John Carpenter’s Halloween is a classic horror flick, expertly ratcheting up the tension. Since then the franchise has been slightly less successful, like that time Busta Rhymes drove away Michael Myers by yelling at him. So this take is clearing the decks: It’s a direct sequel to the original, and Laurie Strode is not only back, she’s packing heat.
This movie will pick up decades after the original movie. When Michael Myers was shot and fell out that window, it turns out he was quickly caught, arrested, and sent to jail, as you do with somebody who committed a murder spree. He’s been locked up for that entire time, while the one survivor of his rampage, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), has spent the last forty years building bunkers, learning how to operate various firearms, and basically turning into a prepper awaiting what she believes is Michael’s inevitable escape and attempt to come after her. Which is more or less what happens. Poor Laurie. It also appears the Myers murders, in this movie, have become part of local lore.
The trailer has a nod or two to the many, many loops and turns the franchise has taken over the years (that line about the “rumor” Michael Myers was her brother is a gag on Halloween: H20), but, especially with Carpenter on board as a creative consultant, this has a lot more promise than some entries. We’ll see how much October 19th.
