Halloween (DVD, 2007, 2-Disc Set, Unrated Director's Cut; Widescreen)

Rob Zombie's remake/prequel of John Carpenter's 'Halloween' is "NOT" the blasphemous affront hardcore fans feared. It's a Gen-Y flat-masterpiece one might have hoped for from one of Modern Horror's "Most Distinct Talents".
In a phenominal first section; Zombie creates an almost entirely new 'backstory' for Iconic Killer Michael Meyers. The original 'Halloween' is such an inarguable Masterpiece; and has had such an enormous impact on Horror Cinema, that Zombie's decision to replicate many of its most famous images is understandable. Yet "Zombie's" 'Halloween' is at its best when it is least reverent toward Carpenter's classic.
Both 'Halloweens' tell the dark-story of Michael Meyers, a boy who commits murder at a young age, is locked up for 15 years, and then breaks out of a Mental Institution for a Halloween Night Killing Spree. While Psychiatrist Dr. Loomis pursues him, Michael targets a group of teenage friends babysitting on Halloween Night; killing them off until he meets his match in Laurie Strode.
The biggest difference between the (2) versions of 'Halloween' is a pair of gaps in Carpenter's movie that Zombie fills beautifully: he gives us an idea of what leads up to Michael's Homicidal Actions; and shows the Origins of Michael's relationship with Loomis at the Mental Institution.
This section of 'Halloween' (which makes Zombie's movie perhaps the first remake in the history of movies that is also a prequel) is first-rate filmmaking on every level. Like Zombie's 2005 powerhouse 'The Devil's Rejects', it combines elements of horror, family melodrama and dark comedy to produce a profoundly unsettling vision of psychosis.
The best part of the early material is the Oscar-Worthy performance by Zombie's wife and regular collaborator Sheri Moon as Michael's Mom. She's devastatingly real as a mother who cannot understand why her own child is a Monster; even as she creates the home life that combines with Michael's genetic defects to create what Loomis calls a "Perfect Storm" of Sociopathology. Moon's performance is just one component of a carefully crafted sequence in which Writer-Director Zombie treats the Michael Meyers story with utter, terrifying seriousness. Yet there's also a sense of playfulness for fans of the Original Movie, as Zombie takes ideas from Carpenter and elaborates upon them in ingenious ways.
Remember the red matchbook Loomis finds in the 1978 film? Here Zombie uses the bar named on its cover as the starting point for a whole subplot involving Michael's mother. Other notions that were only hinted at in Carpenter's movie, like Michael's refusal to speak for 15 years, are given rich explanations and greater depth here.
Zombie also expands upon the notion that Laurie is Michael's long lost sister. In the 1981 sequel, this was a gimmicky attempt to juice up the action with a twist that felt more like an afterthought than an organic outgrowth of the plot. Zombie makes the device more fully integrated into the whole Michael Meyers Mythology. Zombie barely introduces victims-kids before he starts killing them off. The body count is higher here than in the Original Film and to Zombie's credit, he comes up with some surprising variations on Carpenter's situations to keep the audience on its toes.
Much Credit to Zombie; whose Horror-Resume is expanding with nothing but Success' after Success' !!
5-STAR !!!! *****

I recently rented Halloween on Netflicks. After I finished watching I started it all over again and kept it for weeks just watching it over and again until I decided I needed my own copy and purchased it on ebay for a wonderfully low price, it almost felt like stealing. ROb Zombie's Halloween is the perfect "horror" movie. Each time I watch it I find new things to be impressed by, going through features slowly to soak in all the interesting factoids that help make Zombie and Michael Myers so fascinating.
It's crisp and clean with an element of grit and realism. He took a classic and made it his own, filling in blanks here and there with satisfying detail and gore and psychological trauma that is reminiscent of many other great classics, from "A Clockwork Orange" to "Suspira." Like the classics there's that strange configuration of love and hate, beauty and ugliness, purism and sac religion. Putting this movie in the Slasher genre seems like too simple a category, despite my loyalty to horror. It's quiet and moody, but also finds itself loud and bright with happy colors. AS usual with Zombie the characters feel purposefully flat in a way that makes the characters feel as though they are trying too hard to hide the truly deep stuff from themselves, almost like they are trying to live up to some low standards set for them based on preconceived notions because of intelligence or circumstance. Of course there are hard moments to watch but each of those moments were needed to convey the emotions, and reactions without being overdone or ridiculous. There's also simplicity to the characters and relief and curiosity because there isn't tiresome explanations of the most minute behavior that makes you hungry and willing for their ugliness to show. Zombie upped the anti on Horror movies with "House of a thousand Corpses" and after watching that and "Halloween" and "The Devil's Rejects" I am starting to wish he had started his movie thing years ago. Rob Zombie's Halloween, a pocketful of brilliance.

