Author: Verse

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) – 3/5

I shouldn’t like this movie as much as I do. The mask is probably the worst one I have seen Michael wear so far, LL Cool J is there but doesn’t really add anything other than to fulfill one super aggravating trope scene at the end, the 90’s stereotype stuff is in full force, and so on. Still though, I love this movie.

Seeing Laurie and Michael stare down at one another through a doors window is intimate and cool. LL Cool J is has the most upsetting scene at the end when he stops Laurie from finishing it and he gets some weird story writer scene, but he is endearing still for how he obviously likes the kids he is looking after. Josh Hartnett is cool! Hey, is that the kid from Jumanji?! The cool, if not maybe a little impractical, scene where Michael walks table to table following a crawling Laurie. Plus the finale is arguably one of the best out of the six or so movies I have seen thus far and is definitely the most badass Laurie has been. This movie lives and dies with Curtis’ portrayal of a traumatized and then ultimately empowered mother.

If you want a good time, you can watch the first Halloween, then either put on the second one as second screen content or just understand that they are siblings now, and conclude it with Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. I didn’t bother watching the final movie in this 4 movie collection because it has Busta Rhymes and I am just not ready for that.

I like this movie more than I should. I can stand back and recognize it isn’t a great film and yet I love it for its camp and as a time capsule. Also, a final note that I am just realizing after having watched six of these things the last few days: Josh Hartnett comes across much more believable as Lauries kid than Judy Greer ever did and that was with a lot less screen time.

I love this little dogpile of the 90’s and I won’t be ashamed.

Halloween II (1981) – 1.5/5

Halloween 2 is set in a creepy hospital that only has a single patient and several staff members. Where are the other patients? Who knows. It maintains its horror vibe with a synth-track to vibe it up with. It introduces the misguided sister twist, brought about by John Carpenter.

I have to expand on Carpenter’s treatment of the film though. Carpenter has knocked the sequel and its sibling aspect, a product of necessity as he needed to write more story while also feeling there was no more story. This is a failing on his part and I think it is really wrong to leave him out of the equation for the films baggage. Did he want to only have Michael in a single movie? Sure. But he still wrote the sequel.

At its heart, Halloween II feels like a slasher and lacks some of the soul of the original. If you read my review of that, you will see I am in the minority that did not really enjoy myself. However, I can objectively see more artistry there and a more full attempt at something unique. This is not that.

Halloween 2 bring back some nudity, ups the violence, adds some wonky story elements, and has a couple of cool vibe scenes. Overall though, it takes a less interesting direction with the story. It is not all waste, but it is never great either.

Halloween (1978) – 2.5/5

I am not writing this review to make some statement or try to change hearts and minds. If most people think highly of the original Halloween then I can stand back and see that it just hit more uniquely for me. Love what you love. I’m going to write these thoughts nonetheless.

Very early into the movie, when Michael first escapes, there is one line of dialogue that felt really out of place. I think Loomis yelling, “The Evil has gone!” as Michael drove away was intended to show what Loomis thought of Michael after having worked with him for so long. I think the delivery and how soon it happened made it feel out of place for me. Otherwise, Donald Pleasence is a pleasant feature throughout the movie. I would go as far as to say that the movie would not have worked with an actor at the caliber at the average of the rest of the cast. That is to say, the acting is all over the place and luckily grounded by a few key people. Just look at Annie’s death for an example.

I found it very strange that Loomis, who has spent the most time with Michael, makes no headway convincing people that Michael will go to his old town. I recognize that the movie was inventing things we would later consider tropes of the genre, but to see it at perhaps its origin makes it only more baffling.

Being that I had very little experience with the franchise, I was surprised to see how much Michael drove. Nothing wrong with it, but it just was not what I was expecting. Menacing driving. It had me laughing a couple of times, like when Loomis doesn’t see Michael drive past right behind him. It is scary on foot, but driving just hits differently.

I really appreciated Michael’s playful nature. Like he is a predator who has a specific way he likes to do things. It shows a different side than the later escalations in the semi-reboot series (2018), where Michael starts to just go for it. Both have their merits.

Lots of cheap naked and butt shots were kinda obvious bait for cheap thrills. I wasn’t a fan, and not because I am a prude. I think it was almost so abrupt each time that it felt disconnected from the movie itself. That kinda happened with a lot of things though. Plus there is a really weird comment, I think meant to be edgy, where one character comments that they would rip the clothes off of a very very young girl. What in the world. I also need to watch again to understand the logistics of who’s home belongs to who, as it seemed like two people who didn’t live with Annie were using her home as a place to get it on? Isn’t Annie’s Dad a police officer? Why are they so comfortable drinking, smoking, and doing the freaky in this guys house? All while making creepy comments about kids.

There is also some pace issues during chases where two characters do not share the same frame. Michael at one point is pursuing Laurie and it switches back and forth a few times to the extent that I thought he had given up on following her. That is not a big deal, but it was a little jarring and not in an intentional artistic feeling way.

