to suggest that Myers is re-conceived as being preternaturally strong and resilient, but not supernaturally so. Carpenter’s Myers became something supernatural along the way, in contrast to the fact that he had a very human history. Zombie has ironed out that particular crease by basing Myers’ strength and endurance on an unnaturally huge frame and freakishly focused mind.

As with other roles in the archetype, little is actually required of Tyler Mane beyond a physical presence, while the same might be said of Scout Taylor-Compton as victim Laurie Strode, who fills the part without complaint.

The roles of a young Myers and his mother, Deborah, are creditably played by Daeg Faerch and ‘scream queen’ Sheri Moon Zombie. Somewhat disappointing, however, is Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Loomis, though he wasn’t helped by some pretty formulaic script.

Summary and Sequel in Halloween 2: The Devil Walks Among Us

Zombie’s Halloween was not well-received by most critics, which is harsh given the dreadful standard of re-makes. Nevertheless, it did well at the Box Office, costing slightly less than the new Friday and grossing slightly more (as of this date).

So what next for Rob Zombie and Michael Myers? Well, if the non-supernatural threshold is going to remain intact then it seems the first sequel will have to resort to some pretty cheap trickery, involving a costume switch as did one of the later sequels. On a positive note, Zombie is essentially given free reign to do as he pleases with the sequels..

H2 is due on August 28th this year and you can check out a host of headlines on the development of the film at Bloody Disgusting Horror, including why Daeg Faerch will not return and which new faces will join.

As a friend and admirer of John Carpenter, Rob Zombie had the good grace to ask for the master’s advice prior to production, which came back simple enough:

Zombie’s only real fault then, was in not following his advice to the fullest.

The copyright of the article Halloween (2007): Horror Film Review in Slasher Films is owned by Michael Pantazi. Permission to republish Halloween (2007): Horror Film Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.