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13 - More Than One Good Scare

I’ve made a few references to the original Halloween being one of the greatest horror films ever made. This is mainly because it is.

I’m not a big fan of the entire series – I’ve seen 4 and 5 twice, 6 maybe once, and never seen 8. As such, today’s entry will be about the films I’ve seen the most – the loose “trilogy” of the original Halloween, Halloween II and H20.

I don’t know when I first saw Halloween, but I know when I picked up a video copy – it was not too long after seeing Scream in the cinema. The video was second-hand, had a very grainy picture and was in completely the wrong aspect ratio. Didn’t care, loved it. 

You can't write a piece about the Halloween films without mentioning how good John Carpenter's score is. John Carpenter's score is amazingly good.

 

The characterisation is so strong, you really feel like you know Laurie, Annie and Lynda (Totally). The cast is kept to an absolute minimum – there are only three main teen characters, and less than twenty speaking characters in total – giving a greater focus on them all. On the whole, it’s Laurie’s movie, and while Jamie Lee Curtis gives a great performance she’s not the ultimate final girl she’s often painted as. That said, it’s unfair to judge her by those that came after, and the great final girls of slasherdom all build on her example. While we’re busting misconceptions, let’s put pure innocent Laurie to one side too – she’s less sexually active than her friends because she has trouble attracting men, but she has her eye on a guy so the thoughts are definitely there. Also, while she coughs on the joint she doesn’t seem surprised at the offer or unwilling to accept it. 

If we’re talking about great performances, we have to talk about Donald Pleasence. Bluntly, some of the dialogue he’s got to recite here would floor lesser actors, but he manages to make it sound glorious. His delivery of lines like “Death has come to your little town, Sheriff.” make Dr Loomis one of my favourite characters in horror. He is the template for what is referred to in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon as the Ahab*, and is absolutely the inspiration for Robert Englund’s performance in that film.

*(Excluding the actual Captain Ahab from Moby Dick, obviously.)

Then there’s Michael – or, more correctly, The Shape. I like him best as he is here –patient, curious and a little playful. While he has a lot in common with the boy from Crystal Lake, Michael’s style of pursuit is completely different to Jason’s. Jason will follow you and catch you. Michael has no need to follow you, he knows he’ll catch you soon enough – he’ll even let you go if he thinks it’ll lull you into a false sense of security. He’ll even taunt you a little – remember his daytime appearances in front of Laurie? That extends into the playfulness too – can you imagine Jason with a sheet over his head? 

 

Moving on to Halloween II, and while Rick Rosenthal is a more than competent director, it’s still clear we’re in lesser hands here. Carpenter the writer is also not firing on all cylinders – Loomis’ dialogue is not as sharp here as in the original, for instance, and there are moments where it shows in Pleasence’s performance (though overall he’s still brilliant). Despite this, and a few other minor concerns, it’s still the best of all the sequels.

The death of Ben Tramer seems a little overdone, and also brings to mind the question of what kind of mask Michael is supposed to be wearing. In the real world, it’s a Shatner mask painted white with enlarged eye holes – but the presence of another person in the same mask shows that’s not what it was in the movie reality, so what was it? I’m going with the idea that it was a bad batch of Shatner masks made with the wrong coloured plastic, packaged up as generic “Scary Face” masks and sold out as cheap peg-filler to convenience stores instead of being thrown out.

On the other hand, there are some brilliant murder set pieces, with Michael managing to kill off most of the introduced hospital staff – though, given how empty the place is (like a lot of movie hospitals), they’re probably overstaffed anyway. The swift silent death behind glass of Budd the ambulance driver and the subsequent drowning of Nurse Karen is particularly good (though one wonders why the water didn’t do the same to Michael’s hand as it did to her face). I’m also impressed by the death of Nurse Jill, partly because Michael manages to lift up an entire adult woman on a small scalpel, but mostly by the way her clogs pop off as she pops her clogs.

The revelation of Laurie as Michael’s younger sister undermines a lot of the power of the first film – the idea of a killer who fixates on a group of girls at random and hunts down the one that got away simply because she got away is a lot stronger than the idea of him hunting her because of an unmentioned family connection. It also raises the question of where Laurie was on the opening Halloween night, and why, if she was put up for adoption for her protection, she ended up being adopted by parents only a few streets away who actually deal with the sale of her old family home – surely, if the authorities want to keep her safe, she’d be sent far away?

In the end, it’s just a good slasher movie. Not a step up from the original like Friday the 13^th Part II was from the first, nor as big a step down as something like Freddy’s Revenge or even Michael’s next three big screen outings. I don’t really rate them, or the Jamie/Thorn storyline(s), so I’m going to skip ahead to H20.

 

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (terrible title) was directed by Steve Miner, the man behind the aforementioned Friday the 13^th Part II. I first saw this one in a sneak preview screening at the Prince Charles Cinema in London, and loved it. My enjoyment has faded a little since then, but I still think it’s pretty good.

