Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007)
At some point in the next 10 days, there's a good chance you'll catch the original Halloween on cable as you're flipping through the channels. One of the most interesting notes about this film - besides the fact that it was actually filmed in the spring, and that the now infamous Michael Myers mask was actually a William Shatner mask spraypainted white - is that the killer is identified in the credits as simply "The Shape". Even though his name is now part of the slasher pantheon, along with Jason Voorhies and Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers began his teenager-terrorizing career as a rather anonymous "thing". He lacked emotion. He lacked an apparent motive. He never uttered a single word. The original Michael was more of a silent, mechanical predator in the Jaws mold than a manipulative, vengeful villain like Freddy Kruger.
So, in "reinvisioning" this horror classic, Rob Zombie took the rather obvious next step: he attempted to show what makes the monster tick. The first point of deviation from the original is that Michael speaks (albeit only during his childhood). Rob Zombie portrays young Michael as the stereotypical product of a broken home, abused by his step father at home and by bullies at school. Michael demonstrates the tell-tale signs of a sociopath, such as self-isolation and animal torture. All of this may sound cliched, but Zombie surprised me in his ability to make young Michael a sympathetic figure. Whereas the Michael of John Carpenter's original film appeared to kill his sister randomly and without motive, the "reinvisioned" Michael specifically targets the school bully (his first kill), his abusive step father, and the promiscuous older sister who refused to take him trick-or-treating. He's not a killing machine, per se. He spares his younger sister, Laurie, and he shows genuine affection toward his mother even after the killings. This new Michael is much more than a phantom "Shape" or "Bogeyman". His kills, though gruesome and appalling, feel strangely justified. If you've ever seen Showtime's fantastic series "Dexter", you get the idea.
Personally, I prefer the original Michael, and not just for nostalgic reasons. The great thing about the original Halloween is that it's so simple, and yet so compelling. We don't know why Michael became a killer, or how he chooses his targets. We just know that he's on the loose, and that you should run immediately if you spot him. The new Halloween (and the reinvisioned Michael) is messier, more complex, and ultimately less entertaining than the original. However, if you're a fan of Rob Zombie's previous films, or you'd rather not shell out $10 for another installment of Saw, the new Halloween isn't a bad go. Halloween (1978): 3 PB Jars. Halloween (2007): 2 PB Jars.
At some point in the next 10 days, there's a good chance you'll catch the original Halloween on cable as you're flipping through the channels. One of the most interesting notes about this film - besides the fact that it was actually filmed in the spring, and that the now infamous Michael Myers mask was actually a William Shatner mask spraypainted white - is that the killer is identified in the credits as simply "The Shape". Even though his name is now part of the slasher pantheon, along with Jason Voorhies and Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers began his teenager-terrorizing career as a rather anonymous "thing". He lacked emotion. He lacked an apparent motive. He never uttered a single word. The original Michael was more of a silent, mechanical predator in the Jaws mold than a manipulative, vengeful villain like Freddy Kruger.
So, in "reinvisioning" this horror classic, Rob Zombie took the rather obvious next step: he attempted to show what makes the monster tick. The first point of deviation from the original is that Michael speaks (albeit only during his childhood). Rob Zombie portrays young Michael as the stereotypical product of a broken home, abused by his step father at home and by bullies at school. Michael demonstrates the tell-tale signs of a sociopath, such as self-isolation and animal torture. All of this may sound cliched, but Zombie surprised me in his ability to make young Michael a sympathetic figure. Whereas the Michael of John Carpenter's original film appeared to kill his sister randomly and without motive, the "reinvisioned" Michael specifically targets the school bully (his first kill), his abusive step father, and the promiscuous older sister who refused to take him trick-or-treating. He's not a killing machine, per se. He spares his younger sister, Laurie, and he shows genuine affection toward his mother even after the killings. This new Michael is much more than a phantom "Shape" or "Bogeyman". His kills, though gruesome and appalling, feel strangely justified. If you've ever seen Showtime's fantastic series "Dexter", you get the idea.
Personally, I prefer the original Michael, and not just for nostalgic reasons. The great thing about the original Halloween is that it's so simple, and yet so compelling. We don't know why Michael became a killer, or how he chooses his targets. We just know that he's on the loose, and that you should run immediately if you spot him. The new Halloween (and the reinvisioned Michael) is messier, more complex, and ultimately less entertaining than the original. However, if you're a fan of Rob Zombie's previous films, or you'd rather not shell out $10 for another installment of Saw, the new Halloween isn't a bad go. Halloween (1978): 3 PB Jars. Halloween (2007): 2 PB Jars.
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