Halloween: 20 Years Later (aka H20)
A movie review by "Average Joe" Barlow
(c) Copyright 1998
STARRING: Jamie Lee Curtis, LL Cool J, Janet Leigh DIRECTOR: Steve Miner WRITERS: Robert Zappia, Matt Greenberg, Kevin Williamson (uncredited) RATED/YEAR: R/1998
For better or for worse, I am a child of the '80s. Yes, I cried at "E.T." when I was ten. I get nostalgic when I hear the "Miami Vice" theme song. I spent most of my lunch money on games of "Donkey Kong." And yeah, if you must know, I've still got a copy of "Thriller" buried deep in my album collection. Because of this, it's almost unfair for me to review horror movies. You may as well ask me to critique the time period during which my entire personality was defined. Horror movies weren't just a once-in-a-while thing for my friends and I; we were obsessed by the silly things. Yes, that's right: I, your friendly neighborhood self-appointed film critic, who loves to watch boring, subtitled French dramas, still gets giggly with glee at the thought of a slasher flick. I'm not proud of this, but I can't help it. It's in my blood, thanks to the many Saturday afternoons I spent over at the homes of various friends during my junior high-school years, catching up on the latest adventures of Jason, Freddy, and all their ilk. The '80s were the closest thing to a Renaissance that the horror genre has ever had. New films appeared every few weeks in the already saturated marketplace, and my friends and I saw most of them. As America moved into the politically-correct '90s, however, a decline in both the quantity and quality of these films became apparent. Gone were the suspense and excitement that made the movies so much fun to watch, replaced instead with lingering shots of gore and brutality. Attendance plummeted. Hollywood, following their usual logic, figured this must mean that people were tired of scary movies. No, Hollywood, we weren't. We quit watching horror flicks because, while we want to be scared, we don't neccessarily need to see a step-by-step disembowelment of each victim. The glory days of suspensful thrillers were gone forever, or so it seemed. But in 1996, a little film called "Scream" came along and single- handedly revitalised the horror industry. Here, for the first time in over a decade, was a horror movie with memorable characters and a fiendishly clever plot, featuring witty (and often hilarious) dialogue. So profound was "Scream" that, for the first time ever, a screenwriter (first-time scripter Kevin Williamson), got as much attention as the director (horror veteran Wes Craven). The duo teamed up again on the equally entertaining and successful "Scream 2"; since then, Williamson has found his services much in demand: he penned the screenplay for "I Know What You Did Last Summer," in addition to creating the hit TV series "Dawson's Creek." In an interview with a popular screenwriting magazine, Williamson was asked to name his favorite movie. "Halloween," he replied without a moment's hesitation. He then went on to cite the profound effect that the movie had on both his life and the horror genre in general. He did not exaggerate: "Halloween" is a certified classic, single-handedly creating (for better or for worse) the slasher movie. The story, for those of you not in the know, involves an eight- year-old boy named Michael Myers, who brutally murdered his sister on Halloween night, 1963. Committed to a mental hospital, Myers underwent years of psycho-analysis before his doctor, Sam Loomis, pronounced him incurable. In 1978, Michael, now 23, escaped from the institution and made his way back to his family's home in Haddonfield Illinois, with Dr. Loomis in hot pursuit. The climax of the film, in which Michael stalks the residents of the neighborhood while Dr. Loomis attempts to stop him, is one of the genre's finest moments. "Halloween" starred a then-unknown actress named Jamie Lee Curtis, playing the role of all-American girl Laurie Strode, tormented by Myers for reasons she doesn't understand. She did an admirable job; her performance still stands up, twenty years later. Curtis brought a depth to the character that reached far beyond the typical caricature roles that women were usually assigned in such movies; it's easy to believe that Laurie Strode is a "real" person, not the typical cardboard cutout that is usually preferred in such parts. That's why we rooted for her. "Halloween" was a huge success, both critically and financially. Roger Ebert's famous review, in which he gave the film four stars (his highest rating) and compared it favorably to "Psycho," was typical of the adulation and praise that it received. And movie-goers took note: until recently, "Halloween" was the highest-grossing independent movie *ever*. (If I remember correctly, "The English Patient" was the film which finally stole away the title.) A sequel quickly followed, and "Halloween II," while flawed, managed to thrill and delight audiences all over again. Picking up mere moments after the original movie ended, we watched as Dr. Loomis continued his search for Michael Myers, who'd managed to slither from his grasp. Curtis's character is sent to a nearby hospital to have her wounds treated. Michael, wanting desperately to finish the job he'd begun earlier that night, follows her, giving us the opportunity for a suspensful game of cat and mouse. In an "Empire Strikes Back"-type twist we learn that Michael is actally Laurie's brother, which is the reason he's so gung-ho on killing her: he wants to dispose of his entire family. Dr. Loomis comes to the rescue, however, and Michael is apparently destroyed. He wasn't, though, and other "Halloween" films followed. None of them were anywhere near as successful as these first two outings. Jamie Lee Curtis declined to return to the series; therefore, silly new plot twists were invented, including the introduction of other relatives that Michael feels the need to dispose of. John Carpenter, the auteur who created the series and composed its famous theme song, also called it quits after two films. The death