Overall, it was a let down. The hype for this film was off the charts. Once Nick Castle became involved I was hooked. In the end JJC and the mask were definitely the best things about this movie. Like most have said, lots of missed opportunities. It could have been much better.
Wt
YES! THIS! Michael killing to his own fanfare felt very off! And yeah Sartain, most of the misplaced humor, and the Bon Mi stuff was just ridiculous! Take that out and it’s a significantly better movie!
The two cops and the sandwich talk was a Halloween 5 nod, it was nothing more than that. The film has Easter eggs to all of the films throughout. Didn’t bother me at all.
Sartain was a Halloween 6 nod, and a plot device to get Myers to Laurie’s house since he isn’t going after her in this one now that the family aspect is gone. I have said it before, he actually tried to get away from her at one point and gets shot in the shoulder for it. He didn’t want to bother with her, so enter the Sartain whack job plot and he gets there. No one would of been happy having another doctor running around being another Loomis, so I was fine with the twist there. No one replaces Loomis, and if they try, they get their damn head crushed like a grape.
I agree about the music during the long uncut steady cam sequence, but the music does quiet down as he starts killing Mrs Elrod and as he walks through the house. It starts back up again when he leaves the house, then quiets down once more as he stalks the next girl in the next house. It’s not bad, but would of been better if it we’re just the long pinging sound ala’ Halloween 1963 scene. But the track doesn’t just play continuously which is how some make it sound. It was the master John Carpenter himself who made the decision to put that piece of music there since he scored the film, so I can live with it.
As for the rest, it’s a horror movie, they always can be better, and as hardcore fans, no movie will be perfect as we will always come away with thoughts and ideas that would of made it the best in our eyes. When you take your mind out of it like that for a minute, it’s one of the best Halloween sequels ever made.
No it’s not perfect, and neither is life in general, but I thought it was a damn good sequel. Halloween fans made this film and it shows. If any of us had a chance to write the film, I guarantee you the rest of our community would pick it apart and criticize it and say this or that would of made it better.
Too many people got way too hyped for a slasher film, effectively putting it on an unreachable pedestal. I even warned folks on here multiple times to stop letting the hype go through the roof and they would have a much better viewing experience. Ohwell, live and learn.
For the casual horror movie going patrons, you know, the ones who aren’t picking it apart and don’t have Myers masks on display in their houses, it did the job extremely well and made a huge amount of money while breaking records at that. It’s a solid Halloween film and a solid horror film in general. For those who were let down, I am sorry the hype train derailed and exploded, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you of that!
I disagree. A movie filled with nods is just that. It’s living off of previous films and isn’t doing anything original. It’s basically… oh ya remember that scene from H1?.. here’s some of that st… what about that h5 scene… more of that st. Saying that a movie doesn’t have to do certain things bc of the genre it’s in just doesn’t make sense. A good movie is a good movie period… regardless of genre. Alien, the original Halloween, The Thing are all examples of expertly crafted works of art. You can hold any of those up to any drama, comedy, or sci go flick ever filmed and they hold up just as well. If you want a nostalgia ride this movie excels… beyond that, not so much.
Well the original film still remains and it didn’t erase that fact. Shooting for the stars if you think they were going to come close to topping it. And guess what? Entertainment is subjective, if you didn’t like it, then that’s life. I hate RZ Halloween movies, while some praise his second film. In my eyes it’s trash, in others eyes it’s good stuff.
I for one am a fan of the franchise as a whole, so the nods were right up my alley. Sure as hell wasn’t going to please those who are just a fan of the original film.
In fact that’s a great way to describe this movie. If your a fan of the entire franchise, you will enjoy this movie, if your a fan of just the original, your going to have problems with it.
Finally, it was the only one in the franchise to actually bring John Carpenter back into the fold, and that’s saying a lot. No other entry appealed to him enough to do that.
Now that the fan service is out of the way with this film, they can go down a whole new road in the next one. Not everyone is going into a horror film expecting a masterpiece. Their expecting a fun ride, which is exactly what this was.
Again, that’s my opinion, as it’s subjective material, and what I think has no bearing on what others think. I don’t push my shit on anyone, I just say how I feel and leave it at that.
So we will just agree to disagree.
Oh and one more thing as it pertains to the nods…unless it’s a fan of the franchise, today’s generation went and saw this film and most likely was clueless about any of the nods. The movie was a good ride, and most likely the casual goer never even picked up on any of the nods. Hardcore obsessed fans like us were the only ones who would of noticed. Life is different through it’s many different eyes.
If your hardocre about the first film and have issues with the rest, your going to have issues with this one. Sequels in Horror never live up to the original they are based on. Seems like folks are just going to disappoint themselves holding up the original to any of these films in the series.
I for one am a fan of the franchise, but more importantly, Michael Myers, and that’s who shines in this film as it is anyway. So I was pretty damn happy.
