|
 |
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Evil Has A Destiny - and So Does its Director
A Review of Rob Zombie's
HALLOWEEN
Rob Zombie is known for his eclectic, hard rock music. His venture into movies won him much criticism and some acclaim with his first two films, House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects. He’s made a name for himself in Hollywood with his gritty filming and in-your-face direction. And now, he’s stepping out of the realm of his own original stories and stepping into shoes that some thought he wouldn’t succeed at; a franchise. And not just any franchise; one that is synonymous with the word “horror”; Halloween.
Upon the movie’s beginning, we step into a world that is familiar to those who have seen any of Zombie’s films. Deborah Meyers (played by the maturing Sheri Moon-Zombie who starred in both 1000 and Rejects) is the first person we see on screen. Making breakfast for her not-so-quaint family, we’re allowed a glimpse at the family life that surrounded little Michael Myers who, by the tender age of ten, had already slaughtered and mutilated countless animals, among them rats and cats. The young Michael, played innocently yet frightfully dead-pan by Daeg Ferch, is not so much a product of his home, but of his own inner thoughts, and it is those thoughts that eventually lead him to the destruction of the entire Meyer clan.
Fans of the Halloween franchise will take notice that Zombie took what John Carpenter laid out for us in the previous films and added his own spin, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Like adding just a little bit more spice to the already perfect dish, Zombie accentuates the story by giving us a glimpse of Michael’s struggle with his own thoughts. After being committed to a mental institution, Meyers befriends a kind janitor who tells him that in order to escape the confines of his cell, he should live inside his head. Instantly, little Michael shuts down in a self-induced vow of silence giving credence to silent killer we all know now. It’s little details like this that make the film fun for any Halloween fan, and everything from why Michael loves his Shatner Mask to why he wears a jumpsuit is explained.
The movie does not cross paths with Carpenter’s original story until the first hour is over. Michael (now played by the enormous Tyler Mane) escapes the institution for a special homecoming, and when we’re introduced to Lauri Strode (originally played by Jaime Lee Curtis and now by TV’s Scout Taylor-Compton), we can’t help but feel like the film is about to take a step in the wrong direction. But Zombie does a masterful job of keeping the story fresh with many differences than the original, but still keeping iconic scenes (and music score) in tact.
The rest of the cast is spectacular in filling the shoes of the characters from the original. Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Loomis captures the intensity of Donald Pleasence in the original film. Danielle Harris makes her 3rd appearance in a Halloween movie, and Brad Dourif surprises us all as Sheriff Lee Brackett. Also, keep your eyes peeled for some cameos by Zombie favorites.
Rob Zombie’s direction and story telling are stronger and stronger with each film, and what started as an uncertain turn into the franchise market has proved him a great filmmaker; one that can take a story nearly 30 years old and making it his own.
With superior being a bright full moon, this movie rates:
© Savournin, 2007
