In Retrospect: Halloween Kills

This I think is the in retrospect most sorely deserved.

Because I kinda had a love/hate thing going on with Halloween Kills, I thought the story needed to focus it's attention more, I thought there was a ton of fan stuff thrown in for no good reason, and like most sequels didn't reach the same heights as the previous installment. On second viewing, a lot of that has been mended for me and I better understand the point of the movie. After all this is the middle chapter of a trilogy, it would be kind of redundant to see Laurie go toe to toe with Michael and come up short yet again so I completely understand why the filmmakers did what they did. I mean really think about this, Haddonfield has been the setting for the majority of these movies but you never really get a firm grasp on what the town's mentality is around Halloween, how do the residents feel when Michael has struck again, we genuinely don't know much about this famous fictional town and this movie if nothing else gives the setting some depth. You see more of the neighborhoods, you see a ton of people both survivors of past attacks and people who just live there. I very much complained the movie went on tangents with all these different folks and didn't give any time to the Strode family, now I think that was entirely the point. And I was foolish to think that because this series has spent a fair bit of runtime on side characters who just end up dying later on, hello Tina, hello John's friends from 20 Years Later, and so on. Slasher movies do that. It wasn't even because it was boring or badly acted, it isn't and I know a fair few people gave this movie good grief and I even agreed with them until I watched it again. Many people pointed to how does everyone mistake the other escaped patient from the last movie for Michael? I firmly agreed with them until they show two photos on TV in the bar, umbrella guy and Michael, they do not make any distinction as to who is who and when an angry, illogical, irrational lynch mob forms with the resounding chant of "evil dies tonight" starts jumping at shadows and chasing the wrong guy it's easy to see where such an audience reaction would come about. And there is no doubt some big message in that scene where something along the lines of, a hateful, irrational, and quickly growing mob will chase anyone and anything even if they are told it is wrong and through their blind anger and witch hunting, innocent lives will be lost. Okay, I get it. Humans are bastards and idiotic bastards at that. Fear is an insurmountably potent weapon. I know. Really that was the only thing that did not improve on second viewing, I still hated it just as much as I did the first go around. Everything else, I'm down for. Production was good though made on a relatively small budget of 20 million, music was still excellent throughout, the cast God bless them for coming back even if just to be a corpse so well done to every single one of them, the kills are still just as disturbing and gruelling as I remembered I mean this guy when he kills people is a hateful motherf***er and it is wonderful, the story worked better mostly and even though I watched the extended cut with the different ending I didn't notice that much new stuff and I dare say I like the alternate ending better. It's decent, it's not a dumpster fire, it's not a modern horror classic, it's good. I bump it up to 3 stars, 7.5/10, and we will see how it ends this October. If it somehow gets bloodier, I shall approve.

Halloween Kills

You know, I might need to see it again.

Not at all that I thought it was bad, I had a grand time with it but I certainly have notes that will take multiple viewings to solidify my opinion on things. So basic plot, we pick up right after the first movie as Michael survives the fire and starts making a trek to the OG Myers house as Laurie and her family deal with the fallout while an angry mob forms as is common in horror films with the sole purpose of killing evil. And I really have so many things to commend the movie on. It takes the time to deal with the fallout of the first film, the deaths of side characters, the mental and physical scars of the Strode family, how they are trying to deal with seemingly winning and yet learning Michael lives. And this movie shockingly doesn't focus on Jamie much, this is way more the film for Judy and Andi they are the main stars here and still perform incredibly well. But booooy does this movie bring back a lot of characters, and we are not talking just the 2018 film here, I literally was just missing a Danielle Harris cameo and it would have been complete, it is fan wank to the max in this film. Something I am not fully onboard here is this movie goes on tangents, it's like they try to give every side character their own setup, characterization, and multiple scenes, that's all fine and well but we spend a bit too much time on them and not the Strode family or Michael, now if the intention was to focus more on the town of Haddonfield in the wake of Michael's return, fine. Not really what I was expecting or even really wanting, but it's interesting stuff with this bloodthirsty mob willing to go apeshit on anything if someone says it's Michael. Yeah, there is a lot of stuff to unpack there, subtext pushing so hard into text territory, metaphors, allegory, bit f***ing obvious stuff mind you but brownie points for commiting I guess. Plus side though, the kills are spectacular with a lot of practical implements that just gross you out man like daaaamn! I was severely impressed with the work here. Soundtrack is still real good, production is good, cast does great, it's genuinely an okay movie, I don't like it as much as the previous entry but time could change that, and it was far from sucking. It's good decent stuff, 2.5 stars, 7.5/10. More modern horror next week, and sweet lord Dune is nearly here and I got a lot to read still. Give me strength. Until next week!