The closet eye poke, followed by Laurie keeping her back to Myers was another moment I shouldn’t have been laughing but was. Like I had all these ideas of Michael as this intense figure and he collapses after being poked in the eye. In the context of this movie, the reality of it, it makes sense in the moment but then is at odds with getting shot off of a balcony. I did enjoy that the reboot in 2018 respected this, and he maintains his eye wound.

People love this movie and I hope they keep loving it. I just found myself at odds with a bunch of minor gripes, not even all listed, that I had to sit with for too long due to the films slower pace. I wanted to love it, recently I rewatched It Follows and I think that movie takes some obvious inspirations from Halloween and so I respect the hell out of it even though it is not for me.

Halloween (2018) – 3.5/5

In listening to people talk about games, I have heard the phrase “swimming in sevens.” This means to convey a serviceable experience that isn’t perfect but brings some joy. I had some joy watching Halloween! It was a good feeling to after my feelings for the original flick, feelings which would have many series fans knife me to a wall. That will be my next review.

I loved the direct haunting nature of the movie. Michael ruthlessly takes lives with very little flair, and there is a really captured overwhelming dream for anyone in the room with him. The bathroom scene really sold the terror for me in a way the series had not yet.

I know some people may find the movie a bit more busy than the original, but I needed that. I don’t ever want to yuck the yum choices of others, but I desperately needed a bit more and this delivered. There was a balance to the development to, utilizing the podcasters as a way to reconnect everyone together. I also thought, while not necessarily done cleanly, the utilization of a Doctor as the anti-Loomis was a neat twist. Future movies push this too far, the idea that being around Michael may make you a bit more twisted, but it is believable here because of the characters backstory and the fact that he says that the podcaster should stay behind the yellow line while also allowing him to dangle Michael’s mask at him well within said yellow line. Something was up.

I will say I think Laurie’s basement kill chamber needed a bit more development. It was really cool, but I also wonder what her plans was for getting him down there and her out. She had years to prepare, you would think she would have a few more exits. I think some people may take issue with her becoming a super prepper, after all only the events of the first movie count here, but I think seeing someone fall apart to her extent is not out of bounds. I took issue with the scene of her running into her daughters home and waiving a gun around, but I like the idea of further showing that she can’t even articulate the way she needs to. Horror trope or calculated planning? I am unsure but I think a finer hand could have sold that a bit more.

Overall, I enjoyed Halloween 2018. It may even be my favorite as its own movie. I think it sits comfortable at the opposite end of H20 for me, it is a bit more serious and a bit more brave. Both are enjoyable but one is an easier copy/paste 90’s-horror-vibe and the other is this fun flick. Be kind to yourself and watch the original, this one, and then stop. It is a complete story and it is best executed this way. I say this as someone who wasn’t even super-keen on the original. I can recognize that most people enjoy it thoroughly more than I did and I can see how well it ties together with this gem.

Halloween Kills (2021) – 2/5

Oh boy. The opening was pretty good and there are also some really strong parts, and that is what makes it so frustrating. To have some really great aspects, only to mix them with what feels like a lack of understanding for the basic lore for this setup world.

I’m new to the franchise, I watched H20 as a kid and I think perhaps also its followup but my brain forgot it and I hear that is a good thing. Certain characters returned that didn’t make sense to me, like Marion Chambers. If I recall right, she was working at a sanitarium far away from Haddonfield. You are telling me she just decided to move to visit the town and join with pitch forks? Nothing in the characters prior portrayal painted this person as someone to do this. I don’t buy her at all as part of the support group, and it feels forced and unnatural.

There is an escalation of Michael’s violence here but I am okay with that. It could tie into this idea this new reboot takes of Michael growing in power as he escalates in violence. I think that could build onto the idea that Loomis’ put forth that Michael is a purely evil force. What doesn’t work for this is that Michael is drawn to his childhood home. It gives a characterization that goes against the spirit of the original and that is a shame for a reboot that wanted to be more true to its roots.

The movie just has trouble with its legacy character treatment. While I thought 2018 did some cool things in that regard, this is not the case for Halloween Kills. Sheriff Brackett’s return as a security guard feels like a wild minor introduction that only clouds the movie. I think in this case, less would have been more and having him play a much smaller role, maybe even something on the phone (but seen) and out of town, could have worked a lot better.

I like Anthony Michael Hall. I think mostly because I feel bad that they didn’t get to do more with him in the Dark Knight trilogy as was supposedly planned. Here though, I think there needed to be more nuance to his portrayal. For getting so much screen time as the man to rally the town, he only ever has one mode. It starts to become a deep-sigh-endeavor each time he comes on screen.

I get that bringing people back, adding more subplot to existing characters backstories, and so on were all to serve the idea that this is a real place being affected by all of this. I just don’t think it works though, and I think it is the hand that crafted this project. There is a disconnect in appreciation for the original intent. I learned that Halloween was meant to be an entirely new story each film. Michael would have just wandered off into the dark, Evil at large and always present. I think there was room to build more on this with the side characters, but I think they should have just used Laurie’s family and cooked up some new characters for this. As is, it is stretched very thin.

