Halloween Review

Review of Halloween (2018) by screenqueeen: 👎 1.5/5

the thirteenth night in the lonesome hooptober day 38 film 34 cats: 0

88/100

sometimes i will watch an 'event' horror movie and wonder what it is that i'm missing in the middle of others who regard it so highly. i didn't get that at all here, sitting and waiting for a(nother) direct sequel supposedly ~40 years in the making to do something, anything interesting. this never gets anywhere i would call interesting and feels like when your body stops processing stimulants to energize you, emphasizing how tired you really feel but only with a faster heartbeat that feels threatening to your own self only, like you fell into some kind of trap you should've seen coming. the thing i felt the most was how much of THE FORCE AWAKENS this feels like: a formula derived from that which it came directly from and is meant to follow, concentrated down to mad libs fill-in-the-blanks for slightly different things to happen to show that this isn't a direct copy of the original because Laurie's weathered now, hardened and pushed into an emotionless survivalist and it's about those who lived through that night 40 years ago except when it's about the kids tonight who will suffer similar fates and fears that Laurie and her friends did.

there's nothing behind this that matters. i think Carpenter phoned it in here, nothing felt inspired or energetic in any way. i don't like the Zombie movies but this makes them seem so, so much better in comparison. for what Green and McBride were trying to do with this "return to basics" they sure seem to have lifted from the follow-ups they want us to ignore quite a bit. this came across as such an impersonal effort, wanting the HALLOWEEN train to keep going by exploiting what everyone says they see in the original to fuel its own exploitation that ironically is represented so perfectly by the two doofus podcasters who deliver the setup to the audience in the clunkiest way possible, thrusting purpose onto Michael (or trying to) despite still not getting that what makes 1978's classic so influential and affecting is that there is none.