Product description

Halloween [2007]

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Average customer rating: 3.5

Binding : DVD
EAN : 5014437952639
Label : Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer : Paramount Home Entertainment
Publisher : Paramount Home Entertainment
Release date : 2008-04-28
Title : Halloween [2007]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Suitable for 18 years and over
Format : PAL
Number of items : 1
Original release date : 2007-01-01
Region code : 2
Running time : 106
Studio : Paramount Home Entertainment

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk review

More of a supercharged revamp than a remake, Rob Zombie's take on John Carpenter's Halloween expands the back story of masked killer Michael Myers in an attempt to examine the motivation for his first deadly attack, as well as some reasons for his longevity as a horror icon. Zombie's Myers is a blank-eyed teen (played by Daeg Faerch) whose burgeoning mental problems are left unchecked in a horrific home environment; harassed by schoolmates, a randy sister, and his mother's deadbeat boyfriend (William Forsythe, terrific as usual), Myers' homicidal explosion seems inevitable, and intervention by Dr. Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell, who offers a fast-talking, hippiefied version of the Donald Pleasance character) does little to impede his development into a mute, unstoppable killing machine (Tyler Mane) bent on finishing off the only survivor of his family's massacre--his sister, now grown into teenaged Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton). Opening up the psychological motivation of a cipher like Michael Myers is an interesting approach, but Zombie's script possesses neither a depth of character nor dialogue to offer more than a clichéd thumbnail character sketch. Zombie's Halloween isn't terribly suspenseful, either; he has a keen eye for visuals and the details of chaotic environments, but his scares are nothing more than brutal showcases for his special effects team. The end result barely surpasses the original film's numerous sequels, though the Who's Who of cult and character actors in the cast (including Zombie regulars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley and Ken Foree, as well as Brad Dourif, Udo Kier, Clint Howard, Richard Lynch, Danny Trejo, Dee Wallace, and Danielle Harris) adds a touch of late-night monster movie charm. However, the film's best performance belongs to the director's spouse, Sheri Moon Zombie, who brings unexpected pathos to the role of Myers' downtrodden mother.-- Paul Gaita

Customer reviews

review by: moviebuff05 date: 2008-11-25 rating:

absolutely awful
I was very disappointed by this film, especially since I do have high regard for Rob Zombie's directorial skills. The story was based around Michael Myer's early childhood and the horrendous carnage that falls around him. I did feel there was no obvious hint as to why Michael goes crazy which was a downside for me. I did like Sheri Moon Zombie's performance however as the grief stricken and long suffering mother of Michael but that is the only thing I can really credit.

review by: date: 2008-11-07 rating:

Classic with a new twist!
This film seems to be one that people love or hate? Generally I dislike remakes as pointless exercises that are pale imitations of the (often better) originals e.g. The Grudge, Assault On Precinct 13, Gone In 60 Seconds. However if they add something to the original they can be worthwhile.
The original Halloween is an absolute classic horror film and the grandfather of the slasher genre. What Rob Zombie does with his version is to give us an insight into Michael Myers, that is absent in the original. The therapeutic relationship between Dr Loomis and Michael is emphasised and the obsession with masks that facilitates his withdrawal from reality. This relationship doesn't cloud Lumis' perception of Myers; he knows that he is evil incarnate, but he has an understanding of him.
The violence in this film is extreme, as you would expect from Rob Zombie, but it is in context. Could the rape scene have been left out? Maybe, but it does serve to illustrate that cruelty and inhumanity doesn't always come from seven foot psychos!
I tend to rent films these days before commiting to buy. Will I go on to buy this film? Definitely. I feel that this is a worthy addition to any horror fans collection and my favourite Rob Zombie film so far.

review by: A New Yorker date: 2008-10-08 rating:

3.5--Yes, I'm a fan of the original yet this has also gotten my attention
The opening of the film is clever and deals with the events leading up to Michael's first murder. I was very happy with the back story of Michael Myers & how brutal his life was & you could almost see day by day how he was driven to kill almost his entire family.

Minor details that were simply Rob Zombie's way of putting his mark on the film include a white trash family that Michael allegedly comes from (even though in the original his mother and father seem to be pretty straight-laced, almost nerdy, people) and the fact that his mother is a stripper. Dr. Loomis is introduced early on, in the film, at Michael's school after some questionable things he done. I just feel that there was enough of a set up in the original John Carpenter film for Zombie to build off of, without going and adding the trashy nature of Michael's family and sympathy we are supposed to feel for him. On top of that it was great to see inside Smith Grove as well - Dr Loomis was far better in this version - although the original is a classic this version had a lot more depth & rather intense ending.

Now, even though the film begins in 1963 and then flashes forward 15 years to the night Michael escapes and returns to Haddonfield. Why, then, do the characters have cell phones and are there 1993 Ford Mustangs along the streets of Haddonfield? To me, this just makes the film seem sloppy and badly imagined. If you are going to take the time to "re-imagine" a film that is as iconic and famous as Halloween, these should be obvious things to deal with.

The "chase" scenes are well staged and Zombie throws in some decent scenarios not found in the original. The climax is an entertaining combination of classic 80's style horror where you are screaming at the female lead for being so dense and modern horror grisliness where you feel sick to your stomach after enduring it.

This film did go well with me and my biggest complaint, however, is with the sloppiness of the time difference in events. Aside from that Zombie's "Halloween" is a calculated gamble to add to these sequels, and it does pay off in the end, "Halloween" is perfectly watchable for any horror buffs so if you haven't seen it yet take the time to see it this month.

review by: David Byrne date: 2008-10-06 rating:

Its back and its bigger and better
Why is everyone complaining about this film , calling it all sorts of names and then end up watching it anyway ? If you dont like remakes then stay away. This is the best Halloween ever made , period !!! I knew it was going to be wicked since Rob Zombie was making it. After seeing The Devils Rejects i just knew this was going to be the best Halloween ever and it delivered what i was looking for.

review by: Dan Bell date: 2008-09-02 rating:

Depressing cash in, on a great character.
Halloween is arguably one of the greatest horror movies ever made. To attempt to re-make, or "re-imagine" it, is doomed from the outset. When it was first announced that the film would be re-made I was sceptical, but still intrigued to see the end result. Sadly, what has been made is a deeply depressing and offensive film.

The film starts with an unnecessarily long back story to establish why Michael Myers ended up as a deranged serial killer. Part of the appeal of the original is the fact that the viewer is thrown straight into the story and, not knowing what made him into the killer he has become, makes him more frightening. To add more layers to the character simply ends up diluting a lot of the fear that was felt 20 odd years ago. The same thing happened in "Hannibal".

The fact that this film is directed by Rob Zombie should give you some idea of what is in store. House of 1000 corpses and to a lesser extent Devils Rejects were enjoyable enough, as long as you could stomach some of the violence. Halloween takes this to a whole new level with a particularly disturbing and graphic rape scene. In the right context I believe filmmakers should have the right to film what they want to and leave it up to the audience to decide whether it is offensive or not. Irreversible had a nasty rape scene but it is justified in the context of the film. Halloweens feels as though it is there just to titillate some sick individuals. There is no reason for it to be there and adds nothing to the story.

Overall Halloween is a deeply depressing film. The original was shocking for all the right reasons. It was full of tension, it had a genuinely scary villain, it had good acting and, for a horror movie, it had a decent script and well written, believable characters. The re-make has none of this and is just a poorly made cash in, on a well established character.

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