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Halloween: H20

Halloween: H20

List Price: $14.99
Your Price: $13.49
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Twenty years Later.
Review: This one besides the first two is the best of them all. Not because of the story or acting, because of how scary it is and how great the ending is. This one is well worth buying, The story takes place in California at a school where Jaime lee curtis is the head mistress. She faked her death to get away from her brother Michael and now has a 17 year old son named John. But somehow Michael finds away to get to her and starts trying to kill John. Laurie now knows to face her brother in this one.This one is truly a thrill ride from start to finish with a great ending.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: 10 Things I Hate About This Movie
Review: This movie [...]! I hate it! There is nothing great to expect from this film. You may say, "Oh, look, there's Jamie Lee Curtis! Maybe I should go see this movie!" Don't see it! Never ever see it! The story has to do with Laurie Strode again. She lives in California under a new name, Keri Tate. She is the Dean of an amazing school where her son is taught. Michael kills a few people in Haddonfield and finds a file on Laurie. He gets from Haddonfield to California in one day! Yah right buddy! The only thing that could do that would be the creature from "JEEPERS CREEPERS"! Anyway, Michael gets his way to California. Finally, he starts killing people! I waited like 45 minutes for him to kill something! He finally did for about 20 minutes! Laurie's son, John, and his friends, have a Halloween bash and they get offed quickly. The thing that was bad about this movie was that when I saw my main characters, I knew who was going to die and who was going to survive! The only thing that was cool about this movie was the cameo by Joseph Gordon Levitt. He is an amazing actor. He was good in "10 Things I Hate About You". He is in the film for about 7 minutes and dies by getting an ice skate in his face! Why???
Here is 10 reasons why I despise this movie
1) bad acting
2) bad Jamie Lee Curtis
3) Levitt was in it for 2 seconds
4) death scenes were stupid
5) short movie
6) only 7 kills
7) no hot girls
8) unrealistic
9) bad one liners
10) Michael gets killed at least 6 times in this movie and he still comes back

