It’s the Booze Talkin: Halloween (2018) is the best sequel in the franchise

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

In less than a week, children in costumes will line the streets hoping for treats as opposed to tricks. And horror movie fans will likely continue to see the latest sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 seminal classic. With an impressive Rotten Tomato score of 79% – the only other film in the series to be positive is the original – HALLOWEEN (2018) is the sequel I was hoping for. My initial thought was that the love I had for it the very first time would dampen with repeat viewings. Yet my reaction was the complete opposite. The latest battle between Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Michael “The Shape” Myers (James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle) is, for this viewer, was even better the second time. Is it the best of the sequels? Well in my humble opinion, it is. Is this the universal reaction for all fans? More than likely it is not.

It may all depend on the first HALLOWEEN you watched. Generally it is the first that stands the test of time, while the sequels tend to not hold up quite as well. That being said, if your first watch happened to be HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS, you may be more inclined to wish for a continuation of Danielle Harris’ Jamie Lloyd. Or maybe if your first introduction was the white trash version that Rob Zombie explored, you’d rather see what kind of weirdness Scout Taylor Compton and Tyler Mane deal with in yet another expletive loaded continuation of that. It would make absolute sense if you prefer the version you first saw whether in theatres or on video.

For me, it was always the original. Seeing Carpenter’s masterwork at a young age terrified the hell out of me. So much so that I needed to see what happened after the night HE came home. And frankly, I loved the follow up as well. Sure it doesn’t live up to the promise of the original, but it was great to see Ms. Curtis once again face off against her psychotic masked assailant. Having had the opportunity to see them in order, I can honestly say I have a much better appreciation for HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH. Frankly, when I first tuned in I was beyond disappointed to see that they ditched Michael in favor of a creepy mask maker. Thankfully, I’ve grown to appreciate this weird little gem. I reckon a big reason for my change of heart is the fact that Tom Atkins is freaking badass.

Many of you love the forth film. In fact, when they decided to ditch everything in between the 1978 film and the current sequel, there were a number of complaints about the treatment of Jamie Lloyd. This is not the only time folks were upset, especially after what they did to the character in HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS – this was the first sequel to ditch the number in the title. Personally I didn’t mind the character, but it never really resonated when it came to this franchise. While I tend to watch all the sequels, I’m always more willing to put on one with Jamie Lee Curtis… well, aside from that terrible Busta Rhymes one. To me, Jamie Lee and Donald Pleasence were as important to the films as the masked killer that stalked them. I even enjoyed HALLOWEEN H2O quite a bit thanks to Laurie Strode’s long awaited return.

And now here we are, with the latest film that comes 40 years after the first. And out of all the plot lines and druid cults, this is the sequel that I feel truly embraces what John Carpenter and Debra Hill created. Myers, or “The Shape,” is scary again. I even appreciated the new batch of fodder. Aside from a couple of kills, I gave a shite about nearly everyone involved. This is especially true when it came to Laurie Strode and her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). This was the sequel that really brought me back to what I loved when I was firt terrified by the boogeyman. From the new score by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel A. Davies, to the intriguing look at the characters courtesy of Danny McBride and David Gordon Green, this hit nearly all the right notes.

Maybe it’s the booze talkin’, but HALLOWEEN (2018) is the sequel I’ve been waiting for. Whether it is the what Laurie Strode has become, or the fact that I actually cared about the victims for once, it all worked. Many of you have had a less than thrilling reaction to it, and thankfully, this particular franchise offers fans a number of ways you can enjoy it. If you prefer Jamie Lloyd’s adventures, you can take that trip. Maybe you like the gritty violence and trashy folks that you’ll find in Rob Zombie’s double feature. In a strange way, the terrible continuity in this franchise works in our favor to an extent. Ultimately, I’ll be more inclined to take on a double feature every Halloween and revisit the 1978 and the 2018 flicks. Sure there are a couple of issues, but after a second viewing I had less of a problem with them – and yes that includes Loomis 2.0. I’m happy to say that I loved HALLOWEEN (2018) and frankly, I'm looking forward to see where the series goes from here.