Halloween Sequels (II - Resurrection) Review

Was gonna do separate reviews for each of these movies but decided to combine them into one big chunk, since I don't really have a whole lot to say about many of them. so without further ado here are my thoughts on the Halloween sequels.

Halloween II (1981)

In the first 15 minutes of this film a 17 year old kid dressed as Mike Myers gets pinned against a van by a police car that promptly explodes for no reason and it's absolutely ridiculous.
And that's not all, as the film is riddled with dumb moments, but you know what? it's still quite a fun watch overall. It takes a more general Slasher approach, with more violence and Donald Pleasance continues his enjoyable ramblings as the constantly on edge Dr. Loomis. ***

Halloween III: Season of the witch (1983)

 

This one gets a lot of flack for not having Mike Myers and being a completely different and new film as the studio wanted to carry on using the Halloween moniker but with a new film idea each time like an anthology.
Despite that though if you view this as a standalone horror as you're supposed to, this is actually quite an enjoyable film. Yeah some of it is still a little silly but it's got a nice little mystery that keeps it intriguing, as well as a couple good gruesome moments. My brother remarked that it's a bit like a James bond film except the spy elements are taken out and replaced by horror ones, I don't think he's far wrong, plus the film has quite a dark ending that I found to be quite effective. ***

Halloween 4: The return of Michael Myers (1988) Review

So of course Season of the witch failed and they brought back Michael Myers, and this is where the series starts getting a lot dumber, although this entry may be the blandest of the entire series.
Mike Myers is alot less intimidating (though his lowest point is still to come), there's barely any suspense or violence and it just kinda drags, especially towards the end. The most enjoyable stuff seems to be Dr Loomis and his rambling again, with the biggest highlight being when he's picked up  off the side of the road by a reverend, and honestly, they should have just made a road movie between those two as I would watch the shit out of it. **

Halloween 5: The Revenge Michael Myers (1989)

I thought 4 was bad...then 5 comes along and delivers this incompetent garbage.
I swear this film is meant to be a comedy because all I kept doing is laughing throughout. Myers has an awful and bothersome flappy neck on his mask making him the least scariest of the franchise, in fact Dr. Loomis is more terrifying in this, always bugging the poor Jamie Lloyd kid who is now psychic for some reason. There's also weird sound effects at certain points and the music score is a bit off and not quite working. 

Then of course you got the start of the Thorn bullshit and the whole thing is just inept. I think I still enjoyed it more than 4 but for all the wrong reasons. **

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

 

I watched the producer's cut of this but also skimmed through the theatrical cut to compare and both are pretty bad with awful climaxes, but the producer's cut is a little more coherent with a better soundtrack opting for a more minimal atmospheric score like the first one which is quite a effective and completely ruined in the theatrical cut with added rock guitar riffs and squeals. In all honesty I was actually quite enjoying the producer's cut up until the big reveal towards the end and then the whole thing just falls apart. 

Here the Thorn stuff comes to the forefront, which is awful and ridiculous, but I do commend them for trying something a bit different I guess. And despite all the gobbledygook, the film is still more consistently put together than the previous film. **

Halloween H20: 20 years Later (1998)

 

AKA Laurie vs. Michael. Here the series shoots up in quality and provides the best sequel.
This one is set 20 years after the first two films events and completely disregards all the sequels that came after it, with Jamie Lee Curtis making a return as Laurie Strode.
The film itself is very enjoyable from start to finish and flies by at a brisk pace. The climactic showdown between Laurie and Michael is great and one of the series best highlights.
It still has its hokey and questionable bits, but for the most part this is a competently well made and executed Slasher. Plus I found LL Cool J playing a security guard that writes erotic fiction rather amusing. ***1/2

Halloween: Resurrection

Here's the series dips down again. It follows on directly from H20 and while the first 10 - 15 minutes are actually pretty good, Busta Rhymes then gets added to the mix and things turn into a farce.
Now I did like the whole Myers house being used for a internet horror show idea and maybe if they had minimized Busta Rhymes to a cameo or took him out completely, the film as a whole would have worked better. But his presence just makes things more comedic feeling and almost like a 'scary movie' parody at times, especially the ending, which I'm sure felt like a spit in the face to long-time fans of the franchise at the time.
Having said that, I didn't take the film all that seriously and actually thought it was pretty fun including Busta Rhymes whole shitck for just feeling bizarre and out of place. Most definitely a product of the early 00's  and honestly more enjoyable than 4, 5 and 6. **1/2

 

Halloween (1978) Review

I admit I don't have the same amount of love and attachment to this film as most people, in fact I saw the Rob Zombie remake long before watching this. But I still do have a strong appreciation for it and can see why it is so highly influential and regarded as a classic.

For one, the score is fantastic and has become iconic in itself, the haunting piano arrangement is instantly recognisable and just hearing it is enough to put most people on edge.

 The story is very simple but effective and for the most part maintains a terrific atmosphere and provides a great deal of suspense, with Michael Myers threatening presence being felt throughout the movie and effectively utilising a few popular Giallo elements like the killer POV.

