There is a hesitation on my part to admit that I've just seen Rob Zombie's remake of John Carpenter's "Halloween." The first film came out in 1978, when I was eight years old. Though the original was a fairly good thriller, "Halloween" has been franchised to death, and has produced some of the worst horror films ever made.
As I get older, I also feel more uncomfortable about films like these. While the intent may be to give the audience a good scare, one does wonder if such films glamorize serial killings, rape and perhaps most horrifying than all_ teenagers having sex!
In all seriousness, there is something disturbing about these films, but some how there is also an intrigue as to how far the filmmakers will go.
And, Zombie goes quite far. There are about 24 killings in the new version, and some of them are quite ultra-violent in nature. Unlike Alfred Hitchcock, Zombie leaves very little to the imagination.
The outset of the remake is a bit different than Carpenter's film in that it shows the early murders that Michael Myers performs as a child in a very chilling manner.
The new version also borrows themes from James Whale's original 1931 version of "Frankenstein," whereas Carpenter's influence seemed to be more from Hitchcock's "Psycho."
In this film, Myers returns to the Illinois suburb where he grew up to find since his since-grown sister as spending 15 in an asylum, where he escapes ala Hannibal Lecter.
I must give Zombie credit for some solid filmmaking. Each shot is lined brilliantly, and even seemingly miniscule things like candied corn are brought forth to the screen in vivide detail.
But, the film ultimately suffers from the fact that we have all seen this nonsense before.
If there are two genres in which a film director has little room for originality, they are in the horror and romance genres, with westerns being a distant third.
Malcolm McDowell gives a good performance as a child psychiatrist, but we all know how he is going to end up by the film's end.
I think I would give this film a 5 or 6 out of a 10. Despite its limitations, I can see why even serious cineastes appreciate Zombie, a former heavy metal musician, as a film director. I have yet to see his other films, including "House of 1,000 Corpses." But, I would imagine that there is more originality in those films. He must also be given credit for trying to take this new film in a different direction than the original, but even a talented director like him is stuck in the quagmire of his chosen genre_which is more limited by the fact that this is a remake from a tired franchise.
I saw the new "Halloween" at the Rockingham Theatre in Reidsville, NC. My friend Gary Doss has done a terrific job maintaining a historic old cinema in the city's downtown area.
The film is also showing at The Rockingham's sister venue, The Eden Drivein. "Rush Hour 3" is the second feature showing there.
I will say that "Halloween" is going to definitely make a lot of money. If they could get me to see it, I can only imagine how many 17-year-old boys will flock to the multiplexes for it!
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