In The Mind Of: Michael Myers (SPOILERS)

You can't kill the Boogeyman...

"I met him, fifteen years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding; and even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and the blackest eyes...the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply...evil." 

There is no better way to describe Michael Myers than those words quoted above. I am a big fan of horror movies, and my gateway into them was none other than the boogeyman himself. As I grew older, my fondness for him never changed, and I started to appreciate him for more reasons other than nostalgia. One thing that makes Michael stand out among the likes of Freddy, Jason, Chucky, and Leatherface is that we know next to nothing about him other than the fact that he is just some deranged man who killed his sister when he was only six years old. Naturally, this means he is lacking in any true character, but somehow, it makes him scarier. Sometimes less is more, and people fear what they can't understand.

Personally, Michael never really scared me, and the sequels did him no favors. However, the new re-sequel has actually come the closest to making me terrified of him, as he engages in insanely brutal acts of violence and shows no mercy to anyone, not even children! The movie made it clear that this was all Michael ever needed in order to be a truly terrifying character.

Overall, Michael is my favorite horror icon of all time. Though he is impossible to understand, there is no reason to. Michael is the Boogeyman, and he will live on to haunt the streets of Haddonfield every All Hallows' Eve.

Halloween (2018) (SPOILERS)

Happy Halloween, Michael...

John Carpenter's Halloween is my favorite horror film of all time. Over time, however, the franchise has experienced so many sequels, retcons, and reboots that it became a completely convoluted mess, so it was practically inevitable that it got canned for a while, but now, 40 years later, David Gordon Green and Danny McBride have decided to breathe new life into the franchise. At first, I, like many, was incredibly skeptical. However, things took a turn for the better with three pieces of news: it was a direct sequel to the original and discards all the convoluted ideas of most of the sequels, Jamie Lee Curtis was returning to reprise her role as Laurie Strode, and John Carpenter himself voiced his approval as well as provided the score for the film. It was almost to good to be true, so did it live up to the hype? Let's find out:

UPS

1. Jamie Lee Curtis' performance. Past the first film, Jamie never got the spotlight she deserved in this franchise. The closest she's ever come was with H20, only for that to be undermined by that ridiculous retcon in Resurrection. Thankfully, this new film has done the character the most justice out of any of the films, and Curtis delivers one of the best performances of her career. She really captures the essence of a broken but hardened survivor, and it is really easy to root for her as she learns to rise above the trauma and repair the broken pieces of her life. All in all, she was a welcome return to the series, and with the news that she may return for another movie, it's all the better.
2. Michael is in top form once again. Like so many other elements, Michael got thrown through the wringer the more the series continued. He went from being a crazed psycho who could easily embody the essence of pure evil to the pawn of a cult, a punching bag for Busta Rhymes, and even to a grunting hobo. It didn't bode well for him, and while he never scared me that much at first, the sequels did nothing to make that any better. Thankfully, this movie returned Michael to his more grounded roots, and this time, he's actually pretty terrifying. He's more brutal and random in his killings, his mask is probably the best one since the original (probably my personal favorite in fact,) and the fact that he just won't stop is really put into focus here. Overall, it's nice to see my favorite horror icon done justice again, and even better to see that play out on the big screen for the first time.
3. John Carpenter's score. Holy shit, this music KICKS ASS!!! Composed by Carpenter, his son, Cody, and Daniel Davies, it is a truly epic composition that perfectly sets the mood as well as the original score did. Take a listen here...
4. The nods to the sequels. Though things got really out of hand the more they kept being made, there were still a few decent ones and some that were outright good! I felt it was nice to see a few call backs here and there to acknowledge that they did exist. Special shoutout goes to the Silver Shamrock kids. 
5. A true return to form for the franchise. The crew making this movie were really keen on making sure this movie was as true to the original as it could possibly be, and they did not disappoint. Laurie and Michael were back and better than ever, the atmosphere was there, the music fired on all cylinders, basically everything (well almost everything) that was great about the original was re-captured here, and I can't thank them enough and would hope that if another film is made, they are the ones producing it. 

