October Horror Movie Marathon

[MrBarlow]

The Changeling. 1980.

Music composer John Russell recovering from the death of his wife and daughter rents a house from the historical society and believes it to be haunted. He looks into the past of the house that takes him to a powerful Senator.

Classic haunted house film starring George C. Scott that relies more on atmosphere than seeing ghosts, we do see a ball bounce down the stairs on its own and a wheelchair move while no one is sat in it. Loosely based on a true story the creators done a good job of bringing it to the screen with a good supporting cast members and a haunting background score.

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[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

They do go into some more detail, worth a read.

Thanks but no thanks id just keep puking all over the pages

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

Thanks but no thanks id just keep puking all over the pages

Sleep well, and mind the slugs don't bite.

[nosferatu42]

You do know that apparently if you lick a slug they will absorb your nightmares.

[nosferatu42]

In their spongy moist flesh buds.

[nosferatu42]

I just made that up.

Please, don't have nightmares....

nick-ross-crimewatch.jpg

[Nordicdusk]

I should of just shut my mouth

[nosferatu42]

Slugs like ears too...

[MacBlayne]

[MacBlayne]

HALLOWEEN 2018

After the Thorn saga failed, and the sister saga led to the absymal Resurrection, and after Rob Zombie's H2 confounded everybody, David Gordon Green and Danny McBride were offered a shot at the series. They talked a good game. They said they would ignore everything after Carpenter's original. They spoke about how ludicrous the other sequels were (which is fair), and they wanted to return to Michael Myers being a simple killer. They roped in Jamie Lee Curtis (a vocal critic of the sequels), and they even managed to get John Carpenter to do more than show up and collect his royalty cheque. So, it ought to be great, right?

Well...

Let's consider why John Carpenter is so bloody good. Moreso than any American genre filmmaker, Carpenter understands atmosphere and mood. A lot of that comes from his sparse screenplays. Carpenter, by his own admission, never cared for writing plot or dialogue. A simple premise was enough for him, and his visuals, music. and actors would fill the rest. It's why many of his films would frequently have scenes in which actors sit quietly in tastefully lit locations, while a score hummed in the background. These scenes would lull you into a trance, a dreamy state, from which you were jolted out of whenever the horror would start.

The tragedy of this approach is that Carpenter's films were critical and financial disappointments during release. Not that critics and audiences weren't able to appreciate Carpenter's efforts, just that it took time for the films to make their impact on them.

Sadly, nobody wants to play the waiting game nowadays, especially studios. Which is why Green's sequel is loaded with inane dialogue, needless subplots, and overediting. I'm not not talking Michael Bay levels, but... Let's look at the opening scene in which Rhian Rees's podcaster is waiting at the asylum for Myers's doctor. It's easy to imagine how Carpenter would have shot it: a nice medium shot with Rees framed on the left, a window next to her letting some light in. She'd test her tape recorder. Just making sure. In the background, an orderly would be escorting a patient (to establish setting). In the background, there would some chatter about patients (maybe some violent behaviour). Rees would probably look at the aforementioned patient, and then back to the window, displaying some slight unease on her face. Only when the doctor appears, would there be an edit.

Why do I bring this up? By keeping everything in one, static medium shot, you have established Rees's character's profession (a journalist of sorts), the location (a hospital or asylum), and by not cutting, we are waiting with her, experiencing the same discomfort.

Green cuts rapidly between extreme close-ups, and lots of chatter. It's the same stuff as above, but rather than let us feel it, it just bombards us with information and exposition. And this is present throughout the rest of the film. Whenever Michael shows up to do business, the film is a solid action-slasher. Fun, even. However, there is no lead up to Michael's scenes. It's just cloying melodrama (the portrayal of survivor's trauma as Rambo-girl seems rather in poor taste), or annoying stoner humour or conversations about sandwiches. A scene in which a babysitter is slaughtered? It should be tense, suspenseful, scary. Instead, our actress screams, while a kid yells "Aw, hell naw!"

Another problem is the need to explain everything. Carpenter can be accused of relying on randomness to make his plots progress, but he skirted past this issue by doubling down on tone. Green and McBride seem afraid or unwilling to do this, and instead rely on a ridiculous plot twist to set the third act in motion. It's a contrivance too far. I would have settled with Laurie hunting down Michael in the town, or even had a bit where Michael runs away from the police through the woods, and lands on Laurie's doorstep. Anything but the nonsense that this films pulls.

Okay, I've given this film quite a kicking, but I don't think it's awful. The performances are quite good. Curtis does well with her poorly developed Laurie, while Judy Greer and Will Patton are excellent in their small roles. Michael is portrayed by James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle (from the original film), which means Michael has unique gait back.

The real star of the show is the soundtrack, composed by Carpenter. It is a phenomenal piece of work. A diabolical concoction of dark-synthwave and industrial electronica, the soundtrack screams of nightmares. The Shape Hunts Allyson (track 12) is less than a minute long, but will terrify you for many nights to come. I dare you to walk in the dark while this plays on your earphones.

Halloween 2018 is a decent slasher. It has enough violence and kills to entertain, but it has enough clutter to bore those looking for a fun watch, or irritate those looking for something closer to Carpenter's atmospheric classic. The screenplay is bogged down with plotting and dire-logue, but the acting and incredible score just about salvage it. Just about.