I do think it’s possible to top or at least match the original. Here’s the problem though… and by the way I’m glad you really enjoyed the new movie a lot, I unfortunately didn’t. It’s not bc of expectations, just bc it didn’t do it for me personally. But yeah… back to how I think they could match the original. So when The Thing came out in the 80s it succeeded and surpassed the thing from another world. How? It took something familiar and re invented it. Hollywood for a long time now has had an obsession with remakes and re boots but few of them are successful bc they basically just make the exact same damn movie. Rob zombies Halloween is a perfect example… it’s basically just a re hash of the original with trailer park flair. If you’ve seen the trailer for brightburn… that’s how you do a re make successfully. Take something familiar and do something new and original with it. To successfully re make Halloween as something more than a nostalgia grab they have to take the very basic building blocks of what made it successful and re create it. Dude who is completely evil, kills family member, is institutionalized, gets out somehow, and goes on terrifying rampage and that’s it. All of the rest should be original and new. Dare I say… even the mask. Myers just isn’t scary any more bc he’s been in the public eye so long that they need to re invent the story to make it truly terrifying again or you end up with a nostalgia fest movie which is fine but will only go so long or terrible sequel after sequel. You’re right that the sequel to this one could go into new territory but I don’t know, it’s kind of too late for that bc it’s already established. There was a fan trailer that came out I think just before rz Halloween with this family in
A backyard and then the creepy kid was facing the wall of the house and then turned around and looked extra creepy. That was pretty cool and captured the basic story but looked pretty original too.
Oh I totally get where your coming from man. I’m just a sucker for nostalgia which plays a part in my opinion of the film. I hope you didn’t take anything I said personal man. But I do get where your coming from. And I like your work on that Kirk conversion, that’s probably about a close as it gets when it comes down to how they probably converted it in 1978, aside from weathering which naturally happened as it was beat around on set. Good work there man.
It’s just one of those things where Myers is now so iconic that he’s kind of in that Hall of Monsters now along with Frankenstein and others as a mainstay face of horror. So in that sense, to change him up too much, will both confuse and piss off alot of wallets if you know what I mean. Lol RZ2 has love for it’s originality from a small group of hardcore fans, but had major hate from the majority of those spending money to see it. And I would say his part 2 was much far removed from what we know to be Myers, and I hated it lol. Just my opinion again brother.
As for him being scary…for us no, he’s not scary anymore, especially being fans. But for the casual audience out there, the casual families and friends who don’t think of horror the way we do, are still genuinely terrified of Myers as he is. Every Halloween night I am Myers, and also on some trick or treat trails, and most all of the younger kids, and grown women, are scared to even come near me, some even stop and freeze and hope I don’t move, and if I do move, they want no parts of me lol. He is still extremely effective at being scary for most of the rest of the world outside of us horror lovers. We get immune to this shit, these general folks still see it as terrifying trust me.
Seeing the new one in theaters, the majority of the theater was tense and genuinely scared of him, especially the women. Of course in our eyes we wonder how is this possible, but these folks don’t live a life of props and masks either! Lol. When we’re the ones who like to scare, it takes an abnormal amount more to get us scared! If you love Slasher films, and like to scare on Halloween as a Slasher, then your probably not going to be too scared by one unless it’s on some overly insaine level.
Haha… thanks for the compliment and I totally get where you’re coming from brother. I don’t get offended by anything and I’m definitely always interested in others opinions. I just happen to have really strong opinions about film in general. I honestly really wished I would have enjoyed it more like you! I really wanted to and there’s definitely parts that I did enjoy like that Alyson chase scene… fantastic!! That music was awesome!! And James Jude was fantastic as the shape. Probably the best since H1 or H2 in my opinion. Yeah, you’re also right that people would probably go crazy if they re invented it too much. I think that’s what it needs… and good call about the hall of monsters.
Yeah and zombies H2… I agree… hated it and that WAS original … but not in a good way lol. I do like the new one better than 5,6, h20, resurrection, and definitely rz H2 so there’s that lol
Yeah definitely not in a good way at all lol. Yeah that’s not a terrible place to be on your ranking though! Good respectable spot for it, I can be on board with that for sure.
Haha… thanks lol. Me Mr. Super high standards up in here! Lol Me and my boujee Halloween expectations lol
I really enjoyed it. I absolutely loved the mask, and I thought JJC was the best Myers since Warlock, hands down. I hated the humor. Thought the dad was a absolute joke as a character. Thought it would have even worked better if Alyson and her mom were shown as a single mom family. Didn’t care for the sheriff who asked if they should just “cancel Halloween”. One thing I didn’t like and I think I might be in the minority here. As a matter of fact, I am almost certain reading from the comments that I am one of the few that feel this way…
I really hated the theme that is played at the end. I have heard people say that Carpenter wanted to “modernize” it. Is that guitar playing in the background? I just want the original played. Why mess with a classic? Even when Michael put the mask on for the first time in 40 years, I wish the original theme was played right then and there. Not the excessively slowed down theme that was played.
overall, I really enjoyed it.
It is all good brother, we are passionate about this stuff, that’s why we are here in this community!
True that!! I should be getting another Kirk today btw… we’ll see what happens lol
Fellas, allow me to give you two a handshake and shot of tequila. 
You guys showed it’s possible to have a friendly debate without ripping each other apart. You both spoke like true gentlemen, and I applaud you for that.
Well thank you for that man! Yes, it is possible! Lol too many people get way too defensive and go into attack mode when it’s all just subjective material, and we like what we like!
We are all in this community together, so I never understood all the attacking that goes on between folks. I just state my opinions respectfully and hope for the same in return. But that isn’t the case most of the time these days, which is a shame.
Well said my friend and thanks for the debate!
Just because it gives nods too the older movies in the franchise doesnt mean it is “living off of previous films”. The nods arent in your face, they happen and go away very quickly and dont take away or add anything. It’s just there so fans can find that and go “oh that’s pretty neat”. Its not ruining the movie, it’s a very small detail and imo it was a nice touch. I would agree with you if the rest of the movie was nothing original but it was, the basic idea was h20 but 20 years added on. The thing is, only the idea is the same. Everything else is original and new. Hope none of this came off as aggressive or anything by the way, I didnt intend it that way if it did come off like that