Garfield's Halloween Adventure aka Garfield in Disguise Not Rated

In this lesser known gem for all ages, Garfield enlists Odie's assistance in trick-or-treating in order to get more candy for himself.  Both get more than they bargained for when they end up on an island that may be haunted by the ghosts of pirates. 


I grew up watching this movie and I loved it.  However I would use caution and common sense if showing this to young children.  For a kid's movie this film has brief "frightening" images that might scare younger children.  Still, this beloved classic is so worth watching. 

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Not rated

Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts go trick-or-treating and to a Halloween party on Halloween night while Linus and Sally wait in the pumpkin patch for The Great Pumpkin.  While all of this goes on, Snoopy as "The Great World War I Flying Ace" works to shoot down the Red Baron. 

This is a wonderful classic that never gets old and is great for the whole family.  It's also a nice sweet break from the horror movies.  If you've never seen it, you should. 

Hereditary (2018) rated R for horror violence, disturbing images, language, drug use, and brief graphic nudity *contains spoilers*

After her mother dies, Annie (played by Toni Collette) and her daughter Charlie (played by Milly Shapiro) try to cope and heal while Annie's husband Steve (played by Gabriel Byrne) and her son Peter (played by Alex Wolff) carry on with life as usual.  After a horrific accident claims the life of Charlie, the rest of the family struggles to pick up the pieces while seemingly supernatural phenomena start to occur particularly around Annie and Peter.  Annie races to save her family but will she succeed?





Honestly I allowed myself to have high expectations after noticing that the cover hailed this film as "This generation's The Exorcist..."  If you've read my entry on The Exorcist then you know how I feel about the movie.  If not suffice it to say that I didn't and still don't think that it's the scariest movie of all time although it deserves its recognition for being ground-breaking.

  I think that it's great that the writer/director took a chance and made his vision come to life but the film felt a little pretentious.

 I was so confused by the title of this movie and the sort of explanation given in the behind the scenes.  My friend who lent me her copy had to explain everything to me.  She confessed that she herself had to look up videos to explain the film.  Once I heard her explanation, I could somewhat appreciate the horror of the movie a bit more. 

The fact that the movie didn't succeed in conveying my friend's explanation made me not like this movie.  Lots of people did like this movie so it might just be me.  I would recommend this movie if you are curious but if you aren't I don't think that you'll miss anything.

Halloween (2018) rated R for horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use, and nudity *contains spoilers*

40 years after the events in the first Halloween movie, Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) has a "final" confrontation with Michael Myers/The Shape (played by Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney). 




















A good ending (hopefully) to the franchise.  I was very happy to see that John Carpenter came back for this one.  I had issue with one of the deaths because it made no sense.  If you like the original franchise, you'll probably like this one.  Good job everyone who worked on this picture.

Halloween (2007) rated R for strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity, and language *contains spoilers*

In this Halloween, the audience gets a backstory on Michael Myers as a  ten-year old child (played by Daeg Faerch) and his home life.  He seems to be sweet to his baby sister Laurie and his beloved mother Deborah Myers (played by Sheri Moon Zombie).  His step dad Ronnie White (played by William Forsythe) is a jerk at best who doesn't really seem to like anyone.  Deborah Myers struggles to work as a stripper while being a good mother to her children and a pretty good wife to her jerky husband/boyfriend.  After murdering his step dad, Michael is committed to a psychiatric hospital into the care of Dr. Loomis (played by Malcolm McDowell). 

Ten years later, the audience catches up with teenage Laurie Stode (played by Scout Taylor-Compton).  She's a "typical" teenager and seems pretty happy with her loving adoptive parents.
Meanwhile Michael Myers has escaped from the hospital and is on his way to Haddonfield with Dr. Loomis in close pursuit. 




I wasn't sure about this movie because while I like Rob Zombie's music I'm (so far) not as much a fan of his movies.  His films aren't bad.  I just can't relate to the characters at all so that I don't care about them.  This film is probably great to others.  Also I have the idea (for some reason) that Rob Zombie does/did in fact like the original Halloween movie.  I don't think that he meant any disrespect to the original. 

Part of my issue with this film was the "white trash" way that the characters conducted themselves whether its the Myers' and/or the Strodes.  For example, I can't imagine joking with my parents the way that Laurie jokes with hers when we first meet her.  Why does Michael Myers' family have to be dysfunctional at all?  Part of the "horror" of the original was that the events happened to typical, "normal" people.  There was no reason for Michael Myers to have ever started killing much less kill the people that he did kill. 

Fun fact:  Danielle Harris, who played Jamie Lloyd, in Halloween 4 and 5 returned to the franchise as Laurie's friend Annie


Worth watching if you are curious.

