I’m was a huuuuge horror fan in High School, and still appreciate the genre. I’ve been dismayed of late, though, because it’s all turned into torture porn (Hostel, Saw, etc.) or splattery sadism (Hills Have Eyes), both of which I also appreciate but I miss plain old scary movies. The original Halloween was such a film: More fear than gore, more suspense than splatter.
I can’t say the same for Rob Zombie’s Halloween re-imagining. It adds a lengthy backstory to Michael Meyers, which is so well done that I truly felt myself feeling bad for the little psychopath. (The script is kind of awkward and over-the-top, as is the acting, but somehow it all works when it fits together.) Not to mention all the great cameos and guest-starring roles by B-movie and horror film stars like Sybil Danning (V, Chained Heat); Malcolm McDowell (Cat People, Caligula); William Forstythe (too many B-flicks to count); Brad Dourif; Mickey Dolenz (The Monkees); and many, many more (like the black guy from Dawn of the Dead, I think(?)).
Big fans of the original may criticize the film as being completely different, and even changing the original story in several minor ways. But I found myself on the edge of my seat.
I loved it almost as much as I’m loving the BBC’s Jeckyl series, which I also highly recommend.
