I take it back. Earlier I said Lady in White was the most underrated film on this countdown. That was before I decided to include Rob Zombie’s 2007 reboot of Halloween. 21% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. 6 out of 10 according to 56,000 people on IMDB. According to ratings, Rob Zombie’s Halloween is an average horror film at best. But you know what? I don’t give a shit about ratings. I love this movie.
I think where a lot of people go wrong on this one is assuming that Halloween is a straight-up remake. It’s not. It’s a reboot. Huge difference. Would you consider Batman Begins a remake of Tim Burton’s Batman? No, of course you wouldn’t unless you’re an idiot. Most of the complaints leveled against this movie are things like “It’s not scary enough!” or “It’s nothing like John Carpenter’s movie!” Look, John Carpenter’s Halloween is a classic. Nobody’s denying that. Yes it popularized slasher films. Yes it ushered in a new era of horror filmmaking. I know, I know, I know. I KNOW. But as far as Michael’s backstory goes, the 1978 original doesn’t give you much to go on. All we know is that he’s a deranged killer, who has evidently been very disturbed since at least age six.
Rob Zombie’s film, on the other hand, is more of a prequel that aims to fill in all of that backstory and give us reasons to empathize with Michael, essentially showing us why he’s so messed up. And man, does he deliver. I’d have to start killing people too if I had a family as fucked up as the Myers. Daeg Faerch, who plays Michael at age 10, is simply awesome in this role. We also see him being bullied at school, harassed by the principal, and in general, leading an incredibly shitty, white trash life. Yes, Zombie’s signature sleaze is all over this movie, but somehow it works.
Then again, maybe I’m biased because I like Rob Zombie’s horror films. My only real complaint about Halloween is that he didn’t find a way to include Captain Spaulding in it.
Rob Zombie Reinvents a Legend: Halloween
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtR9Fxz2lng
Spooky Sadistic Screenshots
What is 31 DVDs of Halloween?
As a special feature for the Halloween Countdown, I’m showcasing 31 Halloween DVDs from my personal collection. I have a lot of Halloween-related and horror DVDs in general, but for this year’s countdown I’m only going to focus on my absolute favorites–the ones I consider 100% essential for my enjoyment of the holiday.
