Ever since Michael Myers first stalked the babysitter in 1978's horror defining classic, 'Halloween', we've longed for a return to form and a decent follow up in that original franchise. 'Halloween 2' is about the closest they ever came to a proper follow up to the original, with sequel after sequel continuing to further take the story away from it's roots. To make Michael less and less frightening and more about how messed up his mask can get. However, I'm going to leave Rob Zombie's take on the series, out of this conversation. To me, they are 2 films unto themselves. Neither carrying on the story that started so many years ago, but rather to tell the story from another perspective. Granted, I'm a huge fan of Rob's work and feel that those 2 films are great examples of how to take something and make it your own. Love them or hate them, they are what Rob wanted them to be. A boogeyman built for a new generation.
With John Carpenter's masterwork slowly losing it's credibility over the years, fans have clamored for someone new to take the helm and bring us all back to basics. A streamlined piece of horror cinema that relies as much on music and mood, as it does murder and mayhem. There have been many rumors and whispers amongst horror fans for years. There have been fan films and comics and merchandising galore. There is no doubt that Michael has just as much power over the public now, as he did back in the late 70's and early 80's. People love him. In the past year or so, there were talks of John Carpenter traveling back to Haddonfield for role as producer in a new 'Halloween' installment. The buzz around this was insane. Fans were ready for him to resurrect the monster he created and to bring him back to form. Over time though, things kind of quieted, until this week. The new word on the street is something a bit unexpected. It was just announced on February 10th, that David Gordon Green (Stronger, Our Brand Is Crisis, Joe, Pineapple Express) and Danny McBride (Alien: Covenant, Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals) were in talks to bring 'Halloween' back, but they're not alone.
Now, unless you've been under a rock for the past decade, this is kind of an unusual pairing of ideas. Taking a couple of guys who don't have any real experience in the genre and handing them the keys to the kingdom. But wait, is that a bad thing? Another unlikely horror hero came out of the woodwork a while back and has been breathing life into the genre. None other than Elijah Wood. Yes, THAT Elijah Wood. It turns out, that the man is a horror fiend and ever since dipping his toe in the pond, he's been creating some pretty amazing stuff. For example, 2013's remake of 'Maniac' or 2014's 'Cooties', just to name a couple. He's also created his own production company and has been championing scary movies left and right. If this doesn't give you a little bit of hope, that two other non-fright films kind of guys, might be able to create something good.... I don't know what will. It's been proven time and time again that some of the most unsuspecting people will surprise you with how truly terrifying they can be. Maybe it's time we got a fresh set of hands on this franchise?
Danny McBride, when talking about what their 'Halloween' would be, had this to say: “You know, it’s not a remake. It’s actually, it’s gonna continue the story of Michael Myers in a really grounded way. And for our mythology, we’re focusing mainly in the first two movies and what that sets up and then where the story can go from there. Green and I are definitely going to [do] a straight-up horror. Halloween has always been one of my favorite movies of all time. There’s a simplicity and an efficiency to that first one that I think allows the movies just to be scary as hell. And so Green and I, our approach is to get back to that.” He continued on to say, “David and I are thrilled to step outside of our comedic collaborations and dive into a dark and vicious horror. Nobody will be laughing.” Right there, I get a little bit of goosebumps thinking about the prospects. Granted, 'Texas Chainsaw 3D' was the wrong way to continue a story from a fixed point in time, but if it's done right, it could be pretty amazing. Malek Akkad was even quoted, talking about the project: “It’s been a long journey with many starts and stops, but I can honestly say that I’ve never been more excited than by the team that we have assembled for the new ‘Halloween’. I truly feel this film will thrill fans, old and new, as well as being a high point in this legendary franchise.” I'm ready to see what this team might come up with. With John Carpenter still in the executive producers chair and possibly even heading up the music, and Malek Akkad behind it all, then I say let's give someone else a chance to play in this iconic sandbox. I'm ready for Michael to get back to his roots. What say you, Creeps?
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