Under-appreciated Horror Films To Watch This Halloween: “Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers”10/31/2020
By Cody Dericks
In honor of Halloween, I’ll be exploring five underappreciated horror films throughout the month of October. This week, I’m making the case for why you should watch the fifth installment in the legendary horror franchise, “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.” Check out my previous articles on “Lake Mungo,” “The Village," "Hell House LLC" & "Doctor Sleep." The undisputed king of horror franchises, the “Halloween” series starts out undeniably strong. The original “Halloween” works to this day, and even with its rough edges and unpolished finish, it’s hard to find concrete faults. Its many, many sequels, however, have less universally agreed upon reputations. The odd spin-off “Halloween III: Season of a Witch” has gained a cult following, “Halloween H20” is well-regarded, and the 2018 reboot “Halloween” has its fans. Generally, less attention is paid to the middle chapters from the late ‘80s and ‘90s. But my favorite of this arguably fallow period, and of the entire series besides the original, is “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.” I know in my heart of hearts that it’s not, as critics might say, a good movie. Like a lot of horror films, it’s got questionable dialogue, inconsistent tones, and a plot that stretches believability for this up-till-now grounded series. Picking up exactly where “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” left off, this film follows serial killer Michael Myers’ niece Jamie as she attempts to outwit her mask-loving uncle. After her attempt on the life of her adopted mother, Jamie has gone mute and been confined to a children’s hospital. As the fated autumnal holiday approaches once again, she discovers that she has somehow formed a psychic connection with the barely alive Michael (and I’m sure that’s precisely where most audiences said, “I’ve had enough”). Despite its faults, what this movie gets shockingly, improbably right is the characters, specifically two girls who are caught in the drama and mayhem of the story. The young Jamie has a tendency to, understandably, be passed between guardian adults in both this film and “Halloween 4,” but even when she’s not fully in charge of her fate, she’s an engaging heroine. “Halloween 5” does give her plenty of moments of agency. During a thrilling car chase through a field where Michael attempts to mow her down, Jamie bravely draws Michael’s attention away from other people. In the most harrowing and truly terrifying scene in the film, she temporarily escapes Michael by hiding in an old-fashioned laundry chute. Michael tries every method of getting to her, but this little girl is able to outwit and escape her pursuer. The film reaches its climax when Jamie attempts to reason with whatever humanity is left in her uncle, as she climbs into a coffin and tries to connect with him on a familial level. The character is given additional depth thanks to Danielle Harris’s performance. A mere 12-years-old at the time of the film’s release, she manages to be sympathetic and believably frightened without falling into the child actor trap of being annoying. The movie’s other impressively written character is Tina, the teenage friend of Jamie and her adopted sister Rachel. Tina is essentially a classic slasher film archetype: the slightly ditzy, fun-loving, and sexually active best friend who’s usually just another tally mark in the villain’s kill count. But Tina is different. She’s charming and spunky, and she truly cares for Jamie. In her last moments, she sacrifices herself to Michael so that Jamie may escape. It’s