Halloween (2007)

Director:

Rob Zombie

Writers (WGA):

Rob Zombie (screenplay)
John Carpenter (1978 screenplay) ...

Release Date:

31 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Evil Has A Destiny

Plot:

After being committed for 17 years, Michael Myers, now a grown man and still very dangerous, escapes from the mental institution (where he was committed as a 10 year old) and he immediately returns to Haddonfield, where he wants to find his baby sister, Laurie. Anyone who crosses his path is in mortal danger.

Plot Keywords:

Boyfriend | Stripper | Dysfunctional Family | Teenager | Suicide

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Malcolm McDowell	...	Dr. Samuel Loomis
Scout Taylor-Compton	...	Laurie Strode
Tyler Mane	...	Michael Myers
Daeg Faerch	...	Michael Myers, age 10
Sheri Moon Zombie	...	Deborah Myers
William Forsythe	...	Ronnie White
Danielle Harris	...	Annie Brackett
Kristina Klebe	...	Lynda
Skyler Gisondo	...	Tommy Doyle
Danny Trejo	...	Ismael Cruz
Hanna Hall	...	Judith Myers
Tom Towles	...	Larry Redgrave
Bill Moseley	...	Zach 'Z-Man' Garrett
Leslie Easterbrook	...	Patty Frost
Steve Boyles	...	Stan Payne

Also Known As:

Hall9ween (USA) (working title)
Halloween 9 (USA) (working title)
Halloween: Retribution (USA) (working title)
Rob Zombie's Halloween (USA) (complete title)
Untitled Rob Zombie Halloween Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity and language.

Runtime:

109 min | USA:121 min (unrated version) | Brazil:83 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Ireland:18 | UK:18 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | France:-16 | Singapore:M18 | Australia:R | Norway:18 | Hong Kong:III | Taiwan:R-18 | Finland:K-18 | Germany:18 (cut) | Philippines:R-13 (cut) | Argentina:16 | Italy:VM14 | USA:R (certificate #43755) | Portugal:M/18 | Germany:18 (SPIO/JK) (uncut) | New Zealand:R18 | Japan:R-15 | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:R21 (director's cut) (cut) | Brazil:14 (heavily cut)

Filming Locations:

Altadena, California, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

Oliver Stone was rumored to be attached to this project before he decided to make World Trade Center (2006).

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The movie does not begin in in 1963 then move on 17 years to Halloween 1980, as some viewers think, therefore any perceived anachronisms can be discounted.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Michael Myers - Child: Come on, sweetie pie. Morning, Elvis. You're a pretty Elvis, aren't you? Yes, you are.

Movie Connections:

Features The Thing from Another World (1951)

Soundtrack:

Deck the Halls

Moustapha must be rolling in his grave.

How sad that a classic, seminal horror film could be this maligned in a remake. Zombie is living proof that just because someone is a "fan" of a certain type of film it doesn't mean that they should MAKE that type of film.

Zonbie proves with this film he is a one note director: vulgarity, nudity, violence and profanity are his subject matter, while likable characters, character development and any amount of suspense are jettisoned so he can move on to the next expletive, breast, or bloody body as quickly as possible. There isn't a character in the film who doesn't make sexual references or swear. Even Tommy, (the little boy who the Laurie Stode character babysits) mentions that Lyndsey, his schoolfriend, "smells like her". Who wants to sit through two hours of such sad repellent characters?

Carpenter's original, a simple, straight-ahead suspense film had little blood and intense suspense driven partly by the fact that the Boogeyman of the film WASN'T jumping out of the shadows every two seconds. In fact, part of what made the original so scary was the fact that Michael often did NOT appear at times when one was sure he would jump out. In this version, one could set one's watch by how often Michael comes creeping out of the darkness, usually in the exact same set up for every kill: victim in the foreground and Michael walking up in the background. Again and again. Repetitive and dull.

Zonbie could have made a depressing study of a troubled little boy and his psychiatrist and never called it "Halloween" and come out of this debacle with reputation more intact. But when the focus suddenly and awkwardly shifts to the Strode character and we see the events of the original condensed into about 30 minutes, its impossible not to judge the film by the impressive merits of the original. That's when one realizes Zombie has no true focus or thrust for a storyline and that his "reimagining" of a classic is an immense failure.

Don't look to this detestable film for even a modicum of suspense and maybe you won't be disappointed. The biggest "BOO!" in this film should come from the audience.