So here we are again, I am making another list and this is not the last. But you all know by now, I am a sucker for a good list. So let me go ahead and mention, there will be no talk of the dreadful Rob Zombie films or Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Actually, I will mention the original plan was to make a bunch of different Halloween films and not extend Michael Myers, Halloween and Halloween II were supposed to be the only Michael Myers Halloween films, the series was to be an anthology. Halloween III: Season of the Witch has a bunch of cliché moments in the film, but I do find it a little entertaining. I remember the first time I saw it, I kept asking when is Michael Myers going to show up? So now you know I am keeping out the worst three films, if you must add them it would be a top ten list so here…
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) – I will not add this into the “best of” list, I consider it, seperate from the rest of the series. The other nine films revolve around Michael Myers. Season of the Witch is something different, it is a fun film and don’t discount the film, if you have passed on it before, give it a shot.
9. Halloween II (2009)
8. Halloween (2007)
And to the other films, the good ones…well…the original series…well…the continuity is awful, so lets just get on with the list.
7. Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Evil Finds Its Way Home.
This film was originally called “Homecoming” and it would have been a better title that the cliché “Resurrection” title. This film was the death of the Halloween franchise in my mind, it is awful. Bad cast, bad story, there was nothing good about this film, it is no wonder we saw a reboot that was even worse than this film. Again my opinion. They broke the rules of Halloween in this film and Michael has no reason to kill people. The saving grace is the opening of the film. To me, it was a strong opening, followed by a weak story, followed by Busta Rhymes fighting Michael Myers.
My little brother and I seem to discuss the Halloween films and feel like the series could have been saved, we both have ideas. What I would give to write a follow up to this film, including a chance to clean up the continuity.
6. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
20 years ago, HE changed the face of Halloween. Tonight, he’s back!
Let’s first deal with the worst title of the series. Come on with the gimmick H20…Halloween water? It was cool to bring back Laurie Strode in Jamie Lee Curtis, but this film was a throw away for me. The first film without Dr. Loomis and it failed. I do not understand why in the hell they used so many masks, this film really messed up the continuity overall and within the film. As said on Halloween: 25 Years of Terror, Halloween H20 had scenes re-shot due to complaints of the Myers mask used in the film. Scenes that could not be re-shot had a CGI mask replace them frame by frame. Four masks were made for the film.
I can deal with the continuity skipping Jamie Lloyd’s story. I always think the story forked after the second film and Laurie Strode went to one fork and the other followed Dr. Loomis and Jamie Lloyd. But again overall this film was rough to watch. I mean Josh Hartnett actually punches Michael Myers in the face. I do think this should have ended the series. Oh and good job on the tagline guys, stole the same tagline from the Return of Michael Myers, good job.
5. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
He’s Back With A Vengeance
I actually like the Jamie Lloyd Trilogy, as I call 4, 5 and 6. This was the weakest of the trilogy and in many ways the silliest take on the Halloween film series. I am not sure why Jamie cares about this Tina girl so much, Tina is kind of a piece of shit character, I prefer Rachel, Jamie’s adoptive sister who dies too early on in the film, that sucked. Another thing that killed the movie, the silly police officers and their goofy music. When I was a kid, 9 when this one was released, I was pretty excited about seeing the movie, it disappointed me. Since, I have tried to go back and pick out things I like…but I cannot. I do prefer “Revenge” to H20 and Resurrection, so it is better by default.
By the way, He’s back with a vengeance? Is he John Mclaine?
4. Halloween II (1981)
More Of The Night He Came Home
This was the first of the series I ever watched. It actually warped my little five year old mind and affected me forever. After I saw this I moved to A Nightmare on Elm Street, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Friday the 13th. Actually I saw A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, days before Halloween II. So in many ways I truly owe my love of horror films and horror knowledge to this film and Freddy’s Revenge. Hell my relationship with my brother is good because of horror, thank you Halloween II.
The story is great and the setting in the hospital is great. But, why is it so empty? Small town I guess.