I hate this movie! Good bye...[...] Go check out my review for Halloween Resurrection!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Steve Miner's Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Review: Great entry for the Halloween series, but makes it seem like Halloween 4, 5, and 6 were never made. Ever though it looks like this copy of of Scream, it is still a good movie. Marion Chambers Wittington(Nancy Stephens) who lives in Langdon, Illinois(not Haddonfield), has her house broken into. She goes to her neighbor Jimmy's(Joseph Gordon-Levitt) house and asks for help. When they find nothing, they all go home. But Marion goes into her office and finds a file on Laurie Strode(Jamie Lee Curtis) opened. Then she runs back to Jimmy's house and finds him dead and she finds herself running from Michael Myers. She ends up being killed off. Michael is now on his way to California. Laurie, who is now known as Keri Tate, is the headmaster at a private school in California and is now a recovering alchoholic who is loosing her son John(Josh Hartnett). She has fallen in love with the counsoler Will Brennan(Adam Arkin). It is surprising to see Janet Leigh as the secretary Norma, who drives a car similar to the one in Psycho. HALLOWEEN 1998 John is planned to go on a field trip with a bunch of other kids. Instead John stays on campus with his girfriend Molly(Michelle Williams) and two other friends. Back at the Tate house Laurie tells Will about her past and she becomes worried, again. She looks in John's room and finds his duffel bag unpacked. She gets her gun and goes to answer the door. She thinks it is Michael but it's the security guard Ronny(LL Cool J). He says that a mysterious car is parks infront of the school, so Laurie/Keri, Will, and Ronny head for the school. At the school, John and Molly have discovered that both friends have been murdered by Michael. While running from him, Michael stabs John, but they escape in the car. Laurie has finally had enough with Michael and has a final showdown with him in the school.....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The ultimate Halloween!
Review: Although part 6 (1996), which got 3 stars deserved 3 and a half, part 7 (H20) is the ultimate. It brings Curtis back to reprise her role. Although part 6 was almost better in a "scary" sense, it had 2 undoubtful flaws. It was too gory and people were killed off too quick. Plus, Michael wasn't as "fun" as he was in the previouse films. The good things that part 6 owns that 7 doesn't is great, long suspense before the big chasing. I think when Kara's son walked into the Myers House and she ran across to the house to save him, that was so scary, and upstairs you can see Michael, stabbing Beth...But H20 has it's betters, like such great acting, including Curtis and Josh Harnett. The gore and bodycount was toned down from part 6's 15 deaths to H2O'S 6 deaths (2 off screen, so 4). H2o definately has a better ending then the previous, it is, however, too short (86 min.) but it was pretty well crammed for it's run time. This is definately a powerful sequel and fans should diss 3, 4, 5 and 6...and just keep 1, 2, H2O and Ressurection in their collection, it will make more sense, seeing that part 7 (h20) and 8 ignore parts 3-6 as if they never were released. Definately a must see on the special edition DVD, H2O is a good sequel and the bonus material and 2.35:1 widescreen transfer is great. See it!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Hey Pumpkinheads! Wait For The Deluxe Boxset!!
Review: Howdy! Just a big fan of the Halloween series here to inform y'all of the soon to be released, deluxe dvd boxset of all 6 Halloween movies!! All 6 discs remastered with 1 hour extra of a documentary on John Carpenter. Ya heard right... it is already available in the UK... since dvd discs were invented there, it seems the best stuff comes out there first, then here. But keep your eyes opened because by Halloween 2003 you'll have a chance to get it for yourself. Don't be foolish and jump the gun and order the UK version (released on Sept. 30th, 2002), because you can only play their Region discs in the UK; the U.S. dvd's are Region 1 dics... so be patient and hold on. However... a brand new kind of dvd is heading our way...called SUPERBIT ... it has super sound and is super clear. A much higher resolution picture PLUS Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS sound to boot. Cool, huh? And superbit dvd's can be played on ANY dvd player: that's right, they are multi-regional. Who'd thunk that? You won't have to buy those silly multi-regional adaptors for your dvd player or your playstation either (RegionX), and you won't need to go out and buy a Superbit Dvd Player to enjoy them. A whole slew of superbit dvd's are already on the market, .... By the way... The Exorcist Trilogy DVD Boxset is also headed our way very soon... those lucky Brits already have their hands on this special edition. Okay, okay.. I know you're thinkin', "What are ya, a know-it-all?" "Why come you know too much?", and "When is Elvis comin' back, huh?!" ... well, my kids... I tell ya... I get the big fat DVD REVIEW magazine each month from my local ...store and since it is from the UK it is packed full of info on what is headed our way a year before we hear about it. AND, I spend a little time each week visiting [a website] for info on what movies are being made, like the new Superman 5 movie, starring Brenden Frasier. or the new movie FREDDY VS. JASON! ... P.S. Elvis is already here...on the brand new ELVIS 8 DVD BOXSET... check him out... and uh, thank ya very much.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Great Return For Laurie Strode !
Review: Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the series that made her a star and the results are very good. After the events of Halloween and Halloween II, Laurie moves to California and changes her name. However, no one can escape Michael ! Who needs AAA, call Michael for directions as he makes the trip from Illinois to Califoria seem like a drive to the mall. This is a very good movie, but as in all of the movies, there are things that could have been better, such as some mention as to what happened to Jamie, or maybe she wasn't really born since this installment ignores parts 4-6, as well as part 3 (which we ALL should ignore). Overall, a great return to the series for Jamie Lee and an enjoyable movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Welcome Addition to a Butchered Series
Review: After reading so many positive reviews about Halloween H20 and considering the purchase for a year, I finally decided to take a chance and buy H20 on DVD, to view for the first time. I wish I had watched it in the theaters. This story definietely puts the Halloween series back into perspective and, in my opinion, ranks almost equal to Halloween II. Nothing compares to the original Halloween though this one comes very close. Here are a few ways in which it missed the mark: (1) The soundtrack, though including portions of the Halloween theme and Laurie's theme, was too far removed from the feeling of Halloween (if there is such a thing). It had more of a Psycho flavor to it and in some spots the soundtrack was just plain cheap (too many horns and other high-pitched wind instruments). I was not really expecting more redundancy from a remake of the Halloween and Halloween II scores, but I did hope for some strong similarities. (2) Much like Halloween II we saw too much of The Shape (Michael Myers). Part of what made Halloween such a hit was limited exposure to his appearance. This helped build the suspense. (3) Why did Myers kill nurse Marion? He had what he was looking for long before she arrived. It is a little difficult to connect, but the victims Myers claimed in the first two films were all out of a sort of necessity. He used a few as lures but the rest he ousted because they were in the way. There were a few other deaths in H20 for no good reason other than to "wow" us with more clever ways of killing. Also, recall that in Halloween Michael's heavy breathing in the hot stuffy mask could be heard. That was a very nice effect which is missing from all the sequels. When he was either killing or attempting to kill he would grunt as he stuggled with his victims. This was another obscure element that really gave people the willies in Halloween, which is unfortunately absent from all the other sequels.

