Empire's Halloween Movie Review

Halloween
Rob Zombie attacks a horror classic

Plot
Haddonfield, Illinois. Ten-year-old Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch) murders several people, including his sister, and is institutionalised. As an adult, the mask-wearing Michael (Tyler Mane)escapes and returns home, pursued by his psychiatrist Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell), and goes after his other sister, Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton).

Review

One thing you can’t accuse Rob Zombie of is not loving his subject matter. Most remakes of horror classics from the 1970s and ‘80s get directed by careerists with a few pop videos on their resume who need a commercial success as a stepping stone to a career in mainstream schlock. Their role models aren’t Wes Craven or George Romero but Renny Harlin or Stephen Hopkins. For Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects), remaking Halloween is as daunting and humbling a gig as King Kong was for Peter Jackson.

Zombie’s script tells exactly the same story as Carpenter and his co-writer Debra Hill did – but changes emphases, fills in missing scenes, harps on that heroine-is-the-long-lost-sister-of-the-killer bit introduced in Halloween II (we assume that isn’t up for a remake next) and gives more background on the demented Michael Myers. The prologue, which Carpenter managed in a well-remembered single take, is spun out into the first third of the film. Chubbily angelic Michael is driven mad by white trash family circumstances, and shows the first signs (animal mutilations) of wanting to be a serial killer when he grows up. Michael McDowell, doing a decent job subbing for the late Donald Pleasence as the dogged psychiatrist, gets into the story early, and we see more of Michael’s evolution into a murderous automaton.

In a way, Zombie’s take on Halloween is fan fiction. If you’ve ever wanted ‘origin scenes’ for significant props like Michael’s overalls or Dr Loomis’s handgun, you’ll find them here -- along with cameos from Ken Foree and Mickey Dolenz (!) as the persons responsible for passing them on. The cast is as heavy with grindhouse veterans (Udo Kier, Sid Haig, Richard Lynch, Dee Wallace Stone, etc) as anything from Tarantino or Rodriguez, down to inside gags like casting Danielle Harris (who was a creepy little girl in a couple of forgotten Halloween sequels) as one of the victims. Despite decent work from the younger cast when they finally get a look-in, Zombie has no interest in the imperilled kids, which means the film falls flat when it comes to suspense, shock and shudders. This take on Halloween is grim and nasty, but never remotely scary.

Verdict

Reviewed by Kim Newman

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Your Reviews

Average user rating for Halloween

Awful
What an unutterably terrible film. I haven't seen the original, though I can't imagine it would put this in a better light, even if it fills in some 'origin' scenes. It just goes on and on as a kid killing his family, then killing a nurse, then breaking out, killing lots of cops, then killing a few nubile young ladies, etc. etc. All the time nothing really actually happens, it's just dull and plodding, with terrible acting, lots of gratuitous tits (not that I've anything against gratuitous nudi... More


Posted by Davechoc at 12:52, 04 October 2007 \| Report This Post



New Horror Masterpiece
I'm really baffled by the reception to Rob Zombie's Halloween and I feel the need to redress the balance somewhat. It's been sneaked out in the UK with no notice (a week and a half before it was eventually released it still didn't have a confirmed release date that I could find), minimal publicity and no reviews. It's got an exceptionally poor rating of 25% on rottentomatoes.com and as I type the IMDb score is a reasonably-okay-but-not-great 6.1. The reason I'm baffled is that it's clearly... More


Posted by therev at 10:35, 04 October 2007 \| Report This Post



Crap-oween
Halloween by John Carpenter from 1978 = one of the best movies ever made and probably the best horror movie ever made Halloween by Rob Zombie from 2007 = big pile of skanky trash with pathetic character portrayals, a stupid back story and is just the most random piece of shit i have ever seen - given a choice between watching this or poking my eyes out with a rusty fork i would choose the latter! ... More


Posted by flumpman at 11:41, 03 October 2007 \| Report This Post



Rob's Halloween
Well i watched Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN last night,and it's actually pretty good,3/5 a lot more violent than John Carpenter's classic.But not as Gorey as i'd expected from Rob,he seems to be moving in a new direction,more story less gore.Making Micheal more human is my only sore point with his version,as this makes our favorite killer less chilling.Overall well directed and acted,and i'm glad he didn't go for a shot for shot remake,not that there isn't a lot of nod's at the original and best.John'... More


Posted by evil bill at 18:38, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



Rob's Halloween
Well i watched Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN last night,and it's actually pretty good,3/5 a lot more violent than John Carpenter's classic.But not as Gorey as i'd expected from Rob,he seems to be moving in a new direction,more story less gore.Making Micheal more human is my only sore point with his version,as this makes our favorite killer less chilling.Overall well directed and acted,and i'm glad he didn't go for a shot for shot remake,not that there isn't a lot of nod's at the original and best.John'... More


Posted by evil bill at 18:38, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Michael McDowell, Empire?
There already was a film about McDowell ... More

Posted by Joe at 16:57, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Michael McDowell, Empire?
L: Helen OHara Doh! My bad - I corrected that on the copy for the magazine but forgot to double-check that I'd corrected it for the website. It should now show the correct name. sp; Not yet, but where's the fun in being correct all the time? If this film did indeed star our most demented lawmaker, I'd probably go and see it...... ... More

Posted by the ageless stranger at 15:17, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Michael McDowell, Empire?
Doh! My bad - I corrected that on the copy for the magazine but forgot to double-check that I'd corrected it for the website. It should now show the correct name. ... More

