Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers (1988) - Movie Review

The changing of the guard?

Good news folks! Halloween is just around the corner... Are you excited? I know I am, and one of the things that I look forward to doing every year (at least till they run out,) is doing a review for one of the, 'Halloween' movies!

I mean let's be honest folks, these movies really do symbolize the haunting awesomeness that makes doing a horror movie marathon so awesome!

Wit that said, the next movie that I am doing in this lot is: Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers (1988)!

A killer movie, that ushered in one of the great scream queens!

Directed by: Dwight H. Little (Anacondas: The Hunt For The Blood Orchid), and starring: Danielle Harris (Halloween), Ellie Cornell (House Of The Dead), Donald Pleasence (Halloween 2), George P. Wilbur (Die Hard), Beau Starr (Goodfellas), Kathleen Kinmont (Bride Of Re-Animator) & Sasha Jenson (Buffy The Vampire Slayer).

Now before I continue on with the story, I should say this, when John Carpenter tried to take the Halloween series back to where he had originally wanted it to be (basically as an anthology series of movies with different stories,) and made Halloween 3: Season Of The Witches (1982) as it's own independent movie completely separate from the original story line... Well that concept pretty much didn't work, and so the studios brought us back to, 'Haddonfield', with Halloween: The Return Of Michael Myers (1988)!

"Why now? You waited ten years. I knew this day would come. Don't go to Haddonfield, If you want another victim, take me. But leave those people in peace. Please, Michael?" - Dr. Sam Loomis to Michael Myers (a quote from Donald Pleasence in, Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers (1988)!)

It looks like is niece is not to happy to see her uncle!

As for the story, this movie takes place about ten years after that fateful Halloween night of 1978... Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur) is in a coma, the scarred Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) has never really gotten over it, and Laurie Strode is dead... And the rest of the town has begun to forget about it... Including Laurie's daughter, 'Jamie Lloyd' (Daniel Harris), who seems to know nothing about it!

All seems to be quiet, eh?

Well when a team is sent in to bring the slumbering giant mass murderer, he learns something new about the family he likes to visit on Halloween... And that is that he has a niece living in his home town!

This of course wakes ole Mickey up, and takes out his jailers, and heads home to, 'meet' his young niece...

And as for the new family that Jamie is living with... Well they are about to discover the deadly secret of her family when they meet her uncle, and he tries to take them all out!

Jamie's new family after meeting Jamie's old family!

In the end, this movie I am gonna say is not quiet as good as the classic movie that John Carpenter (Halloween) made, but considering how young Danielle Harris was in this movie, she did an absolutely brilliant job portraying Jamie, and Ellie Cornell... Lets just put it this way, after seeing this movie and the element of scary realism that those two put in to this film... Well... Danielle Harris became my favorite actress after this, and when ever I get the chance, I do try to find any Ellie Cornell movie that I can, because she is just fantastic!

Two great actresses, that really brought this series 

And as for everyone else... Well lets just put it this way, they did a brilliant job!

And the story... Awesome! The only things I didn't like about this movie are as follows:

1. There are a ton of retconned story lines in this franchise, and when I found out that Laurie Strode was still alive, and faked her death so that she could go and live in California... Well let's just put it this way, it kind of destroyed a little bit of both story lines for the Jamie Lloyd Halloween films, and original series as well...

2. The last thing that I am I going to have to say that I really didn't like about this movie is the mask... I know it is a dumb thing, but this one in my opinion is the worst of the entire batch of movies!

Anyway, if you haven't seen this movie yet, check it out... It is a good, one and well worth it! I thought so, and I suspect you will to!

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Halloween (1978) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_415" align="alignright" width="300"] Official Score = 4 Devils[/caption]

Written by: Debra Hill (The Fog), John Carpenter (The Ward) and Directed by: John Carpenter. Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis (Terror Train), Donald Pleasence (Prince Of Darkness), P.J. Soles (Carrie), Nancy Kyes (Assault On Precinct 13), Charles Cyphers (The Fog), Brian Andrews (The Great Santini), Kyle Richards (Eaten Alive).

Now this movie is a special movie for me, for many reasons...

You see, first off this happens to be my favorite movie because the acting is amazing! I mean Jamie Lee Curtis (whose parents are legendary actor and actress, Tony Curtis (Some Like It Hot) and Janet Leigh (Psycho), did such a good job in this, her first feature film, that it helped lead her in to a long term movie career!

And speaking of Janet Leigh and Psycho, John Carpenter ended up hiring Jamie Lee Curtis, and naming Donald Pleasence's character, 'Sam Loomis' as tributes to Alfred Hitchcock, and his movie, Psycho (1960).

As for P.J. Soles, she has always done a great job, making any role she has done both hilarious, but also quite endearing! And Nancy Kyes, did so well in all of the movies that she has done, rather it be, playing a scared phone operator in, Assault On Precinct 13 (1976), playing the angry ex-wife of Dr. Dan Challis (Tom Atkins) in Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch (1982)

And all of the rest of the actors are amazing as well!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="376"] Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes), Lynda van der Klok (P.J. Soles) in, 'Halloween' (1978)![/caption]

Halloween, tells the story of a group of friends by the name of Laurie Strode (Curtis), Annie Brackett (Kyes) and Lynda van der Klok (Soles), and how they are terrorized by an escaped psychopathic killer by the name of Michael Myers (Played by Tony Moran), who intends to kill all of them, on the Halloween night 17 years after Myers killed his older sister!

And it seems as though the only person that can stop him is his therapist by the name of Dr. Sam Loomis (Pleasence) that has been taking care of Michael Myers since Myers was a child, Sheriff Brackett (Annie’s father), and the unsuspecting Laurie Strode, who thought she was going to be bored with yet another night of babysitting!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Michael Myers as he is looking as he is tearing some stuff up in 'Halloween' (1978)![/caption]

With all of that in mind, and besides the amazing acting job that all of the cast did, John Carpenter is my favorite director! I mean the vision that Mr. Carpenter brings to his movies (including this one), is utterly amazing! I mean this guy does such a good job in directing these movies, that it is no wonder that he has legions of fans all over the world... And is also the reason why I think it is a safe to say that he is a true master of horror!

http://youtu.be/h7aHJR5lzE8