‘Halloween (2018)’: The Horror News Network Review
Halloween fans are used to being disappointed. However, after decades of false starts, inconsistency, and mind-bending retcons, our love of the original 1978 masterpiece has remained steadfast and our optimism for an effective follow-up has never been affected by a long line of attempts which never quite hit the high watermark that John Carpenter established with Halloween and arguably maintained with 1981’s Halloween II. Halloween (2018) was supposed to change everything. Directed by David Gordon Green and based on a script by Green and Danny McBride- the duo known for dark and complex non-horror titles such as Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals– the early hype for the film focused on a concerted effort to return to the franchise’s roots, both thematically and narratively. This mission was reinforced by another return of Jamie Lee Curtis as the iconic Laurie Strode, a guest appearance by Nick Castle as The Shape, and John Carpenter’s direct involvement in the franchise by acting as executive producer and providing music for the new film. And then came the trailer- a nearly perfect study in the recreation of the visual and auditory style of the original movie- which resulted in a fever pitch of anticipation for fans who were eager to believe that it was finally happening… he was finally going to come home in style! Unfortunately- and it brings me no pleasure to say this- the greatest moments of the film were all featured in that fateful trailer, and the new Halloween movie suffers greatly due to baffling choices with both story and character. There are fleeting moments in the film which will inspire even the most orthodox Halloween fan, but those moments are earned by the legacy of the franchise rather than the merits of the movie itself.
