Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007)

Director: Rob Zombie
Cast:
Malcolm MacDowell/Dr. Samuel Loomis
Tyler Mane/Michael Myers
Daeg Faerch/Young Michael
Sheri Moon Zombie/Deborah Myers
Scout Taylor-Compton/Laurie Strode
Danielle Harris/Annie Brackett
Brad Dourif/Sheriff Brackett

PLOT:
Michael Myers grew up in a messed up home with a stripper mom and a trashy slut sister and a abusive stepfather. He grows up to take out three annoying trashy girls. John Carpenter's Halloween, this ain't!

BREAKDOWN:
What a weird movie to review. It's such an uneven movie. I'm sick and tired of this whole remake trend. I want some original horror flicks!!! There's a reason why I'm looking at France for all the horror films these days. Their movies are scary and they just rock! But back to remakes, I guess we have to get used to them because i have a feeling they're going to be around for a while. But there is still a line...and remaking Halloween was the line!!! It's one of my personal favorite movies. It's perfect and scary and suspenseful as hell! But at least once I heard Rob Zombie was going to helm it, I was relieved a little bit. I still did not want a remake but at least he'd make his own movie...sort of. But onto that later.
The first half of the movie was it's strength. It was REALLY cliched but it was still interesting to watch. But cliches started from something. I actually was feeling bad for young Myers. I just wanted to mess everyone up. I loved the relationship he had with "Boo" and his mother though. He seemed to genuinely love them. The first half I found to be well written and it's a different type of Haddonfield...the white trash Haddonfield.
The second half of the film is where it becomes a remake. This is my issue of the movie. This half kind of...sucked! There was NO suspense and I was not scared once whatsoever. I just was entertained...but I want more. I want to be feeling my heart racing and feeling like it's about to jump out of my chest. For example the closet scene in the original is better than this entire movie put together. Now that was a well put together scene. The second half was rushed and VERY by the numbers. The three main characters...were annoying and crude and I could not wait for them to die. It WAS good to see Dr. Loomis again though.
Acting wise, pretty much everyone was on the ball. The three girls although they were annoying...that is how they were written. It's not their fault. So they did good...but their characters were shit.
With the direction...again UNEVEN! The first half had style and added substance...while the second half became by the numbers, TOO shaky cam...i hate shaky cam, and just was get the job done. No suspense and no tension was felt by this hombre.
With the soundtrack by Tyler Bates, it was great! It echoed John Carpenter's score, while adding it's own tinge. I loved it!
The ending chase scene was good...but again i felt no suspense. But that might be because i didn't feel a thing for ANYONE in this god damn movie. I just wanted them to die.
The death scenes were great though. They were brutal and really got the job done!
Overall the movie was UNEVEN! How do you have a solid first half than a shitty and by the numbers second half. I definitely felt some studio tampering in this project. I kind of wished Zombie wrote a full out prequel and then maybe shot the "remake" part as a different movie...or no remake whatsoever...but i DID love the sequel as you've read in the other review.
I really wanted to like this movie...and I did to an extent...but it could have been better. But I do love Zombie for trying to do something a little bit different. I'll give him that.

GRADE: 5/10

Rob Zombie's Halloween 2 (2009)

Director: Rob Zombie
Cast:
Scout Taylor-Compton/Laurie Strode
Brad Dourif/Sheriff Brackett
Danielle Harris/Annie Brackett
Malcolm MacDowell/Dr. Samuel Loomis
Tyler Mane/Michael Myers
Brea Grant/Mya Rockwell
Angela Trimbur/Harley David

PLOT:
It's been a year since that fateful day in Haddonfield when Michael Myers wreaked havoc upon the small suburban (yet white-trashy at the same time) town. Laurie is dealing with the problems in her head while Annie and Sheriff Brackett have taken her in. But soon Michael is back...and he is angrier than ever...Oh and theres a ghost chick in white with a matching horse to boot! You've got to see it to believe it! Read on!