Curtis’ performance as Keri Tate/Laurie Strode convinces, her full medicine cabinet and her alcoholism a believable outgrowth of the traumatic events of the first two films. Pleasence’s absence is clearly felt, though I’m still not sure whether it would have been better to bring in someone else as in a similar role to replace him – possibly his daughter Angela as a daughter, Samantha Loomis? The opening pan around Nurse Chambers’ office would have worked so much better if they’d actually used Pleasence’s dialogue from the first film instead of giving it to another actor to read.

An early movie appearance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (then probably best known for 3d Rock from the Sun) shows his screen presence – I’d have like to see him and Josh Hartnett swap roles. There’s nothing wrong with Hartnett ‘s performance as such, but he smirks where Gordon-Levitt would’ve smiled. The importance of Curtis’ character to the plot means that the adult characters are given something approaching equal screentime with the teens, with good performances from both Adam Arkin and LL Cool J. 

 

Whilst not quite up to Carpenter levels, the spooky stalking appearances of Michael Myers are effective. Like the original, the bodycount is low but the death scenes work well, with the kitchen sequence a particular standout – they get some good use from the dumbwaiter, and Michael’s knife is almost comically oversized. The lifting up of Arkin’s character on the enormous knife is a little closer to believable than the similar moment with the scalpel from Halloween II.

Then there’s the end sequence. Laurie and Michael’s chase through the school is possibly the best part of the film, though Laurie’s theft of the coroner’s van certainly comes close. By the way, Laurie has looked into those eyes many times, and had there been anyone else in the mask they would’ve tried to take it off rather than just feeling to see that it was still on. That was Michael in that mask. He’s dead.

Except, he’s not, of course – after all, you can’t kill the boogeyman.

12 - Some Great Slasher Movies

I like slasher movies. I think I’ve made that abundantly clear by now. Anyway, here’s a rundown of some favourites, skipping out most of the better known franchises. For films with sequels, I’ve always picked the first instalment. Read on...

1974 Black Christmas

Casual articles tracking the history of the slasher movie tend to miss this one out, going from Psycho to Halloween with an occasional stop off at The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Big mistake – this one is a key element in the development of the sub-genre, and shouldn’t be forgotten.

1981 My Bloody Valentine

Class of 81, part 1. 1981 was a big year for slasher movies – look here for a list. http://www.hysteria-lives.co.uk/hysterialives/Hysteria/reviews1981.html This was one of the better ones – setting that’s isolated for good reason, not just focussed on teens, scary-masked killer with a workable costume, and some brilliant set pieces. So much better than the remake, though I quite like that one too.

1981 The Burning

Class of 81, part 2. A video nasty (ooooh), and the film Tom Savini picked over Friday the 13^th Part II. It’s also really, really good, and does a lot more with the summer camp setting than any of the Friday the 13^th movies. I’m surprised there’s still not been a remake and/or sequel to this one.

1983 Sleepaway Camp

Another film that uses the summer camp setting well, with a ton of really young kids as well as the usual teens. Ten bonus points for the bizarre use of hair tongs, but minus a few thousand for the other characters’ acceptance of the paedophile cook. It’s very rare to find someone talking about this film without mentioning the ending. Followed by two sequels with Bruce Springsteen’s sister as the killer, which surprised me by not being totally abysmal.

1984 Girls' Nite Out

A great soundtrack of sixties classics and an utterly bizarre but completely logical costume for the villain are amongst the reasons I rate this film. It’s a bit of a mess at times, but the reveal of the killer works and there are some good character moments. I have absolutely no idea what the trailer has to do with the film – that girl isn’t even in it.

1989 Intruder

Originally given the far better name of Night Crew: The Final Checkout, this film was made by frequent Sam Raimi collaborator Scott Spiegel. Raimi and his brother ted appear in the film, which is elevated above others from the genre by clever camerawork and some great death scenes – band saw, anyone?

1997 I Know What You Did Last Summer

More than anything, this showed that Scream wasn’t just a one-off and that the slasher genre was heading back. You can moan all you like about the presence of a bunch of TV teen faces in the movie, but they’re actors with a proven track record and a built-in fanbase, two things which will bring in an audience. The chase scene with Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character is brilliant, and for all the complaints about The Fisherman and his outfit, it blends in whilst working as a disguise. Good enough for me.

1998 Urban Legend

I didn’t see this when it came out, only catching it later on a recommendation. It’s actually really good. Great stunt casting of genre icons, a batshit loopy killer and some very inventive death scenes. OK, so the killer’s disguise is a bit lame, but that’s completely redeemed by their completely over the top villain rant at the end. Also see Urban Legends: Final Cut, which is pretty good but has a terrible motivation for the killer and a mask stolen from 1981’s Graduation Day. They went in a different direction for the third one, but I’d love to write a follow-up. Any idea who owns the comic book rights?