Posted by Helen OHara at 14:26, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Michael McDowell, Empire?
Maybe with McDowell sporting the grey hair and beard, Kim Newman has mistaken him for Michael MacDonald. It's an easy mistake to make. I sat through most of it thinking 'I just know he's going to burst into 'Yamo Be There' any second. However much to my disappointment, blah, blah, blah.... As for the film. The first half was great, really solid build-up and a patience absent from most horror these days, especially remakes. The little kid playing Myers was clas... More


Posted by nicholsonsmhead at 14:02, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



Michael McDowell, Empire?
Haven't seen the film, have no intention to, but does it really star a former Irish TD and Minister for Justice? ... More

Posted by the ageless stranger at 13:33, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post




We live in an age where there are no original horror films, minus the introduction of "tourture-porn" gore-fests Saw and Hostel. However, it was with great surprise that Halloween, one of the greatest slasher films of all time which introduced the character of Michael Myers, was to be remade, with Rob Zombie, former frontman of Metal band White Zombie, and director of the bizarre House of 1000 Corpses and its awesome sequel, The Devil's Rejects, behind the camera. The film isn't a ... More


Posted by paul.mccluskey at 13:13, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Avoid
I`ve been thinking about it a lot since saturday and the scene that sticks most in my mind is when Loomis tells myers that he won`t be coming to see him anymore. The look they share after that is chilling. ... More

Posted by Porrohman at 13:02, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Avoid
Saw it saturday and here's my two pence. I was personally looking forward to this being that I'm a big fan of Rob Zombies previous films. Being that Zombie grew leeps and bounds as a filmmaker from House Of 100 Corpses to The Devils Rejects and that he had a bit of an edge to him that other remake fodder directors dont have, if there was anyone to put faith in remaking a classic horror it was him. What I got with the film was something hit and miss. A film that had some go... More


Posted by kenada_woo at 12:53, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



disgusting
it is the most horrinle film ever ... More


Posted by maggot at 12:01, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Halloween - Highly Recommended!
L: losthighway POILERS!!!*** Went to see it this afternoon andvery impressed by it. In fact, I'd say it deserves a solid 4* rating.ot a remake in the strictest sense, but instead opts for taking themes and ideas discussed in the original and elaborating upon them, thereby making a different film for the first 3/4 of the film. The final 1/4 with Laurie doesn't feel like a rehash either and instead Zombie has again taken elements of the original but given them a twist, e.g. instead of... More


Posted by smithee at 11:36, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



Shame!
much the only good thing about this film. A fucking atrocity."/i] It's a shame that people are being blinkered by the original's iconic status. Yes it's a good film but it's not that great IMO and I'm certainly not that precious about it, that I'm not willing to try another interpretation of the story. Admittedly the sequels are dire, with the exception of Halloween H20... I would argue this is just as good as H20. ... More

Posted by losthighway at 11:10, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



Waste of Time!
This has to be the worst Halloween yet! The flim is not worth spending your time or money on! Very boring and I am still trying to work out the reason why they made this flim! ... More


Posted by dja_list at 10:34, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Halloween - Highly Recommended!
L: losthighway POILERS!!!*** Went to see it this afternoon and I was very impressed by it. In fact, I'd say it deserves a solid 4* rating. It's not a remake in the strictest sense, but instead opts for taking themes and ideas discussed in the original and elaborating upon them, thereby making a different film for the first 3/4 of the film. The final 1/4 with Laurie doesn't feel like a rehash either and instead Zombie has again taken elements of the original but given them a twist, e... More

Posted by badassmofo at 01:09, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



Halloween - Highly Recommended!
POILERS!!!*** Went to see it this afternoon and I was very impressed by it. In fact, I'd say it deserves a solid 4* rating. It's not a remake in the strictest sense, but instead opts for taking themes and ideas discussed in the original and elaborating upon them, thereby making a different film for the first 3/4 of the film. The final 1/4 with Laurie doesn't feel like a rehash either and instead Zombie has again taken elements of the original but given them a twist, e.g. instead of... More


Posted by losthighway at 00:11, 02 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: wtf
Come on somebody sort it oot. ... More

Posted by Porrohman at 14:13, 01 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: wtf
Halloween remake is utter BAWS! Save your money and go watch something better like Superbad or your 4th viewing of Transformers. Michael Myers was very badass but he just smashed about like he was a giant wrestler. Myers was in almost every scene so how were we supposed to be scared when he appeared?? What a shite film! ... More

Posted by jimbojofre at 10:19, 01 October 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: wtf
type 'Halloween' in the search engine, it says they gave it 1 star. Edit: No it doesn't, thats Resurrection. I do apologise. ... More

Posted by Dave B at 23:37, 30 September 2007 \| Report This Post



wtf
What the gay! I cant the review! God ive waited ages for this, and now I cant bloody see it, sort it out empire ... More


Posted by Troopeford at 22:22, 30 September 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Avoid
Maybe that is it. Empire are being smart and have literally nothing to say about this pointless remake! ... More

Posted by Sutty at 19:24, 30 September 2007 \| Report This Post



RE: Avoid
L: Porrohman I can`t see the review,its not showing up for me. Anyone else having problems? sp; Yeah same here, anyone tell us what it had? ... More

Posted by /Clarence\ at 13:27, 30 September 2007 \| Report This Post



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HalloweenRob Zombie attacks a horror classic

Halloween
Rob Zombie attacks a horror classic