THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Everyone likes to tell a story that’s beloved, but then it gets more interesting when someone tells it differently.
PLOT
2007’s Halloween is a remake of the 1978 slasher classic that tells completely different origin of Michael Myers. In this iteration, he grew up in a rowdy environment. At age 10, his mother Deborah made ends meet as a stripper, whereas her boyfriend Ronnie White (William Forsythe) was obnoxiously rude to the point of being lewd towards the boy's eldest sister Judith (Hanna Hall). He gets constantly bullied in school by another kid named Wesley Rhoades (Daryl Sabara), who would constantly mock him and his family. After the two get into a fight, Debra gets called in by the principal Jim Chambers (Richard Lynch) and psychologist Samuel Loomis how Michael's embraced strange behavior as in photographing animals he kills, leaving the mother in shock. The same day, he takes his first human life by pummeling Wesley with a branch while wearing a plastic clown mask. On Halloween night, he gets neglected by Judith who chooses to not go trick or treating for the sake of wanting to sleep with her boyfriend Steve Haley (Adam Weisman). Completely disconnected at that point, he continues to commit murder by slitting Ronnie's throat with a knife after taping him onto a couch. He then bludgeons Steve with a baseball and then takes his pale white rubber mask before fatally stabbing Judith. The only one he spares is his baby sister Boo. Once Deborah comes home to find out what happened, her only son would be arrested and later found guilty for first degree murder, sent to Smith's Grove under Loomis' care. In early sessions, the boy doesn't seem to recollect the murders he committed, leaving his mom to lie to him and claim everyone at home is fine. During his time, he'd spend a hobby fixating papier-mache masks but would become so dissociative that he'd break down realizing he'll never leave. On another day, he suddenly kills a nurse that was harmless towards him with a joke that her baby sister is so beautiful they couldn't be related. Unable to bare with her family fallen apart, Deb would take her life via gunshot and baby Boo would be adopted by Mason & Cynthia Strode (Pat Skipper & Dee Wallace), given the name Laurie. 15 years later, an adult Michael has not spoken a word since his last murder. Loomis, having written novels of Michael's psychology, tells him he's been removed from the case now being closed. Once he leaves, Michael breaks out during a prison transfer, killing many guards and other hospital staff members including Ismael Cruz (Danny Trejo) who was genuinely nice to him during his confinement. He takes a car and goes to a truck stop where he would take overalls from a truck driver named Joe Grizzley (Ken Foree). He then resumes the drive that takes him back home in Haddonfield. He goes to his abandoned childhood home, where he'd regain the knife he used as well as the same white mask he wore when killing Judith (which he hid in the floorboards before being sent to Smith's Grove). It is Halloween once again and now teenage Laurie has the day planned out between her and her friends Lynda Van Der Klok (Kristina Klebe) and Annie Brackett (Danielle Harris). Laurie plans to babysit Tommy Doyle (Skyler Gisondo) & Lindsey Wallace (Jenny Greg Stewart), whereas Lynda plans to sleep with her boyfriend Bob Simms (Nick Mennell) and Annie were to do the same with Paul (Max Van Ville). When Loomis finds out Michael had broken out, he calls out the people in charge of the sanitarium on not better preparing for it. He drives to Haddonfield himself knowing he'll be there and along the way before obtaining a handgun, he discovers Judith's tombstone to have been taken and replaced with a crucified animal carcass on display. By nightfall, Lynda & Bob have sex at the old Myers home, resulting in them getting killed by the boogeyman himself who strangles the former after impaling the latter with another knife. He then go to the Strode residence and kills both Mason & Cynthia in his search for Laurie. Loomis reaches to Annie's father, Sheriff Leigh to warn him of Michael's return, but doesn't take him serious due to how he felt his book exploited the tragedy of the Myers family. However, the psychologist defends his case when pointing out he'll likely pursue his baby sister. Once he can't reach the Strodes, this gives him enough to worry because he drove the baby to a hospital in another town after he responded to the call of Deborah’s suicide and omitted finding her in report because he didn't want her to grow up attached to what is now the Myers legacy. When Laurie takes Lindsey home, they find Paul's body hanged and Annie left on the floor conscious but covered in blood. Lindsey runs back to the Doyle house while Laurie calls 911 for help. Leigh hears the call over the radio and heads there as soon as possible. By then, Michael had already chased Laurie to the Doyle house and abducts her after killing two officers nearby who responded to the call sooner. Tommy & Lindsey tell Loomis what happened, resulting in him to steal a cop car to save Laurie. She finds herself in the basement of the old Myers home, where Lindsey's body is planted next to the tombstone of Judith. Michael shows her his only photograph of her, but she doesn't understand what he's trying to say. Because of this, she takes advantage of his calmness to stab him with his knife and escape the basement. She tumbles into an empty pool, but Loomis shoots down Michael before he can harm her. Just when they get in the cop car, the boogeyman gets back up and snatches her again. Loomis pleads to spare her since she's not at fault for his predicament. Admitting he failed his former patient, Myers lunges at him and squeezes his skull which he surprisingly survives. Laurie takes his gun and tries hiding in the rafters until her brother breaks through the patches that causes her to fall and land on her face. As she gets up and holds him at gunpoint, he tackles her through a wall that results in them falling off a balcony. The film ends with Laurie getting up first and shooting Michael in the head and screams hysterically as her face gets showered with his and her blood.