Weird Science

Yeah this is my favorite John Hughes film.

Ah, Weird Science a movie where two young lads create a perfect woman with their computer...and SCIENCE!! And actually while watching this movie again I had a stunning realization, this movie is the prototype of Her. No seriously, it has a woman born of computer technology, has a romantic relationship with somebody, makes sure that their partner has someone with them, and although Weird Science is a comedy and an excellent one at that it still has a lot of emotion and some real heavy hearted stuff. I just love this movie more than any other of John Hughes work, I enjoy the idea of the movie, the characters are hilarious, there is a serious message and it's stated a few times and it really sticks with you, the look of the film is very cool, the humor is very good, and the effects still hold up pretty well. The casting choices are just right, we have Anthony Michael Hall in it and Ilan Michael Smith as two geeks and their chemistry together is what makes the film funny, we have Kelley LeBrock as Lisa their creation and she does kinda steal the show but you still enjoy her nevertheless, Bill Paxton as Chet the very military big brother is friggin' busting my gut funny in this movie he's awesome! The movie is a blast to say the least, I've yet to meet anyone who said they didn't like Weird Science. Every scene you feel belongs like, you really couldn't cut anything out or change the dialogue because it would hurt the movie. But my absolute favorite scene is when they go to this night club and they are the whitest white boys ever but then they cut back and they are like the coolest cats in town, and it's funny as all get out and I can actually relate to that situation, cause I'm as white as it gets but people still say I'm the coolest person to hang out with and it makes me laugh my ass off, cause you wouldn't think that. But, it definitely deserves to be watched because it is a very good film and not too many people know about it, which is kind of a shame! I think you'll really like the movie, so just give it a shot and see what you think.

 Okay, tomorrow you knew we had to review this one. It's John Hughes people, it's inevitable! Everyone says it's his greatest film and if you haven't seen it yet...my God.

Sixteen Candles

Okay I have a serious 80's jones this month, because for the second week we will look at three John Hughes Classics from the 80's.

So Sixteen Candles is a fantastic and insanely good movie from the 80's starring leader of the Brat Pack, Molly Ringwald centering around a teenage girl named Samantha whose family forgets her sixteenth birthday and her subsequent attempts to achieve romance with a high school hunk. Okay I am going to be serious here, I had no admiration or love for this movie until I saw it in it's entirety, and now I consider this one of the best films of the 1980's. It has such charm and heart, and is outrageously funny, with great characters and genius writing by John Hughes. And I hate teen movies except for the ones by John Hughes, I don't know how he does it but he just makes teen movies so damn good! I love this movie, it's not my favorite John Hughes movie but it is easily top three, maybe even top two. I can't fully explain why this film is so great, I urge you to go out and see this movie. It is well worth your time and money. I'm pretty sure every friggin' character in this movie made me have a pretty good laugh. Samantha herself starts out very bratty and very uptight, but you can completely sympathize with her and you really start to like her quick. Anthony Michael Hall plays this outrageous and hilarious geek who is an absolute ass at the beginning of this film, but as the movie goes on you like him more and more until you love him. The soundtrack....oh dear God the soundtrack! Let me tell you something, I have never ever watched a movie where the soundtrack itself makes me laugh my ass off, it's so brilliant and has perfect chosen music. And I'm serious, there is one scene in the movie that makes the whole film worthwhile and really cements it as more than just a teen movie, it's a heart to heart talk and it's very real and all too true and it's the best scene in the movie and my personal favorite scene. I can rave about this movie all day, but I will just let you go and see it for yourself. Give it a watch and see if you adore it just as much as I do.

So next week, we're reviewing my favorite John Hughes film, and it is not gonna be what you expect.