"One Good Scare": The HALLOWEEN Films

[Sarah]

Oh my God no way!!! I didn't realise that was the same actor @Mel O'Drama - good find!!!

I loved in H20 when Laurie grabs the axe and yells -'Michael!!!!' - fekin' brilliant.

What are your thoughts on Resurrection? And has anyone actually ever watched Halloween 3?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

What are your thoughts on Resurrection?

I didn't mind the concept of the film crew and the haunted house stuff, but even when it first came out and I was excited about it, I could tell it was pretty shoddy. That moment where Michael starts talking with Busta Rhymes's voice is just dire. And as for that homophobic rapper beating up Michael Myers and doing his "comedy" kung fu. Just embarrassing.

A lot of my hate at the film came from it undoing H20's ending, and I've forgiven it little since I've learnt that Michael's resurrection was discussed (and planned) during the making of H20. Good old Wikipedia says:

The writers of Halloween H20: 20 Years Later were left with a dilemma when Jamie Lee Curtis wanted to end the series, but Moustapha Akkad had a clause that legally wouldn't allow the writers to kill Michael Myers off. According to the Blu-ray released by Scream Factory, Curtis almost left the project just weeks before filming, until Kevin Williamson came up with the paramedic storyline and presented it to Akkad. Curtis finally agreed to be a part of the film under the condition that no footage hinting toward a sequel would be presented by the film, and that the audience would believe that Michael was dead until the inevitable sequel was announced. Resurrection's first shot of Michael in the paramedic uniform was filmed the day after H20's principal photography ended, according to H20's editor, Patrick Lussier.

I'm not sure how I'd feel about it now. Even though I have it in my film collection, I haven't watched Resurrection in many, many years. The original series ended with H20 in my head-canon.

But I do listen to some tracks from the score quite a bit. I really like Danny Lux's take on the Halloween theme.

The rest of the score is nicely atmospheric (although with too many stings and jolts to enjoy out of context).

And has anyone actually ever watched Halloween 3?

I had it on DVD about 20 years ago. I think I've watched it perhaps twice, which is probably plenty. I seem to remember a horrible death with someone in a burning wheelchair.

Part of me thinks I should give it another chance sometime, trying to put the Halloween franchise connection out of my mind. But then I remember that bloody jingle and that's the end of that.

 

[Sarah]

Am I right in thinking that 3 has NOTHING to do with Michael?

Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks trying to act - I know I know!!! I do have it in my collection though. Haven't watched it in a while - same for most of the films after 2, they just don't appeal to me. I loved H20 though.

I'm also confused as to why Michael can never die. Have we ever discussed what that supernatural element is about?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Am I right in thinking that 3 has NOTHING to do with Michael?

You certainly are. John Carpenter felt Michael was done, which was why the ending of H2 seemed so final (until it wasn't).

The plan was to do a different film each year under the Halloween banner. They'd all have the theme of hallowe'en (the event as opposed to the film) but would be unrelated to each other so they could try something new and experimental each time. It's a nice idea, but I think they greatly underestimated how strongly the franchise had become associated with the Michael/Laurie mythos. And apparently it wasn't promoted strongly enough that there would be no Michael Myers, so people left cinemas disappointed that their expectations weren't met.

It would probably have done better if they'd dropped the Halloween title and just released it as Season Of The Witch.

same for most of the films after 2, they just don't appeal to me. I loved H20 though.

I, II and H20 are my favourites, but I can enjoy the continuities in different ways.

When it was first announced, I thought I wouldn't like the 2018 film at all, but I really enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to the sequels.

Of the others, Halloween 4 is another I enjoy. I love the atmosphere of that one, and the mystique around Michael swathed in bandages. It's just a shame that it's so closely connected to the two films that follow it, which weren't very good.

I'm also confused as to why Michael can never die. Have we ever discussed what that supernatural element is about?

I suppose the premise of the first film was you can't kill the boogeyman. Although even John Carpenter changed his mind on that by the end of the second film.

For me, the less you know about something, the more frightening it is. That's why the first film worked so well. We knew very little about Michael, and we hardly saw him in full.

As Michael became more and more invulnerable and superhuman in sequels, he became less interesting. And I glazed over when an attempt was made to explain his powers with the Thorn business. Just give him a knife and hide him in the shadows and it's brilliant.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

This led me on to discovering the retrospective documentaries from the Shout! Factory blu-ray set, which I don't have . The one on HII was great fun.

I've ended up watching the docs on 3, 4 and 5.

And now I've watched the retrospectives on parts 6 and 7, as well as some other random videos about the sequels.