of the series was imminent: in subsequent outings, Dr. Loomis became more and more uninteresting, while the suspense and tension the first film is so famous for were exchanged for gore. Sadly, the franchise degenerated into just another bunch of slasher pictures, no better than the other "copycat" movies which quickly flooded the market after the success of the first installment. I've always thought the series should've given up when Curtis left; happily, director Steve Miner agrees with me. The latest installment in the series, "Halloween: 20 Years Later" is a direct sequel to the first two films, bringing Jamie Lee Curtis back to the role that began her career and cheerfully ignoring the other dreadful movies that came out in the interim. Kudos, I say! The story: Laurie Strode, unable to come to terms with the tragedy that Michael Myers inflicted upon her, devises a plan to free herself and reclaim her life. She fakes her death, changes her name, and moves to California. Over the next two decades she gets married, has a son, gets divorced, and becomes the principal of a fancy private school. She's a well-respected community leader, but she still can't shake the demons from her past. She sees Michael Myers in every reflection, and has developed a drug and alcohol problem as her way of dealing with the pressure and her own questionable sanity. Dr. Loomis, her ally from the first two films, has passed away. In the opening sequence, an intruder breaks into Loomis's empty home and steals a file containing confidential data on Laurie Strode. Yes, boys and girls: it's Michael Myers, determined to find his little sister once again. Offering assistance to Laurie are her son and his friends, plus Ronnie Jones (LL Cool J), a local security guard/aspiring writer, all of whom turn in acceptable performances. (One of the most entertaining comes from Ronnie's unseen wife, who chats with him constantly on the phone while he reads her the latest pages of his novel-in-progress.) Mr. Miner throws in lots of subtle little touches which suit the film nicely. In the original "Halloween," Michael's victims watch "The Thing" on TV, unaware that a more immediate terror lurks right outside the living room window. In "H20," teens watch Ed Wood's "Plan Nine From Outer Space" ("Your stupid minds! Stupid, stupid minds!" shouts the television) and the aforementioned "Scream." It's a nice tip of the hat to Kevin Williamson, who also worked on the script (uncredited), no doubt fulfilling a lifelong dream by doing so. Williamson's touch is present throughout, which may be one of the reasons the film works. This movie actually feels more like "Scream" than the later "Halloween" sequels: we have many humorous lines (uncommon even in the earlier movies), lots of "fake scares" (something Williamson's earlier movies have thrived on), and of course, the patented "the killer comes back to life after he's supposed to be dead" trick. The cliches occasionally get a bit tedious (do we really need to see the old "the car won't start when we need to make a quick get-away" gag again?), but by and large the film knows what to do. It's not particularly innovative, but it *is* rock solid. Is it perfect? Hardly. There are at least two instances in which the viewer simply must roll his or her eyes good-naturedly at the screen. One character, who gets all six chambers of a revolver emptied into his chest, pops up again at the end of the film. "I'm fine! The bullets just grazed me!" he explains. Uh-huh. Then why'd you'd bleed all over the place? Also, one skeptic who doesn't believe that Myers has really returned asks: "Why would Michael wait twenty years before seeking revenge on Laurie?" An excellent question! Too bad we never find out the answer. Both are nitpicks, but they kinda bothered me. I loved the photography in this movie. I'm a sucker for unusual angles and lighting, and this film does not disappoint. Like the original "Halloween," Michael is mainly seen in shadowy profile, giving him an ethereal quality which suits the film's mood. The guy's still scary, you gotta admit. The film flies by, thanks to its "to-the-bone" editing. It runs a scant 85 minutes (about half as long as "Saving Private Ryan"), making it one of the shortest non-animated films I've ever seen. Still, additional footage would've only slowed its breakneck pace. I, for one, approved of its brevity. In fact, I have to confess something, and I hope my film-critic license isn't revoked because of it: I absolutely loved this film. Jamie Lee is in top form (and still looks great), the direction is creative, and the final scene is haunting and satisfying. (It actually got a hearty round of applause at the screening I attended.) Horror films may be a guilty pleasure for me, but when they're this much fun, who cares? I felt like I was 14 again while I was watching. If I'd only been able to catch a Mr. Mister tune on the radio after the show, the experience would've been complete. (Oh, and check out the older lady who plays Laurie's receptionist: yes, it's Janet Leigh! Not only is she Jamie Lee Curtis's real-life mother, but she played the shower scene victim in the original "Psycho," too. How can any horror fan resist two generations of Scream Queens in the same movie?)
RATING: 3.5 stars (out of a possible five)
This review was written: August 6, 1998 Copyright (c) 1998 by Joe Barlow. This review may be freely distributed as long as ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGES are made and this disclaimer remains attached. It may not be reproduced for profit without the written consent of the author. If you have comments or questions, please send them to: jbarlow at earthling dot net (substituting the appropriate symbols, to discourage spam).
----- "Average Joe" Barlow * MiSTie #73097 * Writer/musician/aspiring filmmaker jbarlow@YOURearthling.PANTSnet http://www.ipass.net/~jbarlow {Remove YOUR PANTS to e-mail me.}
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--Agent Cooper, "Twin Peaks"
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