Rating: 
Summary: Busta Rhymes is an insult to Halloween
Review: This movie was terrible. I thought Busta Rhymes completely ruined the movie with his beyond terrible acting. The first 15 minutes of the movie was worth seeing it though. If your a true horror movie and halloween fan, then prepare to be disappointed. The movie was way too predictable and I just couldnt take busta seriously
Rating: 
Summary: "What took you so long?"
Review: This line, uttered by the fated Jaime Lee Curtis in her menial guest role for this film, is the phrase that says it all. With the remarkable (and finite) ending of H20, we all thought, and I hoped, it was all over for Michael Myers (don't get me wrong, i love these films, but why let it go too far?). However, the capitalist in us all reminded us that any film that shows any hint at success will inevitably spawn a sequel. This is it. With a plot that is way too reminiscent of "Blair Witch 2" (which in turn was a huge rip-off of "Blair Witch Project"), it is only redeemed by the acting of Busta Rhymes and Bianca Kajlich. Michael himself is reminscient of H20 and 6, but with a good mask. I will admit that the final chase scene between Myers and characters Sarah and Freddie was good. Overall, not the best film, but not the worst by far.
Rating:
Summary: Well, it wasn't NEARLY as bad as I thought it would be....
Review: Okay...I've seen every "Halloween" flick numerous times (though I've only seen Part 3 twice, because it has nothing to do with the rest of the series and is basically excrement). When I saw that there was an eighth installment slated for release (and not even in October), I was thinking "oh, God." Why? Because up 'til now, every "Halloween" movie has been good, adding to the story, and making the previous films more interesting...unlike most slasher series which start promisingly, then degenerate by the third sequel to simply slice 'n' dice with no further plot developments (or ludicrous plot developments, at best). I'm speaking here of Halloween 1, 2, 4, 5, Curse, and H2O. Once again, Part 3 doesn't really count.Of all the actual Michael Myers sequels, 2 was actually the worst...which is surprising, since the earlier sequels are usually better and get progressively worse as the series is passed from director to director. It actually provided some essential information...but, regardless, seemed more like a "Friday the 13th" clone than a worthy successor to the film that INSPIRED "Friday the 13th." "Halloween 4" is actually my favorite sequel...and though some would cry blasphemy, I think it may even be better than the original. Just my opinion, of course...but it was an excellent film. So, since the series has always been head and shoulders above all other slasher series, I was afraid that this latest installment would tarnish that reputation by being simply another MTV generation trendy neo-hipster "horror" flick. Then I saw the preview and was even more worried. Then I heard that Rick Rosenthal (the director of "Halloween 2") was at the helm. And since that film was my least favorite sequel, his involvement to nothing to abate my fears...rather it heightened them even further. But, it WAS a "Halloween" film, so it was my sworn duty to trudge to the theatre, despite my misgivings, and check it out firsthand. And yes, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. This film needs a better trailer, because it is infinitely more entertaining and in-depth than the existing preview leads one to believe. Yeah, true...it's the same basic premise that has driven all of these movies...but once again, revelations are made and more information is handed to the audience which actually ADDS to the previous films. Now, at first, it seemed that this film was ignoring the events that took place in the 4th, 5th, and 6th installments. But about two thirds of the way through, you see that it isn't necessarily neglecting those elements...it's just not paying them much mind. This film is mainly concerned with the events of "Halloween," "Halloween 2," and "H2O." And if you think about it, "H2O" was the same way. It basically had nothing to do with the 4th-6th installments, and simply continued with the Laurie Strode storyline from Parts 1 and 2. It seems as if 4, 5, and Curse, though they were great films and among the very best in the series, comprise their own little storyline that 1, 2, H2O, and Resurrection don't really care about. Still...the series, I feel, should always be taken in as a whole. Many elements in this film were very similar to elements in Part 2. Once again, we have Michael chasing Laurie through a hospital. Once again, there are images of punctured eyes (though not as you might expect, in this case). Once again, fire comes into play. There is also a strong "Blair Witch" element at work. Perhaps this film could have been called "The Haddonfield Boogeyman Project"...just a thought. All in all, though, this is a strong film and a worthy addition to the series. I just hope that the next one will live up to it. And yes...there WILL be a next one. It's already got set-up in this latest effort in the form of its fairly predictable closing scene. It'll still make you jump, though. And isn't that what these movies are all about?
