As with any remake, I approached this film with caution. Too often are remakes handled improperly, flawed wholly by the filmmakers' misinterpretations of what made the originals so effective. Every so often, whether in the horror genre or some other film category, a remake comes along that, for the most part, succeeds in doing its original inspiration justice.
Rob Zombie's Halloween is indeed one of those remakes.
More of a re-imagining than a strict remake (as a remake usually implies a carbon-copy of sorts), Halloween '07 brings us deeper inside the mind of Michael Myers, effectively bringing in elements of both tragedy and misfortune with regard to the legendary killer's motivation for killing. He starts out as highly disturbed youth, troubled by a slightly dysfunctional family and the verbal and physical abuse at school. The way young Michael reacts to these external factors gives us insight into how unhinged his mind really is, and despite the best efforts of those who care for him, his plunge into madness is almost inevitable. Keeping in tandem with Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects," one cannot help feel a trace of sorrow for Myers' downward spiral, regardless of how he handles his circumstances.
The chain of events (with the exception of the third act) in this remake remain, for the most part, unchanged with regard to the original film's plot. Michael is transferred to the mental asylum and placed under the evaluation of Dr. Loomis. Despite the seemingly earnest efforts of Loomis to help Michael, we further see that Michael's situation is indeed a hopeless one as he delves further and further into darkness. His general apathy for the suffering of others is shown particularly well since, as both a child and an overwhelming adult, he continues to kill without consequence. Another element that was handled quite well was the concept of Michael's mask. The reasons why he makes and wears his masks are fully explored this time around, cluing the viewers in to why he behaves the way he does.
Indeed, I thoroughly enjoyed Rob Zombie's take on John Carpenter's classic. The origins of Michael Myers were portrayed as a fairly believable, moody, and altogether tragic turn of events. Much like real life serial killers, the tell-tale signs portrayed by little Michael before his life as a killer begins are very realistic and accurate. Once he begins his downward spiral, you actually feel everyone's pain. One murder in particular that occurs when he is an adult is quite painful to watch, mainly because the person he kills is the last person you'd expect him to lay a hand on. Alas, the same scene effectively shows Michael's complete disregard for human life as his fall into madness comes full swing.
The movie was far from perfect, however. Despite the strong and unique direction, I felt as though certain characters were underdeveloped. Sheriff Bracket was sorely underused, in my opinion, as were the Strodes. Once the film was over, I immediately found myself thinking that the interaction between Laurie Strode and her parents could've been fleshed out more. Between the parents in particular, some hints for the audience regarding Laurie's past would've fit into the film nicely. Furthermore, despite the brief length of her role, I wanted to see more of Deborah Myers' (played sufficiently by Sheri Moon Zombie) mental anguish upon her reaction to her family's turmoil.
On the subject of characters, I just want to point out that Laurie Strode was portrayed and acted fairly well by Scout Taylor-Compton, as evidenced by plenty of the on-screen chemistry between her, her friends, and the youngsters she's watching over. Not to mention, her screaming abilities follow the footsteps of Jamie Lee Curtis quite well. Daeg Faerch, in a very creepy role, powerfully portrays a young Michael Myers. Malcolm McDowell, despite his character being somewhat underdeveloped, gives a fairly warm and well-acted performance as Dr. Loomis, and Brad Dourif was a welcome surprise as Sheriff Brackett.
A worthy mention goes to Tyler Mane as the adult version of the new Michael Myers. While not much can be said about a silent role, Mane's on-screen presence is nothing short of daunting, and the fear he induces in both his victims (not to mention the audience) is nothing short of staggeringly menacing. The final confrontation in the third act is particularly well-shot, and the silence of his character is almost deafening as he attempts to reach out to one person in particular. Indeed, most roles, even the short-lived ones, were portrayed with an apt mixture of humor, fear, and charisma. A particular favorite of mine was William Forsythe's role as the estranged boyfriend of Deborah Myers.
Aside from the technicalities, the movie dripped with atmosphere, personality, style, and overall believability. Rob Zombie's take on Halloween may have been different, but it is, in my opinion, both a valid and an effective one. The origin of Michael Myers' insanity was a great approach, hands down.
All in all, a job well done on Zombie's part. In my opinion, the nay-sayers' arguments are not sound in the least; they simply cry foul at the very idea of a remake more than anything, and refuse to give the film a chance. Its departure from the overall mystique inherent in Carpenter's original does not hold water as far as I'm concerned. Zombie's approach makes sense, and the fact that we're inside Myers' head does not detract from his scariness. He's still incredibly imposing, and his disregard for human life is all too apparent as the film progresses. His silence speaks volumes, and the brief glimpses of his eyes are extremely haunting.
Fans of the original can still prefer John Carpenter's original, but I urge all viewers to approach with an open mind. Gory, dark, stylish, and consistently entertaining, Halloween '07 drips with Rob Zombie's technique and overall quirkiness.
