HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION REVIEW!!! (A.K.A. THE ONE THAT KILLED THE SERIES) - SPOOKY SEASON MARATHON

Initial release date: July 12, 2002

Studios: Miramax-Dimension/Nightfall Productions/Trancas International Films

Tagline: Evil Finds Its Way Home

Plot: The original house of horrors, the dilapidated home of infamous serial killer Michael Myers, has now become to set of a webcam reality show. But when the veteran slasher discovers that a group of university students has taken over his old killing grounds, he decides it's time to being the blades out of retirement.

Cast

Jamie Lee Curtis - Laurie Strode

Brad Loree - Michael Myers

Busta Rhymes - Freddie Harris

Bianca Kajilich - Sara Moyer

Sean Patrick Harris - Rudy

Daisy McCrackin - Donna

Katee Sackhoff - Jen

Luke Kirby - Jim

Thomas Ian Nicholas - Bill

Ryan Merriman - Myles Barton

Tyra Banks - Nora

Writer(s): Larry Brand

Sean Hood (Conan the Barbarian; Cube 2: Hypercube) (never heard of the second title)

Director: Rick Rosenthal

Rated R for strong violence, language, some sexuality and brief drug use (90 minutes)

The 1998 sequel Halloween H20 was the one sequel that got the Halloween horror franchise back on track. Before H20 was released, the series was going back and forth with the quality of the series. Halloween 1 thru 4 were good (even the one without Myers) and 5-6 were not that great. And after H20 got some things right, you would think with the series now on the right path, things will be looking up for this horror series. Well, it wasn't on the right path for long!

The 2002 sequel, Halloween: Resurrection, did have a meh start. It shows what happened to Laurie Strode after the events of H20. Even though her role was very small in this sequel, it was still good to see her return to her role. Slight spoiler here - how they revealed Myers survived H20 wasn't that great at all. Having Michael Myers switch places with a paramedic could maybe work if it was done right. But, it wasn't. We even see Busta Rhymes bust some kung fu moves to Myers - yea you read that right...

After watching this sequel for the first time in awhile, this really gave me a streaming vibe (or a direct to video/DVD vibe since it was released in 2002). The scares just weren't there and definitely ended this Halloween timeline on a bad note. Even with a bad Halloween sequel, I can find at least a couple okay parts in the movie. In this one, the only one I can think of was it's meh opening.

If you are fans of the series, which Halloween movie did you like the best?

Here are some fun tidbits for Halloween: Resurrection!

• Jamie Lee Curtis hated the idea of a sequel, as she felt that Laurie had a satisfying ending in the previous movie. She initially refused to be in this movie, until she ultimately agreed to do her part, only under the condition that she's killed off in the opening so as to make sure her character wouldn't appear in another sequel.

• At the time of its initial release, executive producers Malek and Moustapha Akkad tried to explain it by claiming Curtis "was so impressed with the screenplay, that she wanted a large part in it." She has publicly stated that wasn't the case, she was under contract to do it.

• John Carpenter has stated that the movie made him cringe.

• Curtis was quoted as saying that she considered this movie a joke.

• It was first named Halloween: The Homecoming, but producers wanted a title that said Michael Myers is alive so in February 2002, the movie was officially titled Halloween: Resurrection.

• Originally, the Miramax executives wanted to continue the series by creating a whole new story of which didn't have anything to do with Myers, in a similar manner to Halloween III, but poll results conducted throughout fan websites proved to the producers that fans wanted Myers to return again.

• Actress Biana Kajilich couldn't scream and her screams had to be dubbed in post-production.

• Several new endings were written during production and the cast was never sure how it was actually going to end. Four different endings were filmed, and the director wanted the studio to ship a different ending to each theater, a technique used before during the theatrical release of Clue. The studio disagreed, and the endings now appear on the DVD and Blu-ray.

• Curtis appears on the movie cover with short hair, despite long hair in the movie. If looked at more closely, one can easily tell that it's the same picture of her that was used on the H20 cover.

• Director Rick Rosenthal previously directed the 1981 sequel Halloween II.

• The writers of H20 were left with a dilemma when Curtis wanted to end the series, but producer Moustapha Akkad had a clause that legally wouldn't allow the writers to kill Michael Myers off. According to the Blu-ray released by Scream Factory, Curtis almost left the project just weeks before filming, until Kevin Williamson came up with the paramedic story point and presented it to Akkad.

• Curtis finally agreed to be a part of the movie under the condition that no footage hinting toward a sequel would be presented by this movie, and that the audience would believe that Myers was dead until the inevitable sequel was announced. According to H20s editor, Patrick Fussier, Resurrection's first shot of Michael in paramedic uniform was filmed the day after H20's principal photography ended.

• Halloween: Resurrection was released on July 12, 2022 in the US to moderate reception which didn't change in its later international release. It grossed $30.3 million domestic and $37.6 million worldwide.

https://youtu.be/QPJSDXVyskU?si=F_mjNEF5C9oHaZEZ

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