Rating: 
Summary: Michael's Back!
Review: A team of college students is recruited to take part in an experimental Dangertainment webcast event. The group will explore the childhood home of legendary serial killer Michael Myers. They must spend the entire night there in order to win cash scholarships, all the while wearing cameras that broadcast their actions live over the internet. Busta Rhymes plays Freddie Harris, the man who came up with the whole thing, and who has plans to spend the night scaring the kids whenever he gets the chance. It's all in the name of entertainment, and money. But what no one is aware of, is that Michael Myers has returned to his home, and he isn't happy about this intrusion on his privacy. The team of students is expected to search the house to find clues on why Michael went mad and committed all those horrible murders, but as they separate and search, they are picked off one by one. Who will survive, if anyone?
To be honest, I never was a big fan of the slasher genre. I can usually appreciate the originals. For example, the first Halloween was very good. And I will always give the sequels a chance, but they're usually only good for one viewing, after that the whole idea just gets a bit boring. But this film was a surprising treat! The whole webcast plot really added something new to the genre. Busta Rhymes' character brought something different to the film too. Overall it was pretty cool! Definitely the best of the Halloween films I've seen since the original. I will admit to being one of the few people who enjoyed Halloween 3 though, the one that had nothing to do with Michael. Anyway, those of you who are sick of slasher sequels that don't deliver, don't be scared to go see this one. And just to inform everyone, Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode for a short cameo at the beginning of the film, and no, it isn't a flashback.
Rating: 
Summary: Well..... the creepy music was kind of cool
Review: This movie left me with many questions to ponder:
1) Why do they glamourize serial killers in movies?
2) Why does Jamie Lee Curtis (as Micheal Myers sister) ask to her brother "Why did you take so long to find me?" Wouldn't a more apt question have been: "How the heck do you live through each sequel?"
3) Why do horror movies tend to think that loud sound effects are scary? (Honestly, I think I might have a migrane)
4) Is there something special you have to do to kill Micheal Myers? I mean, really. The guy has been decapitated, burned (several times), electrocuted, stabbed, beaten up, kicked in the face and groin, fallen off buildings, shot, taken verbal abuse (am I forgetting something....please let me know)...
5) Why am I watching a movie when the two most notable names are Tyra Banks and Busta Rhymes?
6) Do we really need Busta Rhymes doing Bruce Lee moves and cussing like a sailor at Micheal Myers?
7) Why did I pay for this? I could have given it to a local charity or something. Now my disclaimer: I like horror movies as much as the next guy or gal. I just thought that some things were overdone. Honestly, I think you can picture this movie in your mind and it might be as good, or better, than seeing it. It is that predictable and rediculous. I know that I didn't expect much from an 8th sequel to a series, but I just had to give no credit where no credit is due. Do not see this movie at the show. At least wait till it comes out on video.