BREAKDOWN:
I'm in the minority of people who actually enjoyed Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween. Was it perfect? NO! Was it even good? I still don't know the answer to that one. But i sure did enjoy it, more so the first half. The second half had it's problems...but i'll get to that in another review someday. This review is about Halloween 2, a sequel to HIS movie. And this movie is ALL Rob Zombie. Think slasher film meets a mind fuck! Sounds weird right? But for me it worked! I went in seeing this movie...and to put it lightly, my epectations weren't very high. The reviews were crap even from the horror critics out there. And I didn't even know if I wanted a sequel to Zombie's Halloween.
But I'm glad I saw this movie! This movie had me hook, line, and sinker after the opening scene which slyly homaged the original Halloween 2. The first block was tension laced and had me chewing my nails down in suspense. I was floored! I was having a great time and then the movie went on to be something I wasn't expecting...something I would NEVER expect in a Halloween sequel. It became a mindfuck/slasher flick which had Zombie's name all over it. It was different and wasn't like any sequel before it and I was loving it because I actually had no idea where the movie was going.
The death scenes in particular had me. They were mean, fast, and BRUTAL! Myers was angry and it showed in this sequel! They weren't gory but they satisfied my taste for blood. Zombie deffinitely took me for a trip in this sequel. I was having a blast the entire time through. I even got elements of David Lynch in there. Am I the only one? Good stuff here!
Zombie's direction was bang on and he put out some slick shots and there was some potent suspense in this shingdig, something that was GRAVELY MISSING in his first foreay in Myers land. Tyler Bates soundtrack was amazing and pulled me in even deeper into the movie. It was different, unique, and creepy as fuck. I went out that day and bought it! Yes, it's true there is NO Halloween theme, but I totally forgot about that and I didn't need it. This isn't a Halloween movie, it is Rob's movie.
I give Zombie credit. He didn't just remake the original like most companies do. He had a vision of what he wanted and he WENT THROUGH with it! This movie is all him! He made it his own and I'm glad he did!
Character wise...BANG ON! In the second half of his first movie the main characters were crude and kind of annoying. They were just trash! In this one though, Laurie is a fully developed character and I fell in love with her. I felt for her and grew to really like her. She became my best friend and as she slipped into craziness my heart would drop each time she was worse. Annie grew up. She isn't that fiesty girl anymore. She's now like Laurie's mother and i love her. Sheriff Brackett stole the show right after Laurie. He added so much depth to his role and brought so much emotion out of me and pulled at my heartstrings. I thought the movie was at its best when it focused on these three characters and their relationship. I wanted more! Even Laurie's two new friends aren't as bad as her friends in the first. Yes one of them was a bit trashy/slutty, but she wasn't ALWAYS so crude and annoying.
With acting, everyone was bang on. Brad Dourif perfect along with Danielle Harris who is a personal favorite of mine. They really pulled me into the movie. But it's Scout Taylor-Compton who blew me away! I was completely impressed with this girl. She really added so much depth and made me care for her. She reached so many emotional levels and was phenomenal. I want to see this girl go places. I hope we have a new scream queen on our lists...oh and her scream is AMAZING and chilling. Tyler Mane as Michael Myers, although he may be too big, comes off as a real human. He was menacing and brutal and was scary.
And for all the people worrying about Michael's mom with the white horse and his child self parts...they're not that bad. They came off way worse in the trailers. In the movie they actually worked. The scenes didn't bother me whatsoever.
Any complaints? Yes i have a few. The movie isn't perfect. A little complaint I had is I missed young Michael from the first movie. The new one was just too...blah! He was cute, but the first one was intense and great in the role. There were also plot holes, many of them! How did Michael know where his sister always was?! He found her WAY to quickly! Did he have a tracker on her or something?! And why did he kill all those worthless people on the way? What was the point if all he wants is Laurie. For example the slut at the phantom jam, she was just minding her own business hoping for a good time and he kills her. What's the point? How did he even know who Laurie's friends were? A minor peeve of mine is I believe a LOT of mayhem could've ensued at the phantem jam. Laurie is there seeing Michael everyone and drunk as everyone is in costume and real Michael Myers is there?! Can you imagine the insane fun they could've had. I think Zombie missed out on something here.
Overall I'm in the minority on this movie. I LOVED IT!!! Was it a masterpiece? No, that would be the original Halloween. Was it Zombie's best movie? Again no, that would be House of 1000 Corpses (for me at least...I always have to be different!). But is this a solid film? YES!!! I think this movie isn't getting the recognition it deserves. I'll definitely be getting the DVD when it comes out. I can't wait to see the Director's Cut to see what was cut out!

GRADE: 7/10