...as the last Rob Zombie film that I bought (without first seeing it at the theater) was a 'major stinker'; however, he did a very good job with this remake of the original Halloween horror cult classic! Zombie also brought forth more continuity to this version of the film which answered a few questions which had been left unanswered throughout the original series of films, as well as allows the viewer to experience in depth why Michael had in fact developed into what he had eventually become - pure evil!

Michael 'Mikey' Myers, was a young boy who came from a broken home...with an abusive lazy stepfather, a mother who works as a stripper at one of the local clubs, an older sister who is self-centered, and his infant sister Laurie with whom he only appears to have formed a close bond with. Michael is also portrayed as having a morbid curiosity with killing and the death of animals and we also see him as the daily tormented target of his school bully. Then one Halloween day during school, Michael completely 'snaps', and already having been subjected to so much 'interior and exterior evil' (per Dr. Loomis' diagnosis), Michael becomes a 'true psychopath', and thus, the murderous legacy begins.

BTW, in this version, we actually see Michael brutally murder Laurie Strode's foster/step-parents...as opposed to just learning of their demise resulting from some auto accident as alluded to during one of the original film's sequels. I'm glad that Zombie preserved John Carpenter's original soundscore (OSS) within this film, as it's piano interlude (main title theme) is a true integral part of what made the original film such a cult classic. I am also glad to see Danielle Harris return (you might know her as Micheal's niece Jamie from the original film's sequels - "Jamie's uncle's a bogeyman"). This time the pretty and all grown-up Danielle plays the part of Laurie's best friend Annie who also falls victim to Michael's knife weilding...though it appears that she may not have succumbed? Also, Rob Zombie makes a cameo performance...this time as the cemetery's caretaker. :)

Again, I was quite surprised to see that this film was actually done quite well with leaving the storyline preserved, yet also adding more continuity to the original film's premise...especially considering that this was a Rob Zombie remake. Well done Rob!

I read Rob Zombie is making another Halloween I hope either way he doesn't or it's better than the first one.

Well,it's a remake you can tell that!
If you love the first one (the original,the classic) you will or might be dissapointed....
The script is changed and from time to time you really ask yourself what the heck?
There is a similiarity to the original, but Rob Zombie changed quite a bit!
Michael Myers had no stepfather in the original,his mother mother a pole dancer,Michael Myers a pet killer it's a really poor made up story for Michael Myers child hood story...
He choose poor Actors, even so he got some famous actors(Udo Kier) as cast as well.
If you know any of the older Horror Movies you might recognize Actors from Movies like Children of Corn first one(red head), he plays a pervert at the hospital...

And so is there performance, sometimes not believable,poor dialoge or just aweful acting as well.
The guy who plays Dr.Loomis is just not right for that part and bad acting in the end he says to Michael"Stop it's Samuel!'Just BAD!!!!
Sometimes you have the impression Rob Zombie is trying to make up for it with pervert language or lots of nudity(almost porn!).

And the whole ending is just stupid without any sense if feels like the movie is stretched for nooooooo reason and boring!
Lots of Blood doesn't make a good horror movie!!!!!!!

Sadly this is just like the remake "of the fog" another remake what is not any impressive at all!
The first Halloween is the best of all...The classic should be left alone most remakes suck what's next a remake of jaws?????

Rob Zombie has outdone himself in this classic remake masterpiece, whilst staying true to the character he has put his own spin on this cult classic bringing Michael Myers to life from child to tormented soul. Zombies version follows the life of Myers and some previously unknown facts like where Michael acquired the famous daunting mask and how he came to be wearing the scrappy coveralls. We also get a glimpse into how evil this larger than life serial killer is, he doesn't care how nice you have been to him you are just another victim in Michael's eyes. Over all this one is a must see for fans of the classic Halloween movies and also for the new fans to the crazy world of Michael Myers. Also be sure to watch the special features, not only is it truly informative but I never thought I would see a blooper reel on such a serious flick but as Zombie has shown us he does things different and he has the formula to make it work. 10/10 ;-) make sure the lounge is against the wall........