Product Description
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Following his eful Halloween night murder rampage in the
quiet town of Haddonfield, Illinois, Michael Myers begins 17
years of incarceration at the Smith's Grove Sanitarium
maximum-security mental facility where he is treated by noted
child behaviorist Dr. Samuel Loomis--the only person who can
truly understand Michael's evil nature. Now, 17 years later,
Michael escapes from the mental facility on Halloween day and
begins a murderous trek back to Haddonfield to continue his
killing streak and seek resolution to events from his past.
.com
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More of a supercharged revamp than a remake, Rob Zombie's take
on John Carpenter's Halloween expands the back story of ed
killer Michael Myers in an attempt to examine the motivation for
his first deadly attack, as well as some reasons for his
longevity as a horror icon. Zombie's Myers is a blank-eyed teen
(played by Daeg Faerch) whose burgeoning mental problems are left
unchecked in a horrific home environment; harassed by
schoolmates, a randy sister, and his mother's deadbeat boyfriend
(William Forsythe, terrific as usual), Myers' homicidal explosion
seems inevitable, and intervention by Dr. Sam Loomis (Malcolm
McDowell, who offers a fast-talking, hippiefied version of the
Donald Pleasance character) does little to impede his development
into a mute, unstoppable killing machine (Tyler Mane) bent on
finishing off the only survivor of his family's massacre--his
sister, now grown into teenaged Laurie Strode (Scout
Taylor-Compton). Opening up the psychological motivation of a
cipher like Michael Myers is an interesting approach, but
Zombie's script possesses neither a depth of character nor
dialogue to offer more than a clichéd thumbnail character sketch,
and devoting over a hour of the unrated cut's 120-minute-plus
running time to this history feels bloated and self-indulgent
(especially when compared to the lean efficiency of the Carpenter
original). Zombie's Halloween isn't terribly suspenseful, either;
he has a keen eye for visuals and the details of chaotic
environments, but his es are nothing more than brutal
showcases for his special effects team. The end result barely
surpasses the original film's numerous sequels, though the Who's
Who of cult and character actors in the cast (including Zombie
regulars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Ken Foree, as well as Brad
Dourif, Udo Kier, Clint Howard, Richard Lynch, Danny Trejo, Dee
Wallace, and Danielle Harris) adds a touch of late-night monster
movie charm. However, the film's best performance belongs to the
director's spouse, Sheri Moon Zombie, who brings unexpected
pathos to the role of Myers' downtrodden mother.
The two-disc Unrated Director's Cut offers a full disc's worth
of extras that should please Zombie fans; chief among the
supplemental features is his commentary, which details the film's
shooting history and the numerous edits required to deliver the
theatrical version. A making-of featurette offers further details
of Zombie's vision for the film, and there are featurettes on his
cast choices and the many s that Myers makes while
incarcerated. Seventeen deleted scenes (two of which feature
Adrienne Barbeau and Tom Towles) and an alternate ending (all
with Zombie's commentary) are also provided, as well as footage
from the casting sessions. A blooper reel, which is highlighted
by unchecked mischief by McDowell and Dourif, offers the set's
sole moment of levity. -- Paul Gaita