by Foster Harlfinger, Contributing Writer
Spoiler warning for the entire Halloween franchise.
In preparation for Halloween Kills, I decided to conduct a watch-through of the entire Halloween franchise. I have seen the original Halloween several times, and I consider it to be one of the best movies of all time, horror or otherwise. The only sequel I have seen is Halloween (2018), which I enjoyed but found somewhat underwhelming. Though this may be one of the rockier horror franchises out there, I look forward to taking this journey nonetheless.
I hope you all enjoy this stop on my quest to watch all the major horror movie franchises, of which there are plenty. So put on your hockey masks, grab your chainsaws, and celebrate with an ominously placed red balloon, because it’s horror movie time!
Halloween (1978)
I adore this movie. Even though it was released in 1978, Halloween somehow feels like the horror movie blueprint. I suspect it has something to do with the surprising simplicity of its plot and presentation. The sense of horror is so primal, the fear of what lies beneath a shadow or behind a corner. Throughout the film, you’ll find yourself anxiously scanning each expertly composed frame for any trace of our supremely unnerving antagonist. Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode makes for a perfectly likable and dorky protagonist, and the occasionally goofy ‘70s teenage dialogue only adds to the fun. And the music… For my money, this is the best score for any horror movie ever made. Scored by director John Carpenter himself, the music perfectly toes the line between camp and suspense, and it is easily the highlight of the film. People rightfully spend a lot of time applauding Halloween’s amazing one-take opening, but on this viewing I was struck by its perfectly chilling ending — the lingering fear that Michael Myers, or any other comparable real-world evil, could be waiting right outside your door.
Grade: A+
Halloween II (1981)
Taking place immediately after the events of the first film, Halloween II follows Michael as he tracks Laurie to the eerily quiet Haddonfield Memorial Hospital. This was an incredibly pleasant surprise! Judging from the mostly lukewarm reception this film continues to receive, I definitely enjoyed Halloween II more than most people. The cinematography is surprisingly excellent, maintaining the same sinister tone from the first film. The choice to set the film in a nearly empty hospital (a classic horror setting) makes for a tense and exciting ride as Michael plucks out the hospital’s inhabitants one by one. As far as negatives go, I only have two main criticisms. First, Laurie only receives 25 minutes of screen time. Given that she is meant to be our relatable protagonist, we hardly learn anything about her in this sequel. Second, the film’s twist that Laurie is actually Michael’s sister is completely unnecessary and takes away much of the mystery surrounding his character motivations. That being said, I still found the film to be highly entertaining. Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis is enjoyable as always (“I shot him six times! I shot him in the heart!”), and I will never tire of this franchise’s musical score. Halloween II is not groundbreaking by any means, but it does make a solid companion piece to the original film, and I look forward to revisiting it in the future.
Grade: B+
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the black sheep of the Halloween franchise, has developed somewhat of a cult following in the years since its critically panned release. Rather than continue the Laurie Strode/Michael Myers saga, Season of the Witch brings to life Carpenter and producer Debra Hill’s original vision for the franchise as a series of unrelated anthology films taking place on Halloween night. It’s a shame this film was received so poorly, because the concept of a Halloween night-themed anthology series sounds delightful! There’s no getting around the fact that Season of the Witch is straight-up insane — to say it departs from the franchise’s typical slasher formula is an understatement. The film follows Dr. Daniel Challis (Tom Atkins) as he investigates the brutal murder of one of his hospital’s patients. It turns out that the culprit is the Bond villain-esque Conal Cochran (Dan O’Herlihy), head of Silver Shamrock Novelties, a company that produces child Halloween masks with the secret goal of killing all children as a means of enacting an ancient pagan sacrifice ritual. With me so far? In spite of (and, in many ways, because of) this wonderfully ludicrous plot, the most shocking aspect of Season of the Witch is that this film is a blast! As with the previous two entries in the franchise, the chilling cinematography and synthesizer-filled musical score are perfect. The classic “small town with a dark secret” horror trope delivers genuine tension along with a healthy portion of camp. As an entry in the Halloween franchise, this sequel sticks out like a bloodied thumb, but as a wacky ‘80s horror movie, Season of the Witch is a great time.
