By Vinnie Mancuso & Ryan Heffernan
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In 1978, John Carpenter released Halloween, a relatively simple yet influential horror movie that transpires as a deranged sadist, who was detained as a six-year-old when he murdered his own sister, breaks free from his incarceration and embarks on a horrific killing spree in the Illinois town of Haddonfield. Not only did this taut and tense masterpiece inspire an extensive film series, it also pioneered (or, at least popularized) the concept of slasher movie entertainment.
To stay focused on the Halloween saga itself, though, the series spans across 13 entries, which include everything from follow-up films, misguided reboots, supernatural spin-offs, and even legacy sequels that saw the Halloween title soar back to prominence in recent years. It's a wild ride that veers dramatically in quality from one of the greatest movies of all time to historically bad stinkers not even worth your time as a Halloween trick. But at its best and its worst, there's still no denying the power this franchise — and its murderous leading man in his $2 William Shatner mask — has held over the horror genre for decades.
13 'Halloween: Resurrection' (2002)
Directed by Rick Rosenthal
Should humanity ever stumble upon the secrets of time travel, our first order of business—before altering any global conflicts or heinous tragedies—is returning to the $300,000-budgeted set of the original Halloween to tell John Carpenter that the butterfly effect of his mounting masterpiece will be Busta Rhymes challenging Michael Myers to a kung-fu fight. There isn't much more to be said about Halloween: Resurrection, which ends up being a poor rip-off of the 1978 original following Myers as he returns to Haddonfield to brutally murder six teenagers camping out in his childhood home for a thrill-seeking reality TV program.
It is not even a film for horror enthusiasts who enjoy the macabre fun of cheering on the slasher. It's sparkling premise should offer frenzied fun aplenty, but instead it all falls rather flat (a bit like Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) at the start of the film when Michael throws her from a roof). There is a peculiar irony in a movie called Resurrection being such a lifeless endeavor, but then it would be a morbid world indeed if we could not forgive horror franchises their unwatchable entries.
Halloween: Resurrection
12 'Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers' (1989)
Directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard
One glance at the quality of the mask Michael Myers wears in Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers ought to be enough for horror fans and novices alike to realize that the fifth entry of the saga will not be among its best. While many would argue that the ensuring Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers was a lesser film, it did at least have the gonzo gimmick to make it interesting in its flaws. The Revenge of Michael Myers, however, sees the heavy-legged Michael stuck in his slow and sinister stroll as he tries to hunt down and kill his niece (again).
In the sense of the larger franchise, it is the story's somber spiral into areas of uninspired monotony, where stock-standard slasher fare is all there is to be seen. What few intriguing elements the film does conjure–the mysterious Man In Black, the growing psychic link between Jamie and Michael—only serve to confuse the audience. At the end of the day, The Revenge of Michael Myers does at least offer proof that you can't end on a good cliffhanger after you've already driven off the cliff.
11 'Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers' (1995)
Directed by Joe Chappelle
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is the film that introduced the world to Paul Rudd. If the purpose of this list was to sing the praises of every Halloween movie, then this entry would end there (though the mask may get an honorable mention). The sixth movie in the saga, it carries itself as the filmic equivalent of not knowing what to do with your hands when speaking in public. It's awkward, aimless, a little cringe-worthy, and overly energetic given how lost it is.
It reeks of a misunderstanding of the franchise's root greatness, presenting a backstory that details how Michael Myers is the pawn of a Druid cult cursed with immortality and a supernatural need to kill on Halloween night. The worst element of the film is that it doesn't even manage to explore its absurdity with any sense of allure, instead ranging from the painfully boring to the deeply unpleasant. It is also deeply un-Pleasance, as, tragically, this would be the actor's final film performance, and as committed as he is, not even he can elevate the film beyond its damning pitfalls.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
R
Horror
Thriller
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- September 29, 1995
- Cast
- Donald Pleasence , Paul Rudd , Marianne Hagan , Mitch Ryan , Kim Darby , Bradford English
- Runtime
- 88
10 'Halloween II' (2009)
Directed by Rob Zombie
The key to recognizing the stomach-churning appeal of Rob Zombie’s Halloween II is to rid yourself of the idea you’re watching a Halloween movie (call it a multiverse situation, if you have to). Freed from the constraints of “remaking” Halloween, Zombie poured triple the dose of his own vision into this sequel, a film that doesn’t pretend for a second it wants to portray Michael Myers as an enigmatic figure. It wants to crack the character wide open—literally shredding pieces of his mask, exposing much of the man underneath—focusing specifically on the disturbing relationship between him and his long-lost sister, Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton).
Zombie is also freed from any sense of keeping his kills hidden from view, with this the most savage and animalistic portrayal of Michael Myers ever put to screen. If nothing else, it sees Zombie completely committed to his visual horror tastes, lingering a tad too long on the characters' vile conversations which are barely connected to the plot, as well as the graphic gore on display. It makes Halloween II oddly magnetic, almost entrancing and disarmingly beautiful on occasion. Fans of Zombie will be reaching a state of euphoria, others will be reaching for something to vomit into. But at least there's a daring decisiveness and conviction that defines this peculiar sequel/reboot/spin-off.
