Category Archives: Horror

Horror

Halloween Ends

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: October 16, 2022
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2022

Review

If you’ve read any of my previous three reviews of the Halloween series, you’ll know that I am a big fan of the spooky season and that this film series is one of my favourites for this time of the year.

I had put off watching the last two films once I found out the new series were to be part of a trilogy and watched them all within a 24-hour period.

While I wasn’t totally satisfied with Halloween Kills, the ending did feel like it was going to set up for an epic conclusion. Coupled with all the interviews and media coverage building up to Jamie Lee Curtis’ last screen portrayal of her iconic breakout role of Laurie Strode in an epic battle with Michael Myers.

I’m sorry to say fellow cinephiles, this film has not lived up to the hype.

I can sum this film up in a few words to give any Halloween fan an idea of what to expect: Michael Myers does not appear in the film until 40 minutes and has a kill count lower than the original 1978 film.

That may be all the information you need to know but let’s dig a little bit deeper.

Halloween Ends begins by taking us back to the night of Halloween 2018 (where this new timeline started) and introduces us to a new character, a babysitter named Corey. After a prank goes wrong, Corey accidently kills the boy he is looking after, just as the boy’s parents arrive home.

Flashforward to four years later, the town of Haddonfield is still recovering from the events of Halloween Kills and it is reported that Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since he was almost killed by the vigilante mob that he overpowered to escape from.

Allyson is now living with Laurie, who is writing a memoir and embracing life compared to where we found her in 2018. However, as the time has passed, facts again become muddled to those not directly involved. There is a fair amount of victim blaming with people lashing out at Laurie for Michael’s actions. It comes from a place of fear and without having justice served, the people look to who is left to process their emotions.

Corey is also marginalised by the community for his actions with people drawing their own conclusions of what happened, again without knowing the facts of the case. The way both Laurie and Corey are treated creates a kinship between the two. Eventually resulting in a developing relationship between Allyson and Corey.

The first interaction Michael Myers has is with Corey and that’s where things get a little weird. Corey is being bullied by some teenagers, who end up throwing him off a bridge. He somehow manages to survive, to only find himself in a sewer where Michael has been hiding. Michael is in a weakened state and ends up sparing Corey’s life after they see something by looking into each other’s eyes. It appears to be a transfer of evil occurring for Corey to take on Michael’s legacy.

The opening sequence with the jack o’ lanterns does give hint to this as they morph to reveal another pumpkin within, like a Russian nesting doll. Then again, perhaps I might be reading too much into things!

Much of Halloween Ends is about Corey’s story and while the film definitely puts an end to the series, I’ll be honest with you. I was left confused. Not really sure if I liked it or what the film was trying to say. Again, I didn’t have any fear, suspense, or jumpy moments. Just gory death scenes that I was looking away at when I didn’t want to see what was happening.

I went in hoping for an epic conclusion between Michael Myers and Laurie and for me the whole Corey storyline was a big letdown. This film seems to have divided the fans and at the end of the day, I don’t really have a desire to watch it again.

If you haven’t seen any of the films in this trilogy, I would recommend giving it a miss, especially if you are not too fussed about the franchise. If you are a Halloween fan, you are probably going to watch these films at some point and to you I would say, lower your expectations.

Rating:  Disappointment

Horror

Halloween Kills

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: October 16, 2022
Date Reviewed: October 18, 2022

Review

Halloween Kills picks up on the same night as the events from the 2018 film and really feels as if you have just hit pause, rather than starting a new film. I watched the two about 12 hours apart, so it was still fresh in my mind.

While Halloween (2018) could have been left as a stand-alone solo film, this next instalment feels like it is addressing some of the loose ends that were created, while also building upon the legend of Michael Myers – who/what he is and the relationship with Laurie and the Strode women.

I would suggest that before seeing Halloween Kills, to first watch Halloween (2018) as it will put this film into context.

If you are a fan of Halloween or any horror franchise, or just know about the common genre troupes, you’ll know it’s not a spoiler when I say to you, what fans really want to know is how Michael survives his fate from the previous film.

They basically kill him off every movie or he sustains fatal injuries, yet just does not die!

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait very long before being presented with how he escapes and survives. Look, I’ve seen much more farfetched explanations and I was ok with what was offered, simplistic as it was.

It also doesn’t take long before Michael is on a killing rampage, with increasingly more violent methods. If I thought Halloween (2018) was more violent, enter Halloween Kills which turns the dial to 11. I’m not sure how they achieved that given he turned someone’s head into a jack o’ lantern in the previous film. Michael’s kill count for this film alone is 29.

At this point I’m not really feeling any fear anymore, I just don’t want to watch a lot of what is happening on screen due to the gore factor.