2004 HellBent

Probably best known for being “The gay slasher movie”, though it should just be recognised for being a good low budget slasher movie. I can’t think of many other examples of a film where the killer’s appearance has been used as an asset when hunting (without going into spoiler territory).

2006 Behind the Mask

Scream meets Man Bites Dog is a far from accurate description of this film, but it gives you an idea of the territory and that’s a start. Walks the thin line of dark comedy and horror without ever really falling down into parody. If I had to pick one film on this list for you to see, this would be it.

2006 Cold Prey

I’m not really up on Norwegian cinema these days, so I don’t know if any of the cast are big names, or if they’re all first timers or what. I do know that this film is really good. It’s nothing special, it’s not really all that innovative, but it does the job and it does it well enough. Followed by two sequels, the first of which follows the Halloween II/Nightmare on Elm Street 3 tradition and is set in a hospital.

2006 Hatchet

I’m a big fan of Adam Green’s Hatchet trilogy, and this opening instalment is lots of fun. Mixing Sam Raimi/Peter Jackson levels of gore with a vaguely Madman-esque hulking brute monster means slasher gold, well worth anyone’s time. Check out the sequel too.

2009 MTV’s My Super Psycho Sweet 16

Yes, I know. Don’t give me that until you’ve seen it. More than pretty much anything I’ve seen since, this takes the feel of an early eighties slasher and updates it to the present day. Ever see a clip from My Super Sweet 16 and wish that horrible things would happen to everyone involved? Well, this movie proves that I’m not alone in thinking that – and, given that it was made for the same channel where the show appears, I’m guessing MTV know how many people think that too. Followed by two sequels.

11 - Some Great Sequels

In the horror fan community, we’ve had to get used to sequels – good, bad or otherwise. Today’s entry is on the topic of great sequels, those films that somehow managed to be enjoyable pieces of cinema on their own merits rather than just a clumsy cash-in.

As always, unless actively described as such, my lists are a collection of good examples. This is not a list of the best horror sequels and it’s not even arranged in alphabet or date order, let alone order of merit.

Oh, it’s very slasher-centric, because that’s where my interest lies and that’s where sequels live. I’m also going to avoid films I’ve already discussed, because you already know I like Friday the 13^th Part II and Wrong Turn 2.

 

As most fans of the series will know, the intention for movies following Halloween was to use the Halloween title as an umbrella for a series of unrelated movies, but the success of this film and the relative failure of Halloween III: Season of the Witch put paid to that idea.

Halloween II is certainly no Halloween, but it’s streets ahead of parts 4 and 5. Where the first film was genre-defining (or, at least, sub-genre defining), the second part is merely a competent slasher movie. It’s a shame Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode has so little to do, but thankfully there’s enough Michael Myers to make up for it.

 

Seriously?

Yes, seriously. I never really rated the original move or its sequels as much more than OK, but this is joyous fun. Chucky has always been a giggling psychopath, but this movie cranks that up to eleven. The character of Tiffany gives Chucky someone to talk to who’s not a shy little kid desperate to be believed, and thus opens him up to longer and more dialogue-intensive scenes. Plus, she’s Jennifer Tilly. That always helps.

Is this film sexist for replacing the original’s all-male cast for an all-female one, leading to scenes of women being tortured? Or is it striking a blow for feminism, showing that women are just as skilled as the men when placed in a similar situation?

Discuss.

Actually, don’t bother. There’s a perfectly reasonable argument to be made for either side, so I’ll hover in the middle. Though I will say that it was interesting to me as a Desperate Housewives fan seeing Roger Bart and Richard Burgi together.

 

More over-the-top gore and splatter fun in the swamps with this one. Danielle Harris stepping into the Tamara Feldman role is a great improvement, and the expansion of Tony Todd’s Reverend Zombie from his cameo in the first one just adds to the fun.

This film may also have the most cameo appearances by film directors outside of a John Landis movie. Is that a good thing...?

Striking an imperfect balance between the scary Freddy of the first movie and the wisecracking Freddy of the rest of the series, this is probably my favourite of the original Elm Street series. It’s also the first one I saw, which may be connected.

As villain origins go, “bastard son of a hundred maniacs” is a pretty good one, and if you’re going to take your sequel away from the original location, hospitals do seem to be the default option...

 

When discussing horror sequels that aren’t just a clumsy cash-in, this one has to go to the top of the list. Psycho III and IV are both perfectly reasonable movies, but they’re nothing special. This one, however, really stands out as a great film.

Watching Perkins as a man struggling to keep hold of his hard-won sanity, you realise just how good an actor he was. You find yourself torn between wanting him to keep his head while those around are trying to make him lose it, and wanting him to snap and let Mother back in so she can take care of the troublemakers.

It’s not completely perfect – the final twist with Mrs Spool is an unnecessary complication which is fixed in the sequel – but it’s so much better than it needed to be.