Halloween 7: H20 (1998)
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It's been 20 years since the first Halloween (1978) and we finally get Jamie Lee Curtis back. Of course our characters of Laurie Strode and Michael Myers are 37 and 41 respectively. The film begins in Langdon, Illinois with the break-in of a woman's house. It turns out she was the nurse to Doctor Loomis, who we know passed away (both in real-life and in the last film too). Michael Myers of course visits the home in hopes to find the address to his sister (who was supposedly killed after part 2). Somehow he finds the answers and then the opening credits begin (although they add a voice which is supposed to be of Dr. Loomis - yet Pleasance is obviously no longer alive so they pick somebody new). We meet Laurie Strode, now Mrs. Keri Tate, who is the head of Hillcrest High School in Summer Glen, California. She has one son, John, and as the Halloween weekends approaches the kids are going off on a field trip for the weekend to Yosemite. Laurie knows what Halloween is famous for and refuses consent for her son to go. With that in mind John decides to have an sleep-over with 3 other kids (including his girl friend) since the entire campus will be empty. Last minute though, Laurie realizes the mental strain she impacts her son with and permits him to go on the trip - he still decides not to though. As the night goes on, we see Laurie getting close to her own boyfriend, a fellow professor and of course various cute tie-in's to other films (one of which is a movie clip of a scene from "Scream 2.") Michael does finally make his appearance and comes face to face, literally, with her brother. Will Michael finally do what he's been trying to do for 20 years, kill his sister, or will she finally face her fears and strike back?
Overall: By itself, the movie is fairly decent with interesting connections to other films, including "Frankenstein." As it relates to the prior films it could do much better. Obvious things include the mask of Michael Myers, this one provides more space to see his eyes - others were closed up. Also this film never even remotely hints or shows a connection to part 6 - no curses, thorn, or astrological symbols, not even a hint that what Michael does is anything more than just pure insanity and hatred. In fact it also fails to answer why Laurie would have abandoned her child from part 4 but keeps this one (John), especially since this child is supposedly born 3 years after the 1978 events. It ignores all but parts 1 & 2 (anything without Jamie Lee Curtis). Enjoy LL Cool J as the Harlequin romance novelist/security guard and of course Janet Leigh (Jamie's real-life mother) as her secretary - with the actual car from "Psycho." Death Count = 6 Comparison: Sorority House Massacre meets The Faculty |
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