CT1138
Sr Member
Let me preface by stating that I have a bit of nostalgia for the RZ films, particularly the first, which is what got me into Myers collecting in the first place. HOWEVER, and this is something I've said about the remakes since I've seen them. You don't explain evil. Once you take away that mystery about Michael, he becomes sympathetic and that's wrong. In the remake, I'm rooting for Michael all the way until he kills Danny Trejo. I didn't like that. Michael is, as Carpenter says, a force of evil. He's not a grotesque giant of a brute like Jason, he's a mysterious, ghostly shape, a phantom of the night, a boogeyman. Give him a backstory and you take that away, creating some exceptionally large man with a vendetta against bullies. This is, of course, not to take anything away from the performance itself. Tyler Mane, despite the writing, gave a horrifically fantastic performance as Michael. My third favorite after Nick Castle and Dick Warlock.
I'll also say that the atmosphere is top notch in this movie, and just about saves the film for me. The movie creates a better feeling of Illinois in October from South Pasadena than the original did. Everything from the way the sun casts the shadows to the dead leaves on green grass breathes October in Illinois. I think the only Halloween movie that outshines the remake in this category is Halloween 4. The costume design for Michael is also really good. By Halloween 6, I feel like the white mask and grey coveralls starts to become stale. I feel like the Carhartt's and rot mask was a breath of fresh air in a franchise that had gotten old by the time the '90s rolled around. I love the Carolina Logger boots, and the progression of the rot mask, as it mirrors Michael's continuously dilapidating mental state. Now, after Zombies vision I feel ready to return to the classic and basics.
Unfortunately, the movie, particularly the second one, is bogged down by the foul mouthed and embarrassingly redneck depictions of us Illinoisans, which is hardly true in any light. It makes us look like a bunch of northern Alabamians, with chipped painted houses, couches on the front porch with a mini fridge full of Bud Lites within arms reach. It got even worse in the second movie. The depictions were "Deliverance" bad. When that guy beat down Michael for being in his field in H2, I could practically hear the "C'mon boy, squeal! Weeeeeeeee!" It's embarrassing that this is what the depiction of my state is when you're outside of Chicago. Farmers are intelligent people, nowhere near the white trash cliche that Zombie depicts. But, that's his style. He has the same exact kind of characterizations in "Devil's Rejects."
In the inverse of that, Tyler Bates' soundtrack is very good in both movies as are the non original compositions used like Nazareth and Rush. The soundtracks really bring these movies to life, in a similar way that they did for the original. I, for one, really enjoy the rocker culture in these movies, and I love how the music choice evokes a very 70s style. There's even a needlepoint of JFK in the Myers home during Michael's childhood that really makes a point to sell that 60s and 70s feel to this movie. But yeah, the music really makes this movie, and fits in with the tone of "bigger, stronger, faster" with the musical notes, especially the piano notes, striking harder and louder than any previous rendition. The little background noises added to the theme likewise was a really unique choice.
I'll also say that the atmosphere is top notch in this movie, and just about saves the film for me. The movie creates a better feeling of Illinois in October from South Pasadena than the original did. Everything from the way the sun casts the shadows to the dead leaves on green grass breathes October in Illinois. I think the only Halloween movie that outshines the remake in this category is Halloween 4. The costume design for Michael is also really good. By Halloween 6, I feel like the white mask and grey coveralls starts to become stale. I feel like the Carhartt's and rot mask was a breath of fresh air in a franchise that had gotten old by the time the '90s rolled around. I love the Carolina Logger boots, and the progression of the rot mask, as it mirrors Michael's continuously dilapidating mental state. Now, after Zombies vision I feel ready to return to the classic and basics.
Unfortunately, the movie, particularly the second one, is bogged down by the foul mouthed and embarrassingly redneck depictions of us Illinoisans, which is hardly true in any light. It makes us look like a bunch of northern Alabamians, with chipped painted houses, couches on the front porch with a mini fridge full of Bud Lites within arms reach. It got even worse in the second movie. The depictions were "Deliverance" bad. When that guy beat down Michael for being in his field in H2, I could practically hear the "C'mon boy, squeal! Weeeeeeeee!" It's embarrassing that this is what the depiction of my state is when you're outside of Chicago. Farmers are intelligent people, nowhere near the white trash cliche that Zombie depicts. But, that's his style. He has the same exact kind of characterizations in "Devil's Rejects."
In the inverse of that, Tyler Bates' soundtrack is very good in both movies as are the non original compositions used like Nazareth and Rush. The soundtracks really bring these movies to life, in a similar way that they did for the original. I, for one, really enjoy the rocker culture in these movies, and I love how the music choice evokes a very 70s style. There's even a needlepoint of JFK in the Myers home during Michael's childhood that really makes a point to sell that 60s and 70s feel to this movie. But yeah, the music really makes this movie, and fits in with the tone of "bigger, stronger, faster" with the musical notes, especially the piano notes, striking harder and louder than any previous rendition. The little background noises added to the theme likewise was a really unique choice.