Rob Zombie's Halloween II
R
Horror
- Release Date
- August 28, 2009
- Cast
- Sheri Moon Zombie , Chase Wright Vanek , Scout Taylor-Compton , Brad Dourif , Caroline Williams , Malcolm McDowell
- Runtime
- 101
9 'Halloween' (2007)
Directed by Rob Zombie
Hiring Rob Zombie to remake a John Carpenter classic seems a no-brainer in theory, but in practice its biggest triumph is proving just how sprawling a term like "horror filmmaker" is. It's like asking Wes Anderson to remake Animal House because he's excelled in comedy. Still, 2007's Halloween is fascinating even if not fabulous, feeling like a film being violently pulled in two different directions as it finds itself caught between an homage to Carpenter's subtle and taut original and the impulsive excess of grindhouse magician Rob Zombie.
The film is at its strongest when it feels like a non-franchise project of Rob Zombie's own making, with sequences like the extended opening finding a weight and poignancy that is foreign though refreshing for the franchise. The instant Zombie is forced to revert to formula, however, the film loses much of its intrigue, and simply runs as 1978's Halloween imbued with a brutality that doesn't know exactly what it represents. Still, bolstered by committed performances and some exciting new notions, it is far from the worst of the franchise.
Rob Zombie's Halloween
8 'Halloween Ends' (2022)
Directed by David Gordon Green
Halloween Ends was an uneven ending to an uneven trilogy. Set four years after the first two David Gordon Green entries to the franchise, Laurie Strode is living a normal, quiet life. She has bought a house and lives with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), who works as a nurse. She has given up drinking, and she doesn't stockpile guns or has booby traps set up in the house. Nope, now she bakes and knits and even celebrates Halloween! She's still a bona fide badass though, but she only brings it out when necessary.
Its incorporation of parental dread that lingers over Laurie is a strong idea to really explore, but, given it is still a slasher film, it lacks the slashing kills to really make it thrive. There are some questionable decisions, such as the elongated focus on Allyson's relationship with a troubled love-interest or some of Michael's more mundane moments. However, it does have the prowess to come to an ending that finally grants a conclusion to the story with a rewarding closure, even if it still feels more like a missed opportunity more than a last hoorah.
Halloween Ends
7 'Halloween II' (1981)
Directed by Rick Rosenthal
Halloween II runs less as a sequel and more as the longest post-credits sequence ever made. Picking up immediately after Michael Myers' three-person murder spree, it simply follows Laurie Strode to the hospital. She is relentlessly stalked by Myers, who is himself being pursued by Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance). It is far from a bad movie, though it does struggle to find relevance, with its greatest contribution being the reveal that Michael and Laurie are, in fact, long-lost siblings, a twist that Carpenter himself has attributed to being drunk and annoyed at having to write a sequel to a film he felt was a standalone story.
Imbued with a more sensational sense of blood and gore, courtesy of the success of Friday the 13th, no doubt, Halloween II is still a perfectly fine bit of slasher fun. First-time director Rick Rosenthal—blissfully unaware he would helm Halloween: Resurrection 21 years later—is basically just doing Carpenter to the best of his abilities and does manage to use the innate claustrophobia of hospital hallways to creepy effect. Less effective is the fact Jamie Lee Curtis is in a hospital bed for so much of this movie, a mistake that surely no other entry would repeat, especially not several decades later.
Halloween II
6 'Halloween Kills' (2021)
Directed by David Gordon Green
There seem to be just as many things holding Halloween Kills back from being a great modern horror as there are ideas hoping to elevate it into the annals of slasher history. As such, the sequel to the trilogy reboot sometimes feels as though it's wildly stabbing at two different identities; on one side, a poignant and timely take on the dangers of mob mentality, and on the other, a nasty throwback slasher where the sheer number of quirky characters killed in increasingly creative ways is the only thing that matters.
It's not to say that films can't execute both ideas, but David Gordon Green and his co-writers never try to bridge the gap between the two ruling ideas in any meaningful way. This tonal disconnect sadly robs the film of some of its deeper points, making it feel aimless at times when inspiration and purpose so clearly bristles in abundance. However, there is a divine glory to it when it does focus on operating solely as a slasher horror, with Green doing away with CGI blood in favor of sticky, nasty, and dribbling practical gore that, while initially disgusting, has an old-school beauty to it that many other modern horror movies simply can't replicate.
Halloween Kills
5 'Halloween' (2018)
Directed by David Gordon Green
Despite existing as something of a remake/sequel/reboot/retcon, 2018's Halloween thrives as a back-to-basics approach to franchise roots that sees Jamie Lee Curtis reprise the part of Laurie Strode. As a throwback, it's good, bordering on very good, even within a knife's edge of being great, but Green—along with co-writer Danny McBride—seems content to simply replay Halloween's greatest highlights as it erases all the sequels and spin-offs to introduce a Michael Myers who has been locked up ever since he first escaped back in 1978.