It's interesting how troubled production seemed to get once the rights went to Dimension. Lots of battles between the production team and the Weinsteins. It's they who were responsible for the theatrical cut of part 6 (no wonder it ended up being named The Curse Of Michael Myers). And they apparently hated Marianne Hagan and complained she was too skinny and her face too long. They're also the reason Danielle Harris was recast. Even after she went to a great deal of trouble and expense to become emancipated (at their request) in order to work longer hours:

Some of their input worked out for the best. It was Miramax who justifiably hated the KNB mask and wanted it changed. Though that of course led to the whole multiple mask controversy that plagued the film.

I think of H20 as being a near perfect film. It's not, but I've always been happy to overlook its imperfections because of how enjoyable I find it. But the two aspects of the mask and he music have intrigued me for over two decades now.

I thought the one H20 ended up with using in most of their close-ups worked fine (apart from seeing too much of his eyes). I'm still curious why they didn't just continue using the H6 mask, which they used for the shot where he killed Marion. It looked pretty good. Then we could have avoided the infamous floating CGI mask moment when Charlie bumps into Michael in the kitchen (even though I think that moment gets far too more derision than it deserves. It wasn't that bad).

Back when H20 came out I was fascinated by the hastily-replaced score, where John Ottman's music was sliced and diced and they ended up recycling some of Marco Beltrami's stings and cues from Scream and Mimic. In the short featurette on the original H20 DVD, it was clear that John was understandably unhappy about the decision. He's even more forthright twenty years on in the retrospective. And his comments were cross cut with Editor Patrick Lussier who was quite scathing about John's score.

I can understand both sides. Ottman's work tends to be quite large scale and epic-sounding, and Halloween has always been more electronically intimate. But all my favourite cues in the film are his. The main title and Marion's death work incredibly well. I have the soundtrack CD of the music he composed which was intended for the film, and it's one of my favourite film scores. It knocks spots off any other Halloween film's soundtrack in my eyes. And that includes the original. I'd love to see a blu-ray audio option to play the film with Ottman's score, as I think it would take it somewhere really special. Though perhaps it would feel "wrong" in the film as I'm so used to the Beltrami cues. Maybe I can just count my blessings that I can listen to Ottman's score anytime I like. And I like it a lot.



I also watched this, which is great:

Not having seen the Producer's Cut yet, my feeling is that the cinematography autumnal colours from the tint on the Theatrical Version look better. And Paul Stephen Rudd running round in silly robes for the Producer's Cut seems a bit silly. But, I think I'd favour the Producer's Cut by a huge margin, since it makes sense of things and doesn't have the nasty OTT death sequences with farm equipment and exploding heads.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Incidentally, today was meant to be THE day. The day when Halloween Kills premiered in cinemas.

Instead we'll have to wait exactly a year to see it premiere on the day Halloween Ends was supposed to arrive: 15 October 2021.​

 

[Jason73]

I loved in H20 when Laurie grabs the axe and yells -'Michael!!!!' - fekin' brilliant.

Yes! One of the reasons I love H20 so much is because of a few iconic (to me) scenes. The one you mentioned, the scene where John and Jen from Dawson's Creek are frantically trying to get the door open and drop the keys while Michael is slashing at them, the moment right after when Laurie and Michael see each other through the window, the scene of Michael overturning the tables . . . I'm really looking forward to my rewatch this weekend.

I didn't know about those documentaries @Mel O'Drama . I'm going to watch all of them. My goal has been to get to Halloween 2018 by Halloween weekend and those documentaries will be the perfect thing to fill up the weekend between now and Halloween.

I'm still fairly certain I will do Resurrection this weekend too.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

One of the reasons I love H20 so much is because of a few iconic (to me) scenes. The one you mentioned, the scene where John and Jen from Dawson's Creek are frantically trying to get the door open and drop the keys while Michael is slashing at them, the moment right after when Laurie and Michael see each other through the window, the scene of Michael overturning the tables . . .

Yes to this.

I also love how atmospheric and creepy some of the scenes are: Marion's darkened house with its long passageway; the Rest Stop scene with its peek through the door at the mirror; Michael entering the school grounds in the background as Ronny looks into the creepy old car....

Something that I've been reflecting on this week is that there are two aspects of the franchise that make it appealing outside of the iconography and the Myers angle. Firstly, the settings: the scenery is very attractive, helped by the autumnal tones. Secondly, there's the soap operatic element of the characters' interactions, connections and backstories. I could really enjoy watching an ongoing Haddonfield series, which pushed Michael way into the background and focussed on the town and the characters and locales established in the films.

