My 10 Favroite Kills Of The Halloween Franchise

Okay, so I thought this would be some fun.  He's not as masterful as Freddy or as creative as Jason, but Michael has had some great kills in his run.  Halloween I think is known more for its suspense than its kills for a majority of the series run.  However, they weren't shy about dabbling in what was making its imitators more famous.  This was a bit tougher than I imagined.  If Michael was this tough, I don't know if I'm ready to spend many hours thinking about Jason and Freddy.  There were some omissions that I'm sure you'll point out, but trust me, I thought of them.  I also tried to stay away from deaths that were callbacks to other murders.  I want to point out that these are the ones I enjoyed quite a bit and stuck with me THIS time around (and no..."#1 Tina - Just because" isn't how this list is gonna go).  Opinions, tastes and favorites tend to rotate quite a bit in this life.  I could make this same list and 6 months and I'm sure there'd be some changes and alterations.  And folks, remember with lists like this, its not so much the order, its what's in them that's important.

Halloween II: A Rob Zombie Film (2009) - Guest Article

Halloween II
2009
Director: Rob Zombie
Starring: Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane, Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris, Brea Grant, and oddly in her 2nd movie in this retrospective Margot Kidder
Rated: R

I'm a little confused, are we talking about the "Austin Powers" Mike Myers or is this someone else?
                        ~Weird Al Yankovic


When I asked writer/author Randy Shaffer to do a guest spot for this retrospective, we quickly found out we both share something very uncommon amongst Halloween and horror fans in general.  Both of us have a love for this very weird almost arthouse slasher that is Rob Zombie's second Halloween film.  We agree that is highly misunderstood and very much unfairly slammed. Randy wrote what was intended be an "In Defense Of" piece to go with mine, but I enjoyed it so much and was going to cover the exact same bases myself that I decided to sub his in for mine here.  Know that I agree 100% with his assessment of Halloween II.  The first time I saw this film I felt there was something there with this one, then when I saw the Director's Cut (see THIS version if you watch it) things started to work even better.  I enjoy this film more and more with each subsequent viewing.  I have some other things that I'll brush over when I rank the films.  So here's a first here on Naptown Nerd, someone else doing the actual movie piece.  Its fantastic, enjoy!

In Memoriam: Ismael Cruz

Hey mikey, how you doin? Look, you can't let those walls get you down... believe me I know. I spent a little time behind walls. I know they can drive you crazy... you gotta look beyond the walls, you know, learn to live inside your head.

Halloween, Halloween 4 & Halloween 5 Back In Theaters This Weekend!

Hey folks!  Just in time for its 35th anniversary and...the week of Halloween, Screen Vision and Compass International are bringing the original Halloween and 2 of its sequels to the big screen.  They've had a couple showings this month already of these, so I think part of the screenings this week are an encore presentation for those of you who couldn't make it.  Seeing the original Halloween on the big screen is something you just kinda gotta do.  Hopefully you don't get stuck with a shit audience.  The special thing here is...how often do we ever see a revival of Halloween 4 & 5!  Pretty cool to see little Danielle Harris chased by Michael again!  Anywho, check out the link below for theater times near you and preorder yourself some tickets!

http://www.screenvision.com/cinema-events/halloween/

Enjoy the show!

Michael Myers: From Slasher To Hobo - I STILL Love You! (GuestArticle)

Today, I'm proud to provide a guest piece from the owner of Why So Blu? himself, Brian White!  He is the man I have dubbed "Blu-ray Jesus" as the man blesses us writers not only Blu-rays to review but stellar reviews and unboxings!  Brian provides us a positive look at the effects and history of his personal adventure of loving both Carpenter's original vision of Halloween and Rob Zombie's.

Halloween: A Rob Zombie Film (2007)

Halloween
2007
Director: Rob Zombie
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon, Tyler Mane, Scout-Taylor Compton, Brad Dourif, Danielle Harris, Danny Trejo, William Forsythe
Rated: R

Seriously though, on a scale from one to ten...seven-five?

How about...zero!

More like...zero plus 11.

     ~Bob and Linda

The Michael Myers Death Stare (Guest Article)

I'm extremely happy to have Aaron Neuwirth of Out Now With Aaron & Abe fame, Why So Blu? fame, The Code Is Zeek fame and The IchaPod CraneCast fame entertain us on this Saturday before Halloween.  Aaron is one of the best young (to me young, that is) minds of cinema around and someone who's truly helped me big time with a break or two in the criticism field.  Before we move on to his reimagining, let's take one last look at what made Michael tick and work in the original.  I hope you enjoy his first guest appearance here on Naptown Nerd.

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

Halloween: Resurrection
2002
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Busta Rhymes, Tyra Banks, Bianca Kajlich, Katee Sackhoff, Ryan Merriman, Sean Patrick Thomas, Thomas Ian Nicholas
Rated: R

Trick or treat, motherfucker!

In Memoriam: Jimmy Howell

Jimmy's been suspended five times already for gettin' a little crazy with the STICK!
                       ~Jimmy

A Collection Of Some Terrible Michael Myers Masks

 

 When Halloween 7 went into preproduction back in 1997-98, an Michael Myers mask photograph leaked to the web.  It caused quite the uproar.  It was a nice looking mask, except for one thing; it had distinctly blue lips.  Horror fans don't tend to ever like change, so this was a catastrophe.  Nobody knew where the image came from, but it was thought to have come from the prop department on the film.  They were going to change Michael up!  Heavens no!  Same same same same!  Apparently, however, the image came from a costume store developer and that was to be one of their masks the following fall and had nothing to do with Halloween 7.  But, who knows, maybe it was a cover up story after the studio heard the fan backlash.  It wasn't like Halloween 7 wasn't afraid to change or try a different mask midshot either. 