However there are certainly some things that feel a bit dated and a little laughable at times, also the film's lack of gore compared to later slasher films may also make it seem a little tame for a modern audience. My brother for instance, who is a huge Slasher fan actually finds the film a little boring since the suspense doesn't really work on him and there's not enough that really goes on around that. So I can understand people not being that big on it since the suspense is arguably the film's biggest factor for engagement.

Personally, I do find this to be a great suspenseful horror whose achievements and influence outshine its flaws, but it's not something I would re-watch much. ****

Phantasm II (1988) Review

Released 9 years after the first one. This sequel starts right after where the first one left off and then jumps ahead 9 years as Reggie and Mike go on a journey to see out and take down the Tall-man once more, setting a bunch of trends that follow throughout the rest of the sequels including Reggie becoming the main hero and his attempts at trying to have sex with every woman he picks up.

This marks the only film in the series where Mike is played by a different actor, but I think he fits the role fine here and is a decent enough replacement, though I guess it is slightly jarring to go from him back to the original actor in the next film.
The Tall Man and Reggie are still played by original actors Angus Scrimm and Reggie Bannister though, as they would be for the rest of the film series.

The film also had a considerably bigger budget so of course they utilise that to the fullest and like alot of film sequels make thing bigger and bolder with more action and special effects as well as a somewhat lighter tone which all makes for a very fun and engaging experience.

The main theme heard in the first movie is retained, but the score itself is more generic and sounds similar to every other horror film of the time. It also delivers a similar fake-out ending to the first  which may annoy people but I was fine with it.

So yeah, while it does still have flaws and is much more conventional than the first film, lacking that same level of intrigue and mystery, I still found it to be almost as enjoyable. But then I do really like fun action horrors and this one in particular as a certain charm to it. ***1/2

A Star is Born (2018) Review

I'll I admit I went into this thinking it was gonna be some hokey feel-good film, I mean how can you not with a poster and title like the one above and with the way it's been marketed.
So of course to my pleasant surprise it was instead a strong emotional drama that was actually great and quite far-way from feel good or happy.

The film is lead by two fantastic and genuine feeling lead performances from Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. I'd says it's probably the best performance I've seen from Cooper thus far and Gaga really fits in so naturally with her role with them both having tremendous chemistry together.
They are also back up by a good supporting cast with Sam Elliott in particular being the other stand out of the film.

The soundtrack is also really good performed beautifully by Gaga and Cooper who collaborated with a bunch of different country musicians among other personnel to compose and produce it. The songs feel very genuine and fit perfectly with the story and characters.

there are a couple of odd moments and things feeling a bit rushed but overall I think Cooper has done fantastic job with his debut and shows a lot of promise as a director. Crafting a drama that has a lot of heart and is just as much as bout a star on the decline as it is about one on the rise and the conrtast between them.

I'll be very surprised if this don't pick up any Oscar noms. ****

Phantasm (1979) Review

This cult classic is certainly an interesting one...

The beginning is structurally very odd and feels a bit jumbled, but it soon finds it's footing and has heaps of intrigue which manages to keep you engaged throughout, revealing little details as it goes on but never fully explaining everything before delivering a sort of fakeout ending that links the film to themes of grieving and dealing with loss that gives it a psychological edge (which of course is dissipated in the sequels).

It's also got quite a good score on the go which is very reminiscent of music Goblin would produce for Dario Argento.

Characters do make some questionable decisions )particularly the main kid), The acting isn't the best and the atmosphere is inconsistent but Phantasm is a strange and enjoyable horror that's got a bit of unique vibe going for it which makes it clear why it became a cult favourite and spawned a franchise.

the Tall Man may not be the scariest of guys, but actor Angus Scrimm manages to give the character an intimating presence that certainly made an impact. ***1/2

Johnny English Strike Again (2018) Review

With this type of movie it's best just to go in and see how much fun you can have, cause at the end of the day these films are just a string of comedy set-pieces connected together by a very basic plot..
With that being said I certainly did get a few good laughs out of this, particularly in a sequence involving VR, although there was also a fair amount of comedy that fell dead on it's arse too, but may have got a chuckle out of child me.

So yeah I found the film to be  mildly amusing with a slight charm, but these films have never aspired to be more than just some pleasant passing entertainment and that's really all it is, just more of the same kinda of stuff rehashed with added elements like Johnny being out of touch and old school.

I guess you're enjoyment of this will come down to your connection to the character and sense of humour. I personally have attachment due to being a fan of the first movie when I was a kid, so even if there's barely anything to it, I've got no issues with a simple spy spoof that will have me smiling every now and again. **1/2

Venom (2018) Review

There's a good movie lurking somewhere in Venom's back gooey depths and it lies specifically in the fun Venom/Eddie Brock dynamic that serves to be the films main highlight. Tom Hardy is clearly having fun in his role which is why it mainly works well and serves to be enjoyable.
The CGI is also fine but does get a bit messy at times particularly in the climactic fight but I don't think the editing helped with that either.

My point though is that I liked the portrayal of venom here, It's just a shame that its' all wrapped in a bog standard story and some messy craftsmanship leaving you with a film that is kinda entertaining but mostly lackluster.

May have just been better if they just did a spider-man film with this venom, the problem with origin origin films is that the majority of them go down similar paths and they just don't end up being interesting enough, so I wouldn't call Venom outright bad, it's  just very meh. **1/2
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