Truly I do like this installment in the series, it is cool to think of the first two films almost as one. At times I feel I need to watch both. I do like the idea of doing the follow up later like in the Zombie sequel, but this one works well.
3. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Everyone knows his name. Now, everyone will know the truth.
This was the first Halloween I saw in the theater and I loved it. I can remember buying it before Christmas of 1996 and leaving my family party to go home and watch this. Yeah, rather spend the Christmas holiday watching a movie about Halloween and a serial killer. Nice.
There are things about this I like and things I dislike, I really did not get into the Order of the Thorne or whatever they were called. I actually thought that was silly and it takes away from Michael Myers as a mentally ill unstoppable force. I mean he was being controlled by this cult, bullshit. Overall I do like the film and it deserved a better sequel than H20. By the way, there is a producers cut of the film, I have seen it and it is ok, I am fine with the cut we have. But I would not mind to see the producers cut to hit blu ray, it looks awful.
This was also the last film to feature Dr. Sam Loomis played by Donald Pleasance, he for me made the series great and turned into one of my favorite actors of all time. He really was my favorite character and I did think Malcolm McDowell was very good as Dr. Loomis. Fun fact, they originally wanted my personal favorite Christopher Lee to play Dr. Loomis, but it did not work out.
2. Halloween 4: the Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Ten Years Ago HE Changed The Face Of Halloween. Tonight HE’S BACK!
I think this is as nearly as solid as the original. It works to continue the original story and the beginning of another part of the story, the Jamie Lloyd trilogy. When I watch this film, it does not scare me or make me feel uneasy, I think it is just a good story and it fits perfectly into the film. Shame on the people who made H20 for stealing the tagline and ignoring this film. It is important to know what Michael Myers had been up to for all these years. The opening in the ambulance is awesome and the scene on the roof was really great. I love that the town of Haddonfield was on lock down because of one man. It is a great chapter in the series and in horror in general, the could have worked as a direct sequel to the original.
One more piece, I love the credits at the beginning, fall in Illinois, it really looks like that and it is great. The farm land, I don’t know it really sets the film up for me, like a calm before the storm.
1. Halloween (1978)
The Night HE Came Home!
Was there any question? This is in fact one of the greatest horror films of all time. It ranks on my top 1970’s horror list and the top 100 horror films of all time. This movie is the one that made the slasher film take off. In many ways it is more than a slasher film. With all of the creeping around, the hunt for Michael Myers by Dr. Loomis, a lot went into this low budget film.
I have ran into people who have called this film boring, crazy people don’t know about one good scare. Anyway I am here to say, this film should have never been remade. Rob Zombie was put on the wrong project, I think he should do a take on Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In his film, he gave Michael Myers reason, a face. You could feel bad for the person, rather than just thinking he is evil. He made Michael the product of an abusive, poor home and he was bullied. That was enough for me to hate the remake. Halloween was better just listening to Dr. Loomis talk about Michael,
“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 was no need for us to see it happen and for Rob Zombie to find reasons to put his wife onscreen.
I am finished, I hope this was a good read, I love talking about Halloween and hope one day we will see something worthy of my opinion. Otherwise I will go to Hollywood and reboot the series on my own or extend and fix the continuity. I wish. I am thankful we will not see the sequel announced in 2015, Halloween Returns. I have my ideas of what to do with the continuity, but that is for another post.
We do have possibly the best blu ray collection of all-time. It is harder to find, well expensive anyway. But, it has all the original poster art for each individual Blu Ray. The set contains all 10 movies, black Blu Ray cases, fantastic.
One thing that needs to happen, Halloween needs to get the Never Sleep Again or Crystal Lake Memories treatment. Never Sleep Again is THE best Nightmare doc I have seen, 4 hours and it goes from movie to movie. Crystal Lake Memories is the same, 7 hours and goes through all 12 Friday the 13th films. I would assume the Halloween doc would be 5 and a half hours…I am game! But I love documentaries.
Which is your favorite?