Overall, a worthy re-telling of a classic with its fair share of twists.
Rob Zombie's Halloween is indeed one of those remakes.
More of a re-imagining than a strict remake (as a remake usually implies a carbon-copy of sorts), Halloween '07 brings us deeper inside the mind of Michael Myers, effectively bringing in elements of both tragedy and misfortune with regard to the legendary killer's motivation for killing. He starts out as highly disturbed youth, troubled by a slightly dysfunctional family and the verbal and physical abuse at school. The way young Michael reacts to these external factors gives us insight into how unhinged his mind really is, and despite the best efforts of those who care for him, his plunge into madness is almost inevitable. Keeping in tandem with Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects," one cannot help feel a trace of sorrow for Myers' downward spiral, regardless of how he handles his circumstances.
The chain of events (with the exception of the third act) in this remake remain, for the most part, unchanged with regard to the original film's plot. Michael is transferred to the mental asylum and placed under the evaluation of Dr. Loomis. Despite the seemingly earnest efforts of Loomis to help Michael, we further see that Michael's situation is indeed a hopeless one as he delves further and further into darkness. His general apathy for the suffering of others is shown particularly well since, as both a child and an overwhelming adult, he continues to kill without consequence. Another element that was handled quite well was the concept of Michael's mask. The reasons why he makes and wears his masks are fully explored this time around, cluing the viewers in to why he behaves the way he does.
Indeed, I thoroughly enjoyed Rob Zombie's take on John Carpenter's classic. The origins of Michael Myers were portrayed as a fairly believable, moody, and altogether tragic turn of events. Much like real life serial killers, the tell-tale signs portrayed by little Michael before his life as a killer begins are very realistic and accurate. Once he begins his downward spiral, you actually feel everyone's pain. One murder in particular that occurs when he is an adult is quite painful to watch, mainly because the person he kills is the last person you'd expect him to lay a hand on. Alas, the same scene effectively shows Michael's complete disregard for human life as his fall into madness comes full swing.
The movie was far from perfect, however. Despite the strong and unique direction, I felt as though certain characters were underdeveloped. Sheriff Bracket was sorely underused, in my opinion, as were the Strodes. Once the film was over, I immediately found myself thinking that the interaction between Laurie Strode and her parents could've been fleshed out more. Between the parents in particular, some hints for the audience regarding Laurie's past would've fit into the film nicely. Furthermore, despite the brief length of her role, I wanted to see more of Deborah Myers' (played sufficiently by Sheri Moon Zombie) mental anguish upon her reaction to her family's turmoil.
On the subject of characters, I just want to point out that Laurie Strode was portrayed and acted fairly well by Scout Taylor-Compton, as evidenced by plenty of the on-screen chemistry between her, her friends, and the youngsters she's watching over. Not to mention, her screaming abilities follow the footsteps of Jamie Lee Curtis quite well. Daeg Faerch, in a very creepy role, powerfully portrays a young Michael Myers. Malcolm McDowell, despite his character being somewhat underdeveloped, gives a fairly warm and well-acted performance as Dr. Loomis, and Brad Dourif was a welcome surprise as Sheriff Brackett.
A worthy mention goes to Tyler Mane as the adult version of the new Michael Myers. While not much can be said about a silent role, Mane's on-screen presence is nothing short of daunting, and the fear he induces in both his victims (not to mention the audience) is nothing short of staggeringly menacing. The final confrontation in the third act is particularly well-shot, and the silence of his character is almost deafening as he attempts to reach out to one person in particular. Indeed, most roles, even the short-lived ones, were portrayed with an apt mixture of humor, fear, and charisma. A particular favorite of mine was William Forsythe's role as the estranged boyfriend of Deborah Myers.
Aside from the technicalities, the movie dripped with atmosphere, personality, style, and overall believability. Rob Zombie's take on Halloween may have been different, but it is, in my opinion, both a valid and an effective one. The origin of Michael Myers' insanity was a great approach, hands down.
All in all, a job well done on Zombie's part. In my opinion, the nay-sayers' arguments are not sound in the least; they simply cry foul at the very idea of a remake more than anything, and refuse to give the film a chance. Its departure from the overall mystique inherent in Carpenter's original does not hold water as far as I'm concerned. Zombie's approach makes sense, and the fact that we're inside Myers' head does not detract from his scariness. He's still incredibly imposing, and his disregard for human life is all too apparent as the film progresses. His silence speaks volumes, and the brief glimpses of his eyes are extremely haunting.
Fans of the original can still prefer John Carpenter's original, but I urge all viewers to approach with an open mind. Gory, dark, stylish, and consistently entertaining, Halloween '07 drips with Rob Zombie's technique and overall quirkiness.
Overall, a worthy re-telling of a classic with its fair share of twists.