THOUGHTS
Believe it or not, this was my introduction to Rob Zombie since I had not listened to his music nor had I seen his previous directorial films at the time in advance (House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects). Once the 21st century got going, nostalgia was high for Hollywood to continue remaking classic horror films when not banking on newer gems like Saw. With preceding slasher flicks like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre getting remade, it was a matter of time for third pillar pioneer of the sub genre to get the do over which was needed after the disastrous Resurrection. A new era truly came about in Rob's signature 'hellbilly' style and knowing the gore would be anted up, I don't exaggerate when I say this is better than most entries that came before it. I also totally dig Tyler Bates’ score and Phil Parmet’s cinematography for having a modern eeriness we expect. The whole experience is as unsettling as you'd expect once you know what you're in for as a fan of the franchise. In this and the director's cut, Rob is relentless in this gore fest and at the same time, gives an origin that is actually interesting to play out. In a positive sense, the vibe is like the prequel trilogy of Star Wars, where you get your explanation to the villain's actions and understand the motive but don't condone it. While this ruins the mystery of Michael Myers, it doesn't make him any less scary here. The trauma he was going through here felt so realistic you can't help yourself feeling bad for him. The transition of young Daeg Faerch showing him to be fragile enough to trigger the destruction of his mentality, to all the physicality brought by former wrestler Tyler Mane, this was an ideal Michael to be afraid of because you know nothing will stop him in doing what he wants. Seeing the downfall of this character showed a bold take on how the root of evil can be from the lack of nurture we give/receive. Had Michael grew up in a better environment, the Shape of his life would've not been so drastic. Since he was surrounded by so much bad, you can mistake there weren't any good people left until you remember Deborah. Without overrating Rob's wife Sheri Moon, I felt that this was the most pure performance of her career because unlike the sadistic Baby Firefly, this character never lived with hate and undoubtedly tried so much and worked as hard as she could to take care of her family. The fact her unconditional love was not enough to save Michael is what broke her to the point where chose to take her life, believing that she didn't deserve another chance through her third child. Looking back, it was definitely a big challenge on deciding who would play Sam Loomis after the legacy left behind by Donald Pleasance. In my eyes, I think Malcolm McDowell in making the character his own. We actually see the compassion he has in wanting to understand Michael’s psyche and is using his books to spread the word how dangerous unstable people are. Unsure if he was gonna survive the night, he put Laurie over himself because he felt he wasn’t trying hard enough. He felt that if he got an answer to his actions he’d be free and restart his life. But the longer he was associated with him, the more he realized he’d never change, which is why I felt so regretful and chose to redeem himself by willing to sacrifice himself. Knowing this, it’s obvious that the biggest victim is Laurie who unlike the original sequel, she’s completely under the loop that she’s related to Myers which makes her fears all the more elevated. The way Scout Taylor-Compton goes from easy going to petrified overnight in scream queen fashion was straight up incredible of an ordeal to witness. Besides Loomis, I like how in this case Leigh Brackett is also an unsung hero in his own right. Brad Dourif showed him to be extremely sentimental in his attempt to keep the trauma away from Laurie the way he did. It may have delayed the inevitable reunion, but his good intentions must be respected as are his actions in the sequel. Even though things go downhill in the follow up, I’ll always admire her efforts to defend herself from such a giant threat. I give this movie enough credit for changing the scenery to the point where it feels refreshing, but there are still a few things that I’m scratching my head about. For example, who carved the pumpkin on top of the tv at the Myers home? It doesn’t seem like anyone in the family have been able to bond lately, so saying one of them did it alone is unbelievable. Also, why the hell would the sanitarium allow Michael to have actual silver utensils? That’s asking for a nurse to get killed at any given moment. The one thing that is never answered in here or the original film is why Mason ever needed to leave a brochure at the abandoned Myers home? If this is to imply he’s trying to sell it, he could’ve said it to Laurie for us to know. And why does Leigh keep Loomis’ book to admit he doesn’t like it? It comes off like he was anticipating to meet him just to tell him so when that doesn’t sound true at all. Lastly, why would Laurie go further into the house rather than run back to the house? If she did that, she could’ve reunited with Leigh who would’ve finished off Michael. Other than that, this movie still works for being what it is. In short, 2007’s Halloween is a remake that has a fair balance in respecting the roots of the past and makes new ones to revamp old suspense. If you’re a fan of this franchise, I hope you can appreciate it the way I have.
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