Grade: B
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
And we’re back! Here we follow Michael as he tracks his niece Jamie Lloyd (a.k.a. Laurie’s daughter) back to Haddonfield. I had a strange experience with this one. I went into Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (a fun meta title, by the way) without any knowledge of its reputation. Though I initially disliked the film, learning that it had garnered somewhat of a cult following and was one of the more well-liked sequels led me to reevaluate my experience. At first, the noticeable change in the filmmaking style put me off, and I did not enjoy it nearly as much as the previous three entries. I found the editing somewhat choppy, I did not like how up-close and constrained the cinematography felt (compared to the beautifully ominous wide shots in the previous films), and the absence of our relatable heroine was felt strongly, in my opinion. Not to mention Michael’s mask, which increasingly looks like a botched high school art project. However, after reevaluating my experience, there is definitely much to appreciate here. The opening credits set in place a perfect Halloween vibe which is maintained throughout the film, Pleasance is giving an increasingly insane yet genuinely good performance, and there is some fun horror imagery scattered throughout. My personal favorite shot of the film comes in the first interaction between Michael and Dr. Loomis when we are treated to a dramatic (and awesome) dolly shot as Michael broods in the doorway of a gas station diner. And by the time we reach the truly shocking final twist where it is revealed that Jamie is the one who killed her foster mother, I was having a good time. Now, is the twist good? I genuinely don’t know, but I think I loved it. In any other movie, it might feel cheap and unearned, but we’re not talking about Citizen Kane here. We’re talking about the fourth film in a long-running horror franchise where a group of gun-toting truckers act as a vigilante lynch mob in an attempt to kill an unkillable killer in a Halloween mask. At this point in the franchise, and with the knowledge that it may be downhill from here, I am choosing to enjoy myself. I still don’t love the film overall, but I can see why others enjoy it, and I suspect that my estimation of the film will only increase as I continue through the series. (Update: I was right.)
Grade: C-
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Though I enjoyed a number of things about Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, it is an underwhelming follow-up to the bold ending of the previous film, which it almost entirely ignores. That’s not to say there aren’t things to admire about this movie, but it is ultimately the most skippable entry so far. The movie feels surprisingly plotless for a large portion of its runtime, and the movie is tonally hard to pin down. In one baffling choice, there are two supposedly comedic cop characters who have their own zany theme music play throughout their scenes. The finale features another strange choice in which Michael and Dr. Loomis (who, by this point, is officially crazier than Michael) confront one another in a highly exaggerated gothic-looking version of Michael’s childhood home. All that being said, there are still several things I love about this movie. Danielle Harris is giving a pretty phenomenal child performance as Jamie, and I enjoyed nearly every moment she was on screen. Though the film’s barnyard sequence meanders for a few minutes too long, I did find a number of those scares to be effective. And finally, the climax of the movie features a genuinely tense and exciting chase between Michael and Jamie as she makes a last-ditch escape through a laundry chute. In spite of my low grade, I still found Halloween 5 to be a watchable entry in the franchise due to an excellent lead performance from Harris and a couple enjoyable horror sequences.
Grade: D+
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Ahh, the ‘90s. What is this movie? We’ve got a baby-faced Paul Stephen Rudd (as he is introduced in the film’s opening credits) portraying Tommy Doyle from the first film. We have a cult storyline in which we learn that Michael is not merely a serial killer as we were led to believe. In fact, Michael is actually the bearer of the curse of Thorn, which compels Michael to search for the next-of-kin of the original sacrifice (in this case, his sister) each Halloween night. I do not blame you if you didn’t pick up on those finer details as it’s nearly impossible to discern this movie’s plot amid its atrociously bad editing and sound design. If you were to count, I would guess that there are over several hundred whoosh sound effects and flashy cut-ins throughout this movie. Apparently, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is the result of many reshoots after it performed poorly with test audiences, and I can’t say that I’m surprised! I could complain about the bizarre lore the film introduces or the alien-like Strode family dynamic, but it’s hard for me to be mad at this movie. For all its faults, it remains highly watchable. It definitely crosses into so-bad-it’s-good territory a few times. As far as genuine positives go, I enjoyed the opening 20 minute sequence of the movie before its abrupt tonal shift, the movie nails the fall Halloween aesthetic, and they have finally found a decent-looking mask for Michael. However, given the significant meddling that was done to make this movie appeal to a wider audience, I’ve decided to watch The Producer’s Cut. Supposedly, this version features 45 minutes of alternate footage, and many fans swear by it as the only true version of the film.