the film’s most dramatic moment and arguably the most heartbreaking death in the entire series. Actress Wendy Foxworth brings an effortless lovability to Tina that makes the audience truly mourn her loss. She’s more than just another helpless victim. “Halloween 5” is also the most self-aware film in the series when it comes to the character of Dr. Loomis. He’s a maniacal Ahab-like figure hell-bent on capturing Michael by any means necessary. He frequently terrorizes Jamie, often putting her directly in harm’s way in the name of protecting her. The film knows that Loomis isn’t to be admired. Many of the film’s supporting characters are shown giving him bewildered looks whenever he launches into yet another tirade about the nature of evil, and Jamie is shown to be rightfully terrified whenever Loomis comes near her. Part of why I admire “Halloween 5” more than any since the franchise’s start is that it comes closest to replicating the tone, intention, and scares of the John Carpenter original. It knows what its audiences want to see: teens getting up to no good and being unknowingly stalked by Michael. This surprisingly comforting pattern all leads to a pivotal scene in a barn, which serves as the delightfully cliché setting for some teens’ romantic trysts and eventual slaughter. Michael even kills one unlucky girl with a scythe as if he is the figure of Death itself. “Halloween 5” also borrows a lot of the tension-building tactics of the first film. Namely, a good portion of the film’s first act takes place in the daytime, with many an innocuous conversation occurring in the foreground while Michael lurks out-of-focus in the background. It’s unnerving as hell. When released, the film’s tagline was, “Michael lives. And this time they’re ready!” That essentially tells the audience what they’re going to see: a propulsive horror film where the most likeable characters are in charge of their own fates. It’s fun and spooky and everything you could want in a slasher, especially around Halloween. What do you think of it? What horror movies are you watching for this year's Halloween? Let us know in the comments section below or on our Twitter account. You can follow Cody and hear more of his thoughts on the Oscars and Film on Twitter at @codymonster91
Comments
|
BEST PICTURE The Power Of The Dog (33) - AACTA, AFCA, AWFJ, BAFTA, BOFCA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GALECA, GG, HFCS, KCFCC, LEJA, LFCC, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCS, OFTA, PCC, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, UFCA, VFCC Belfast (7) - AARP, IFCA, IPA, LVFCS, PFCS, TIFF, WAFCA CODA (6) - CIC, HCA, NFCS, OSCAR, PGA, SAG Drive My Car (6) - BSFC, LAFCA, NSFC, NYFCC, SFCS, TFCA Licorice Pizza (5) - AFCC, GFCA, NBR, OFCC, StLFCA The Green Knight (2) - NTFCA, PCA Happening (2) - ICS, VENICE The Harder They Fall (2) - AAFCA, NAACP King Richard (2) - BFCC, BRA The Lost Daughter (2) - GOTHAM, SPIRIT After Love - BIFA Cyrano - DFCS Last Night In Soho - HFCS Mass - IFJA Pig - GWNYFCA Quo Vadis, Aida? - EFA Tick, Tick...Boom! - IPA Titane - CANNES The Tragedy of Macbeth - CACF West Side Story - GG The Worst Person In The World - IFSC BEST DIRECTOR Jane Campion (52) - AARP, AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, BOFCA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, DGA, FFCC, GALECA, GFCA, GG, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, ICS, IFCA, IFCS, IFJA, IFSC, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LEJA, LFCC, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PCC, PFCC, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, TFCA, UFCA, VENICE, WAFCA Denis Villeneuve (6) - AACTA, BFCC, CACF, HCA, NTFCA, VFCC