Universal Studios - August 2016 - 1

This has been a tremendous week on vacation as I prepared for graduation. Universal Studios Orlando has changed so much since the last time I went (back in 1991), and must say it has changed for the better. As a horror fan, there were enough attractions to keep me interested. And while I did not make it to the new Kong attraction (the wait time was insane), it was still an awesome time. Here are a few pictures from the week, I am sure there will be more to follow as I get through them. 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

I needed to take a break from the Sci-Fi and classic horror that has become commonplace throughout this Thanksgiving vacation. With college papers still due and a website needing built; I decided it was time to head back into a classic franchise for some motivational moments. My selection last night (and my next review) is the 1995 slasher Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Plot/ Six years after Michael Myers last terrorized Haddonfield, he returns there in pursuit of his niece, Jamie Lloyd, who has escaped with her newborn child, for which Michael and a mysterious cult have sinister plans.

I will be honest; I have pretty much stayed clear of the original Halloween series for some time. While I loved the first two back in my youth, it became a little overwhelming to see so many sequels come out. However, after suffering through San Andreas the other day, I decided that I want to venture back into this world and I was surprised by what I found. This movie was definitely interesting and not at all what I expected when I turned it on (I LOVE the cult aspect). The storyline is intriguing, the cast is one of the better ones for a sequel, as usual, the soundtrack was amazing, and the kills were enjoyable. Yes, there were some uneven moments and some of the dialog feels dated, but those do little to totally ruin the film. While not the best movie in the series, it is one of the more underrated sequels in the Halloween franchise, and a movie that definitely helped me get the miserable thoughts of San Andreas out of my head. In the end, this many not be a perfect Halloween movie, but it is better than some. If you enjoy the tales of Michael Myers, give it a shot—you could definitely do much worse.

Halloween (2007)

October has begun, the most wonderful time of the year. Amazingly, the buzz is all about the Pirates and their amazing 2013 campaign. The playoffs are underway and at this point, the Bucs are leading the Reds in the seventh inning by four runs. Let’s Go Bucs! Even with that, Halloween is right around the corner, and what better to start my countdown with Rob Zombie’s Halloween from 2007.

Plot/ After being committed for 17 years, Michael Myers, now a grown man and still very dangerous, escapes from the mental institution (where he was committed as a 10 year old) and he immediately returns to Haddonfield, where he wants to find his baby sister, Laurie. Anyone who crosses his path is in mortal danger.

While I was a fan of the original Halloween classics from my childhood, I will say that I also enjoyed this interpretation. Yes, it is not the John Carpenter classic, but, there is something about this one that hit home. The way the early years of Michael Myers was developed works, and it would have been interesting to follow that path. Sure, this is not an exact replica and I get why some fans may not like it, and that is fine with me. It is what it is, a Rob Zombie flick, and one that is a lot more in touch with some realities than most want to admit. Being a Zombie flick, there is gore and violence, exactly what you would expect. Sure, there are some dialogue issues, and some things are a bit incoherent, but that is what you should expect. In the end, this was one of the better entries in the Halloween franchise and a lot better than I expected.