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Halloween (2007)
R1 - America - Genius Products Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (24th January 2008). |
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The Film
 Remakes and I have a very sketchy history, especially when it comes to remakes of the horror persuasion. I've been a fan of the genre ever since I saw 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974) for the first time back in 1991 on a crappy VHS. It really cut me to the bone, it was one of those films that started my fascination with horror and I began to explore other films such as 'Friday the 13th' (1980), 'Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984) and of course the original classic 'Halloween' (1978). The film featured a simple yet incredibly scary villain, a crazed child who grew up into a crazed man on the loose. His past was sketchy and his motivations sinister. The character, Michael Myers was simply evil manifested. From the film's iconic character to its spooky score John Carpenter created something special, which was popular enough to spawn many inferior sequels. However the original still remains one of the most loved entries into the horror genre. There have been many remakes of late, some hit and many miss. As much I love 'Halloween' I have an equal amount of hate for Rob Zombie, ok...perhaps 'hate' is a strong word, but as a filmmaker I think his output thus far is ultra-stylized garbage. 'House of 1000 Corpses' (2003) was a vulgar mess featuring annoying characters and patchy filmmaking his 70's influenced 'The Devil's Rejects' (2005) was a disturbing and vile film that featured inept dialogue, characters that were as annoying if not more so that in 'House of 1000 Corpses', there was little to no redeeming qualities about this film, it's many homage's came meshed together as if thrown in randomly. Both these films really left a sour taste in my mouth and his fascination with the lowest most depraved type of characters only makes his films look like unintelligible fodder. There's no suspense, no intriguing plot, no intelligence, no horror. So how did I take the news of Zombie directing a remake of 'Halloween'…not well, that's how. This probably isn't the most positive start to any review, I tend to give many filmmaker's who I've disliked the benefit of the doubt (I really do), because at the end of the day I really want to like the movie. I enjoy that satisfying feeling of walking away from a film that pushed all my buttons. So I had faith that this film would not be as stupid and inane as Zombie's previous efforts. But bottom line, It wasn't great. 'Halloween' tells the story of Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch), a young boy who has a traumatic home life, his step-father Ronnie (William Forsythe) is an abusive drunk and his mother Deborah (Sheri Moon Zombie) is a stripper and his sister Judith (Hanna Hall doesn't really care for her brother. Not the most ideal household, furthermore Michael is awkward, fat and keeps to himself as he gets picked on at school. But what a lot of people don't know is that Michael has a rage inside him that has built up from years of repression, when one day he snaps. He ends up killing his step-father and sister (and her boyfriend), leaving his mother and youngest infant sister to survive. Michael is institutionalized by Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) who tries to understand Michael and make him better, but instead Michael retreats into his own world. 16 years later Michael (Tyler Mane), now an imposing figure of a man escapes and delivers his rage to his old community. The major problem I had with this film is that Zombie totally eliminates all suspense from the equation, the biggest mistake Zombie did was give Michael a back story that was incredibly clichéd and predictable. This takes away all the mystique of the character, in the original film Michael was a crazed child; there was no rhyme or reason for his insanity he was described as being 'purely and simply evil'. This 'unknown' was partly what made Michael Myers so damn scary, because as an adult, a figure like this cannot be reasoned with and cannot be stopped. This is a much more frightening concept than the one Zombie proposes. The first entire first half deals with Michael as a child, leading up to and including the killing of his family members and his subsequent institutionalization. Throughout this time the viewer is bombarded with psychiatric session between Michael and Dr. Loomis. It is here that Michael starts to draw back into his own world. Finally after a tremendously lagging profanity-filled start and near-boring middle viewers are given what they want. Michael set loose. The character menacingly shadows over the community taking life after life while Dr. Loomis and the local Sherriff (Brad Dourif) search the town for their killer on the loose. The scenes were Michael does what he does best are vicious and brutal, at times merciless but never scary. Zombie, yet again, reveals too much. This trend is the film's biggest weakness. I liked how elements from the original score were used, that was nice tip of the hat to the film which inspired this remake, I am also pleased that Michael's overall look in terms of costume and mask were kept in line with the original film, Zombie could have easily tried to mess with the look but he wisely remained faithful on that account. As for the cast, I'm not a fan of Zombie's wife, Sheri Moon Zombie who is cast as Michael's mother; this woman has all the acting talent of a porn star. Her delivery is amateurish and her character unnecessary, Michael should have killed her too when he went first snapped. The sheriff was no help and Dr. Loomis was essentially ineffective, sad indeed. What Zombie did was water down the character by revealing too much of his past and to counteract that he inserted a bunch of immoral characters and violence in an effort to scare the viewer but all it does is show Zombie for what he truly is, a filmmaker who doesn't actually understand the mechanics of what makes a truly scary and original horror film. Lesson number one – don't try to fix what ain't broken.
