Director: David Gordon Green
Writer: David Gordon Green
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, and Will Patton
Laurie Strode has been to hell and back more times than she can count. Lingering in the back of her mind is the ever-present threat of her big brother and personal boogie man Michael Myers. After years of fearing Myers escaping and evading capture Laurie has been preparing for a final showdown. After 40 long years, Laurie finally comes face to face with the evil that has tormented her. This time she’s not only prepared to fight, but she is also ready to end it and finally, close this chapter for good.
This is the eleventh film of the series and the day of reckoning for Strode and Myers. Fans may recall the Rob Zombie directed reprisal of 2007 and its 2009 sequel. While these were the last two films of the franchise, this film follows the 1978 edition and its subsequent storylines. This film begins one day shy of the 40th anniversary of Michael and Laurie’s first confrontation. At this point Michael had been institutionalized for several years, leaving Laurie in constant fear of his return. While waiting, Laurie managed to have two failed marriages and have a family of her own including a teenage granddaughter (Matichak). On Halloween Eve, Myers breaks out of confinement and heads straight for Laurie leaving a trail of bloody bodies in his wake.
Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as lone survivor Laurie Strode in this finale. As expected Curtis is a force to be reckoned with. She’s the ass-kicking Granny we’ve all been waiting for. Forty years in fear has made Laurie dangerous. While in other films she’s tried desperately to maintain some normalcy, this older wiser Strode couldn’t care less about appearances and is ready for war. She’s built herself a fortress all in preparation for her big brother’s next attempt. In this film, we get to witness the toll a life of fear has taken on Laurie. Fans may recall she had beheaded Myers in an earlier film only to discover her crafty brother had traded clothes with an innocent man whom she murdered instead. This guilt has no doubt fueled her desire to end Myers once and for all.
After four decades we are finally saying goodbye to Michael Myers, with an epic battle with his annoyingly resilient sister. This is perhaps one of the bloodiest films in the franchise, presenting gruesome death scenes in true slasher form. Though the film has been updated to appeal to a newer audience, the suspenseful edge remains the same. With the tell-tale notes of the original score punctuating every kill and alluding to impending doom. Horror fans will no doubt appreciate the not so subtle nods to the original movie, including several scenes in which Strode appears and disappears like her killer big brother. In one scene Laurie shows up at her granddaughter’s school during a class lecture on fate only to disappear once the girl recognizes her. This is almost exactly as it occurs when Myers sees Laurie for the first time.
Myers has been killing for a long time, even his mask has wrinkles. Despite being at least 60 years of age, Myers is as strong and terrifying as ever. Though the film may begin with an unmasked Myers don’t count on seeing the true face of evil. Besides a brief moment in the original 1978 film, we haven’t really viewed his face in any other film so there’s no reason to start now. The director takes great pains to keep the suspense offering only images of greyed hair and blurry hulking figures before the mask is in place. As a horror legend, Myers meets his end as all beloved movie monsters should….but could this really be the end for the knife-wielding murderer? Find out for yourself when Halloween hits theaters Friday, October 19th.