John Carpenter’s Halloween remains among the finest (horror) films ever made. Its sequels? Less so. And while fans have their favourites, there’s rarely consensus on what’s good and what’s not (although my buddy Evan Dossey usually has the right of it). Halloween: Resurrection was truly risible despite the amusing sight of Busta Rhymes drop-kicking Michael Myers. After that debacle, Rob Zombie’s duology of 2007’s Halloween and 2009’s Halloween II was a blast of fresh air — the first notably original vision for the property and story since Carpenter’s original. It’s marvelous that Via Vision has issued a Blu-ray set with a trick-or-treat bag worth of extras.
Zombie’s Halloween remakes Carpenter’s original but adds context concerning Michael, notably and controversially explaining why Michael kills. This isn’t pity, just the start of watching stones slip downhill before the landside. It’s engaging and fascinating. Zombie understands we know the story and endeavors to make the story his own.
Scout Taylor-Compton has the very rough job of trying to follow Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, and she is fine here (though she shines more in Halloween II), distinct enough not to be a copy but not really feeling like much else either. Brad Dourif is wonderful as Sheriff Brackett and Malcolm McDowell is great as a more slimy, celebrity-obsessed Dr Loomis. Tyler Mane is the new Michael, and holy shit, is he something to behold — truly terrifying in a different way than classic Michael. The original Michael could hide in your home’s shadows. Zombie’s Michael will simply just burst through your wall to get you.
While the film is is ultimately a mixed bag, it’s a memorable take on Michael. Via Vision’s Blu-ray here contains both the unrated and theatrical cuts, the latter with a Zombie commentary track. There’s also a lot of behind-the-scenes footage, alternate endings and deleted scenes with commentaries, and a lot on the cast. There’s also a four-and-a-half-hour documentary by Zombie chronically the making of the film. You certainly can’t call this edition light on extras.
Halloween II is where Zombie really takes flight and delivers the second-best Halloween film of them all (after Carpenter’s original).I t’s got the most creative raison d’etre out of any of the Halloween sequels, a story Zombie wants to tell and not something made just to thrill or make money. Zombie himself called the unrated cut a “challenging movie to watch,” and it is really, really dark. It picks up from the first film and just takes everything to the worst level. It’s somewhat similar to the original Halloween II in this fact, yes, but a clever sleight of hand at the start tells you Zombie is not merely retelling that story and is going darker and deeper in his own continuation.
Taylor-Compton truly comes into her own as Laurie here, distinguishing her work from Curtis’s version. Hers is a dark and powerful descent that meditates on trauma but does so with an earnestness that never feels mean or gratuitous despite Myers still shattering absolutely anything in his way. It’s a really terrific film that both outshines most of its franchise brethren and seriously stands on its own. It’s great then that the Ultimate Edition Blu-ray has the unrated and theatrical cuts, and again audio commentary by Zombie (along with a lot of great behind-the-scenes extras).
Perhaps the perfect analogy for these films are their remixes of Carpenter’s classic musical theme. It’s used sparingly but you feel when it hits — grimier and more savage than Carpenter’s more spooky and sinister performance but reaching a visceral crescendo to underscore the films’ power. One of the best slasher films ever made (and a worthy predecessor) presented in terrific format with a ton of extras. What more could you ask for?