Oct 31 2008
Mr. Myers Continues Stalking Like No Other
Jamie Lee Curtis battles her brother in the original Halloween classic. (image courtesy of Compass International Pictures)
Another Halloween has passed, and for the first time on the occasion, I got to dress- and act in all silent, scary as my ultimate horror movie icon, Michael Myers.
Horror probably is my favorite film genre, with the Halloween series easily being my top franchise. I even find enjoyment in the admittedly crappy sequels, of which there have been many.
Nothing tops the original Halloween in terms of sheer spook- director John Carpenter didn’t need to rely on blood and gore in crafting an effective classic. Rather, camera angles, atmosphere and suspense did the work. Fifteen years after stabbing his older sister to death on Halloween, Michael Myers escapes from a mental institution- and collecting candy from his old neighborhood isn’t on his agenda. Ultra-sharp knife in hand, Myers- with his masked brooding persona and heavy breathing- stalks his long-lost sister Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and other babysitters on All Hallow’s Eve. The first film’s body count was just four, with nary an ounce of blood dropped on screen.
Rob Zombie updated John Carpenter’s classic Halloween for 2007 audiences, with Tyler Mane cast as the adult masked madman. (image courtesy of MGM/Dimension Films)
Following Halloween’s success (it at one time was the highest-grossing and most profitable independent film ever made), along came other slasher flicks like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. Like Halloween, those films spawned loads of sequels- and upped the blood and gore to the utmost power with each successive release.
With Halloween, Curtis earned her title as the undisputed Scream Queen- a crown that remains unchallenged to this day. Roles in other horror films like The Fog and Prom Night helped her retain the title, as well as followup appearances as Strode in Halloween II, Halloween: H2O and Halloween: Resurrection. Carpenter didn’t return as director for II, and had no role in the five other Myers-related films in the series.
Last year, Rob Zombie directed a remake/reimagining of Carpenter’s classic, attempting to delve into the psyche of a young Myers. While an intriguing premise and containing some creepy material, it didn’t stand a chance of topping the original. In this day and age of over-the-top gore, he took the opposite route and delivered bloodthirsty audiences enough gore and violence to satisfy their quenches.
No news on the next Halloween installment, or whether it will be a remake of II or a sequel to the most recent in the continuation series, Resurrection. Whatever movie is made, one thing is for sure- Carpenter’s classic has nothing to worry about.