Here are a few ways in which H20 hit the target: (1) The chapter introductions, such as "(whatever the town was), Illinois...October 29, 1998..." The scenery was obviously shot in the same location as the first two films and under the same weather conditions. This added a nice Autumn effect and made the Illinois town in California look convincing enough to be real; much more realistic than Halloween 4 which I think was filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah or someplace close by. (2) The Myers mask was almost as creepy as the original. (3) This story line was very well written and well executed by all of the actors. Jamie Lee Curtis really put her heart into it. (4) The cinematography was very nice. There were not as many clever uses of light and props as in Halloween and Halloween II, but it was still well done. (5) The echoing words of Dr. Sam Loomis helped set the focus on what the characters in the film would be dealing with. It set the psychological and mystical tone of the story.

There were a few unanswered questions. How did Michael get from Illinois to California in a day and a half? How did he get gasoline? Where has he been for the past 20 years? How did his eyes grow back? Odd question considering he refuses to die, but if you recall, one of them was put out by a clothes hanger in Halloween. It was still missing when Laurie pulled his mask off a few moments later.

These are just a few observances. By all means, this DVD is a keeper and the story is worthy of its origin. Halloween's 4 (that couldn't have been Michael Myers, it must have been the love child of Star Trek's Commander Data and SNL's Pat), 5, 6, and 8 can all go away. Halloween 3 is an excellent stand-alone story. But any die-hard fan of this series will thoroughly appreciate H20. End the story at Halloween II or H20; either one works just fine, but at least enjoy watching and owning all three.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Will the real Halloween 3 please stand up?
Review: Once upon a time, way back in 1978, there was a little independent film released at the wrong time of year for its title: Halloween. Halloween was not only the first of its kind (in a very long time), but it provided its horrors elegantly and suspensefully, not grotesquely and blatantly. It was the first film from director John Carpenter (waaaaaay before he insisted that his name go above the titles of his increasingly bad movies). Halloween's popularity inspired not only imitations galore (Friday the 13th, The Burning, etc.), but its own sequels. The first sequel (Halloween II) continued the horrors set up in the original on the same evening of the original (but this time full of gore), employing the newly crowned queen of scream, Jamie Lee Curtis, as the star just off her turn in the original. This was a coup that made the sequel a huge hit too. Then the misery began....

Someone in Hollywood got the bright idea to change the Halloween films into a brand name. Thus was born Halloween III: Season of the Witch. This film had absolutely nothing to do with the first two films and it also had absolutely nothing to do with horror or scares (unless you count the horror of paying to watch such dreck).

Halloween IV through VI were sequels to the first two Halloweens, but their premise and association was only remotely attached (Halloween V was a decent delivery, but only when seen as a stand alone film).

