October 27, 2015

To me, the key to a truly great “remake” of a pre-existing horror film is simple. Would the new update make a good double feature with the original movie? When it comes to programing a double feature, the goal is to find two movies with a similar theme that would complement each other. And there’s no better test to see if a remake works than by watching it back to back with its inspiration and seeing if it respects its source material and tells a similar enough story, yet does its own new thing. Each week, we’re going to pair up two horror films – its original and its remake as a double feature and see if it makes for a great double bill. Welcome to Double Take!

Uh-oh. This may be the first double feature that does not work. But its Halloween week and that means the only suitable double feature we can queue up for this week has to be John Carpenter’s original classic 1978 version of HALLOWEEN, paired up with Rob Zombie’s 2007 reimagining.

John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN is a masterpiece. Plain and simple. People have to put into context the way this film changed the trajectory of “slasher” movies and paved the way for countless (and inferior) imitators in the 80’s. In 1978, the concept of the “unstoppable” killer never existed. There wasn’t a family connection twist. No over the top, elaborate gory kills or “how’d they do that?” moments. It was a very tight, simply story about a 6 year old little boy who murdered his sister for no rhyme or reason on Halloween night. 15 years later, he escapes from the mental institution and returns home, only to fixate on a group of young teenage girls. His doctor is the only one that feels he’s pure evil and will go to any lengths to stop him. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. The point of the original Halloween (besides scaring you), is to prove the existence of the boogeyman.

This was also a time period before sequels and supposed cliff hanger endings were the norm at your local multiplex. I recall my older brother telling me stories of coming home after seeing HALLOWEEN back in 1978 upon its initial release and saying that the ending (spoiler) where Michael just gets up and walks away and is still out there, somewhere, terrified him and made him lose lots and lots of sleep. Again, this was unheard of back then. It wasn’t a tactic to set up a sequel. It was the end of that story, and a warning to the audience that evil is always out there, waiting.

Even after seeing all of the horror movies that came in its wake, HALLOWEEN still stands up as an impressive and well-crafted piece of pure cinema. All parties involved should take responsibility for it being what it became, from Debra Hill who co-penned the script with John, to cinematographer Dean Cundey who would not only help establish that trademark look of Carpenter’s filmography, but later go on to shoot movie classics like BACK TO THE FUTURE and JURASSIC PARK. To the amazing production design from Tommy Lee Wallace who made the Myers mask and would later direct HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH. It was all the right people in the right place at the right time and it remained the most lucrative indie horror movie ever up until THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT in 1999.

The mistakes in the Michael Myers mythology came with the later sequels. By the 2nd movie, and after a late night drinking binge, Carpenter admits he had writers block and simply decided to make Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) Michael’s sister, a choice he always regretted after the fact, and a plot point that forever trapped future series writers into a creative corner, next to impossible to maneuver out of. The only way out would be to reboot the original movie. And so after many failed attempts to make a 9th HALLOWEEN movie (including one rejected concept that would’ve pitted Michael Myers against HELLRAISER’s Pinhead), Rob Zombie was drafted to restart the franchise with his unique vision. And he did with his 2007 HALLOWEEN.

Now, when it’s a film like HALLOWEEN, it’d be impossible not to compare it to the original. In this case, it’s hard to separate the two, but what Zombie does right with his update all falls into the first half of his movie when it is completely Zombie’s own original story. Had it not been Michael Myers, if this was just Zombie’s attempt to create and tell a story revolving around a new masked serial killer, it’d be a much easier pill to swallow. But unfortunately, the third act becomes a truncated and rushed version of the original HALLOWEEN, something that he didn’t want to do. Zombie has said that he really wanted to end the film at the point where adult Michael Myers puts on the mask and he would’ve saved the retooled version of the original for his sequel. But alas, making a movie means a lot of people are involved and a lot of people have varying opinions, hence you can’t always do what you’d like to do.

Zombie’s HALLOWEEN II is a much more effective movie because it is totally and solely his. Sure, there’s a little homage to the hospital setting of the original HALLOWEEN II, but that’s only the opening scene that then pushes us 2 years later. There are things I like about both of Zombie’s movies, in particular it’s nice having Danielle Harris back in the franchise after the misstep of recasting her for HALLOWEEN 6. But alas, while I certainly can appreciate this modern take on HALLOWEEN, it’s not the one that personally suits my tastes. And also, the one thing they immediately fail at doing is clearing the slate. Laurie Strode is again Michael’s sister from the get go, yet again painting any potential narrative into a corner.

I can probably watch Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN on its own and appreciate it for what it is. But paired up with Carpenter’s original only makes me long to go back to the simplicity and ambiguity of the original Michael Myers. Here’s one double feature that doesn’t work.

What do you guys think? Which one do you prefer? Or do you love ‘em both?