Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers

[baumer]

Discuss

[baumer]

I was aching for a sequel....(written in 1995)When I heard that Halloween was about to spawn yet another sequel, my first question was, can they at least try to make is scary? I had been through all the crappy Friday sequels ( 7,8,9 ) and the bad bad bad Nightmare sequels. I know that there will probably never be a film that has the same effect that the original did but I could still hope for some effort. So I eagerly ventured to the theater and bought my ticket, got my M&M's and pop and sat down in the almost full theater and waited. The films starts off quite well. It's a stormy night, a van is travelling what looks to be a desolate road to what looks to be a hellish place. Inside we hear some good lines like " Jesus has nothing to do with this place lady, " and then we see him. Good old Michael Myers. The two attendants ship him out and it is then that we learn that it is October 30th of all nights. Another good set piece. So the film is moving along quite nicely at this point. We have the stormy night, the folklore of Devils Night and two attendants that you know are going to die soon enough. And then, it happens. THE MUSIC. Carpenter's famous haunting music blares eerily on the soundtrack, and that did it for me. I was under the spell. I was ready for another Halloween. Halloween 4 is a good film. It is honest in its effort to pay homage to what made Halloween so popular. The beginning is a great way to get back into the game ten years after the first graced our screen. After the beginning the film succeeds very well. It is not as good as the first or even the second but it does try. Dwight H. Little probably studied the first and tried to emulate what made it so scary because he has some similar atmosphere in here, especially in the scene where Jamie is dreaming, and my favourite scene is when the sheriff's daughter tries talking to the deputy in the chair. What appears mystically like a ghost right out of the depths of nothingness is truly what Halloween has been known for. That one shot alone had me more frightened than almost any shot from any horror film in the 80's, save for Nightmare On Elm Street. The story has Michael returning to Haddonfield to hunt down his niece. There are some obvious plot holes, like how he got his sight back, but that is easily overlooked, after all, this is a horror movie. So he returns and against everyones best judgement Dr. Loomis comes after him. Loomis is massively scarred from the second one when he should have been dead from the fire, but again, that is acceptable, after all this is a horror film. So he comes to Haddonfield again and he warns everyone that HE is on is way. This time the sherriff actually believes him and they vow to search for the monster before he kills anyone. We all know that is going to be futile. The reason this film works is because it has atmosphere. Again, there is not a lot of gore in here but what it does have is some good scares. It keeps you on your toes and if you pay attention to some of the shots and some of the symbolism, you will predict the end. That is only if you pay attention.But one downer and that is that it isn't the original. As good as it is, it just can't be as good as the first or even the second. And I think I might know what it is that prevents horror films from being as good as they were. 70's and 80's films look like they are 70's and 80's films. They have that slight fuzz to them. And that adds to the dimension of fear. I think that if directors could somehow use a different filter or lens or whatever it is that they can use to make it look older, then they would have that desired effect. Kubrick did it with Eyes Wide Shut, other film makers should take note.All in all this is a great sequel. It is a good entry in the series and an honest effort to make it scary. It is quite spooky in many parts, but it just lacks something..... But still quite good and worth a look, especially on a rainy night when you are alone. When you hear that music......8.5/10

[ddddeeee]

This is more like it. Halloween 4 makes no bones about what it is, it's a silly, OTT film and it's all the better for it. While Halloween II relied on Carpenter's already established characters for any scares, Halloween 4 creates new, likable and relatable characters worth rooting for. I really liked both Rachel and Jamie and wanted them to live. The set-pieces on the roof, in the school and on the car are really exciting.All in all, Halloween 4 is far better than it probably had any right to be. It has a fantastic atmosphere and is genuinely scary at times. Big shout out to the eerie opening credits sequence.

[baumer]

Such a great entry into the horror movie genre.  The creators of this one made it as close to the original in tone as possible,.  After the first two, this is easily the best entry.  Worth listening to the commentary from Danielle Harris, Dwight Little and Ellie Cornell.

[redfirebird2008]

This might be the best Halloween sequel.

[4815162342]

It's a solid horror flick. A bit over-the-top goofy at points.

[The Stingray]

Serviceable sequel. Actually one of the better ones in the Halloween series.

 

C+

[75Live]

Yeah after the original 2, this is easily the best sequel (the only one being close is H20 but that's mostly due to it continuing the 1 and 2 storyline). 

 

They did purposely try to be more gory and OTT but overall, they stuck to the right vibe and atmosphere that made the series great to begin with.  They even got back to the claustrophobic feel with all the happenings in the house where they were locked in.

 

I also like the ending how it made the obvious tie to the beginning of the first film.

 

B+

[The Stingray]

Raising my grade to a B-. Solid stuff.

 

Danielle Harris is a super-adorable kid, MM is kinda goofy-looking, and the final shot is brilliant.

 

PS: I'm heading into uncharted territory now with Part V & VI.

[Plain Old Tele]

I'm working my way through the sequels (never really bothered before)... but this was pretty awful.

[4815162342]

14 minutes ago, Telemachos said:

I'm working my way through the sequels (never really bothered before)... but this was pretty awful.

Booooooooooo

[The Stingray]

12 hours ago, Telemachos said:

I'm working my way through the sequels (never really bothered before)... but this was pretty awful.

 

If you think this is bad, I can't wait to hear your reaction to Halloween 5 and 6. 

 

Also, the thing with these movies is, I think they have to have been a part of your childhood for you to be able to fully appreciate them. Otherwise you will be hard pressed to find many "good" slasher films.
 

[75Live]

15 hours ago, Telemachos said:

I'm working my way through the sequels (never really bothered before)... but this was pretty awful.

 

I have to disagree with you, but yeah if you think this is awful, you may as well skip all the other sequels as they get worse.  Except H20 may work for you

[Plain Old Tele]

5 hours ago, The Stingray said:

 

Also, the thing with these movies is, I think they have to have been a part of your childhood for you to be able to fully appreciate them. 
 

 

Yes, probably.  

 

2 hours ago, 75live said:

 

I have to disagree with you, but yeah if you think this is awful, you may as well skip all the other sequels as they get worse.  Except H20 may work for you

 

I'll get through them all at some point, haha. I did see H20 (in theaters!)... it was pretty decent. I remember liking it until the end.

[75Live]

3 minutes ago, Telemachos said:

 

Yes, probably.

 

 

I'll get through them all at some point, haha. I did see H20 (in theaters!)... it was pretty decent. I remember liking it until the end.

 

the ending is one of the best parts

 

but yeah Halloween 1, 2, and H20 are basically their own storyline while the others are separate to me and part of their own storyline

 

the Rob Zombie versions are just abominations that don't need to be talked about...ever  

[Plain Old Tele]

2 hours ago, 75live said:

 

the ending is one of the best parts

 

but yeah Halloween 1, 2, and H20 are basically their own storyline while the others are separate to me and part of their own storyline

 

the Rob Zombie versions are just abominations that don't need to be talked about...ever  

 

Zombie's H2 is awful, but just batshit insane to be occasionally interesting. He's talented but he tries every conceivable technique regardless of what the scene needs. Sometimes (rarely!) he hits and is very effective, most of the time it's either a dreary mess or a total WTF.

 

I agree that in the context of the Michael Myers saga pretty much everything he does is wrong. He'd be better served just making his own horror movies without trying to work within another franchise.