After some completely random (and seemingly pointless) kills in a field, we get a couple of dream sequences (not sure if one is Laurie's or Michael's or both hers) complete with imagery straight out of a White Zombie video, some random killing, and some more of Michael walking in daylight, unmasked, with his mother/younger self visions in tow as they see billboards promoting the Loomis book tour. Annie gets killed quite violently by Michael and prompts one to wonder what purpose she served in the plot. (All kudos to Danielle Harris who did a good job, but working on this must have brought flashbacks to her work on the mess known as Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.)
We get to see Laurie's breakdown after learning she is Michael's sister (a detail revealed in Loomis' latest book that she happens to pick up at a local store). She not only freaks out, but demonstrates signs of the kind of madness that drives her older brother. I, along with several others, believe Zombie intended for her to be revealed as the killer in this movie. (Check out the Now Playing Podcast's Halloween Retrospective Series to hear more people agree with me.) But we don't get that. Instead, we have this disjointed mess that, itself, plummets into madness over the final act.
Michael, for reasons never explained, has waited two years to come back, fetch his long-lost baby sister (again), to take her to the barn and watch her struggle against the same ghosts he sees. Loomis shows up (how convenient) and confronts Michael. He sees Laurie struggling (she thinks young Michael is holding her) and he tries to get her to see that it's all in her mind. Or is it? Yeah, I don't even want to get it anymore. I just want it to end. This is where the film differs the most. In the theatrical release, Michael stabs Loomis, is shot, falls, Laurie stabs him, and walks out of the barn wearing his mask. In the director's cut, Michael throws Loomis through a wall to the outside. In front of the cops, he takes off his mask (Tyler Mane looking a lot like Zakk Wylde), growls "die" at Loomis, and runs him through with a big knife. Loomis falls and Michael is pelted with multiple bullets before finally falling himself. Laurie emerges to the carnage, picks up Michael's knife, walks towards Loomis, raises it, and is shot down. An aerial shot cranes above the dead bodies on the ground as a remake of the song "Love Hurts" plays in the background. The final scene of Laurie sitting in a padded cell watching Debra Myers and the white horse walk towards her is still there but we can now interpret that as her vision of the afterlife. Or it's a another dream. Or maybe not.
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Article comments
1 - retard269
dude really who gives a dam about the plot aleast rob zombie turned him back into a fuckin icon and that is all the hardcore fans give a dam about [personal attack deleted]
2 - J. Newcastle
To quote Cici from Scream 2, "Yeah, well, there's no accounting for taste."
Thanks for reading.
3 - Debra Vaughn
I would just like to say that I am a big fan of all the Halloween movies the original. I also loved the Halloween movie that Rob Zombie did, but the 2nd one, totally SUCKS. I mean get real,, the ghost of his mom, the little boy. And who the heck was that kid., get the original Michael Myers from your first one.. He was much better.
All I can say is stick with the first one and you should have scraped the 2nd.. It just smells real bad.
4 - C,Machado
I would like to start off by saying I am a huge fan of this horror franchise.The first time i saw the original i was terrify and the second film scared me as well. Over the next two decades the movies started to become dumb except for the forth and fifth installments after that i truly believe that Micheal Myers became a joke.So when i found out that Rob Zombie was taking over the franchise i was happy and pleased that someone was going to bring back that killer who scared us all.The second film was a very different outlook on Micheal's life the visions of his mother were great because you got to see what he saw as far as the little boy goes for all you idiot's out there his role is important he is Micheal's voice how stupid can you be so having his mother and young micheal are important to the film.So for all the people out there who did not like the film you need to go back and watch it again watch both of them Rob Zombie did a great job with this movie. Rob's outlook on Micheal Myers was very different and shocking he brought back the best horror icon in movie history. So i end with this Rob Zombie did a phenomenal job with the films.
5 - J. Newcastle
@ Debra
The kid from the first movie apparently had too much of a growth spurt to be believable as a 10/11 year old for those scenes. I would have liked to have seen Daeg Faerch again, but it wouldn't have helped the plot.
Thanks for reading.
6 - J. Newcastle
@ C, Machado
Thanks for reading. Zombie's first take was solid. The second, not so much, in my opinion. You can tell because the Unrated Director's Cut of the H2 is significantly different than the theatrical. The D-cut of the 2007 film just added to the story without changing the plot. That tells me either Zombie or the studio didn't know what to do with this.
I wonder what Dimension does with this franchise now.
7 - The Sentinal
Do you have any idea of how much(or little)time Rob was given to make this movie?What he did in that time is great!Having watched Halloween H20 and Ressurection the day before watching H2 for the second time,I was reminded of what a good job Rob has done.
Let me put something out there that no one seems to get...If Rob Zombie had not taken over Halloween,you would be given another terrible sequel or remake.By that I mean the typical overly glossy,overly cheesy film.