Halloween: Resurrection rated R for strong violence, language, some sexuality, and brief drug use *contains spoilers*

Three years after the events in H20, Michael Myers (played by Brad Loree)  confronts a broken Laurie Strode (played by Brad Jamie Lee Curtis).   After that confrontation Michael Myers is sent back to Smith's Grove only to escape once again to make his way to Haddonfield.  A reality film crew headed by Freddie Harris (played by Busta Rhymes) is filming in the old Myers house.  The film crew get more than they bargained for when Michael Myers shows up.


Like H20, this film ignores films 4 through 6.  They also seem to have forgotten the fact that Michael Myers was killed in the previous movie.  The shoddy explanation given for why Michael Myers is still inexplicably alive is just stupid and insulting to the audience.  This film is shown even less than Halloween 6.  Gee, I wonder why?

Two good parts in this film are intentionally comedic but they aren't good enough to win fans over of the franchise.  There's one funny part where Michael Myers activates a car alarm.  The second funny part was when Freddie admonishes Michael for "showing up too soon" and tells him to go back to set up what is intended to be a scare while failing to realize that the Michael Myers that he is talking to is the real Michael not his paid actor.

Skip this one.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later rated R for terror/violence, gore, and language *contains spoilers*

Halloween 1998.  The audience finds itself not in Haddonfield for the first time.  Instead we're in California at a private school.  Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) has been alive and well all of these years. It turns out that she faked her death and took on a new identity as Keri Tate.  She now has a teenage son named John (played by Josh Hartnett).  Laurie is the dean of the school and has been living fairly happily but she always fears the possible return of Michael Myers.  Michael finds out where she is and goes to the school.  Once more Laurie will have to face off with Michael Myers only now her son and a few others are in danger. 


I was so very pleased with this film after the garbage of the last three films.  I decided to pretend that the other three hadn't been made.  Fortunately for me and the rest of the audience, the filmmakers also decided to ignore the last three films.  Essentially this one picks up after Halloween II.

 My biggest complaint about this film has to do with a scene involving LL Cool J's character Ronny.  In the scene Ronny gets shot point blank in the head on accident.  He should have died.  Later, when we see Ronny again he has a tiny little band aid on the side of his head.  There was no way that he could have survived considering where he was shot and he certainly wouldn't have had a little itty bitty band aid on the side of his head. The explanation given is that he ducked and the bullet side-swiped him.  If you watch the scene you'll see that that was impossible.  Mind you I don't have issue with the character Ronny.  I simply have issue with someone getting shot point blank range and surviving and having a teeny tiny band aid on the side of their head.

Apart from the above scene and if you like the Halloween franchise, this one is so worth watching.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers aka Halloween 6 rated R for strong horror violence and some sexuality *contains spoilers*

Six years have passed since the events of the fifth film.  Just outside of Haddonfield, a now adult Jamie Lloyd (played by J.C. Brandy) attempts to flee Michael with her newborn baby.  Michael succeeds at murdering her but is unable to kill the baby.  The college kids of Haddonfield are determined to bring back Halloween to Haddonfield and so stage a large outdoor Halloween party/event.  Meanwhile the Strode family has moved into the old Myers house.  This branch of the
Strode family consists of Laurie Strode's aunt and uncle and their two children.  The oldest daughter Kara (played by Marianne Hagan) has moved herself and her young son Danny (played by Devin Gardner) back into her parents house while she's getting her life in order.  Kara observes a weird guy watching her from the house across the street.  The weird guy turns out to be an adult Tommy Doyle (played by Paul Rudd).  For anyone who doesn't remember, Tommy Doyle was the young boy that Laurie Strode was babysitting in the first Halloween film.  Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasence) is also on hand as Jamie had reached out to him just prior to her murder.  Tommy and Dr. Loomis are both trying to stop Michael Myers.












This was the worst Halloween movie prior to Halloween:  Resurrection .  After watching Resurrection I would say that they are tied for the worst of the franchise.  What makes this particular one so bad is the ridiculous half-assed plot that is supposed to be intended to explain why Michael Myers is the way he is.  There some references to Druids and the rune for Thorn and blah blah blah.  It also has a weird moment in which it is at least implied that Michael Myers is the father of Jamie Lloyd's baby although the pregnancy occurred as a result of ritual, sort of a "spiritual conception"  with no actual physical contact of any sort.

 I appreciate Paul Rudd but his acting is god awful in this movie.  I would never have guessed that he would go on to bigger and better things.

There are very good reasons why this film of the franchise is one of the least shown.  Skip it unless you're a glutton for punishment.