Ryūsuke Hamaguchi (3) - BSFC, NSFC, SFCS Guillermo del Toro (2) - HFCS, NFCS Maggie Gyllenhaal (2) - GOTHAM, SPIRIT Jeymes Samuel (2) - AAFCA, BRA Paul Thomas Anderson - NBR Kenneth Branagh - PFCS Leos Carax - CANNES Alex Khan - BIFA Shaka King - NAACP Lin-Manuel Miranda - DFCS Steven Spielberg - LVFCS Jasmila Zbanic - EFA BEST ACTRESS Kristen Stewart (27) - AFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GALECA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFCS, IFJA, IPA, MFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NTFCA, OAFFC, OFTA, PCA, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA, WFCC Jessica Chastain (8) - CCA, DFCS, HFCS, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, OSCAR, SAG Olivia Colman (8) - AWFJ, GOTHAM, KCFCC, LFCC, OFCS, SFBAFCC, TFCA, VFCC Alana Haim (7) - AFCC, BSFC, COFCA, FFCC, GFCA, IPA, OFCC Penelope Cruz (5) - LAFCA, LEJA, NSFC, SDFCS, VENICE Tessa Thompson (4) - BFCC, BRA, CIC, NYFCO Nicole Kidman (3) - AACTA, AARP, GG Renate Reinsve (3) - CACF, CANNES, IFSC Lady Gaga (2) - IFCA, NYFCC Jennifer Hudson (2) - AAFCA, NAACP Joanna Scanlan (2) - BAFTA, BIFA Rachel Zegler (2) - GG, NBR Caitriona Balfe - SDFCS Jasna Duricic - EFA Lee Hye-yeong - ICS Emilia Jones - UFCA Taylour Paige - SPIRIT Agathe Rousselle - AFCA BEST ACTOR Benedict Cumberbatch (26) - AACTA, AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, HFCS, IPA, KCFCC, LFCC, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, PCA, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC Nicolas Cage (13) - AFCA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, IFCS, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NTFCA, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA Will Smith (12) - AAFCA, AARP, BAFTA, BFCC, BRA, CCA, GG, NAACP, NBR, OSCAR, SAG, WFCC Andrew Garfield (11) - CACF, CIC, GG, HCA, IFCA, IFSC, IPA, LEJA, OAFFC, VFCC, WAFCA Hidetoshi Nishijima (2) - BSFC, NSFC Simon Rex (2) - LAFCA, SPIRIT Adeel Akhtar - BIFA John Arcilla - VENICE Peter Dinklage - DFCS Adam Driver - FFCC Frankie Faison - GOTHAM Oscar Isaac - IFJA Caleb Landry Jones - CANNES Jack Lowden - ICS Denzel Washington - TFCA BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Ariana DeBose (21) - BAFTA, CCA, DFCS, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GALECA, GFCA, GG, HCA, LAFCA, LEJA, LVFCS, MFCA, OAFFC, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PFCS, SAG, SFCS Kirsten Dunst (11) - AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, IPA, NDFS, OFCC, OFCS, PCC, SEFCA, SFBAFCC Ruth Negga (11) - CFCA, CIC, COFCA, GWNYFCA, ICS, LFCC, NSFC, NYFCO, PFCC, SDFCS, SPIRIT Ann Dowd (9) - CACF, HFCS, IFSC, KCFCC, MCFCA, NCFCA, StLFCA, UFCA, VFCC Aunjanue Ellis (8) - AAFCA, AARP, BFCC, BRA, CACF, NBR, NFCS, WAFCA Jessie Buckley (2) - BSFC, TFCA Caitríona Balfe - IFCA Judi Dench - AACTA Gaby Hoffmann - IFJA Kathryn Hunter - NYFCC Regina King - NAACP Marlee Matlin - HFCS Vinette Robinson - BIFA Tilda Swinton - NTFCA BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Kodi Smit-McPhee (31) - AACTA, AFCA, AWFJ, BFCC, BOFCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, HFCS, IFCA, IPA, LAFCA, LFCC, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, PFCC, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, SFCS, StLFCA, UFCA, WAFCA Troy Kotsur (15) - BAFTA, BSFC, CCA, GOTHAM, HCA, HFCS, IFJA, LEJA, LVFCS, MFCA, NFCS, OSCAR, SAG, SPIRIT, VFCC Bradley Cooper (4) - AFCC, CACF, GFCA, TFCA Ciarán Hinds (3) - KCFCC, NBR, PFCS Jeffrey Wright (3) - CIC, NTFCA, PCA Jason Isaacs (2) - IFSC, SDFCS Talid Ariss - BIFA Jon Bernthal - DFCS Anders Danielsen Lie (2) - ICS, NSFC Colman Domingo - BRA Mike Faist - PCC Corey Hawkins - AAFCA Daniel Kaluuya - NAACP Jared Leto - AARP Vincent Lindon - LAFCA J.K. Simmons - DFCS BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The Power Of The Dog (33) - AWFJ, BFCC, BOFCA, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GALECA, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HFCS, LEJA, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, PCA, PFCC, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFBAFCC, StLFCA, WAFCA Drive My Car (11) - AFCA, BSFC, CANNES, ICS, IFJA, IFSC, LAFCA, LFCC, NSFC, SFCS, TFCA CODA (7) - BAFTA, HCA, HFCS, IPA, OSCAR, UFCA, WGA The Lost Daughter (4) - GOTHAM, SPIRIT, USC, VENICE West Side Story (2) - AARP, KCFCC Nightmare Alley - NFCS Passing - BRA The Tragedy Of Macbeth - NBR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Licorice Pizza (12) - AFCC, BAFTA, CFCA, COFCA, GFCA, KCFCC, NCFCA, NDFS, NYFCC, OFCC, PCC, SEFCA Belfast (9) - AWFJ, CCA, GG, HFCS, IPA, LVFCS, OSCAR, PFCS, WAFCA Mass (6) - CACF, HCA, IFJA, OFTA, SDFCS, StLFCA Pig (5) - AFCA, CIC, DFCS, OAFFC, OFCS Don't Look Up (4) - AAFCA, DFCS, VFCC, WGA C'mon C'mon (2) - LEJA, SFBAFCC Being The Ricardos - AACTA Benediction - ICS The French Dispatch - FFCC A Hero - NBR Judas And The Black Messiah - NAACP King Richard - BFCC The Mitchells vs. The Machines - UFCA The Worst Person In The World - IFSC BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Dune (22) - ASC, BAFTA, BFCC, CACF, DFWFCA, GFCA, HCA, HFCS, HFCS, IPA, LEJA, MFCA, NTFCA, OAFFC, OFCC, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PFCS, SDFCS, SEFCA, WAFCA The Power Of The Dog (15) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, BSC, BSFC, CCA, CFCA, FFCC, LAFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCO, OFCS, StLFCA The Tragedy Of Macbeth (7) - BRA, COFCA, KCFCC, MCFCA, NBR, PCC, SFBAFCC The Green Knight (6) - AFCA, CIC, GWNYFCA, NSFC, SFCS, UFCA Nightmare Alley (2) - NFCS, PFCC West Side Story (2) - LVFCS, NYFCC Benediction - ICS Boiling Point - BIFA Great Freedom - EFA Passing - SPIRIT Spencer - IFSC BEST COSTUME DESIGN Cruella (12) - BAFTA, CCA, CIC, HCA, IFSC, LEJA, LVFCS, NDFS, OFTA, OSCAR, SDFCS, StLFCA Dune (5) - MFCA, NCFCA, OFCS, PCA, PFCS Ammonite - EFA Cyrano - IPA The Green Knight - SFCS The Harder They Fall - BRA House Of Gucci - HFCS Spencer - CFCA The Souvenir Part II - BIFA BEST FILM EDITING Dune (8) - AFCA, BOFCA, IPA, MFCA, OFTA, OSCAR, PFCS, SFCS The Power Of The Dog (6) - AWFJ, GWNYFCA, LEJA, NDFS, OFCS, SFBAFCC West Side Story (5) - CCA, CIC, COFCA, LVFCS, UFCA Last Night In Soho (4) - HCA, HFCS, MCFCA, StLFCA The French Dispatch (2) - CFCA, NCFCA Tick, Tick...Boom! (2) - ACE, WAFCA The Harder They Fall - BRA In The Heights - SDFCS King Richard - ACE No Time To Die - BAFTA The Souvenir Part II - BIFA Summer Of Soul - LAFCA Titane - IFSC Unclenching The Fists - EFA The Velvet Underground - BSFC What Do We See When We Look At The Sky? - ICS Zola - SPIRIT BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING The Eyes Of Tammy Faye (7) - BAFTA, CCA, CIC, HCA, NDFS, OFTA, OSCAR Cruella (5) - HFCS, IFSC, LEJA, MUAHS, NCFCA Being The Ricardos - MUAHS Coming 2 America - MUAHS The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain - BIFA Dune - MFCA Titane - EFA BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Dune (23) - AFCC, BAFTA, BOFCA, CACF, CCA, CIC, DFWFCA, FFCC, GFCA, GG, HCA, HMMA, IPA, MCFCA, NCFCA, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, StLFCA, WAFCA The Power Of The Dog (14) - AFCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, HFCS, IFCA, IFJA, NDFS, OFCC, OFCS, PCC, PFCC, SFBAFCC, UFCA Spencer (4) - BSFC, GWNYFCA, LVFCS, MFCA Parallel Mothers (3) - HMMA, IFSC, LAFCA Encanto (2) - LEJA, SCL The Harder They Fall (2) - BRA, HFCS The Addams Family 2 - HMMA Ali & Ava - BIFA Annette - ICS C'mon C'mon - HMMA Don't Look Up - HMMA Great Freedom - EFA The Green Knight - SCL Julia - HMMA A Quiet Place: Part II - HMMA BEST ORIGINAL SONG No Time To Die (18) - CACF, CCA, CIC, DFCS, GFCA, GG, HFCS, HFCS, HMMA, IFSC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, OFTA, OSCAR, PFCS, SCL Encanto (3) - GMS, IPA, LEJA Bruised - BRA CODA - HMMA Don't Look Up - SCL The Harder They Fall - IFCA King Richard - HCA PAW Patrol: The Movie - HMMA Rebel Hearts - HMMA BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Dune (14) - ADG, BAFTA, CCA, FFCC, GFCA, HFCS, LEJA, MCFCA, NCFCA, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, SDSA, WAFCA Nightmare Alley (8) - ADG, CIC, HCA, MFCA, NFCS, PFCS, SDFCS, SFBAFCC The French Dispatch (6) - CFCA, IFSC, NDFS, OFCS, SDSA, StLFCA No Time To Die (2) - ADG, SDSA The Souvenir Part II (2) - BIFA, ICS The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2) - BRA, IPA Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar - LAFCA Being The Ricardos - SDSA The Green Knight - SFCS Natural Light - EFA West Side Story - LVFCS BEST SOUND Dune (13) - BAFTA, CAS, IFSC, LEJA, MCFCA, MFCA, MPSE, NCFCA, NDFS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, SDFCS Boiling Point - BIFA The Innocents - EFA Last Night In Soho - HFCS Memoria - ICS Tick, Tick...Boom! - IPA BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Dune (25) - BAFTA, CCA, CFCA, DFCS, FFCC, HCA, HFCS, IFSC, IPA, LEJA, LVFCS, MCFCA, MFCA, NCFCA, NDFS, NFCS, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCA, PFCS, SDFCS, SFCS, StLFCA, VES Spider-Man: No Way Home (2) - CIC, HFCS Dashcam - BIFA Lamb - EFA BEST ANIMATED FEATURE The Mitchells vs. The Machines (33) - AFCA, AFCC, ANNIE, AWFJ, BFCC, BOFCA, CACF, CCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, HFCS, KCFCC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NCFCA, NFCS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, PCA, PCC, PFCS, SEFCA, StLFCA, WAFCA Encanto (13) - AWFJ, BAFTA, DFWFCA, FFCC, GG, IFCA, IPA, LEJA, MFCA, NAACP, NBR, NDFS, OSCAR Flee (12) - BSFC, CFCA, DFCS, EFA, GALECA, IFJA, IFSC, LAFCA, PFCC, SFCS, TFCA, UFCA The Crossing - ICS Luca - SDFCS Raya And The Last Dragon - NTFCA BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Drive My Car (34) - AFCA, AFCC, AWFJ, BAFTA, CCA, CFCA, COFCA, DFCS, DFWFCA, GFCA, GG, GOTHAM, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, IFJA, IFSC, IPA, KCFCC, LFCC, MCFCA, NCFCA, NYFCO, OFCC, OFCS, OFTA, OSCAR, PCC, SEFCA, SFCS, SPIRIT, StLFCA, TFCA, WAFCA Flee (4) - BIFA, LVFCS, NDFS, UFCA The Hand Of God (4) - BFCC, FFCC, HFCS, PFCS The Worst Person In The World (4) - BOFCA, NYFCC, PCA, VFCC Parallel Mothers (3) - CIC, LEJA, SDFCS A Hero (2) - CACF, NBR African America - BRA Lamb - NTFCA Petite Maman - LAFCA Sheep Without A Shepherd - AARP Titane - PFCC BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Summer Of Soul (45) - AAFCA, AARP, AFCA, AWFJ, BAFTA, BFCC, BRA, BSFC, CCA, CFCA, CIC, COFCA, DFCS, DFCS, DFWFCA, FFCC, GFCA, GWNYFCA, HCA, HFCS, HFCS, IFCA, IPA, KCFCC, LAFCA, LFCC, LVFCS, MCFCA, NBR, NCFCA, NTFCA, OFCC, OFCS, OSCAR, PCA, PCC, PFCC, PFCS, PGA, SDFCS, SEFCA, SFCS, SPIRIT, TFCA, WAFCA Flee (20) - AFCC, AWFJ, BOFCA, CACF, CEH, DFCS, EFA, GALECA, GOTHAM, IDA, IFSC, LEJA, NDFS, NFCS, NYFCC, NYFCO, OAFFC, OFTA, StLFCA, VFCC Attica - DGA Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power - NAACP The First Wave - UFCA Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In Time - IFJA Mr. Bachmann And His Class - ICS Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche - BIFA AuthorsNicole Ackman Archives
May 2022
Categories
All
|