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yendiFor the last time, we enter the "alternate universe" of Michael Myers that was later retconned away. Yes, it's time for Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Concept: So, that big-ass explosion that left Michael and Dr. Loomis dead? Not so much (although Laurie, we hear, got married and then died in a car accident). Turns out that Loomis just has a limp, and Michael's been in a coma. The latter changes, and Michael wakes up from his coma just in time to hear that he's got a niece who's still alive. He kills a van full of paramedics before stalking his way over to Haddonfield to track down his niece, little Jamie (gee, wonder if she's named after a certain actress?). While searching for her, he works his way through various professionals, killing cops, waitresses, power company employees, and mechanics. Loomis is hot on his tail, but he's always one step behind.
Body Count: A whopping 18 folks, although one of them (in yet another shout out to part 2) is killed by friendly fire, and nearly half of the remaining victims are killed offscreen.
Really Bad Kills: Ignoring the off-screen ones, we do get one of my pet peeves: A power plant employee getting thrown into power boxes/transformers and electrocuted. Just annoying, and pointless in a slasher flick.
Really Good Kills: Michael starts off his post-coma rampage by ramming his thumb into the head of a paramedic and smashing his face into an ambulance wall. I've griped before that I'm not a huge fan of the barehanded kill, but this was not only well-done, but also a good way to establish the strength and viciousness of Michael.
We also get one of my favorite sub-categories of slasher-movie kill: impalements with things that aren't meant to be used as such. In this case, I'm referring to the death of town slut/sheriff's daughter Kelly, who gets stabbed with a shotgun and hung on a wall. No, Michael doesn't shoot anyone with a knife.
Celebrities: Basically the same as with Part V. None of the dead meat here goes on to do anything anywhere else, with the exception of Kathleen Kinmont (who played Kelly), who would go on to marry Lorenzo Lamas and co-star on Renegade, also appearing in plenty of fun B movies (you've likely seen her in Bride of Reanimator).
Denouement: After holing up in the sheriff's house, Jamie and Rachel barely escape when everyone else get killed. A chase ensues, during which the Roving Rednecks rescue the heroines, but Michael hitches a ride, and kills the four rednecks. Just has he's about to kill Rachel, the cops shoot him, he falls down a mineshaft, and the throw a stick of dynamite after him. Michael goes Boom, and everyone's happy. Until cute little Jamie, later that night, grabs a pair of scissors and stabs her step-mom to death in the bathtub. Loomis is horrified (and if it weren't for the sheriff, he'd have shot Jamie on the spot, and we fade to black.
Miscellany: In yet another nod to an earlier movie, we see yet another slutty sherif's daughter get killed by Michael. As trends go, it's a strange one.
The movie was directed by Dwight Little, best known for Murder at 1600, Rapid Fire, and Free Willy 2. All of those came after this one, not surprisingly. :-)
The screenplay was by Alan McElroy, who has written some of the worst movies ever, including Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever, Spawn, and Left Behind. H4, his first project, may well be his best screenplay.
Overall: This movie doesn't have a whole lot to hate, but there's not a lot to love, either. It's a solidly done movie, with two great set pieces near the end (the house and the pickup truck), and a damned fine twist at the very end. That twist was basically ignored, even in the two direct sequels, which is too bad. Then again, that's karma -- this movie simply ignores the ending of Part II. There's some other good stuff -- Loomis confronting Michael at the truck stop is one of the better moments -- and a great (but soon to be wasted) heroine in Rachel. But that's not enough to really make me want to watch it over and over again, alas. Worth catching (the tv edit is on today on AMC), but far from a classic.
Concept: So, that big-ass explosion that left Michael and Dr. Loomis dead? Not so much (although Laurie, we hear, got married and then died in a car accident). Turns out that Loomis just has a limp, and Michael's been in a coma. The latter changes, and Michael wakes up from his coma just in time to hear that he's got a niece who's still alive. He kills a van full of paramedics before stalking his way over to Haddonfield to track down his niece, little Jamie (gee, wonder if she's named after a certain actress?). While searching for her, he works his way through various professionals, killing cops, waitresses, power company employees, and mechanics. Loomis is hot on his tail, but he's always one step behind.
Body Count: A whopping 18 folks, although one of them (in yet another shout out to part 2) is killed by friendly fire, and nearly half of the remaining victims are killed offscreen.
Really Bad Kills: Ignoring the off-screen ones, we do get one of my pet peeves: A power plant employee getting thrown into power boxes/transformers and electrocuted. Just annoying, and pointless in a slasher flick.
Really Good Kills: Michael starts off his post-coma rampage by ramming his thumb into the head of a paramedic and smashing his face into an ambulance wall. I've griped before that I'm not a huge fan of the barehanded kill, but this was not only well-done, but also a good way to establish the strength and viciousness of Michael.
We also get one of my favorite sub-categories of slasher-movie kill: impalements with things that aren't meant to be used as such. In this case, I'm referring to the death of town slut/sheriff's daughter Kelly, who gets stabbed with a shotgun and hung on a wall. No, Michael doesn't shoot anyone with a knife.
Celebrities: Basically the same as with Part V. None of the dead meat here goes on to do anything anywhere else, with the exception of Kathleen Kinmont (who played Kelly), who would go on to marry Lorenzo Lamas and co-star on Renegade, also appearing in plenty of fun B movies (you've likely seen her in Bride of Reanimator).
Denouement: After holing up in the sheriff's house, Jamie and Rachel barely escape when everyone else get killed. A chase ensues, during which the Roving Rednecks rescue the heroines, but Michael hitches a ride, and kills the four rednecks. Just has he's about to kill Rachel, the cops shoot him, he falls down a mineshaft, and the throw a stick of dynamite after him. Michael goes Boom, and everyone's happy. Until cute little Jamie, later that night, grabs a pair of scissors and stabs her step-mom to death in the bathtub. Loomis is horrified (and if it weren't for the sheriff, he'd have shot Jamie on the spot, and we fade to black.
Miscellany: In yet another nod to an earlier movie, we see yet another slutty sherif's daughter get killed by Michael. As trends go, it's a strange one.
The movie was directed by Dwight Little, best known for Murder at 1600, Rapid Fire, and Free Willy 2. All of those came after this one, not surprisingly. :-)
The screenplay was by Alan McElroy, who has written some of the worst movies ever, including Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever, Spawn, and Left Behind. H4, his first project, may well be his best screenplay.
Overall: This movie doesn't have a whole lot to hate, but there's not a lot to love, either. It's a solidly done movie, with two great set pieces near the end (the house and the pickup truck), and a damned fine twist at the very end. That twist was basically ignored, even in the two direct sequels, which is too bad. Then again, that's karma -- this movie simply ignores the ending of Part II. There's some other good stuff -- Loomis confronting Michael at the truck stop is one of the better moments -- and a great (but soon to be wasted) heroine in Rachel. But that's not enough to really make me want to watch it over and over again, alas. Worth catching (the tv edit is on today on AMC), but far from a classic.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-25 01:20 pm (UTC)Uh, how does that make her an exception?
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-25 01:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-25 01:25 pm (UTC)the same channel that now edits the end of Animal House where the mention of Gregg Marmalard's 'Raped in Prison 1974' is now removed from the ending...
TCM for me...
ah Kathleen Kinmont...from Lorenzo Lamas to Jere Burns...a def switch...
(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-25 02:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-10-25 03:16 pm (UTC)Have you considered a job doing bood/movie back covers?