DVD Artwork
When any movie has a sequel made I always hope for the best. I’m not one to expect that the quality of the original will be there, but I do hope for at least an entertaining movie. Sometimes, not very often, but sometimes a sequel does come along that does its predecessor proud.
When it comes to long running horror franchises though the odds seem to be drastically reduced. Look at the Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th series for example. Hell, even look at the Children of the Corn saga, it doesn’t matter how good (or bad in the case of Children of the Corn) the original movie is the movies that follow have seen a steady decline in quality, save for the odd blip here and there.
The Halloween series is no different to me, but I won’t discuss others in the series as they are reviewed elsewhere. I will instead focus on this nugget of uninspired film making. Shit, did I let my feelings out already? Don’t worry I’ll expand on them.
Here we go then. Jamie Lloyd, the niece of Michael, has a baby whilst held prisoner by the cult of Thorn (more on them later), however she does manage to escape and goes on the run. Obviously this being another family member Michael is none too pleased and sets off to catch her, kill her and finish off the youngster.
Parallel to this storyline we also join up with the Strode family (yes the same Strode’s) who now live in the old Myers house. Danny, who is the youngest of the family, and son of Kara, is having problems. He keeps hearing voices and seeing a mysterious cloaked figure.
(Quick note here. This movie does follow on from events in Part 5, so I suggest you watch that before trying to make any sense of this movie.)
Worse still, Michael is out to get the Strode’s too. Let’s face it Michael Myers is one busy man, I just hope he isn’t paid by the hour!
All isn’t completely lost though as the Strode’s neighbor is on hand to offer a little assistance. By a strange quirk of fate he is Tommy Doyle, who is the very same kid that Jamie Lee Curtis was babysitting in the first movie. He has been studying Michael Myers ever since his encounter with him.
Tommy is the one that a) Discovers Jamie Lloyd’s newborn baby, b) gets good old Sam Loomis involved again and c) explains who or what Thorn is. Another busy bastard then!
Although Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers does have some good and fairly interesting ideas pumping through its body, it is so badly executed that chances are you won’t really care. Lackluster directing, a poor script and horrendous acting don’t help matters either. It’s only the late great Donald Pleasance that adds anything to the acting, but then would we expect any less from him?
It just seemed to me that the film makers had too many ideas running through their minds, but had absolutely no idea how to execute them. This could have been a cracking good yarn, instead it is just another poor derivative slasher flick that could have been so much better.
On a more positive note, yes there are one or two, Michael Myers is probably more ferocious than he has been in many a movie. He certainly dispatches his victims in a far gorier way than some of the others in the series. But, Michael was never about the over the top gore quota kills, he was about scaring the shit out of you, and then killing whoever is in his way. Here he just so happens to turn up, butcher someone and then move on.
The classic soundtrack is still here, albeit in a slightly bastardized form, but not enough to spoil it for you. No, the annoying screeching guitars elsewhere should manage to do that for you. A soundtrack should enhance what happens on the screen, it shouldn’t make you want to turn the sound down.
Michael Myers and Halloween are classics in the world of horror, and it saddens me when product such as this gets released. I’m sure the makers meant well, and really did set out to make a good movie, but they didn’t, it’s shoddy at best. It’s not often that I want to turn a movie off before it ends, however I was damned close on this one. One viewing would have been more than enough, instead of the three or four I have endured.
On to the extras then before I breakdown into tears. No, the tears will flow as there is absolutely nothing here apart from two trailers.
This is one movie that is for the Halloween completest only, or people that want to watch a movie that had good ideas but failed to use them in any way shape or form. Maybe I am being harsh? I don’t think so though. If you get given the chance to work on a sequel to one of the all time greats of horror, you should do your utmost to deliver the best movie possible. And if you can’t do that give it to someone that can.
With that, I’m off to watch the Halloween: 25 Years of Terror release. Now there is a bloody fine movie.
