I saw the director’s cut of Rob Zombie’s Halloween at the library and debated with myself on whether or not to watch it. I hadn’t gone to see the film in the theaters because the original is one of my all time favorite horror films and this seemed to be an unnecessary remake. Then I thought about how it was the third version of The Maltese Falcon that is considered the best, so I decided to give Mr. Zombie a chance.
The films starts in some undisclosed time period that looks like the seventies where young Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch) is a disturbed kid who goes around wearing a clown mask and torturing animals. On Halloween night Michael kills a school bully, his Mom’s abusive boyfriend, his older sister, and her boyfriend. He is put in the care of Dr. Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell), where Michael reveals he has no memory of the murders. As years pass Michael (now Tyler Mane) becomes a hulking mute who makes and wears papermache masks. Then one night seventeen years after the murders though still looking like the seventies, Michael escapes and heads back home to find his little sister with Loomis, who has made himself rich writing books and lecturing about Michael, in hot pursuit. Michael kills his sister’s adoptive family and friends before eventually entering into a climactic battle royal with his surprisingly resourceful sibling.
Let me start off with saying that Zombie is a talented film maker. You may not like his work, but you cannot deny his films are well made and entertaining. That being said, personally I did not like this version. It comes down to the film’s first third. He takes a lot of time explaining exactly what is wrong with Michael, garners sympathy for him as a child, and ultimately does for this franchise what George Lucas did for Star Wars with his prequels, he ruins it. All of this background and psychological ruminations destroys all the mystic and mystery of the character by making him human. Gone is the iconic, seemingly indestructible, and silent boogie man of Carpenter’s film, here Michael is just another grunting movie villain. Worse, he isn’t even scary anymore. Now that we understand what makes Michael tick, it lessens the impact of his violence.
On the plus side Malcolm McDowell has his best role in over twenty years, playing one of the most complex and likable characters of his career, though I wish he had injected a little of Pleasance’s over the top lunacy into the part, still it is a great performances. I also enjoyed Brad Dourif’s cast against type as Sheriff Brackett, demonstrating he can give a nice understated performance when required.
Then there are the great cameo, like Tarentino, Zombie likes to cast his movies with older and sometimes forgotten actors. Here we have the ever present Sid Haig, William Forsythe, Udo Kier, Clint Howard, Danny Trejo, Sybil Danning, Dee Wallace, and Adrienne Barbeau (in a scene that was cut from the film but is included in the DVD extras). But the best bit part is by Mickey Dolenz as a gun shop owner selling Loomis a pistol. During that two minute scene where they are talking over each other Dolenz shows he still has his comedic timing.
Then there is what most critics kept harping on during it’s initial release, namely the appearance of grown up Danielle Harris (who played the preteen Jamie in 4 & 5) going topless for most of her screen time. Does it really matter that a former child actor is doing a nude scene? She is an adult now right? The fact that she gave a good performance seems to have gone past everyone’s head.
Ultimately if you are a rob Zombie fan you will like the film, and if you’re not, you won’t. I’m not.
