Plot: What’s it about?
The small firm known as DangerTainment has arranged for perhaps the ultimate horror experience, as a group of teens will spend the night inside of Michael Myers’ childhood home, with cameras documenting their every move. The goal is to find out what caused Myers to become the ruthless slasher he turned into, but the folks at DangerTainment plan to spice up the night and of course, seek to provide an exciting, scary experience. As the teens wander inside of the house, cameras will broadcast the footage over the internet, allowing millions to watch as they poke around in the dark corners. In charge of the project are Freddie Harris (Busta Rhymes) and Nora Winston (Tyra Banks), but unknown to them, Michael Myers has returned and after a quick stop to visit his sister, he becomes the one running the show. While the kids peek around inside of his old home, Myers stalks through the hallways and rooms, waiting to strike out at those who have entered his home, and with lethal force. Will Myers make short work out of DangerTainment’s contestants, or will the teens somehow find a way to put Myers down for good, even though no one else has come close before?
Out of all the horror movie icons out there, Freddy, Jason, Candyman, Pinhead, and the others, Michael Myers stands out as my own personal favorite. And while the sequels to the genre classic original have been less than impressive, I still find myself entertained by them, if just to see Myers hack through another assortment of folks. But after the previous sequel H20, I thought Myers had been vanquished for good, but as always, those horror writers have brought him back, though perhaps he should have stayed down this time. I didn’t expect a superb sequel by any means and Halloween Resurrection supplies some enjoyable moments, but the encounter between Myers and his sister Laurie Strode left me cold. This is because to this point, we’ve been led to believe that once one of the siblings off the other, the series should come to an end, but this is a point director Rick Rosenthal & writer Larry Brand have ignored. So the series seems kind of thrown for a loop, though I must remind myself, it is a horror movie series, so logic isn’t always important, especially in the world of sequels. A lot of cheap scares, not a lot of blood, and Myers’ trademark slashing tendencies are all found here, with only the latter giving us the goods we paid to see. I think more gore was in order, but the visuals look good and its fun to see Myers on the prowl again, so for fans of the series, Halloween: Resurrection is recommended.
As much as I love Michael Myers and his very large knife, I think the time has come to let him slash his final big screen victim. Of course, I would hate to have the series end on this kind of note, but then again, the odds aren’t good a future sequel would end it with any additional skill. Even so, I would like to see one more installment produced, in which Myers isn’t killed, but simply moves on, in light of the events seen in the start of Halloween: Resurrection. Perhaps one final battle with the kids of Haddonfield, then Mike can take off and become a normal serial killer, since his bond with the town has been broken. This movie isn’t the worst horror sequel or even close, but the presence of Busta Rhymes (Higher Learning, Shaft) sinks it down a few levels, though Tyra Banks (Coyote Ugly, Love & Basketball) is actually pretty good, on the horror movie performance scale, that is. The rest of the cast is the typical hip youth, with such stars as Sean Patrick Thomas (Barbershop, Dracula 2000), Thomas Ian Nichols (American Pie, The Rookie), Katee Sackhoff (My First Mister), and Bianca Kajilich (Bring it On, Tv’s Dawson’s Creek).
Video: How does it look?
Halloween: Resurrection is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is one awesome visual presentation, thanks to a super clean source print and some flawless authoring work. The print has a small amount of grain, but that’s due to the stock used and it is always minimal, so no concerns there. This movie has a ton of dark moments, so the contrast had to look excellent and it does. Even in the almost pitch black sequences, detail is top notch and black levels are always refined & well balanced, simply amazing work. The film’s often creative use of color also comes through well here, with rich hues that light up the scenes, while flesh tones remain natural and consistent also. This is one of the best transfers I’ve seen of late, leaving me to score it with our highest possible grade.
Audio: How does it sound?
Although not up to the same reference level standard as the video, the audio here is still excellent and really enhances the experience. A Dolby Digital 5.1 track is used and it makes great use of the material’s potential, so this mix is alive and kicking, from start to finish. All the cheap scares and sharp musical cues arrive in perfect form, so you’ll be jarred just as intended, which is important in this movie, to be sure. The bass is deep and frequent too, as is creative use of the surrounds, so you’ll be quite impressed & immersed within the picture. The story might have your attention drifting, but the audio will make sure you stay focused. The dialogue is clean and sharp too, so all the one liners are as clear as a bell. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
We’ll start off the supplements a selection of deleted scenes (complete with optional commentary), though the three alternate endings are the only really cool excised materials. I was pleased to find an audio commentary track included here, but sadly, director Rick Rosenthal and editor Robert Ferretti fail to provide a solid session. Instead of talking about the stuff fans want to know about, like how his return to the series came to be, why certain story elements were overlooked, and other important issues, Rosenthal discusses his use of video footage and spends too much time praising his own work. I don’t mind a little self praise, but come on Rick, you’ve botched another Halloween movie, not made the next Citizen Kane. You can also view three very brief featurettes, but they’re brisk and offer minimal insight, so you won’t learn too much. The best extra is forty minutes of footage inside of the Myers’ house, which is shown through the lens of the video cameras, as opposed to the normal camera’s viewpoint. A cool concept, but a true multi-angle edition would have much, much more welcome, though Rosenthal’s optional comments do make it seem as though as a future edition could have a more extensive version. This disc also includes some storyboard comparisons, as well as a collection of still photos.