Embodied by a genuinely moving performance from Jamie Lee Curtis, the film turns into a commentary on what it means for trauma to stew, to fester and manifest over decades. The greatest asset of the film is it is made by a team with a firm grasp over what made the franchise so scary; they discard all ideas of supernatural mythology and cult following and instead focus on an evil brutality so mundane and monstrous that it is completely unbiased and incomprehensible. It's more than a cheap cover band, it's the greatest hits CD. And like all greatest hits CDs, within the nostalgia, triumph, and glee, there is a sad little reminder that the best days are well and truly in the past.
Halloween (2018)
4 'Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers' (1988)
Directed by Dwight H. Little
There have been better Halloween sequels, deeper Halloween sequels, and more interesting Halloween sequels, but Halloween IV is far and away the best Halloween sequel solely focused on Michael Myers. It also defies the surprisingly accurate quality of the mast = quality of the movie quirk the franchise seems to run with. Cast into a franchise without Laurie Strode, and having to appease audiences who too harshly reacted to the Michael Myers-lessness of its predecessor, Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers is fully committed to serving up a sensational spectacle, and, in slasher cinema, what more can fans really ask for?
It pivots to Laurie’s daughter, Jamie (Danielle Harris), whose semi-psychic connection to her homicidal uncle turns Michael into a literal boogeyman straight out of a kid’s nightmares. It’s all a little silly, a tone that isn’t exactly helped by a new mask for Michael that shoots for “emotionless” and lands on “desperately needs a bathroom.” But what matters is how absurdly big director Dwight H. Little and the entire creative team went for this movie, producing some of the series’ most over-the-top kills, Pleasence absolutely hamming it up to a new level, and an endearing love for the characters Carpenter and Hill created, if not an ability to make them as scary.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
3 'Halloween III: Season of the Witch' (1982)
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
It’s entirely possible that Halloween III: Season of the Witch would’ve been better received if audiences were eased into the anthology concept instead of being dumped into a sci-fi romp in which an insane Halloween mask magnate attempts to murder every child in the world using mystical pieces of Stonehenge. Alas, brilliant ideas are rarely accepted in their time, and one of the most refreshing parts of modern horror fandom is the increasingly-popular acceptance that Halloween III is actually an admirable and daring expansion of the franchise, Michael Myers or not.
Part of its enduring appeal is how hard Tommy Lee Wallace—production designer on 1978's Halloween, now in the director’s chair—pivots from its two predecessors. Season of the Witch plays like something that should only be seen on a busted VHS, a pure practical-effects-driven B-movie that revels in its weird Twilight Zone-ish concept rich with killer clockwork robots, helpless teen victims, and Tom Atkins ready to kick some ass. Are all these things upgrades? Well, that's up to individual interpretation. But it should be celebrated by all horror lovers for its eagerness to take a wild swing when every other Halloween sequel is content with sharp yet similar stabs.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
2 'Halloween H20: 20 Years Later' (1998)
Directed by Steve Miner
By now, Halloween has branched off into at least three separate timelines, creating a whole host of viewing orders where you can add or discard pretty much any sequel to create an arc perfect for you. The most satisfying and complete story the franchise has is the original Halloween, followed by 1981's Halloween II, and concluding with Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. With Jamie Lee Curtis back, Steve Miner in the director’s chair, and Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson on script duty, H20 is both an intensely entertaining, aggressive early-2000s teen slasher and a considered meditation on the effects of long-term trauma.
Laurie Strode has been bent as far as humanly possible since that fateful night in 1978, faking her death, changing her name, and relocating to California to protect her son, John (Josh Hartnett). Curtis puts in a wonderful performance as a Laurie Strode who lives with lingering fear but refuses to let it define her. The fact that Michael Myers returns at that point—when he is, finally, not the most important thing in her life—is the most effective point any Halloween movie has made about mental scars that heal, but don't fade. Outside of the original, there isn’t a more goosebumps-inducing moment in the entire franchise than Michael and Laurie arriving at either side of that round window, separated by a thin pane of glass and two decades of bad dreams.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
1 'Halloween' (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter
For all the spins and twists the franchise has thrown at fans, for all the joys of modernity and the advancing technologies film-making has enjoyed since 1978, the fact remains that, sometimes, you just can't beat the original. That is the case for Halloween, with John Carpenter's spellbinding original horror film still setting the benchmark, not only for the Halloween title, but for all slasher entertainment. And, as has been alluded to several times throughout this list, the defining aspect of its genius comes in its brilliant simplicity.
A madman with a knife returns to a town that looks just like yours, kills innocent kids who could easily be you, and offers no rhyme or reason. The look on his “face” is nothing; no emotion, no remorse, no humanity. Carpenter—helped in great part by producing partner Debra Hill and production designer Tommy Lee Wallace—takes that simplicity and turns it into a weapon, cloaks it in shadow, lets it linger, gets it stuck in your head like the repetitive drone of that iconic score. Halloween took the thread spun by Psycho, the Italian Giallos, and Black Christmas, and finished it with a face to haunt your dreams. It does to the suburbs what Jaws did to the ocean, and it remains one of the most influential films Hollywood cinema has ever seen.
Halloween (1978)
NEXT: The Scariest Horror Movies of the 2010s, Ranked
- Movie
- Halloween
- John Carpenter
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