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Halloween H2ORating:
Release Date: 19 October, 1999 Retail Price: $39.99 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Complete Cast (19 total) |
Halloween H2O Reviews
A new beginning.
"Halloween H20" takes an unusual direction; it goes on the idea that "Halloween" 3 - 6 never happened, and for the most part it worked. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is now the head school mistress at a private school in northern California. She is still haunted by the memories of Halloween night twenty years ago. But now her obsession with her brother is starting to take it's toll on her son (Josh Harnett). But Michael Myers shows up as most of the school goes on a field trip. Now with only a few faculty and some kids who snuck away from the trip, Myers starts slashing his way closer to his sister. This movie was much better than most of the previous outings, mostly because it was directed by horror vet Steve Miner (who made the best "Friday the 13th" sequal, Part 2). Also the suspense was there and some pretty heavy atmosphere. You really felt that there were all alone in the school compond. This movie still isn't perfect. It is still in the "Scream" frame of mind with it's nods to other classic horror movies (the "Psycho" one was pretty good). And hiring a hip, hot young cast simply because they are pretty people was a bad idea. Also casting L.L. Cool J to appeal to a much wider demographic was too obvious. Though he dosn't do a bad job all in all, it's just that all most any one could have been the security guard. The biggest suprise is Jamier Lee Curtis returning to the role that launched her career. No one ever thought she wound do any more horror. But she came back as a battle scared surviver, and she is strong and resourseful and now actually taking the fight to Myers. Her charactor has now come full circle, and hopefully can lay her demons to rest. Over all though, I really liked it, and revitialized a series that was just limping along.
The best of the lot
I remember watching the original Halloween for the first time with my best friend. It was late at night, and we were expecting some good old-fashioned scares. Unfortunately, we came away disappointed, and we couldn't help feeling the entire movie was pretty lame.
Nevertheless, I persisted through the series, and while the Michael Myers movies were, in all, not bad, nor do I feel they are anything out of the ordinary. I mean, honestly - psycho stalks victims, victims run around screaming, victims die horribly, last remaining victim manages to turn tables on psycho and kill him, usually by pure fluke, and never permanently.
Then Halloween H20 came along, and boy, do I wish I had gone to see this one in the cinema.
Other reviewers have varying opinions, especially where the middle slew of films is concerned. It is a big complaint that H20 basically ignores the existence of film sequels #3 through #6. I admit that I particularly enjoyed sequels #4 & #5, with the introduction of Laurie's niece, Jamie, and her psychic connection to the infamous Michael. But I don't think it detracts at all from H20 to pass over those middle films. (especially #3, which does not even have Michael in it!)
H20 begins in an unspecified town, at the home of the nurse who was Dr Loomis' carer until his death. Although it indicates that Laurie Strode was killed in an accident years ago, Michael Myers clearly believes otherwise. In a nicely chilling opening scene, Michael brutally murders two teenage boys and the nurse after raiding Loomis' old files. No three guesses who he's looking for...
There is plenty to enjoy in this film. We are reintroduced to Laurie 20 years on from her terrifying Halloween night experiences with her psychotic brother, now with a new identity and enough emotional trauma to to put any psychotherapist on the back foot.
She is a single mum and a closet alcoholic, who suffers severe nightmares, and frequent moments of hallucination, seeing images of her brother everywhere.
The premise is simple enough. The school of which she is headmistress is all but empty as 95% of the students head off on a school trip. There are only 7 people in total left in the grounds - Laurie, her boyfriend, school guard LL Cool J, and the four students who didn't go on the camp.
Steve Miner does an excellent job of setting the scene, and manages to pull off a film in the end that is not simply another standard slash & hack.
Somewhere in the middle of her own neuroses, Laurie finds the courage to use what she knows about Michael to try and turn the tables on him. And in all honesty, it gives me chills every time to watch her striding up the driveway, axe in hand, yelling her brother's name.
It's about time we were given a victim who refused to be a victim.
The final scene between the two main (and original) characters was almost touching, although it's a fair bet that had Laurie actually taken Michael's hand, he probably would have dragged her in and broken her neck.
Shame on them for doing what they did in the next film, and devaluing Laurie's brave actions so much. They should have left well enough alone, and ended the series with the outstanding H20.
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