H20 might be the only film of the series not to visit Haddonfield, but I do enjoy the small town feel during the "off campus lunch" scenes and the scenery is very nice throughout the film (the dusk scene of the school buses going along the rugged terrain springs to mind).

For me H20 is the film that has the most compelling non-Michael scenes, and I think it benefits from Laurie being older: her struggle to overcome her demons; her functioning alcoholism; the walls she's built; her strained relationship with John; her romance with Will and him trying to get her to open up. Even the scenes with the kids ring with truth.

I love the focus on the relatable small moments. Lines like "caffeine is not a food group"; "God, you are so Renaissance" and Will telling Laurie that as a counsellor he's attracted to her bull still pop into my head from time to time.

All these elements have helped me invest in this film in a meaningful way.

I'm really looking forward to my rewatch this weekend.

Enjoy. I did the documentaries to give me a fix this year in addition to watching the 78/18 films. But having watched them, the one film I feel most tempted to rewatch is H20.

I didn't know about those documentaries @Mel O'Drama . I'm going to watch all of them.

Oh, that's great. I enjoyed watching all of them in sequence. Even the one on Season Of The Witch, which helped build a picture of the behind-the-scenes story. I couldn't find one on Resurrection, and was oddly disappointed as I was curious what the people involved would say about it in retrospect. I'm assuming the makers lost the will to live at the very idea, and squeezed a bit of the Resurrection story into The Making Of H20 instead.

I'm still fairly certain I will do Resurrection this weekend too.

I applaud your bravery and hope you get your reward for it.

I've already said some nice things about Resurrection above, and I'll also throw in that it has possibly the best looking Michael Myers mask of all the sequels. And as someone who can be a bit pedantic, the conversation between two characters about the difference between "continuous" and "continual" has always been a favourite moment of mine. So if all else fails you can enjoy that.

 

[Jason73]

Firstly, the settings: the scenery is very attractive, helped by the autumnal tones.

I think it's the autumn setting that makes the series especially enduring for me. There's just something so dramatic about autumn.

Secondly, there's the soap operatic element of the characters' interactions, connections and backstories.

Yes - the continuing saga of interconnected characters definitely adds to the appeal. I certainly feel the lack of those connections in movies like 6 and Resurrection where there isn't much of either Jamie or Laurie.

I couldn't find one on Resurrection, and was oddly disappointed as I was curious what the people involved would say about it in retrospect. I'm assuming the makers lost the will to live at the very idea, and squeezed a bit of the Resurrection story into The Making Of H20 instead.

I've watched the documentaries on 2, 4 and 5. I couldn't find one on 6 and am saving the H20 documentary for tomorrow. I found them all very interesting. There's something very appealing about Danielle Harris both as a kid and as an adult - I enjoy watching her. She should have been a bigger star. Watching the documentary on 5 really made me feel good about my choice to skip it. I just can't handle Tina, even in short clips. Although, I did find the actress who played her very likable in her documentary interviews. Ana Alicia looked amazing.

I also watched Resurrection last night. It was . . . fine. I don't regret watching it. Mostly it's boring. I don't care for the majority of the characters but I did enjoy the final 30 or so minutes when it's down to just the final girl trying to escape the house. I forgot that this movie ends in flames, making 3 of the films that end that way and the documentary on 4 revealed it was going to have a climactic flame scene as well.

 

[Jason73]

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I think it's the autumn setting that makes the series especially enduring for me. There's just something so dramatic about autumn.

Definitely. The rich colours; the warm light; and the themes of change and endings. They're all there.

I found them all very interesting.

I'm glad to hear this. I think the fact that they're retrospectives helps. Featurettes that come out with the DVD releases, while the film is still new, can feel as though they're trying to sell something and participants are sometimes still toeing the party line. With retrospectives people are freer to let rip a bit more.

There's something very appealing about Danielle Harris both as a kid and as an adult - I enjoy watching her. She should have been a bigger star.

Funnily enough I was watching her in Urban Legend this week and thought the same thing. She's very charismatic and watchable. The filmmakers seemed to love her as well, and I get the sense she's almost universally liked by fans of slashers in general and Halloween in particular.

Watching the documentary on 5 really made me feel good about my choice to skip it. I just can't handle Tina, even in short clips. Although, I did find the actress who played her very likable in her documentary interviews.

Yeah. I, too, didn't get any urges to watch the film off the back of the documentary.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Oh - this is great. And I found the ending very satisfying.