Halloween H2O was a return to the original franchise. All the press that came out on the film told viewers that this film is the real sequel to Halloween II. In other words, it is the real Halloween III. This was a wise move. Not only do we have a return to the original story basis, but we are given a return of the original Halloween heroine - Jamie Lee Curtis (no longer a newbie, but a seasoned and accomplished actress, who has the Halloween films to thank, in part, for her success).

It is 20 years later (thus the 20, part of the title - the H refers to Halloween - get it? - Halloween 20 years later). Laurie Strode is alive and disturbed after the horrors of that night some twenty years earlier. She is a mental basket case, a functioning alcoholic, single mother to Josh Hartnett, and the head mistress of a toney boarding school in the middle of nowhere California. Having faked her death many years earlier to avoid the infamy of the horrors of that long ago night (and to hide from her brother Michael, whom she still believes to be alive), she lives as much of a normal life as she can. Only her son and she knows who she really is.

Of course, Michael is no more dead, than the Pope is Jewish.

Halloween H20 does some really neat things that make this film seem not only like a real sequel, but a welcomed return by an old friend. For example, the opening scene features a nurse returning home from work - the nurse seems oddly familiar - and rightly so - if you remember waaay back, it is the same nurse who accompanied Donald Pleasance to the insane asylum the night that Michael Myers originally escaped in 1978. The same actress is used. I don't think she's ever done another film between these two films, but darned if I didn't like that continuity!

Also, Jamie Lee's secretary at the school is none other than her very own "real life" mother: Janet Leigh. This is a really cool cameo, because it offers us a nod to the Hollywood legacy that Jamie Lee inherited, but it also ties in the horror connection as well - Janet was the first to die in the Great Grandfather of all slasher films: Psycho! Now, the filmmakers decided to go even one better, which is the most delicious part of all to the cameo. The car the secretary drives is the exact - and I do mean exact same car that Janet Leigh drove in Psycho. Plus - Plus - if you listen carefully, you will hear the music change very briefly to the Bernard Hermann score from Psycho. It is a very cool cameo!!

Halloween H20 is really a fine sequel and is deserving of being the real Halloween III. No longer just a weakling girl who runs from Michael, Laurie stands up to him and shows her mettle. This is not only within character, but necessary in light of the female empowerment movies that would not allow her to do otherwise (Sigourney Weaver in Aliens, anyone?).

Rent this film, because it is not only a good fright film, but it is an worthy descendent of the original film.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Solid Sequel
Review: I rate the Halloween series as follows, from best to worst: (Please note, Halloween 8 is not out in Australia as yet)
Halloween, Halloween 2, Halloween H2O, Haloween 4, Halloween 6, Halloween 5, Halloween 3.
Halloween and Halloween 2 are far and away my favourite films in the series, with H2O easily third in line. I just watched it for the 5th time - quite scary at times, some great parts, like Michael appearing under the dumbwaiter shaft brandishing his carving knife, the cry of pain when Josh Hartnett is stabbed in the leg, the sheer look of terror by Jamie Lee Curtis as she comes face-to-face with Michael separated only by a door. Nice cameo by Janet Leigh, too. I liked how Michael Myers almost exclusively used a carving knife. I liked the start, when the clock ticked over to October 31st, the flashback to Halloween, etc. I didn't like how (the late) Donald Pleasence's brief voiceover was redone by another actor, and I love L.L. Cool J as a rapper, esp. his early albums - not as a wise ass security guard. If you haven't seen any Halloween movies, try renting 1,2 then H2O.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Yet Another Halloween Movie
Review: Well, when I first saw this movie, I was assuming it was picking up where the sixth one left off. That made little sense to me. Why would Laurie Strode fake her death and leave behind her little daughter as prey for her crazy brother? Kinda selfish, to say the least. Then I understood what "20 years later" implied. When watching this movie, you have to pretend that the last three (not counting Season of the Witch) installments didn't exist.
Laurie Strode is living somewhere else now with her teen son. She assumes that her dear brother Michael has no idea where she is. Fool!
Lots of blood and carnage follow.
This movie is ok as a horror genre flick. I liked it better than the sixth one.


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