Horror Film (2020) Review #13

Debuting on the 40^th Anniversary of the original Halloween, is the first of a planned trilogy. Directed by David Gordan Green,  with Danny McBride and David Gordon Green as its writers and one of the many executive producers, to this booted franchise.  It begins as a direct sequel to the 1978 original, this film recons every sequel that ever existed, and tells the story in the present day, 40 years later.

The Premise – Michael Myers as young boy kills his sister and goes mute and is institutionalized, 15 years later he goes on murder spree back in his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois until he was shot and re- institutionalized, until another 40 years later still mute but always able to talk a now 61year old Michael Myers escapes while on a bus transfer to a more notorious institution where he was expected to spend the rest of his days. 

Coincidently escaping again on Halloween, and each time he enters Haddonfield he is leveling up, racking a higher death toll from his previous engagements and is doing so with more ferocity. It seems being aware for all those passing years he was probably getting angrier.  Something his psychiatrist Dr. Sartain, hypothesis but could not determine, as the next Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence character) Dr. Sartain was Loomis’s protégé  and has been obsessed with seeing this caged killing machine let loose in its natural environment to further his curiosity. That curiosity would have its own self cultivation for a killer’s mentality.  Meanwhile Laurie Strode the survivor of the 4 decade old murder spree has suffered PTSD, which has affected her coping and moving forward in life. Having 2 failed marriages and an intervention of child services removing her then 12 year old daughter claiming the harmful environment would pose a threat, is now estranged and is kept away from her teenage granddaughter.  Has turned to alcoholism, but relishes the opportunity to kill Michael herself.  The deputy at the original crime scene 40 years ago who stopped Loomis from shooting Michael Dead, is now the local sheriff and knows firsthand the depth of evil that has befallen his town. 

Battle ready like Terminator’s Sarah Connor, Laurie Strode and Michael Myers are destined to battle it out and end their differences with the only difference being Laurie has also been waiting patiently and quietly for 40 years for her  own brand of judgment day.

With an accredited writer’s acknowledgement, for both John Carpenter and Debra Hill who serve as Executive producers to the trilogy along with Blumhouse productions, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Malek Akkad whose father was a producer on the 1978 film.  The film began a 28 day shooting schedule on January 13, 2018 and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, that quick production turnover is due in part by it was the first Halloween movie to be shot digitally and not on film.  TIFF is mentioned in this summary because Director David Morgan Green has debut his previous films at this festival before giving them a theatrical release to the world.