Rating:
Summary: Halloween: Resurrection
Review: When will I learn to stop going to these slasher sequels? "Halloween: Resurrection" is the 8th movie in the "Halloween" series, but only the 4th in the storyline. Make sense? No? Well, nevermind. No, let me explain. Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance starred in the first two Halloween movies as Laurie Strode (Michael Myers' sister), and Dr. Loomis, respectively. Those two films count as part of the 'official' storyline. Then, "Halloween 3" comes along, having nothing whatsoever to do with the Michael Myers-as-serial killer storyline. "Halloween" 4,5, and 6 all featured Dr. Loomis again, as he chased down Michael Myers as some sort of obsession. Then, "Halloween:H20" comes along as the seventh film in the series, and says: "O.K. Please disregard the storylines in parts 4,5, and 6 - we're picking up from after part 2." Laurie Strode was back, and her and Michael faced off in some fierce macho woman vs. man in a William Shatner mask competition. That's some "Halloween" lore for you. Legend has it that when creating the mask for Michael Myers, they decided to mold it off a bust of William Shatner. So basically, what we have are 7 (not counting the third part) movies about Captain Kirk stalking twenty-something imbeciles. In 2002, 24 years after the original "Halloween", we are graced with part 8, "Resurrection". An apt title, as Mr. Myers was decapitated at the end of the last film. The explanation given for his survival from the beheading is preposterous, but then again, I'm not sure why I should be surprised. After a teenage youth spent watching all the Jason and Freddy movies on HBO, I don't know why *anything* a maniacal, knife-wielding killer does should surprise me anymore. Laurie Strode, after her own maniacal experience with an axe at the end of "Halloween:H20", is shown to be residing in a mental hospital. Michael Myers arrives and dispatches his sister after she had a perfect opportunity to do away with him for good. Ah, sibling rivalry - when will it end? After he and his sister share a last kiss (I'm not joking here), Michael then proceeds to make his way home to his old house in Haddonfield, IL. It is here where I began to question how Michael gets around. Does he drive? Or does he walk? I prefer the "walking" theory, as it explains why he is always breathing so heavily under that mask. Also converging on Haddonfield, IL. is the brand new video company, Dangertainment, run by Busta Rhymes (the movie just keeps getting better). Actually, truth be told, it's mainly for Busta Rhymes that I'm even giving this movie 2 stars, instead of 1 (or zero, if I were able to). Dangertainment is a company which finds eerie locales and broadcasts from them live, via the internet. The inaugural location is that of the Myers home, now quite run-down and spookily grey looking (day or night), so it evokes the right level of 'scary'. Busta then gets a handful of volunteers (ha! like you'd catch me in there) to spend the night in the house whilst the cameras roll. Of course, Michael Myers is busy chillin' at the crib when these intruders arrive at his doorstep, so he is forced to cut short his dinner of live rats (no joke) and dispense with them. This begs the serious question: Would an entertainment company be allowed to do a broadcast from the home of a *still at-large* serial killer, on Halloween night, the very night that the psycho likes to lower the population of Haddonfield every few years? No, you say? Well, luckily for Dangertainment (and the script writers), the question was never raised. What ensues in the rest of "Halloween:Resurrection" is the usual carnage and impalement that occurs in every slasher flick. I thought that the movie did not balance the humor and the horror elements very well, nor did I find the characters that compelling. I know I probably sound like I'm looking for Shakespeare in "Halloween", and should just be happy that they didn't pretend to kill-off Michael Myers again and then at the end surprise us by showing that he was actually still alive. Oooops. Nevermind.
Rating:
Summary: Too painful to watch
Review: I was willing to accept most of this movie's terrible flaws. Bad acting, stupid characters, obvious cash-ins, the ridiculous way of bringing Michael back, too much comic relief, copycat scenes of other horror films, Busta Rhymes hammy martial arts scenes, I could deal with them. So what is it that I found totally unacceptable? It was Laurie Strode's death. Before I saw this movie, I heard rumors that she was going to die. I prayed it wasn't true, but it was unfortunately confirmed within the first 15-20 minutes of this film. Here's the story... In 1998 Laurie Strode thought she decapitated Michael Myers, but she was wrong. It seems he switched outfits with a paramedic before he could be loaded into the van, so Laurie ended up fighting with and killing the wrong guy. Why didn't the paramedic just say something? Because Michael crushed his larynx. 