In the first Halloween remake we were assured Michael was misunderstood and driven to these unspeakable acts of violence by that ungrateful bitch of a sister. In RZ's Halloween 2 however, he shreds his way through much of the cast like stabbing and slashing with knives is going out of fashion. "Fuck you" he says, with bravado.We take up the story pretty much where the last one left off. Michael Myers has left carnage all around and has got himself killed in the process. They load his body in to the back of the ambulance, the vile ambulance drivers, who are right out of Texas Chainsaw, crash in to a cow and Michael wakes up. The usual then!
I really liked Rob Zombie’s first Halloween film and I don’t care who knows it, but this one, I felt a little horrified. On the one hand I like the fact that he is making a different film. Same back story but fleshed out with new facts and new conversations. Much like a drama based on a true story that has to give extra scenes but no one knows if they’re true or not.
What I felt uncomfortable with was the dream sequences and having to revisit young Michael and his mum every 20 minutes. Surely the source of Halloween’s scariness was Michael’s
anonymity and the fleeting sightings of him through the back window or your rear view mirror and NOT to see him walking through fields like some evil version of Jonathan Smith from Highway to Heaven. I really did enjoy Dr Loomis’ new starry attitude though. “Michael Myers is fucking dead!” he screams when asked about the disappearance of his body. A bit Scream 2 but fun to watch nonetheless.
I have peace with this film. Rob Zombie has made a different movie so far removed from the spirit of the original that it can’t be put on the same shelf. So, it’s a different film. Not one I would’ve enjoyed in a world before John Carpenter, but a film it is. Carpenter’s Myers is beautifully supernatural. Zombie’s Myers is, erm, something else.
Um, go Malcolm McDowell?
ReplyDeleteI kind of hate these movies for the look of them--there's grungy and then there's fowl. Like, you need to take a shower after watching them. Good review, anyway.
I loved Rob Zombie's original Halloween remake but I HATED H2 with the passion of a thousand suns. I even gave the director's cut a shot, and made me hate it even more.
ReplyDeleteAnd yay for admitting you like the first remake. People usually rip me a new one when I say that ;o)
I do like that Zombie at least tried to go somewhere different and pretty much totally divorce the film from the original Halloween films. I think that if he had not remade Halloween in the first place, but instead had just made his own stand-alone slasher film, then the sequel would have been much easier to swallow. The original Halloween would not be hanging over his head. Nobody would be able to point out where he ruined this or spit on the good name of that. I believe many critics would have accepted an original hulking murderer with mommy issues, in a film that perhaps paid some homage to Halloween.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I did not totally hate Halloween 2. I've put off reviewing it so long, however, that I may need to rewatch it now.
Many thanks for following my blog - much appreciated. I would make a comment on this film, but I have yet to see it, which I'm rather relieved about.
ReplyDeleteInterestig post. I agree with Simon about the 'grunginess' of this kind of film. When I saw the first one it literally left a bad taste in my mouth. I wouldn't mind seeing how Zombie has interpreted Halloween 2, but I'm not sure I actually want to watch the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteHey Scare Sarah,
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I wasn't a big fan of Halloween 2. For starters Michael Myers DOES NOT talk, and I found the ending rather unsatisfying. Seems to be a trend for me with Zombie's films. I like his first in the series (I liked House of 1000 Corpses but not The Devil's Rejects) as I preferred Halloween over this.
By the way, I've given you an award over at my blog :)
Im 100% with you here Sarah, as a sequel to the Rob Zombie universe, I felt that this is just the direction he needed to take the film. I could have done without the ridiculous dream sequences, but I enjoyed it for what it was
ReplyDeleteShame it wasn't better but you can't have everything.
ReplyDelete