Grade: D-
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers – The Producer’s Cut (1995)
This is the perfect example of what a massive difference editing and sound design can make. Scenes that felt laughable in the theatrical cut played much better in The Producer’s Cut. The silly cult storyline is mostly the same, but The Producer’s Cut gets rid of the ridiculous ‘90s grunge music video style editing and fixes a lot of tonal inconsistencies from the theatrical cut. The score is also much better here, utilizing more of the classic Halloween themes. The final 15 minutes of each cut is completely different. I prefer the idea of the theatrical cut’s ending, but The Producer’s Cut’s ending is better executed. It is absolutely worth watching both versions of the film to see how significant these changes really are. The theatrical cut is borderline incomprehensible (in spite of its entertainment value as a campy ‘90s artifact), but The Producer’s Cut is a flawed, yet decent time.
Grade: D+
Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later (1998)
Jamie. Lee. Curtis. I did not realize how much I missed this woman’s role in the franchise until now. She gives a terrifically committed performance in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, and that’s one of the main reasons why I had so much fun with this seventh entry in the franchise. Laurie, now the headmistress of a private boarding school, has been living under a new name for the past 20 years. What results is a campy teen horror movie followed by an exciting final showdown between Laurie and Michael at Hillcrest Academy. Scream’s influence on H20 is obvious, and it may be off-putting to many horror fans, but I am learning that I love cheesy ‘90s horror movies. H20 may not be the most high quality or original horror film around, but it caught me in just the right mood. Curtis is excellent, the cast is dorky and fun, and the final 20 minutes are absolutely awesome.
Grade: B-
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
I’m truly struggling to think of a single thing I enjoyed about this movie. I hate the way Halloween: Resurrection retcons the fantastic ending from H20. In the earlier films, Michael remaining perpetually unkillable was all in good fun, but suggesting that Laurie decapitated the wrong person (!?) is just insulting to the audience and the film’s characters. Apparently, allowing Michael to return in Resurrection was the only way that Curtis would be allowed to get the ending she requested for H20. As a result, she asked that they bring her character back for the opening of this film to kill her once and for all. I certainly don’t blame her, but the film’s handling of her character’s death in the first 15 minutes of the film is simply terrible, and the movie only goes downhill from there. Now, the ridiculous one-liners from Busta Rhymes (who plays our lead character, by the way!) are hilarious, and I could imagine having a lot of fun watching this with a group of people, but the plot of Resurrection is just so dumb! That might not be a problem if I were actually entertained, but this movie’s worst crime is being completely boring for most of its runtime. Even in Revenge or Curse, I have characters I can latch onto, but I’m struggling to remember anything about the characters I just finished watching 15 minutes ago. This is easily the worst of the franchise.
Grade: F
Halloween (2007)
Rob Zombie’s Halloween is a completely different beast than any of the previous entries on this list. To compare it to the original film is a recipe for disappointment, since Zombie is clearly trying to make the story his own. The first half of the movie gives us a look into Michael’s childhood, offering an explanation for his murderous behavior. I was not a fan of the first 20 minutes of the film. I found some of the acting and dialogue from Michael’s family and classmates to be somewhat cringeworthy. I also think that a large part of the fear of the original film comes from the fact that Michael grew up in a stereotypically “normal” family. I don’t mind that Zombie tried to explain Michael’s rage, but I would have preferred something a bit more subtle. However, I found the subsequent conversations between Michael and Dr. Loomis intriguing. I like the way Michael’s love of masks was framed as a compulsion to hide his own “ugliness.” I think Malcom McDowell is a great casting choice in theory, but I wish he had portrayed the character with more of the quiet obsession and intensity that Pleasence brought to the role. Also, the haircut they gave Loomis in the first half was an, uh… interesting choice! The second half of the film is a Zombified recreation of the original ‘78 film. While I’m not a fan of the over-the-top grime and gore that Zombie brings, I thought he did a good job with this recreation. Michael is terrifying, the mask looks great, and the violence is visceral. Overall, I think this is a decent movie, but I still highly prefer the original film.
