The 'Halloween' films are a mixed bag to say the least, ranging from what I like to call 'A Complete Dumpster Fire' to 'Masterpiece' and so in the spirit of the season, let us take a quick look at the films from the worst to the first starting with...
10). Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Yes, even with the recent Rob Zombie contributions to the franchise, 'Resurrection' manages to stay right where it belongs on the list and its not hard to understand why for those who've seen it. Even Jamie Lee Curtis herself opted out in the opening of the film to be done with it, unfortunately we are left with the super smart and charismatic crew you see in the picture above...and Tyra Banks...and Busta Rhymes...Why did I watch this one again for this list? Let's just go over the bad quickly: The story is stupid, the cast even more so, and Michael's mask is even off and this was from Rick Rosenthal, who directed 'Halloween II'! How does this happen Rick? You were too ashamed of 'The Birds II' but not this one?! Anyway, I simply don't care for 'Resurrection' and give it a strong pass.
DID YOU KNOW?: The film's ending was reshot three times because test audiences did not like that Busta Rhymes was killed in the previous version...What the hell is wrong with those people?
9). Rob Zombie's H2 (2009)
DID YOU KNOW?: This is the first and so far only 'Halloween' film to feature Michael Myers actually speaking and not wearing his mask for the majority of the two hour runtime.
8). Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1996)
I have never seen such a divisive entry since 'Season of the Witch' although in the case of the sixth entry, I have to be on the negative side. I am aware of and have seen the "superior" 'Producer's Cut' of the film and for me it makes little difference. This is simply a bad movie, with poor casting, lack of Donald Pleasance, and the revelation that Michael Myers is the pawn of a ancient Celtic cult and that is the reason behind him is complete nonsense and completely ruins the mystique of his character. It's far superior to the previous films above, but the word "overrated" applies here pretty well, with either cut.
DID YOU KNOW?: This was Donald Pleasance's last performance before his passing before the film released. Director Joe Chappelle attempted to show less of him due to finding him 'boring' (so much **** you buddy!) which explains why the film feels choppily edited at times.
7). Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
'Halloween 5' is not the worst sequel I have seen, in fact I have fond memories of watching it back to back with part 4 every year on television. However, this film feels cheap, runs at a snail's pace, and overall is just plain tired. Michael himself looks much better than he did in the previous movie but he also looks as if they threw on the costume five seconds before the camera rolled each take. Donald Pleasance does his job well as always here and the big stand out is Danielle Harris as young Jamie returning from her role in the last film as well. The film's major problems stem from the constant continuity errors, HANDS DOWN the most obnoxious teens in any horror series, and that they completely ignore the fact that Jamie murdered her stepmother in the previous film. 'Halloween 5' ages poorly every time I rewatch it. Such a shame...
DID YOU KNOW?: 'Halloween 5' was filmed and released less than a year after the previous film. You can see that level of quality on the screen for yourselves.
6). Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Again, I used to love this one and would watch it every single year but it's aged as well as milk folks. It's a complete rehash of the original classic, and not just with the slasher formula that has become oh so famous. The film is almost a shot for shot remake of the original: He escapes again, he steals a mask from a store, he stalks a primary target and kills their potential defenders along the way, and Dr. Loomis gives his speeches about Michael being evil incarnate. The strange thing about it is that it somehow feels and looks even cheaper and mediocre than the original film, which only had a budget of roughly $300,000 compared to part 4's $5 million. It's not a bad film though, it's just unnecessary and easy to skip over it.
DID YOU KNOW?: John Carpenter wrote a treatment for this film involving the town of Haddonfield being supernaturally and physically affected by the pure evil of Myers rather than himself. This was rejected for traditional slasher fare, at which point Carpenter left the series permanently and we were left with mediocrity.
5). Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007)
Rob Zombie is a talented filmmaker, but his movies always have the same issues. Dialogue and lack of subtlety are his bane and with the remake of 'Halloween' it's not different. You have nobody to root for in this film even Laurie Strode is obnoxious, crude, and has no charm or innocence to her. You simply do not care when characters are in peril or when their murdered. Loomis is cold and uncaring even with Laurie and he comes off as just another victim of Michael's. The film's prequel scenes of young Michael seemed to draw the most venom however it's when the movie reaches the remake territory that it starts to wear really thin really fast. The film is also way too long for one such as this, at almost 2 and a half hours it just feels like a slog through muck. This is another entry where multiple viewings just causes the film to lose its luster quickly.
DID YOU KNOW?: Danielle Harris, who played Jamie Lloyd in '4' and '5' returns here as Annie Brackett, despite being in her early 30's and playing a teenager.
4). Halloween: H20 (1998)
It's smooth sailing from here on out folks. 'Halloween H20' goes for the 'Scream' vibe that was traditional in the late 90's. Kevin Williamson has his dream come true being hired to write the screenplay here and it really perks up the movie. I admit, it feels more like 'Scream' than the 'Halloween' films, but it's also one of the better films from that era to come out. Jamie Lee Curtis returns with an awesome performance where she gets to pummel the shit out of Michael this time around he's almost the victim. The teen characters are disposable and almost irrelevant to the story this time around. If it weren't for a young Josh Hartnett playing Laurie's son, the rest of the cast are just a body count essentially. The film's final act is where this one shines, with a big showdown that would later be ruined by 'Resurrection' (Thanks assholes). I highly recommend this one, if only for the final scenes.
DID YOU KNOW?: The mask in this film changes multiple times throughout. This is due to behind the scenes arguments about how it should look which results in the multiple designs and even a very poor CGI mask during a kill scene.
3). Halloween II (1981)
Something of a Wildcard here, but I do not enjoy this one as much as the final two. The film definitely has the creep vibe down, which was sorely missed in the later sequels. Hospitals are a strangely scary thing for me personally and I know that its really silly to see a completely empty Hospital like in the film, but dammit its creepy. This also has my favorite version of Michael Myers (played by Dick Warlock) who is so brutal and the unstoppable force I think of when I think of Michael. The film however has a lot of issues preventing it from beating out part '3'. Jamie Lee's character (and her hair) doesn't feel genuine this time and she's given little else to do other than cry out and limp around. You also get scenes that produce humor more than fear such as the van crash in which someone mistook a normal kid for Myers and rams him, causing an explosion. That was hilarious though I'm sure it wasn't supposed to be but hey, I may just be messed up.
DID YOU KNOW?: The mask in this film is the same one from the original. It changed so drastically because it was under producer Debra Hill's bed and has rotted somewhat, giving it an even creepier look to it than the previous film.
2). Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
The 'Black Sheep' of the franchise has since gained quite the following in the years since. The film disappointed many fans when first released due to its risky venture of trailing off from Michael Myers and instead focus on individual stories revolving around the holiday itself. It paid off after many years and finally the fans have come around and shown their appreciation for the film. We've already done a full review here on 'Hills Have Opinions' (which you can see HERE) but the overall gist is check it out.
DID YOU KNOW?: The young boy in the original film is named after this film's director: Tommy Lee Wallace.
1). Halloween (1978)
DID YOU KNOW?: Jamie Lee Curtis thought she performed so poorly that she was about to be fired when John Carpenter telephoned her to tell her otherwise. She has since become a widely popular actress (True Lies being my favorite role of hers)
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