HALLOWEEN SEQUELS (1981 & 1988)
Time for a few spooky sequels. Depending on who you ask, the original Halloween series has a selection of highlights to choose from. Some enjoy the first direct follow up, while others prefer the zanier aspects of part four. Others are adamant that the whole thing was a mistake and only the original is worth sitting through. Perhaps you enjoy some of the later remakes and reboots. Or perhaps you're in one camp or another regarding the perennial debate surrounding part three, with all of it's Silver Shamrock silliness. Personally I'm more of a fan of the music in most of these cases than the films themselves. So let's take another Autumnal jaunt into the world of Michael Myers and his singular wardrobe choice.
The original continuation of John Carpenter's Halloween is an interesting example that stands out from the crowd. This is of course because it's supposedly part of the same October night, rather than any other innate quality. Removing any mystique regarding that classic ending, this dusts everything off and plods forward like the killer himself. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is no longer an unlucky passer by, who caught the killer's eye as she ran an errand. Now she's directly linked to him so that the show can go on. John Carpenter himself admits that the continuation of these events was not a truly creative choice, and it really shows. Dean Cundy might be back to offer some interesting photographic choices as things progress, but how much of the film works as a whole is debatable.
The style of the film feels familiar, but a lot of the time it's only a surface level similarity. In fact a lot of the film progresses on this kind of 'the same but worse' level. The poster art declaring that this is 'all new' is about as laughable as Jaws 2 in this regard. The classic themes from the original score all return, but the synthesized instrumentation has all been changed up. It's all kind of noisier or more tinny for some reason. Why not just keep the the same tunes to serve as a real through line? Michael's ghostly mask is the same prop, but Dick Warlock's features don't fill out the mask quite as well as Nick Castle's version of The Shape. It opens with a pumpkin, but it's less eerie. Laurie Strode is back, but her role, like her wig, is less effective.
The whole affair has about as much energy as our lead, who's constantly changing condition moves between catatonic, serious injury, and mild sedation on a whim. The pace of the film is unfortunately just as slow and inconsistent. Elsewhere the rest of the cast also lacks energy, whether they're doped up on medication or not. There's no attempt at finding a few charismatic replacements for Annie or Lynda. Instead the ensemble consists of dull, and occasionally creepy, nurses and orderlies. They fill out the edges of the story until they're inevitably cut down, instead of being interesting or fun. Even Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) leaves the film early on, cutting short any potential character conflict.
Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is at least compelling, even if his methods continue to be questionable. But his scenery chewing means this is occasionally entertaining. It's not all totally dull of course, and the opening pumpkin to skull transition is actually pretty good. There are some effective shock sequences, even if they're between scenes of people slowly wandering around. And the fiery conclusion of the movie is kind of awesome, if nonsensical. Who knew that Laurie had such marksmanship skills? Or that Loomis has such a self-destructive streak? Not happy that Michael has been shot in the eyes, Loomis decides that the blind killer needs to be obliterated entirely. He also decides not to step away from the explosion. Perhaps there was just too much paperwork waiting for him back at the clinic.
So that's that, they're definitely both dead in an all consuming fire. The lingering final shot is fairly conclusive. But of course The Shape, his charred flesh, and his eyesight, make a miraculous return in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. A title so blunt enough that it's kind of incredible. After the failed re-branding of the series as a kind of Outer Limits style anthology, both patient and doctor are back. Even if the original tone is dead for good. Initially things aren't looking so good after such a long hiatus. The mask design is even worse than it was before. The sense that this is a story to be taken seriously is also gone, and the misjudged motives for the killer are back. Even Loomis no longer seems to be human, sporting only a minor facial scar and a walking cane.
However there is a charm to this ten years later sequel. The original film famously wasn't shot in October, so occasional Autumn leaves were dotted around the Los Angeles suburbs. Here there's a real seasonal vibe right away in the opening credits. There's also a fully formed 1980s flavour to the proceedings, meaning that this stands alongside films like the Phantasm, or Texas Chainsaw sequels. There's more action and more over-acting. It's colourful and corny, and it's not all great, but at least it's distinctive. John Carpenter's regular colleague Alan Howarth takes on music composing duties himself this time around. There's a moody style to the movie's sound, which thankfully leaves out the main theme until later in the story.
This isn't a subtle piece of film-making, but it is an enjoyable one. Donald Pleasance's performance is now even more dubious than ever. But this is a sequel where Dr. Loomis decided to buy an outfit that matches the one that burned to a crisp. Perhaps it's saying something about the dichotomy between hero and villain? They're both single minded in that way. Or perhaps any serious analysis of the characters is a ridiculous endeavour. At any rate, he gets a few memorable scenes. His confrontation with Michael at a diner early on stands out, as does his random encounter with a drink-driving preacher. This is no longer a horror story about the scary nature of random killings. It's now a cheese fuelled B-movie full of eccentric moments and quirky oddballs.
Other changes are quickly self evident as things go on. Loomis may no longer be a real human being, and Michael has become a fully fledged movie monster. A bizarre link to his new next-of-kin Jamie (Danielle Harris) revives him from a decade long coma as easily as any Frankenstein or Dracula resurrection device. His slumber has also granted him skull crushing super strength, as well as new found planning skills. Despite being out of the world for so long he's able to find just the right outfit and take out just the right electrical substation. His ability to drive a car in 1978 might have been a weird moment, but his ability to drive a truck here is not something you can question. The time for thinking deeply about these things has passed.
Danielle Harris is at least great as the unluckiest niece, and Ellie Cornell does a good job as her step-sister Rachel. There are some genuinely interesting moments that connect Jamie to Michael, even if they don't make any real sense in the grand scheme of things. The rest of the story is full of weird but fun sequences, which distance it from the original film's relentless atmosphere but keep the pace going. Why try and ape the first instalment when you can have exploding gas stations and middle-aged vigilantes running amok? A lot of it is essentially a series of genre tropes but there are some creative choices in the mix. Of course there are more sequels to consider which undermine all of this, but that's a story for another time.
Halloween II 2/5
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 3/5
