Despite earning a respectable $15 million on a $5 million budget, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers was universally hated. So, instead of continuing the film’s storyline, Dimension Studios hit the reset button and rebooted the series. The studio hired Robert Zappia, who previously wrote for shows like Home Improvement and Thunder Alley, to write the screenplay. Kevin Williamson, who wrote the mega blockbuster Scream, worked on additional character dialogue and developed the climax. Jamie Lee Curtis, who left the series after Halloween II, agreed to return if they killed Michael off for good. John Carpenter originally planned to direct, but after the producers balked at his fees, they hired Steve Miner. On a $17 million budget, filming lasted from February to April 1998 in and around Los Angeles. So, 20 years after the original, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later hit theaters in August 1998.
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Synopsis
After faking her death, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), now going by Keri Tate, has become headmistress of Hillcrest Academy. She keeps a close eye on her son, John (Josh Hartnett), who feels constrained being under her surveillance. Even after 20 years, Laurie still fears Michael Myers is out there, waiting to make his move. Back at Hillcrest, students and staff prepare for a trip to Yosemite, though Laurie forbids John from going. In solidarity, John’s girlfriend, Molly (Michelle Williams), and his friends Charlie (Adam Hann-Byrd) and Sarah (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) stay behind. Little do they know that Michael Myers (Chris Durand) has found Laurie’s location and is planning his attack. Laurie works with security guard Ronny (LL Cool J) and guidance counselor Will (Adam Arkin) to save the students. After 20 years in hiding, Laurie finally decides to confront The Shape and, hopefully, end his reign of terror.
Review
After how needlessly convoluted the series got, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later wisely returned to basics. Instead of shoehorning in a religious cult as the reason for his killings, Michael wants to finish off his sister. Unfortunately, the filmmakers ended up making a fairly generic slasher film that offers nothing new or exciting to the series. Like Halloween II, which felt more like a byproduct of the original, this film feels like another Scream imitator. Still, Rick Rosenthal gave his sequel some style and mood, unlike Steve Miner’s flat, boring direction. Except for a few sweeping camera moves, everything feels static and lifeless, like you’re watching a Dawson’s Creek episode. It doesn’t help that the film is littered with jump scares, each accompanied by a loud musical sting. There are so many that you could make a drinking game out of it, but you’d probably get alcohol poisoning.
For all the movie’s faults, Jamie Lee Curtis at least gives the role her all and delivers a fantastic performance. She could’ve easily slept through this movie, but she brings plenty of emotion and has a lot to do. Chris Durand, who ironically donned the Ghostface mask in Scream 2, makes for a decent Michael Myers. He does a good job making Michael feel appropriately creepy, and he takes quite the beating. The last 15 minutes are the film’s biggest highlight, as Laurie Strode decides to take on her assailant. It’s a tense cat-and-mouse chase as Laurie psyches Michael out, beats him when he’s down, and gets the upper hand. You feel that she’s letting out 20 years of fear and frustration on this guy, and it’s very satisfying. It’s just a shame that it’s preceded by an hour of dull teen drama.
While it’s cool to see a then-unknown Josh Hartnett and Michelle Williams, their characters are very two-dimensional. The same goes for Adam Hann-Byrd and Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, who feel disposable as the goofy couple. LL Cool J is alright as the security guard, and Adam Arkin has some decent chemistry with Curtis. Honestly, I struggled to remember who any of the teen characters were because they were so forgettable. I’m not saying you need fully fleshed-out, three-dimensional characters in a slasher, but they should have some personality. On top of the boring teen cast, the music feels largely generic, though there’s some controversy around that. At just under 90 minutes, the film’s pacing feels sluggish, though the last 15 minutes almost make up for it. Overall, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later is both a step forward and a step backward for the series.
Buy Halloween H20: 20 Years Later from Amazon: https://link.amazon/B04qfXE3R.
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Where to watch Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
