HALLOWEEN (2007)

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Halloween has itself a legacy and it seems today that everyone goes overboard when somebody wants to remake or add to this legacy fearing that the original will be ruined. It blindsides me how people can be so judgmental about this film before it's release even though there have been seven horrible sequels that for me ruined the legacy of Halloween. Rob Zombie's remake does not pose as the original like the remakes for The Omen or The Grudge it has it's own unique take on a classic character.

People seem to have a pretty prejudice feeling for remakes because almost every message board I go to when one is announced is always flocking with negative posts on how it will ruin the original. Remakes have existed since the time of ancient Rome however as most plays salvaged from that period are simply Greek plays with different characters or slight tweaks in the story thus a remake. I feel this is one of the better remakes up there alongside Dawn Of The Dead, The Amityville Horror, and The Hills Have Eyes.

The acting I felt was I most cases very good and very convincing although certain characters are very cliché. Sheri Moon does an amazing job playing Michael's gutterslut mom who isn't at fault for where her life has brought her. She is the character you sympathize the most for as she does all she can to keep her family together, works all the time as a stripper because her dead beat husband won't do anything, and when Michael finally kills it breaks her down even more as all she's left with is her murdering son and her 8 month old or so daughter. Daeg ferch who plays young Michael has some line delivery problems but when acting with just facial expression or body expression he is the perfect Michael Myers as he is simply eerie to look at. The teenage characters with the exception of Laurie Strode are very cliché "bad" girls who are of course drinking and having sex throughout most of the film and no most of them cannot act very well however they are minimal characters so it doesn't take much from the overall picture. Malcolm MacDowell plays an interesting yet very underdeveloped child psychologist who after 17 years working with Michael decides to quit on him and move on however when Michael escapes he returns to prevent the death of Laurie Strode which at first is not Michael's plan.

The story is very interesting yet straightforward there are no twists and turns just a simple plot and one storyline. Rob uses all the scores from the original throughout the film to build suspense and surprisingly it works very well. The blood and gore which some would expect to dominate the movie works very well as it's not just a hack/slash film like any of the Friday The 13th, or Nightmare On Elm Street sequels. Rob uses suspense to build up the act of the murder and much like the film seven shows mostly the aftermath and not the kill. It's not the blood or gore that is meant to scare you though, what is meant to scare you is the violence which is terrifying because of it's realism and how relentless Michael is with that knife. The kills make you feel uneasy not sick to your stomach but very uneasy as you can put yourself in the victim's position much like Saw.

The remake seems to have a lot more depth than the original not that it's better but I honestly feel it's a pretty worthy addition to the franchise far more worthy than any of the 7 pathetic hack/slash sequels. Halloween is what Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning should have been a deep, frightening back story that dives in to the killers before and after persona's and gives us reason and the ability to see why he does what he does. If you have a weak stomach I guarantee you won't like this film not due to the gore but again to the realism of deplorable acts in this film there is a very realistic rape scene that will make you feel angry and uneasy at the same time and I know many who were outraged by the one in The Hills Have Eyes so any of you out there offended by that please do not see this film. If however you are looking for what today is a rare breed a good horror movie with an actual plot than see Halloween immediately because trust me it is the best slasher I've seen in years and a shockingly scary good time.

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