3 years later... Laurie is now comitted to a mental institution after losing her mind from the aforementioned event. She pretends to be totally still and mute, but is actually putting on an act and just waiting for Michael to show up. Of course, he does and manages to bust into her room (thanks to the incompetent security guards). He chases her down the hall and up the stairs to the roof. As soon as he steps into a remote-controlled knoose, Laurie pushes the button and has him hanging upside down. He ends up dropping the knife, which Laurie picks up and has a little chat with him. She tells him he has failed because she is no longer afraid of him and no longer afraid to die. She then proceeds to cut the rope, but stops when Michael starts grabbing his head like the paramedic did at the end of H20. This leads Laurie to believe that she may be killing another innocent person, so she makes the dumb mistake of going over to Michael and trying to pull off the mask just "to be sure" (like she knows what his face looks like anyway). Sure enough, it was just a trick. Michael grabs Laurie, the rope breaks and he takes her down with him (regaining the knife in the process). He ends up hanging on to the rope with one hand and stabbing her in the back with the other. Laurie then kisses Michael, says "I'll see you in Hell", and then falls into the trees in slow motion (accompanied by some dramatic score, thus crafting a pathetic attempt at making it seem like such a good ending for her). The only time I accept the demise of heroes and heroines is when they die trying to do good. If Laurie had died trying to save somebody or something like that, then I would have accepted it. But no! Laurie Strode died because she was stupid. What made her think she was about to kill an innocent person? He busted down her door with his bare hands and came after her with a knife. She should have either cut that rope or let him hang. Also, how did Michael know the paramedic felt his head, and what was all that jive about him "failing"? It seems to me like HE won the battle. I think Jamie Lee Curtis is a terrific actress, but I am very disappointed in her. She made a very poor decision which I find to be quite insulting to the character that made her what she is today. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to watch another movie with her again. It is too grim a reminder. I have an excellent idea for the next HALLOWEEN, but due to the fact that I am an inexperienced screenwriter (still learning), I doubt I can strike a deal with the owners. Too bad, because I would have brought Laurie back and sent her off with a bang. P.S. Yes, I do have this movie, but only for collecting. Guess how many times I have actually watched it.
Rating:
Summary: "I've Been Trick or Treated to Death Tonight"
Review: I watched Halloween: Resurrection on opening night. I was very pleased to hear a modified version of John Carpenter's original score at the introduction, but was disappointed to see only credits with no graphic stimulus (i.e. a jack-o-lantern or something indicating the nature of the film). I wondered whether this was an indication of what the rest of the movie would be like. "As a matter of fact...it was." All the famous lines from the previous installments may as well have been repeated because many of Michael's murder tricks were. It is strange that Rick Rosenthal has had so much experience in this arena, only to have his best Halloween work to date be Halloween 2. Michael's mask looked more like the original William Shatner (James T. Kirk) mask from Halloween, but the hair made him look like Ronald McDonald on a bad make-up day. Jamie Lee Curtis contributed nothing worthwhile to the film. It is a shame that she wasted her time with it. I suppose she just wanted to have a little more fun. And speaking of fun, that is the only redeeming quality Halloween: Resurrection has. The plot is weak and stupid and a lot of the cinematography is reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project. But it is packed with goofy pick-up lines and silly jokes. What this addition lacks in serious shock and fear value it almost makes up for in plain old entertainment; especially the scene where the two Michaels are facing each other and one is cussing out the other and telling him to get lost. What does the real Michael do? Let's just say you won't expect it. There were a few heart-stopping thrills, but without the comedy element this is a two-star production. It rates only one viewing. Don't waste time with the DVD. I wonder when Michael, Jason, and Freddy will team up to hunt new victims on the space shuttle or on another planet? It can't be far away; John Carpenter's original plot has been butchered so much I doubt it can keep getting up as often as Michael Myers can, but I'm sure it will try. Halloween has been transformed into a ridiculous franchise.
Rating:
Summary: Big Disappointment!
Review: The whole movie was very predictable and just a typical teeny bopper date movie. They transformed a classic horror flick that actually had some meaning and a pretty ill story line. They simply replaced the "Scream Mask". The only reason I gave this movie 1 star was because of the first 15 min. Thats how the movie should have been!
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie if it's the Last One
Review: Halloween Resurrection was a great movie under one condition, that it will be the last of the series. Since there has been speculation about Jamie Lee Curtis being killed I guess it's no mystery anymore, which is the first reason this better be the last Halloween movie. They better not make another one if Jamie Lee Curtis can't be in it, because that would be wrong, she is the main character and it wouldn't be right without her in it. Another reason is that he should've died by now, I know that in every horror movie the killer never dies, but he should've died in this one only because director's are running out of interesting ways to kill their bad guys. So I really liked this movie, but if they plan on Halloween 9 I could change my mind very quickly.
|
