Six years after the cliffhanger ending of 'Halloween 5' we have one of the biggest letdowns in the series. Granted, I wouldn't say that I went in with high expectations or any at all for that matter, but they topped themselves with this one because 'The Curse of Michael Myers', regardless of the version you view is a mess. We'll start with the Theatrical cut of the film which for those uninformed was drastically changed at the last minute and gets rid of several scenes, changes plot points, along with some editing and sound tweaks here and there. This cut is the one most people will tell you to avoid, even the most hardcore fan of 'Halloween' tends to avoid this cut now that they have the option. The biggest differences here are a lack of the Dr. Loomis character, which was mostly cut from the film because of a test screening of 14 year old boys who thought Donald Pleasance was boring (and hopefully someone smacked those kids across their heads after). The other major change is the backstory for Michael and why he kills. Both cuts explain that he is commanded by an ancient cult known as Thorn, but in the theatrical cut we get a lot less backstory leaving many plot holes and inconsistencies in the script.
The theatrical cut does have the addition of some better kill scenes, one in particular involving a head explosion but this does little to excite and quickly fades from memory. So as far as the theatrical cut goes, it's a pretty bad final product with noticeable trimming and over the top editing that made me feel like I was going to have a seizure. The film's finale is where the biggest problems are introduced and we're left with an abrupt and rushed final fight with Michael and then the film ends with an open ending that explains nothing. If it weren't for the ever-present Donald Pleasance in what would sadly be his final entry in the series this movie would be completely unwatchable. It's the slowest hour and a half I sat through and if it wasn't for Busta Rhymes entering the picture (which we'll get to) this would easily be the worst film in the 'Halloween' franchise. Still, taking a silver medal isn't any better.
The producer's cut has some improvements here and there, but really I didn't really understand the hype with it. It's a better product sure, but it's hardly a good film either. It suffers from some of the same problems, such as weak dialogue, lack of Michael, and boring bland characters but also has the full Thorn storyline intact. This is the biggest pet peeve of mine when it comes to mysterious characters of any film genre, whether that be Michael Myers or The Joker and giving them motivations or backstories. We don't need to know why Myers does what he does, he's just evil as Dr. Loomis says and that's why he's called The Shape. Giving him all this backstory ruins the whole mythology and demystifies everything, like a magician telling you his secrets.
But the producer's cut is at least a coherent film. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It doesn't have the seizure inducing editing of the theatrical cut. It actually tries to be a good film, and above all it wasn't dictated by 14 year old boys who can't even see the film in the first place. But I personally don't care for either cut. One is a well made film with a poor script and the other is a badly made film with a poor script.
Theatrical Cut:
1/5
Producer's Cut:
2/5
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