Grade: C-
Halloween II (2009)
This was probably the Halloween movie I was most curious to see. Rob Zombie’s Halloween II has developed a pretty fascinating reputation where half its viewers despise it and the other half herald it as a misunderstood masterpiece. After watching the movie, I can truly say that I understand both sides. Here’s what’s great about the movie: I loved the first 20 minutes — it was tense, visceral, and upsetting. Scout Taylor-Compton is giving a really good performance as Laurie, offering a portrait of a broken woman who is recovering from the trauma of the events of the previous film. The other performances are likewise very solid. I’ll always love seeing Brad Dourif, who gives one of the more memorable supporting performances in Halloween II. There are also some shockingly cool lighting and shot composition choices here, and I found it to be a significant step up from Zombie’s previous Halloween outing. In spite of these positives, I cannot honestly say that I enjoyed this movie. Halloween II is so, so grimy. I am not opposed to gore, but Zombie’s film gives you no room to breathe, though I believe that is its purpose. I think the gore works better in a film like Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead remake, because the cinematography and action in that film is so stylized and entertaining that I can watch it and have a great time. I think the grime and gore also works better in a film like the original Saw, because you can latch onto the central mystery of the film, and we are offered significant space to breathe whenever we step away from Jigsaw’s traps. Now, the grit and gore in Halloween II is not without purpose. Zombie is clearly trying to make the audience grapple with his vision of unrelenting brutality, and I can appreciate the thematic work he is doing here with regards to the trauma experienced by Laurie and Michael. I get it. This is why I say that I truly understand both sides of the Halloween II spectrum. I appreciate Zombie’s vision and believe that he executed it well. It’s just not a vision that I personally enjoy.
Grade: C-
Halloween (2018)
When I first saw this Halloween in theaters, I was generally underwhelmed. I thought Curtis’s performance was terrific, but I found myself longing to get away from the storylines of Karen and Allyson, Laurie’s daughter and granddaughter, respectively. However, after watching the entire series, my appreciation of this installment has grown. Laurie remains the highlight of the film, I love the modernized Carpenter score, and Michael’s mask and physicality is excellent. I am still not fond of the two journalist characters who open the film or Dr. Sartain — “the new Loomis,” as Laurie aptly refers to him — but there are two things that helped me enjoy myself more this time around. First, rather than view this film as the climactic finale between Laurie and Michael, I am choosing to view it as Act One of a three-act trilogy. We have been introduced to our new characters, we are refamiliarizing ourselves with Haddonfield, and our characters have had their first major scuffle. I have hope that Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends will provide us with a satisfying arc for these characters. The second thing that helped me enjoy this movie more was to accept that I was not going to get the grand Laurie/Michael face-off that I had hoped. Rather than groan about the time spent with the younger characters, I accepted that they were the focus of the film and allowed myself to enjoy the ride. I suspect that this movie will age well, and I bet that 20-plus years from now, people will return to this movie and gain a sort of nostalgic value for its portrayal of the 2010s. I am happy to say that I was charmed by this movie. It is not perfect, and it is not the triumphant return to the Halloween franchise that I had hoped. In spite of these complaints, I appreciate Halloween much more upon rewatch, and I look forward to watching it again in the future.
Grade: B-
My franchise ranking is based solely on personal enjoyment rather than quality, so it will not always align with the grades I have assigned above. For example, I do not think the Zombie movies are poorly made, they are just not for me, so I have ranked them lower than The Producer’s Cut, despite giving them a higher grade. Similarly, I think that Season of the Witch and Halloween (2018) are better films than H20, but I am ranking H20 higher because I had a blast watching that movie.
Franchise ranking:
- Halloween (1978)
- Halloween II (1981)
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
- Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
- Halloween (2018)
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers – The Producer’s Cut (1995)
- Halloween II (2009)
- Halloween (2007)
- Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
- Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
As a bonus, here is my ranking of the Michael Myers masks:
- Halloween (1978)
- Halloween (2018)
- Halloween (2007)
- Halloween II (1981)
- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
- Halloween II (2009)
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
- Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
- Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Though this franchise may not be the most satisfying horror series to binge, I highly enjoyed the first three films, H20, and Halloween (2018). I even found elements to enjoy in what is dubbed The Thorn Trilogy (consisting of Return, Revenge,and Curse) as well as the two Zombie remakes. Halloween: Resurrection also exists. After watching all 11 films, I am highly invested in the success of this franchise, and I look forward to watching (and reviewing!) Halloween Kills this weekend.
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