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Thursday, October 18, 2018

Jeff's Halloween Special Review - HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION (2002)



We continue to look back in retrospect at the Halloween franchise films that we have loved, or at least found entertaining, before they cease to exist with the release of the new Halloween II on October 19th. We continue our fond remembrance of the Halloween franchise with the worst of the Halloween franchise, HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION and pretty much sunk the franchise to nothing but constant remakes.



"Evil find its way home."

Wikipedia Synopsis: HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION is the eighth installment in the Halloween series. It continues with Michael Myers continuing his murderous rampage in his hometown of Haddonfield. Yet, this time, the killer's old, derelict childhood home is being used for a live internet horror show.



HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION is directed by Rick Rosenthal, who had also directed Halloween II in 1981. The film builds upon the continuity of Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, and that is only the first mistake. Writers Larry Brand and Sean Hood apparently wanted Michael Myers to compete with Jason X, and thereby created something just as bad if not worse. Jamie Lee Curtis had agreed to H2O believing they would be ending Michael once and for all. Instead the writers found a way to bait and switch the ending and mistaken identity allows RESURRECTION to happen. It is reported that Jamie Lee only agreed to reprise her role as Laurie yet again because this time, at least one of them, would be killed once and for all. It seems only right and fair that the man who introduced the relationship between Laurie and Michael be at the helm. What makes it confusing is RESURRECTION is literally two movies in one. The first part representing the culmination of the brother and sister storyline and serving as an excuse as to how it is possible that Michael can continue his reign of stabbings. It also appears that Jamie is there just to lend credibility to the film. After that, in the guise of nostalgia, Michael returns to his childhood home to find it has been invaded by modern day ghost hunters seeking a living spirit, which he is obliged to provide, while returning to his original roots of being a hulking killer.



The second part of HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION stars a crazy mix of actors and non-actors like Busta Rhymes, Bianca Kajlich, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Ryan Merriman, Sean Patrick Thomas, Katee Sackhoff, Daisy McCrackin, Luke Kirby and Tyra Banks. With such an ensemble its obvious the film makers were hoping to create a more 00's type slasher film that borrowed from films like Scream. The character of Michael became more of an anguished killer, miles away from the hulking figure we grew to love. As a whole the idea behind HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION implies Michael has returned from the dead to pay vengeance upon the TV crew that has invaded his childhood home. Then things get ridiculous. Tyra Banks plays herself, at least so it seems, and rapper Busta Rhymes tries desperately to be LL Cool J (in a worse way then LL). As you watch you can't help but feel bad for Katee Sackhoff stuck in a stereotypical role that, thankfully, did not define her career, like it did Busta. Finally, the last thing I'll question... is it just me or does Michael's mask look more like a tired Ray Liotta?



HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION is one of the Halloween franchise films we wish we could say we would miss now that the timeline has been rewritten. But, in the end, there is still entertainment value, even though it did kill the continuing saga that was once the Halloween franchise.




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