Fun fact for some reason the filmmakers decided to revert to calling Michael Myers "The Shape" again. More stupid for the film I guess.

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers rated R for violence/gore, some profanity, and some sexuality *contains spoilers*

The events in this movie occur a year after the events of the previous Halloween movie.  Jamie (played again by Danielle Harris) is now mute and in a children's mental hospital after attacking her adopted mother.  Rachel (played again by Ellie Cornell) briefly appears in this movie and is still maintaining contact with Jamie.  Rachel's friend Tina (played by Wendy Foxworth) is also involved in Jamie's life.  Dr. Loomis (played again by Donald Pleasence) is now Jamie's psychiatrist.  Michael Myers is back in Haddonfield on Halloween to finish his mission to kill Jamie.  A mysterious man in black also shows up in Haddonfield on Halloween.   Once again Jamie is running for her life with help from her friends and once again confronts Michael Myers.  Like the last film, this movie takes an unexpected turn.


If you liked the fourth in the franchise, you'll probably like this one too.  It hurts my heart a little to see how bad Moustapha Akkad continues to ruin the franchise for me at least.  Unfortunately it only gets worse with the next film. 

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers rated R for violence/gore, some profanity, disturbing imagery, and sex/nudity *contains spoilers*

Ten years after he first returned to Haddonfield, Michael Myers is back to kill his niece Jamie (played by Danielle Harris)  It is revealed at the beginning of this film that Michael Myers survived being blown up and severely burned by Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasence) in the hospital at the end of Halloween II. Michael slept in a coma while being cared for by a hermit.  Michael wakes up the day before Halloween, murders the hermit, and goes to Haddonfield. Fortunately, Dr. Loomis also survived the explosion and he's back to help keep Jamie safe from her murderous uncle.  We also find out that Jamie is the child of Laurie and the paramedic Jimmy that was introduced in Halloween II.  Jamie is an orphan and has been adopted by the Carruthers family.  Jamie's step-sister Rachel (played by Ellie Cornell) has been tasked with taking Jamie trick or treating.  Rachel and Jamie eventually end up at the sheriff's house only to find that Rachel's boyfriend Brady (played by Sasha Jenson) had been "hanging out" with the sheriff's flirtatious daughter Kelly (played by Kathleen Kinmont).  The film takes an interesting turn at the end that is further meant to play into the story line that this and the subsequent two films subject the audience to. 


As I said in a previous post, this is the first of the worst films of the franchise in my opinion.  Technically the basis for this storyline was started in Halloween II with a reference to Samhain.  I suppose it is worth watching if you are curious but I don't recommend it.  The story line is convoluted to begin with and becomes worse over the course of the next two films.  I suppose that the turn that the film takes was new for its time but it's not really surprising now.  Fun fact, this is the first movie that Michael Myers is credited as Michael Myers and not Michael Myers/The Shape.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch rated R for some profanity, sexuality, nudity, violence/gore, disturbing imagery *contains spoilers*

The movie opens nighttime within a week from Halloween.  A man named Harry Grimbridge (played by Al Berry) is seen fleeing from men in suits.  He ends up at the hospital.  Dr. Daniel Challis (played by Tom Atkins) is the doctor on duty when Harry is admitted to the hospital.  Harry is obviously distressed but not injured.  He is clutching a Silver Shamrock Halloween mask in his hand.  After giving instructions the doctor leaves the hospital to visit with his children.  His kids are excited about their Silver Shamrock Halloween masks and the "surprise" that will be revealed on Halloween night after the film Halloween finished airing.  While the doctor is away from the hospital, Harry is brutally murdered by one of the guys in suits who then commits suicide by setting himself on fire. 

Dr. Challis returns to the hospital and meets a young woman named Ellie Grimbridge (played by Stacie Nelkin).  Ellie is Harry's daughter.  As it turns out Harry was a distributor of toys and Halloween masks and he had learned something disturbing about Silver Shamrock and their Halloween masks.  Ellie tells Dr. Challis that her father had gone to the Silver Shamrock facility prior to his murder. Dr. Challis and Ellie then decide to go investigate what happened at the facility and find out why Harry had been murdered.  The horrifying truth puts Ellie and Dr. Challis in a race against time to try to stop the diabolical plans of Silver Shamrock's owner Conal Cochran (played by Dan O'Herlihy).