DOWNS

1. The infamous Dr. Sartain twist. Now personally, it didn't bother me as much as it did many other people (though I'd rather not see anyone else wear Michael's mask except Michael,) but I do feel that it still had no business being there and was underdeveloped in the end. Again, it's an interesting concept to see someone so desperate to understand a person like Michael that they would go to whatever lengths they felt necessary to achieve that, but it is unfortunately one that we could do without in the long run.
2. Though we did get a nice nod in a voiceover, it still hurts to not have Dr. Loomis with us anymore since Donald Pleasance has passed. May he rest in peace. 
3. The ending was a little disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it was immensely satisfying to watch the three Strode women kick Michael's ass, but I think more clarity was needed in regards to their victory. Specifically, we should have seen a clear picture of Michael being engulfed by the flames so that Laurie at least thought he was "dead" as opposed to leaving without a definitive answer. The audience could know that Michael was alive, but at least give Laurie some true closure if this be Jamie's last movie. 

OVERALL

Halloween was the best movie since the original, and the best sequel it could've asked for. I know there were a few gripes I had with it, but overall I was satisfied with the final product and couldn't have asked for anything better. 

And that is it for this post, guys. Tune in for more on the way and of course...

Retro-Reviews: Halloween (1978) (SPOILERS)

Death has come to your little town...

It's October, and that means that Halloween is just around the corner. What better way to lead up to this year's celebration (and prepare for the upcoming re-sequel) than to review my all-time favorite horror film, John Carpenter's Halloween. There isn't much I could say to put into words the love I have for this movie, but I will try my best here by going over what makes it great, and what doesn't:

UPS

1. The music. Fitting that my favorite horror movie has my all-time favorite horror soundtrack ever. It is just so creepy and unsettling that it really helps set the mood for the film going forward. Bravo, John Carpenter.
2. The setting. What makes a huge chunk of this movie work is that it uses a simple neighborhood as the place where most of the events transpire, and having it take place during Halloween night makes the entire situation a lot scarier. One moment that sells this is when Laurie calls for help and it seems like her cries have been answered, only for the man to completely ignore her, all while Michael is in hot pursuit! 
3. Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis. Carpenter could not have picked a better duo to lead his film. Pleasence is great as Dr. Samuel Loomis, a man so desperate to put a stop to the madness that it almost takes hold of his sanity, capping it off with one of the most memorable monologues, dare I say it, in all of film history. Meanwhile, Curtis is the scream queen, perfectly capturing a sweet, innocent girl who finds herself in the worst possible situation imaginable yet still manages to best all odds and put up one hell of a fight. While Pleasence has sadly passed away (God rest his soul,) it is a true blessing to see Jamie return for the new movie after a long and convoluted franchise that never quite realized her potential. 
4. MICHAEL, FREAKING, MYERS! The Slasher genre is populated with a whole host of colorful killers, including Freddy, Jason, Chucky, Leatherface, and Ghostface among many others, but Michael is the one that stands out the most to me. In this first outing, we know next to nothing about him, and that somehow manages to make him much more disturbing. Combine this with the way he stalks his victims and how he just won't stop, and you have a slasher who shows no mercy, no limits, and may never be truly defeated. Can't wait to see what he does next in the new one.
5. The concept of this movie is ridiculously simple, but the execution more than makes up for it. Carpenter utilizes everything at his disposal to make this movie unique, and from the music to the atmosphere, he more than delivers. 

DOWNS

1. Lynda didn't have enough screentime, while Annie had too much. Not that Annie is a bad character per say, but she really just comes off as a more promiscuous Laurie and it kinda gets old fast. Lynda, however, was far more entertaining and memorable. Overall, I totally would kill for more Lynda.

OVERALL

Halloween is a classic, pure and simple. I hope this new movie can prove itself to be a true return to form for Michael and this franchise, and with Jamie returning, the madness from most of the sequels being discarded, and John Carpenter himself voicing his approval, I am sure that it will, but until then, I have a real treat that I can always look to for every All Hallows' Eve, so at least I can find solace in that. 

And that is it for this post guys! Tune in for more coming your way, soon :)