What the film does do, is to explore further into the Dr. Loomis theory that the Michael is not a man but the embodiment of evil, or as Laurie labels as “the boogeyman”. The effect from the actions of the shape (which Michael has been known within the script and now also being referenced on screen) is reflected within the town of Haddonfield.

We see people living in fear, quickly turning against each other, and ultimately causing harm to an “innocent”. This fear in the town’s people hits fever pitch in a hospital scene resulting in a chaos where no one is listening to reason. The scene made me think about the recent January 6 insurrection, which I think is exactly what it was intended to do. I’m not sure it’s trying to make any political commentary per say however it definitely is saying something about the danger of conspiracy theorists and vigilantes.

By the time the end credits roll, I’m just left not knowing how I feel about the film. There were bits that I liked about it which when I reflect on, are mostly call backs to the original film. Such as having the characters of Tommy and Linsey, the kids that were babysat from the original 1978 film, included within the story.

And despite the tagline of the film “Evil dies tonight”, which we hear A LOT on repeat throughout the film, there is no doubt that Michael is still alive at the end of this one. We knew going in that this film was part of a trilogy, with the final instalment still to come.

Even though my feelings are up in the air here, I’m still excited to see the conclusion of this timeline and what happens next.

Thus, for me, Halloween Kills was not as good as Halloween (2018). If you are a fan of the series and watching this timeline of films, I think you will get some enjoyment out of it. Also if you like slasher films and in it for the gore and creative kills, I also think you’ll enjoy the film.

Rating:  Alright

Horror

Halloween (2018)

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: October 15, 2022
Date Reviewed: October 17, 2022

Review

With the release of Halloween Ends this week, I had some catching up to do as I hadn’t seen either of the new films. When I found out that Halloween Kills was part of a trilogy I decided to wait until the final film was released before seeing all of them.

Halloween is not a remake or reboot of the original film from 1978 but a continuation so to speak. A few things are reset in this timeline such as Laurie and Michael no longer being siblings, as established in Halloween II.

The film is set 40 years on following the events of 1978 where Michael was found and again locked up. Over the years and following Doctor Loomis’ death, several doctors have examined Michael and all with differing opinions.

On the eve of Michael being transferred to another facility (sound familiar) two investigative journalists making a podcast about the babysitter murders are granted access to him but are unable to get any verbal response from him, despite a high level of provocation.

Meanwhile, Laurie appears to have turned into Sarah Connor. She has spent the years preparing for the inevitability of Michael escaping. Through an interview with the podcasters, we learn that Laurie has had her share of troubles dealing with the events that occurred that Halloween night resulting in a couple of marriage breakdowns and that she has an estranged daughter and granddaughter.

Now you’d think that after the last time Michael was transferred, they might want to put some additional precautions into place ensuring he doesn’t break free. Of course, if that were the case there wouldn’t be a film now would there?!

Nevertheless, Michael breaks free and it is total carnage. He doesn’t seem to care who he kills and one of his first victims is a 14-year-old boy.

I found this next instalment of the franchise to be much more violent than the original film. Michael appears to be experimenting with new ways to kill people. He seems to be a fan of grabbing someone’s head and repeatability bashing it against a surface. The infamous head tilt is back, curious as he explores what he has just done. With a nod back to the original film, he still seems to be a fan of pinning people to the wall with a knife.

Therefore, this film has a much higher kill count. It’s up from four in 1978 to seventeen in 2018. This feels more like a way of getting gore on screen than it does of innuendo. To me Michael’s motives don’t make a lot of sense. Is this supposed to be a build-up of 40 years being locked up? Of the evil pouring out? I guess his motives never really made sense and is part of the intrigue of the character.

The film also had a lot of call backs to the original 1978 film which I enjoyed. Some of those included footage from the original film, Michael being referred to as “the shape” which is a reference to the original script, as well as some familiar scenes for us fans. One example is with Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson, who sits at the back of the classroom in the same spot that her grandmother had sat. Although when she looks out the window, it is Laurie she sees standing there rather than Michael.

I’m interested to see where the three films take the story, but Halloween 2018 is a good starting point. There are some twists and turns along the way and enough links back to 1978 that would please fans of the original.

It’s quite an ending and I can’t wait to see how Halloween Kills will continue.

Rating:  Good

Horror

Halloween (1978)

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: October 11, 2022
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2022

Review

I’d have to say that Halloween is my favourite horror franchise and its one I do try and include in my annual Halloween viewing.

Last year I was lucky enough to see Halloween at the cinema for the first time which was a real treat. I really do love getting the opportunity seeing my favourite films at the cinema that I wasn’t around to experience for the initial release.

