Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later [DVD] [1998]

From a historical perspective "Halloween" was the first film where the slasher kept getting up every time he was put down. Hard to believe that once upon a time this was a "new" idea, because certainly it has been done to death (pardon the phrase). We are actually at the point where we are surprised in a film where the killer is killed and is actually dead. The killer who cannot die has become such a commonplace it has gone well beyond the slasher genre. What this means is that by the time we get to this film there is nothing new regarding his ability to survive knife slashes, blows from an ax, a rock being pounded on his skull, and other substantive physical assaults. We have seen it all before and whether the slasher's name is Michael Myers, Jason, or whatever, it does not matter anymore.

That means the success of this film has a lot more to Laurie's end of the story than Michael's, and in that is the regard in which this film falls short. It is made clear that Laurie has been thinking about this day (okay, this night; he always comes out at night) for two decades. Given that she is running a private school (and recalling her answer regarding fate in her English class back in 1978) we also know that this is a smart person. Surely in all that time she has come up with hundreds of plans on how she will stop her brother from driving a big knife into her body. I mean, come on, remember what Nancy was able to put together in one night for Freddy Krueger. Laurie Strode cannot do better? Sigh. Jamie Leigh Curtis deserved a better script than this for coming back and lending her considerable cache to the series that made her the original Scream Queen. Just go back and watch the original to remember what made this stuff work in the first place.

Final comment: Did you ever think that Janet Leigh's car in "Psycho" had blue tones? That sure surprised me.

Halloween H20 is a lot of fun in several ways. The manner by which a supposedly-dead Michael keeps appearing, even after twenty years, to a haunted Lori in mirrors and reflections is presented very well. I loved LL Cool J’s character Ronny Jones, the school security guy and frustrated romance writer; he supplied many a laugh to help fill the void of no murders taking place for far too long. Jamie Lee Curtis’ mother and Psycho shower victim Janet Leigh makes a fun cameo as Lori’s motherly secretary, and it was nice to see Dr. Loomis’ chain-smoking former nurse again. I was especially gratified to hear a voiceover of Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) in the opening credits. For me, Dr. Loomis was as much a part of Halloween as Michael himself, and these films made since Pleasance’s death really lack the spark he always brought to the drama. Speaking of no spark, though, I have to say I am not a fan of the new guy behind the mask. Chris Durand does not seem to bring anything to his character. I know that Michael is evil incarnate and pretty much dead inside, but he really just seemed to be going through the motions this time around. Finding out that he had been tricked and that his sister was still alive after all these years should have infuriated him, but Michael looks bored throughout this whole movie. There is one scene I especially hate; we look into Michael’s eyes and see a reflection of a budding young victim; to me, Michael’s eyes are supposed to be so black and empty that they will not reflect anything at all. Sadly, Michael is just not himself this time around, and the fact that he continues to have so much trouble killing one frightened woman is really starting to make him look pretty weak in my eyes.

All in all, though, the film is well worth seeing, if for nothing else than for the special little treats that long-time horror fans will appreciate. A more impressive actor behind the mask and a lot more bloody mayhem might possibly have made this movie something special, though.