Rob Zombie makes a different kind of horror film.I think the closest comparisons might be The Hills Have Eyes,and Last House on The Left remakes.These movies have more of a realistic,gritty,and uneasy feel to them.They arent for everyone,but if you would rather watch the typical fake,glossy,cheesy horror film,then stick to standing in line with the rest of the teenagers of the world.
8 - J. Newcastle
@ The Sentinal
You are not wrong; the Akkad/Dimension team has put together some ill conceived sequels in the series.
I made it through a third watch listening to Zombie's commentary and many times I got the feeling he had some creative control but zero control over time and budget and you can tell he wasn't happy with what was happening. He even went as far to say there was no way to explain how Michael Myers gets his face shot off yet survives.
I stand by the idea that had he made what he really wanted (Laurie as the killer - no Michael, it's all in her head), he'd have done just that and it would have worked better.
Still, I say watch the 2007 one and move on because we learn nothing else in this one that moves the story.
I ask to you as well where is this series headed?
Thanks for reading.
9 - Thrill Fiction
A really good dissection of the film J.Newcastle. Horror movie fans sometimes resemble football (soccer) fans in that their team can do no wrong. Having watched it twice for my critique I know how painfull it was.
10 - KidNormal
(Currently watching 1/4 through)
Rob Zombie screwed up Halloween.
One scene at the beginning shows a parking lot without a single car and then out of no where the security drives up and in the same scene where the security guard locks the door that only had a screen and bars which would be very easy to just put your arm through and unlock. Also the nurse in that scene only got cut in the nose and just falls down. Rob Zombie YOU ARE AN IDIOT THAT IS PROBABLY SMOKING CRACK RIGHT NOW!
11 - Linsdey
i am a HUGE fan of the original Halloween series and i even liked the first remake...but this movie was HORRIBLE! what a let-down. Rob ruined the story and all the characters with it. michael myers is a mountain man that wears a scarf and sports a beard? wtf? and they show his face! i cant tell you how disappointed i am. i wasted 20 bucks on this dvd and will likely never watch it again. please Rob....dont make anymore Halloween movies. Thanks.....
12 - Danielle
Michael myers is not micheal myers in this film. I agree, his first remake was solid. This one was terrible. Michael NEVER grunts and moans when he kills, and he never overkills. His face is never shown in the other films and it shouldn't have been in this one. Terrible remake, and I'm sorry but only true Halloween fans could dislike that movie.
13 - Michelle
I agree with Linsdey. I watched it with my son, and he was very disappointed that Michael's face was shown. It ruined his whole character. There was nothing wrong with his face at all after what happened to him in the first remake. The killings did, however, make me very uneasy. They were brutal. I also couldn't figure out why the mother wanted him to kill her daughter. For what? I felt that the acting could have been a lot better too.
14 - lance
I won't go into my personal opinion of the film,but I find it damn funny people beleive showing Michaels face ruined the movie.
DO YOU PEOPLE NOT REALIZE HIS FACE WAS SHOWN IN THE ORIGINAL MOVIE!!!
15 - paul wynne
just watched it and have to say thought he made a complete mess of the movie i was so annoyed after watchin it. i loved the frst one thought he did a great job but i think he lost it with the secind one i really did not like it, i'm a fan on zombie but after this it will be hard to watch another one of he's movies sorry bor you disapointed me. sorry about my spelling
16 - Joey Watts
I love Halloween movies and i think Rob did a really good job doing a remake of this one and rob should do remakes of Wrong Turn 1 and 2 your a good directer i hope to see more movies from you good job man
17 - Daniel
The first Halloween I saw was Halloween H20, a masterpiece. Then I watched Halloween Resurrection on TV, and I loved it to, so I decided to watch every single film. I was like 'OMG, THIS IS ARE ONE OF THE BEST SAGAS OF ALL TIMES!' True that until I watched Halloween 1 and 2 remaked. It was just a piece of shit which isn't worth even watching. Mychael Myers is not the awesome, intelligent, mysterious and selective killer who was in the previous films, he is just a big retard who kills everyone he sees. Zombie finished with mystery showing the Mychael's childhood. Before we wondered why did he kill people, why was he mad; now we know he is nothing more than an unbalanced mad. And Laurie is not the innnocent teen anymore, he is actually the biggest idiot between all her friends. I must say the dialogues are damnly horrible, anyone in real life talks like them, the only word which was in every single sentence was 'fuck'. And well, just as a summary of the acting, just say that after calling a nurse in hospital because she felt bad Laurie could perfectly run everywhere she wanted to and do everything she wanted to, of course with one of her legs badly hurt. Now seriously, someone should stop that crazy idiot, Rob Zombie, he will finally destroy Halloween movies.
And lance, Mychael's face was shown in the original movie, that's true, but it was shown in the darkness so we couldn't exactly see how he was, and that scene was changed in the second film.