So with the release of Halloween Ends this week, I decided to catch up on the films part of this timeline and why not to start off with the original!

If you are unfamiliar with the franchise, there are now 13 films included that offshoot from each other. It can be difficult to navigate so if you want to learn more, I encourage you to check out the Wikipedia page which goes into more detail. There is also a great diagram showing how all the films connect. The original film however is the best (and only) place to start!

Why Halloween for me? I prefer thriller over gore and if you have read any of my other reviews, you’ll also know that I love a good story. John Carpenter had a really great way of telling a story and building up the tension to a fever pitch. It’s also one of those films where it is more your imagination than what you see, more relying on the suspense to frighten you.

Most of this suspense comes from the film’s score, which is its biggest success. The theme music has also become an instantly recognisable sound in cinema history. Halloween is a little bit of a slow burn and while you are waiting for the inevitable carnage you don’t have much time to relax. It’s like the dial is slowly being increased each minute.

It’s also a nicely shot film and it’s remarkable to learn the shoot was only 17 days. Halloween has a lot of interesting facts, some that are commonly known about and others that perhaps should be. If you are interested in film making and/or a fan of the film, I would suggest checking out the Halloween episode of “The Movies That Made Us” on Netflix.

While the opening sequence is mentioned in that episode and goes into more detail, it’s worth mentioning here. The film opens following Michael as a 6-year-old boy, stalking his sister in their family home before stabbing her to death. The footage is shot from his point of view and most of it is all done using one continuous shot. There are a couple of cuts used due to the length of film the cameras. I really like the way the opening shot was done, it looks great on screen and sets up for what is a great film.

One of my other favourite sequences is the one which has become an iconic shot of this film. It occurs after Laurie finds her friends dead and is sobbing against the doorframe of the hallway. Michael then appears from out of the shadows and into the foreground, ready to attack. It’s the pinnacle moment Michael has been building to, setting up for an action packed finale.

It’s the film that gave Jamie Lee Curtis her big break and introduced the character Michael Myers, a knife carrying, masked stalker, to the world. It’s also known for being a game changer to the genre of horror, and to me, it’s a film that brings me a lot of joy, especially around this spooky time of the year.

Rating:  A Must See

Horror, Thriller

The Black Phone

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Date watched: July 23, 2022
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2022

Review

After watching the trailer for The Black Phone and following Ethan Hawke’s performance in Moon Knight, I was intrigued and equally keen to see what he was involved in next.

I then found out that the film was based on a short story of the same name by Joe Hill, and I was in! I haven’t read any of his work but am a very big Stephen King fan, who happens to be his father. I’m conscious that this doesn’t define him either as a person or author, but it provides a new author to investigate and pulled this film towards the top of the list in what to see next.

As I haven’t read this short story before seeing the film, I won’t be able to compare how true to the source material it was and what may have been added or removed. Therefore, my observations will be limited to what the film presented.

I’ll just jump in straight off and say that I really enjoyed the film and the story that it told. It held my attention in all the ways that you want from a thriller, and I enjoyed the suspense provided. There are a couple of scenes that provide a shock value that will have you jolt in your seat however the tone is mostly within the supernatural realm.

I’m not sure if it was done on purpose but I really did get a Stephen King vibe from the style of the film. Whether that is something that runs in the family, or a conscious decision made by the filmmakers, I felt in a familiar zone.

This was amplified by a few references that other SK fans will easily spot; a yellow raincoat, mentions to Boulder, and does Gwen have the shining?

The Black Phone spoke to me about standing up for yourself, the challenges of fitting in at school/society, and explored the bond between siblings.

There aren’t too many big surprises that happen in this film. It’s a simple story at its heart with a neat resolution and that is perfectly ok. Not every film needs to have that big twist which blows your mind. What makes those films special, is that they are rare. It is a pleasure however to have story told well, in both look and feel.

That said, it’s not quite a perfect film. It’s weaknesses lie by the things which are presented but left unexplored. The relationship the father of Finney and Gwen with his children and digging a little bit further into his alcoholism being the first. Another being Gwen’s dreams and the connection with her mother.

I do like it when some things are left up in the air, giving the viewer the opportunity to have further thoughts and considerations well after the film’s end. But the storyline with Gwen feels like it should have been pushed a little further than it was. I feel like there was an additional extra gear required to elevate the tension.

Other positives include Ethan Hawke’s terrific performance of “The Grabber”, which is truly creepy and not over exaggerated. The two main child actors; Mason Thames (Finney) and Madeleine McGraw (Gwen) were both very strong in their roles.

I’ve since borrowed “20th Century Ghosts” from the library which contains this short story and look forward to seeing how it differs.

Rating:  Good