Halloween Ends (2022) – 1/5

What the heck was that?! Having watched quite a few Halloween movies recently, almost all for the first time, this has to be the worst I have seen. This gives A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 a run for its bad idea territory. Spoilers ahead, big ones, so brace yourself.

In what world is having Michael become beholden/connected to an unlikable young adult a good idea? On top of that, you make the granddaughter of Laurie suddenly have the emotional intellect of a potato and compete for the most unlikable person award. From playing house, baking pies, to arguing and not trusting one another for no reason. To top this off, the direct has this weird idea of Laurie being seen as blamed for all of this and it just doesn’t feel sincere at all. What a bunch of wasted talent. The same problem persists from the last movie but worse, nobody ends up being likable and every betrays their character development.

I preface what I say next by stating that I think this new series went a couple of movies too long. I normally don’t write alternatives but in a franchise with way more misses than hits, what is one more swing? The prior film established that Michael may be sort of becoming empowered by all of the evil he is doing. I would go further with that and instead have him kill Corey when he is dragged into the sewers. This is the first juice he needed and it is just enough for him to then clear out the homeless camp right outside of the sewer. Michael is back baby, powered by EVIL. What is Laurie doing though? Certainly not baking pies and writing a book. I would love to see Laurie reflect a bit more on the loss of her daughter. Yes that wasn’t a great movie either, but it is easier to talk nice about people who aren’t around. As is, it comes off very strange to have Laurie operating at what looks like her peak mental health in a long time, all while Michael is at large and her daughter was murdered not long ago. They can commit to the town going all pitch forks out but not the existence of her daughter? What in the. Ultimately I think Laurie needed to seek out the fight and to lose. Following off of the ideas of the first film and the prior, about being energized, he is now pumped to the max and disappears once more into the darkness except never to be seen.

I mean it. Never to be seen! If the reboot was trying to be more true to the original film then go all the way with that. Treat these movies like an extended series of events from the first movie but keep the spirit. Pure evil is out there, and Evil does not die.

Midsommar (2019) 2.5/5

There are elements of greatness to Midsommar that are undeniable but I treat each review with how I valued the movie and not necessarily the merits I can objectively see. The production is incredible and the design is used in interesting ways that emphasis all of the effort that was put into pulling it all together. However, and I know I am regretfully kicking at someone a lot of people loved and I wanted to love, I just didn’t think Midsommar was a great movie and I found it often to be superficial.

I normally connect to the oddities that come out of A24 a bit more, but I just couldn’t do that here. The characters all ended up feeling apart from the scenarios they were in, and not in an artistic way but in a nonsensical way that felt like the script was in the room with us most scenes. The situations were all just too much fantasy and the characters universally reacted with words and emotions that did not make sense unless we accept that they have to make sense for the goals of the story.

I have no doubt that the director, Ari Aster, is extremely talented. I still need to watch his other work, Hereditary has especially been on my list for some time. I am hoping to see an equal amount of strength in the story as I found in the atmosphere here. For someone like me, who often feels most at home with movies that take place in a single place, I felt my patience was going to be rewarded with Midsommar rather than wanting the time back that I spent.

I am glad people enjoy the movie more than me. I feel like they should. There is a treatment to grief that I feel it is good to consider. Ultimately it feels like a modern take on the slasher movies of old, with very patient shots and the destination taking priority.

Novocaine (2025) 3/5

Jack Quaid is Nate, who finds himself chasing down the sudden love of his life (Amber Midthunder as Sherry). There are twists along the journey, but none that are handled very well. Then there is Ray Nicholson as Simon, the supposedly menacing villain of the movie, who feels as though he is constantly holding back and playing into the writers’ room.

There are undoubtedly funny moments, and it is probably the strongest area of the film, but some deliveries could be punched up, and some payoffs could happen that never do. I found myself thinking about how the movie could benefit from a partial injection from the movie Crank. Novocaine certainly doesn’t need everything Crank was, but it could use a bit more energy and self-awareness. As is, it gets a bit lost in monologues and a bit of a middling tone.

This is where I get a little into spoiler territory. I think the pie thing should have looped around with him accidentally biting himself and bleeding a little, with that same big smile on his face. Some more characterization would have helped to explain why this guy goes as far as he does for Sherry and why he is so quick to okay her criminal ways—having been involved in this situation and past ones that got people killed. It was probably okay that Sherry was two-dimensional, but I don’t think the protagonist should be so close on the line. The last act is a bit too long, and I was tired at seeing Simon’s inevitable demise being dragged out.

I think people who are looking for a dumb-fun type of time will get a lot more than me out of this. I like to backseat my brain sometimes, but I am also the wrong person to ask to get excited about car chases or to overlook people acting in nonsense ways.