Halloween:The Curse Of Michael Myers, Part III (The Producer's Cut)

I see only one bastard in this house.
          ~Kara Strode

The Producer's Cut of Halloween 6 is not a great film by any means, but its an important one.  It does help that its heads and shoulders above what was released theatrically.  The 90s was a weak time for horror, and for some reason all the horror icons being villains wasn't enough.  They all apparently needed to have some sort backstory and retcon to the truth of the original.  Freddy started it, Jason and Leatherface followed suit and Michael Myers couldn't even escape it (a could months later, Pinhead too would join in).  Things as they were weren't good enough.  There was always something "behind the evil" or "this is what it REALLY is".  The evil in all these needed to be explained where no explanation was necessary.  Mythologies were being forced where the makers didn't realize they had spent the previous decade creating one on their own.  But, these are movie monsters and these mythologies did attempt to make them more classical in a sense.  They're attempts at taking the characters into different places and its different, but not in all cases does it work.

In Memoriam: Jamie Lloyd

There's no kind way to say this.  Jamie's life kind of sucked.  And it wasn't a long life either.  She died on Halloween night 1995 at around the age of 15.  The only positive experience in life she was in her first 8 years.  There was so much this young girl didn't get to fully appreciate and experience.

Halloween 4 & 5's Legendary Cut Scenes

Both Halloween 4 and Halloween 5 have each an excised sequence that has become kind of a thing of legend and maybe that "holy grail" type deleted scene for fans akin to Ripley finding Burke cocooned.  Nobody aside from those who made the films have seen them, and for all intents and purposes they likely could be destroyed at this point.  So people shouldn't steer anger toward Blu-ray/DVD distributors because they can't produce something that they don't have/hasn't been recovered/doesn't exist anymore.  But anyway, I thought it'd be cool to touch upon each one briefly here.

In Memoriam: Mikey

The biggest sin Mikey likely ever committed in life was dating Tina.  That little fact might overshadow his vanity a tad.  Mikey was an old school greaser living in the very wrong time.  The 1980s.  I suppose you could say he had "friends", but this muscle car loving leather jacket enthusiast was his own lone wolf pack.  As long as he had himself, his car and some beer, Mikey was right where he wanted to be.  With all this...he didn't need Tina.  And as much of a bad boy as he was...he could have had the pick of the litter in Haddonfield.  Why oh why of all of them did he decide on Tina?  I pose this same very question of the producers, casting director and Dominique Othenin-Girard. 

Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers (1989)

Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers
1989
Director: Dominique Othenin-Girard
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, Beau Starr, Ellie Cornell, Wendy Kaplan, Tamara Glynn
Rated: R

I prayed that he would burn in hell.  But in my heart I knew that hell would not have him.
                                   ~Dr. Loomis


Oh boy...Halloween 5.  I feel like we've got  A LOT to talk about with this one.  While this very very much a lesser entry into the series, I find discussing it pretty fascinating.  It's an interesting film to say the least.  But we'll get into all that.  I'll just start going with this and hopefully it weaves its way into some sort of narrative.  I'm sure Dominique Othenin-Girard probably said the same thing when he sat down to write the film.  I'm going to start with a compliment.  I think hands down, Halloween 5 has the best poster of the entire franchise to date.  So, at least you are the best at something, Halloween 5.  Also, your opening credits pumpkin carving is pretty badass.

The Ballad Of Bucky

It was the night of October 31, 1988
Bucky had just got to work
Things were quiet
This night was going to be great

In Memoriam: Ted Hollister

Shit, Earl, its Ted Hollister.

You dumb son of a bitch, you said you saw Myers.

Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers (1988)

Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers
1988
Director: Dwight Little
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Beau Starr, Sasha Jenson, Kathleen Kinmont
Rated: R

We're not talking about any ordinary prisoner, Hoffman! We are talking about evil on two legs.
                                ~Dr. Loomis

The title wasn't just literal for the film, it was an announcement to those scared off by Halloween III.  This is the sequel you wanted.  Tom Atkins would not be returning.  The only mask of importance would be that of the pale faced Shatner.  And here it is, in time for the 10th anniversary of the original.  The film plays as a loving tribute to Carpenter's classic while also carving its way as something of its own being.  To make ties stronger with the first two, Donald Pleasence was also back to reprise his role of Michael's Van Helsing, Dr. Loomis.  Halloween 4 would also return the series to its roots of being a full fledged independent film.

Say What? Dana Carvey Was In HALLOWEEN II?

Yep.  Comedian and SNL alum Dana Carvey made his feature debut in the second October 31st slashing.  Carvey paired up first with serial killer Michael Myers before "slumming it" with the comedic one.  This has been a trivia question regarding this film for many years.  For my younger readers who may be wondering "What the F is a Dana Carvey"...well, he's most notable for his years on Saturday Night Live.  He was a talented impressionist and had his own unique characters (most notably the church lady).  His big impression that carried over past his years was that of George Bush Sr.

A Girl Scout's First HALLOWEEN (Guest Article)

Naptown Nerd trivia aficionados and stat geeks, we now have the answer to the question; Who was the first guest writer on Naptown Nerd?  The answer is Why So Blu?'s latest addition, LANEY FEESER.  This will be the first of a few guest pieces that will be filling out this retrospective.  When I asked Laney to throw me something she mentioned she'd never seen the original.  I thought - BRILLIANT!  It'd be awesome to have someone freshly recollect their first encounter.  Anyways...I'll shut up and let Laney speak!  Enjoy!