I wasn't initially sure about this movie because, like many others, I was expecting Michael Myers.  Later, I learned that John Carpenter was under contractual obligation to make a third Halloween picture.  Apparently, John Carpenter didn't like the direction the Halloween franchise was going and hadn't really intended to do a sequel much less continue the franchise.  This film was essentially a big middle finger to the studio in that he technically fulfilled his contractual obligation of doing a "Halloween movie".  From then on Moustapha Akkad took over the franchise and ran with it leading to the worst films of the series with the exception of H20,

Once I got over the lack of Michael Myers and decided to appreciate the film just as it is I found that I loved it.  This is a great horror movie as well as a great Halloween movie.  It is graphic and gory like Halloween II.  Some of the deaths in this movie are pretty horrific to me.  One of the worst cinematic deaths in my opinion involves a lady investigating a pin on one of the Silver Shamrock masks.  Wonderful classic John Carpenter movie.

Halloween II rated R for brief nudity, violence/gore, some drug use, disturbing imagery, and mild profanity *contains spoilers*

This movie picks up where the first film left off.  So it's still Halloween night 1978 and Laurie (played again by Jamie Lee Curtis) is taken to the the hospital for treatment as the full horror of The Shape/Michael Myer's (played by Dick Warlock) murders are beginning to be revealed.  Michael Myers has obviously escaped and is at large.  Michael pursues Laurie to the hospital to kill her.  Meanwhile Dr. Loomis (again portrayed by Donald Pleasence) and the police are desperately attempting to find and apprehend Michael Myers.  While in the hospital Laurie recalls forgotten memories of her past that reveal that she is Michael Myers younger sister and that she was adopted by the Strodes.  She also meets a young paramedic named Jimmy (played by Lance Guest).  Will Dr. Loomis get there in time?





This film is much more violent and graphic than the first picture.  I think that the reason for that is because at this time horror films started to take on the "cartoonish" graphic violence that some people were so offended by in the eighties/early nineties.  Friday the 13th had been released the year before this one.

Whereas the previous film showed deserted streets and no one, not even trick or treaters out while Laurie was being attacked by The Shape/Michael Myers, the streets are so full of people that it's honestly a little confusing since the events in this film occur on the same night as the events in the previous film.  However it does serve a purpose as it contributes to the confusion of the law enforcement and Dr. Loomis resulting in Michael Myers/The Shape succeeding at getting to the hospital.  Also, fun easter egg of a sort, the boy Ben Trainor that Laurie indicates that she likes in the first movie becomes a red herring. 



  Still I like it well enough.  Of the Michael Myers Halloween franchise, I love the first one, this one, and H20 so far.  This is the last Michael Myers Halloween picture that has direct influence from John Carpenter and Debra Hill. 

 

Halloween (1978) rated R for brief nudity/sexuality, drug use, violence, slight profanity, and frightening/disturbing imagery *contains spoilers*

On Halloween night in 1978, a masked killer named Michael Myers (played by Nick Castle although he is listed as "The Shape") returns to his hometown of Haddonfield.  For the last 15 years, Michael Myers had been locked up in a sanitarium for the murder of his sister Judith whom he brutally killed when he was only six years old.  His psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasence) is doing his best to try to stop Michael with law enforcement help.  Unfortunately a combination of law enforcement's skepticism and Dr. Loomis not knowing what Michael's plans are lead to the unfortunate murders of three teenagers and one adult man (at least in this picture).  During the course of his killing spree, The Shape/Michael Myers crosses paths with babysitter Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) who is working across the street from the house that most of Michael's victims meet their unfortunate ends.













This is one of my favorite horror movies.  I can and have watched this over and over and it never loses its magic for me.  I love everything about this movie.  One of my favorite aspects of this movie is that there was initially no explanation for why Michael Myers is killing anyone.  I also liked that Michael Myers himself starts out as

This movie was probably the first to have situations where teenagers having sex/about to have sex get killed while the "virgin" teenager survives.  According to John Carpenter himself, there was never an intention to say "Don't have sex." His intention was to show that distractions are what will get a person killed whether it's sex, drugs, or simply not paying attention to what's going on around you.  The only reason that Laurie survives is because she is paying attention to what's happening.  So for anyone who had the misconception that horror movies are anti-sex now you know the real intention.

While watching this film with a friend recently, she pointed out that there appears to be no one in the neighborhood while Michael Myers/The Shape is killing and Laurie is fleeing.  One house turns on the outside light when Laurie is pleading for help but they quickly turn the light off and close the curtains.  On the one hand I would say that this is just because this is a horror movie and most things that can go wrong will go wrong.  I would also argue that this is an atmospheric factor to convey that Laurie feels alone in her horror as she is trying to survive.

Also, fun fact, this movie was the highest grossing independent film until The Blair Witch Project.  That means this movie was top from 1978 until 1999.  I personally think that that is impressive.