It's a really nice touch that they shot at the original locations. I've been looking into the various locations for the series the last couple of weeks, just out of interest. It was interesting to see how close together some of the South Pasadena locations of the original film are. The girls' homes; their walking scene; the Hedge; the Myers House; the Hardware Store... they're all within a short walk of each other. It makes the film feel very intimate.

 

[Jason73]

It's a really nice touch that they shot at the original locations.

I didn't realize that they had done that. That's really cool.

I've been looking into the various locations for the series the last couple of weeks, just out of interest. It was interesting to see how close together some of the South Pasadena locations of the original film are. The girls' homes; their walking scene; the Hedge; the Myers House; the Hardware Store... they're all within a short walk of each other. It makes the film feel very intimate.

I like how welcoming they are at Laurie's house. I felt sort of awkward visiting the Knots cul de sac, like I was intruding. It's nice that the owners seem to enjoy the attention the house garners. I've been to Pasadena a number of times, but I've never remembered it's Haddonfield while I'm there. I'm always thinking of it as the setting for the Dana Delany soap that was cancelled too soon.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I like how welcoming they are at Laurie's house. I felt sort of awkward visiting the Knots cul de sac, like I was intruding. It's nice that the owners seem to enjoy the attention the house garners.

Yes, I can relate to that. I, too, have felt very awkward about looking at and photographing places when visiting TV and film locations (I suppose my equivalent of your visit to the cul-de-sac would be visiting Brookside Close). Some people are quite bold with stuff like this, but I usually end up feeling like I'm skulking and waiting for a hand on my shoulder.

I imagine it could go either way with householders. The Strode House owners are probably the rarer type. I wonder if they're fans who bought the house because of its famous history. Nice as it would be to live in a famous house and connect with other fans, I know I wouldn't enjoy the gawping and photography. I like my privacy and anonymity too much. And that's probably at the back of my mind when I'm feeling uncomfortable about visits somewhere.

I've been to Pasadena a number of times, but I've never remembered it's Haddonfield while I'm there. I'm always thinking of it as the setting for the Dana Delany soap that was cancelled too soon.

Oh yes. Pasadena's probably reasonably close to you.

I almost asked what the Dana Delany soap was called. Then I remembered and kicked myself at missing the blindingly obvious.

 

[Richard Channing]

Watched this great little doc last night which chronicles the whole franchise from start to finish. I never knew the Michael Myers mask was a repurposed Captain Kirk/William Shatner mask! But I can totally see it now.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Thanks Richard. I really enjoyed it.

Speaking of whole franchise chronicles, this cute little series recap just popped up in my suggestions. I love how they capture the specific look of the mask for each sequel (the animated 4, 5 and H20 masks made me laugh):

 

[DallasFanForever]

The H2O mask made me crack up!

 

[Ome]

Just been reading this article from my news feed and I wondered how you guys would have reacted, had this happen to you.

For me, there would be some excitement, but my imagination would run away with me and I'm sure some panic would set in.



Police called after reports of 'man in Michael Myers mask' roaming Lincolnshire streets

Police were called to reports of a man wearing a 'Michael Myers mask' roaming through the streets of Lincoln on Halloween.

Lincolnshire Police confirmed they were called after two people reported being approached by a 'man in a mask wearing blue overalls' on Saturday, October 31.

Eyewitnesses took to social media to warn other residents in the area, after claiming they noticed the man was carrying a knife, however the force said this couldn't be confirmed.

One person said: "We were walking home and he came towards us with a knife.
"I ran off crying and screaming and contacted the police."
Another said: "There is someone in a Michael Myers costume on Ermine West with a knife."

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: "Incident 608 of October, 31, was reported to us at 11pm.
"We received a report that the caller and his friend had been approached by a man with a mask and wearing blue overalls.
"The caller thought he may have had a flick knife but this couldn’t be confirmed.
"The man was seen on near Fiskerton Drive and ran off.


"As it was Halloween we believe this will have been a Halloween prank without any serious intention to harm.

"Our officers completed a search of the area but did not find anyone matching the description.
"This was a frightening incident for the two people involved.
"No other reports were received."

 

[Mel O'Drama]

For me, there would be some excitement, but my imagination would run away with me and I'm sure some panic would set in.

Same here. Not so much because it's Michael Myers but more because it's a man with his face hidden carrying a knife.

I'm sure there are some who would see guising as an opportunity to get up to some genuine menace, so I don't think I'd be stopping to ask questions if I saw something like this.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The next teaser trailer for Halloween Kills. Including tantalising glimpses of some of those familiar returning characters.

Oh - and there's also this: