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You see, Part One of the film is a prequel (the back-story
we were never shown in the original, or any of the umpteen sequels,
strangely enough) of movie icon Myer’s pre-asylum years.
We
watch as the blonde haired-moppet goes from slaughtering rats in his
bedroom to ultimately taking out the whole family – sans baby Laurie
and his mother (Sheri Moon Zombie – and earning himself a spot in the
local mental hospital, under the watchful eye of local psychologist, Dr
Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell).
The second half of the film
(which kicks in once the now grown-up Myers escapes the slammer) is the
original film revisited/redone/reworked. That's when things become a
little tired. If only Zombie had kept his film in the past he literally
would've been giving us something we hadn’t seen before. Or maybe the
first part of the film is just so stylish, intriguing and well
performed that anything else was going to see proceedings dip?
Whatever
the case the second half doesn’t grab as much as the first. Its almost
as if it were forced onto the filmmaker by the studio – keen to include
at least an hour of what we know as Halloween – because it seems very much tacked-on and redundant.
Having said that, this Halloween
semi-redo could’ve been much, much worse and for the most part, it’s a
success. It’s visually stunning, audibly (they’ve reused Carpenter’s
classic theme, thank god!) perfect, well performed (Zombie’s casting
choices are inspired – McDowell makes a good Loomis; Scout
Taylor-Compton makes for a nice little plucky heroine; and Daeg Faerch
is terrific as young Michael; plus its great to see genre veterans like
Brad Dourif, Danny Trejo, Danielle Harris and Dee Wallace used
effectively in supporting roles) and aside from the bits that seem “all
too familiar”, mostly engaging.
Its quite simply a remake that’s a cut above the rest. Just a pity it got lazy in the third act.
EXTRAS
Not only has Rob Zombie won me back (even got me keen to revisit Corpses and Devils Rejects; which I didn't enjoy on first viewing) with his Halloween,
but he gets a pat on the back for his DVD commentary too.
Whilst some
filmmakers simply sit there and explain to the audience what's 'on the
screen' (we've seen the movie! Don't tell us what's happening... we
know!), Zombie serves up a track that's informative, frank and also
proves him quite a smart and savvy man. Once you hear his reasons for
'doing this' or 'doing that' with Halloween... you'll swear you like the film even more.
Other
extras on the 2-Disc DVD include casting sessions; bloopers (oh Malcolm
McDowell, you clown, you!); a bit on the many masks of Michael Myers
and a behind-the-scenes making of – that's rather comprehensive. Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: 65%
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