Reviewed By
Vaughan

Analysis
In 1978 John Carpenter crafted what some have crowned as one of the best horror thrillers of our time, producing a masked villain who would eventually evolve into an icon of modern horror cinema. Due to the popularity of this film and the cult following that it attracted, the money men decided that a sequel be made. Not just one though, oh no, we even got a third which had absolutely no connection with the residence of Haddonfield or our killer Michael Myers and subsequently bombed at the cinema. Even when it appeared that the franchise had turned cold they churned out film after film based around the terrible tail of a young boy turned vengeful killer.

So here I sit holding the 8th in this apparently never ending saga, wondering where it will all end. You only have to look at the equally prolific 'Friday the 13th' films to see how desperate they are for idea's (in space, against Freddy etc), to see where Mr Myers might be going next (rumors of Michael vs Jason or Freddy are still rampant on the net). With the engagement of Director Rick Rosenthal (who's pedigree includes Halloween 2), and Writer/Producer Debra Hill (who was heavily involved with at least 5 other Halloween movies), you might suspect that 'Halloween: Resurrection' will at least be half decent.

The story is very much an attempt to involve the audience with the horror's that appear on the screen. When I say the 'audience' I don't mean you or me, I'm talking about the viewers of the reality TV show, DangerTainment who place the 'lucky' participants in the childhood home of our loveable killer, Michael Myers. The only problem is that Michael has been living in the basement since the events of 'Halloween H20', and he's sure pissed about his uninvited guests. The fun really starts when, live on TV, Michael does a spot of spring cleaning.

Jamie Lee Curtis is once again attached to her most memorable role as Laurie Strode, albeit only for about ten minutes, but the visual impact of her character does ensure that the film kicks off with a little bit of quality even if Jamie is made up to look the roughest I have ever seen her on the big screen. The rest of the cast are made up of folks that may not spring to mind as 'film stars' but might never the less sound familiar including super-duper model Tyra Banks and rapper Busta Rhymes. The only other member who looked remotely familiar was  Thomas Ian Nicholas from the first two 'American Pie' movies. The other cast members could be cruelly considered as Michael fodder.

The films pace is just about right with a great start preceded by the all important character introductions. Once in the house things start to speed along with some great scenes which include a moment that see's two Michael's stalking the house (you will have to watch it to understand), and a gripping segment that see's Bianca Kajlich's character escaping from the clutches of Michael via email from her palmtop computer that is being sent from her internet pal, Deckard. As he see's our killer on his TV set at home he knows what he is witnessing is real and attempts to help his friend. It's a shame that this angle wasn't used more during the film as I found this heightened my tension level more than anything else.

If you catch this movie on DVD your attention will be swiftly brought to the true sign that a film has gone through artistic turmoil, the alternative ending. As nice as it is to allow everyone to become a movie critic by examining which ending works best, it is an indication that the films direction has gotten lost somewhere along the way with perhaps a further sign that script re-writes were happening during the shoot. Never a good thing.

Key Area	Rating (out of 5)	Comment
Action		You don't watch 'Halloween' films for their car chases and explosions so don't start expecting any now.
Tension		The Halloween films have always scored highly for their tense atmosphere and scenes of harrowing escapes. We are again treated to some decent moments that get the old heart pounding but like the violence, are dumbed down some what for this release.
Violence/ Gore		Sure there's plenty of gruesome killings but cast your mind back over the series and you will find many more imaginative and, frankly, more brutal killings than the ones found here.
Bare Flesh		A glimpse of booby during an intimate moment in the dank cellar of the house. What ever turns you on I suppose.
Plot		The plot attempts to combine the modern world with the brutally basic instincts of our killer. With a house that is rigged up like the 'Big Brother' set, things just feel too confined and you end up feeling that the plot is more about the camera's than the development of Michael Myers.

Verdict It's hard to imagine that the 8th film in this tired franchise could actually hold anything of interest for the audience, but I am surprised to find my self saying that this is a moderately entertaining number. The killings are tame compared to modern cinema and the story was way too gimmicky for my taste, but it is an above average effort. Try setting it in space next time!

Movie Pictures (Click picture to enlarge)