Video
The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio, the anamorphic transfer is very impressive, the image is sharp and detailed, the films colors are accurate to the filmmaker’s intentions using a muted palette to create a mood for the film. The film’s black levels are deep and natural, shadow detail was consistent throughout the film and adds to the depth of the image. The transfer is clean and is about as flawless as they come for standard definition, little grain, no edge-enactment or compression related flaws. There’s not a lot to dislike about this transfer, it’s excellent.
Audio
The film includes a single English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, being a horror film the soundtrack relies a lot on atmosphere and mood, and this track delivers that in spades. It’s a dynamic mix that ranges from ambient sounds to the more aggressive stuff with transitions that feel natural and real. Dialogue is clear and distortion free and the film’s score adds to the overall depth of the soundtrack. It’s not reference quality stuff but overall I was pleased with this sound mix. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
Genius Products has released this film as a 2-disc set packed with extras such as an audio commentary, a series of deleted scenes, an alternate ending, some bloopers, several featurettes, some casting sessions, a screen test, the film’s theatrical trailer and a collection of bonus trailers. Below is a closer look at these supplements broken down per disc. DISC ONE: First up we’ve got a feature-length audio commentary with director/writer/co-producer/music supervisor Rob Zombie. Zombie provides a screen-specific track commenting on various aspects of the production such as locations and sets, working with the cast and the casting process, including casting regulars such as William Forsythe and his wife Sheri Moon. He also talks about how scenes were set-up and establishing a rhythm, he reveals all manner of trivia about the film and its characters among other things such as references to the original film and other inspirations. He very rarely stops to catch his breath as he provides a very informative track that interesting and provides an insight into what he was trying to achieve with the film. DISC TWO: The second disc opens up with a collection of 17 deleted scenes, these scenes can be viewed with optional audio commentary by director/writer/co-producer/music supervisor Rob Zombie, in these tracks Zombie talks about the scenes in question and why they were omitted from the final cut of the film. These scenes can be viewed individually or with a ‘play all’ option and include: - “Rabbit in Red” runs for 2 minutes 16 seconds, Deborah is called at work by the Principle about her son’s behavior and is asked to some to the school immediately. - “Quickdraw” runs for 52 seconds, Steve is mocked for being quick in bed. - “End of a Long Night” runs for 23 seconds, Deborah apologizes to her boss for having to leave in the afternoon. - “Rainy Evening” runs for 27 seconds, Dr. Loomis goes through security as he leaves the Sanitarium. - “Not a Monster” runs for 36 seconds, Deborah asks Dr. Loomis if she can take Michael to a park outside the facility. - “You Seem Sad Today” runs for 1 minute 45 seconds, Michael is asked about the devil. - “The Media” runs for 51 seconds, Deborah is harassed by a reported as she leaves the Sanitarium. - “Xmas Gift” runs for 24 seconds, Deborah gives Dr. Loomis a gift. - “Parole Hearing” runs for 3 minutes 36 seconds, Michael is escorted to a parole meeting and his parole is denied. - “Night Shift” runs for 2 minutes 48 seconds, Michael lets the other inmates out as he kills a security guard and escapes. - “Very Young” runs for 58 seconds, Dr. Loomis encounters a fan of his book. - “He’s Out” runs for 1 minute 2 seconds, Morgan calls Dr. Loomis and informs him that Michael has escaped. - “Tombstone” runs for 1 minute 37 seconds, a maintenance man tries to stop Michael from taking the Myers tombstone. - “Aftermath” runs for 26 seconds, Michael surveys the devastation he unleashed at the Strode house. - “Adoption Agency” runs for 30 seconds, Dr. Loomis