Ruttle's Reviews
"Halloween" (2007)
Directed by: Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects)
Starring: Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Sheri Moon, Daeg Faerch
Running Time: 109 minutes
Rut's Rating: 5/5
In 1978, director John Carpenter introduced movie audiences to the slasher flick; a silent, indestructible psychopath named Michael Myers was arguably the first in a long line of horror film icons to adopt the "crush, kill, destroy" mentality. Myers is a mask-wearing mute who escapes from an asylum to return to his hometown, so he can find his baby sister.
Now in 2007, horror fanatic, musician and outlaw director Rob Zombie has taken the reigns of the franchise. His take on the story is different, but fitting. Zombie shows us the background of this future mass murderer, revealing a childhood immersed in disturbing surroundings. His mother is a stripper, his older sister neglects him, and his step-father is the very definition of sleaze. Michael doesn't seem to let his home life get to him, but its easy for the audience to feel sympathy for him. Yes, that's even knowing what obviously lies ahead in the film.
On Halloween night, young Michael finally loses it. He brutally murders his step-father, his older sister and her boyfriend. Yet he spares the life of his baby sister, holding her in his arms until his mother and then the authorities arrive. What follows is the next chapter in Michael's life; spending the rest of his days at a mental hospital. He has daily sessions with Dr. Samuel Loomis, played by Malcolm McDowell. Loomis has ease talking with Michael, there isn't any visible tension there, but when the subject of Michael's horrendous murder streak comes up, Michael seems to shrug it off or says he can't remember doing it.
For the next 17 years, Myers remains locked up, spending his days making masks and growing to a hulking size. Loomis gives up on treating him, and instead writes a book detailing the murders and his sessions with Michael.
Finally, while being transferred to another wing of the hospital, Michael escapes, killing all of the guards escorting him and making a break for it. He returns to his hometown of Haddonfield on Halloween day, intent on tracking down his baby sister Laurie. This third act of the film is an ever-constant tribute to Carpenter's 1978 original, complete with almost identical cinematography and the familiar score. While watching Michael kill person after person, I found myself only seeing the 10-year-old boy again, as opposed to the present-day, nearly 7-foot behemoth. You never see the adult Michael's face and maybe that's why I only saw the young boy. You just might find yourself doing the same thing.
"Halloween" is, in my opinion, a well-done tribute to the classic original. Obviously, some aspects are different and the tone of the story is altered, but that's the nature of the beast in this hyperspeed Facebook generation. Rob Zombie shows us that what's old can become new again, and that's a rare thing to do in Hollywood these days.
The performances are fitting, as are the actors who display them. Malcolm McDowell is a perfect fit as Dr. Loomis, and Daeg Faerch is scary-good as young Michael. Saskatchewan's own Tyler Mane is a great choice for the adult Michael. While he has no dialogue, Mane perfects the mannerisms and body language of this psychotic-yet-sympathy-enducing killer.
People will argue, people will debate, but see the film for yourself. For those who lost faith in the horror genre, "Halloween" is a blood-soaked miracle in disguise.
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