HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION Holds A Special Place...Somewhere


The year was 1998 and the seventh and "final" installment in the HALLOWEEN series had just concluded the saga with original heroin Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) beheading her demon and finally putting to rest her past in HALLOWEEN H20: TWENTY YEARS LATER.

All in all, H20 was a satisfying final entry.  But the filmmakers behind Michael Myers' mayhem tore a page from the book of the FRIDAY THE 13TH series -- the villain is never truly dead...right?

In late 1999, an eighth entry in the HALLOWEEN franchise was announced.  Everyone's first thought was, "How?  His goddamn head was cut off!"  Well, those were my thoughts, anyway.  However, the RESURRECTION of Myers ended up being the least of the worries with this sequel.

All throughout production (and most of post-production), the film went under the title HALL8WEEN: THE HOMECOMING.  The subtitle was eventually changed to RESURRECTION right before the films' release.  Side story: I remember sitting in the theater on the opening night of JASON X and seeing the trailer, and when the new subtitle came on screen I was a little dumbfounded.

There was hope to be had, though.  Rick Rosenthal, who directed 1981's HALLOWEEN II, was returning to helm this sequel.  And Jamie Lee Curtis was reprising her role as Laurie Strode yet again.  So what was not to like?

The concept was interesting and really played with whole reality TV craze that was popular at the time (the year was now 2002).  So in some ways, the movie was right with the times, and in others, it was way ahead of its time.

The main dislike I hear from fans concerning H8 is the rapper-turned-actor Busta Rhymes, spouting one-liners and exercising his kung fu on Myers.  HALLOWEEN H20 did it right with L.L. Cool J, but HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION did it wrong with Rhymes.

However, watching the movie now, 12 years later, it's sort of like a neat little time capsule and look back at the early 2000s.  The use of computer technology in the movie is the main reason for that.

Like many slashers, there is an assortment of throw-away characters that are here only to be sliced and diced.  But, really, I'm okay with that.  Unlike H20, this chapter actually was the final nail in the coffin for the original series of films.  Five years later HALLOWEEN got the remake treatment via Rob Zombie.

But there is hope of one day returning to the original franchise.  If TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE can do it after two remakes, surely HALLOWEEN can do the same one day.  And not necessarily a HALLOWEEN 9, but a true HALLOWEEN 3.

And now I guess I have myself to thank for wanting to watch HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION now.  Yay me!

Enjoy the worst promotional photos of all time:

Ignore that masked maniac standing behind you.

Let's take a moment to highlight JLC's cleavage.


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