tries to find out who adopted the Myers baby. - “Missing Stone” runs for 2 minutes 23 seconds, Dr. Loomis discovers that the Myers grave has been desecrated. - “Van Kill” runs for 59 seconds, an extended version of the killing. Next up is an alternate ending that runs for 3 minutes and can be viewed with optional audio commentary by director/writer/co-producer/music supervisor Rob Zombie. In this ending Dr. Loomis talks Michael out of Killing Laurie and the police end up shooting him dead. Following that are some bloopers that run for 10 minutes 16 seconds and feature the usual stuff, missed cues, line flubs and cast members laughing uncontrollably in the middle of a take. The first featurette is entitled "The Many Masks of Michael Myers" and runs for 6 minutes 27 seconds. This clip takes a closer look at the many different masks of the character, why he wears them and what they mean. The clip takes a look at retaining the ‘look’ of the Michael Myers’ mask from the original film among other things. "Re-Imagining Halloween" is a collection of 3 featurettes that can be viewed individually or with a ‘play all’ option and include: - “From Camera to Screen” which runs for 6 minutes 9 seconds, this clip goes behind-the-scenes of the filming as we see Zombie create a new experience for film fans and adding his own unique spin on the series while also trying to keep the whole film feel ‘real’. This basically takes a look at this approach to this film. - “The Production Design” runs for 5 minutes 34 seconds and takes us through the design of the film from the exteriors and interiors of the Myer house, the basement set, the Rabbit in Red interior as well as the look of Michael’s room in the sanitarium among other things. - “The Make-up FX, Props and Wardrobe” runs for 7 minutes 19 seconds, here we get a look at how the filmmaker’s did the stabbing and blood effects, also we get a look at the various knives used in the filming and the costumes for both Deborah and Michael including the costume he wears in the sanitarium as well as the coveralls he dons in the later part of the film. Also on this disc is "Meet the Cast", a featurette that runs for 18 minutes 17 seconds and is basically the director introducing the viewers to the cast of the film, on why they were chosen for the part and what they brought to the film. Zombie talks very positively about the cast he’s assembled for this film and seems very happy with their work as we look at some of the differences between these characters and the ones featured in the original film. Following that are 15 casting sessions these are rough videos that feature potential cast before they were offered parts as they introduce themselves and perform a scene, basically it’s am early screen test and they can be viewed individually or with a ‘play all’ option and include: - Daeg Faerch which runs for 3 minutes 27 seconds. - Scout Taylor-Compton which runs for 3 minutes 25 seconds. - Danielle Harris which runs for 1 minute 56 seconds. - Kristina Klebe which runs for 2 minutes 13 seconds. - Hanna Hall which runs for 1 minute 40 seconds. - Adam Weisman which runs for 1 minute 39 seconds. - Skyler Gisondo which runs for 4 minutes 10 seconds. - Jenny Stewart which runs for 41 seconds. - Daryl Sabara which runs for 2 minutes 1 second. - Pat Skipper which runs for 1 minute 31 seconds. - Clint Howard which runs for 1 minute 29 seconds. - Nick Mennell which runs for 1 minute 12 seconds. - Max Van Ville which runs for 2 minutes 19 seconds. - Mel Fair which runs for 40 seconds. - Courtney Gains which runs for 1 minute 39 seconds. There’s also Scout Taylor-Compton’s screen test which runs for 7 minutes 47 seconds, this footage features the young actress performing a scene for the casting director. The disc also includes the film’s original theatrical trailer which runs for 2 minutes 2 seconds. Rounding out the extras are bonus trailers for: - "Death Proof" which runs for 2 minutes 24 seconds. - "Planet Terror" which runs for 2 minutes 19 seconds. - "The Furnace" which runs for 2 minutes 34 seconds. - "1408" which runs for 2 minutes 34 seconds.
Overall
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