Skip to content
PAUL'S TRIP TO THE MOVIES
PAUL'S TRIP TO THE MOVIES
Primary Navigation Menu
Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • The Archives
  • Interviews with the Cast and Crew
  • “HALLOWEEN” RETROSPECTIVE – 40 Years of Terror
  • EVERYBODY IS STILL A SUSPECT: A LOOK BACK AT SCREAM
  • THE DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE
  • The Bond, James Bond Challenge
  • MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE
  • Home
  • MY DEFINITIVE RANKING OF BATMAN ON THE BIG SCREEN

“Halloween” Retrospective: HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS

By Paul McGuire Grimes
On October 27, 2013
In Movie Reviews
Tagged Bradford English, Donald Pleasance, George P. Wilbur, Halloween, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, horror series, J.C. Brandy, Joe Chapelle, Marianne Hagan, Mitchell Ryan, Paul Rudd

HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995)
Director: Joe Chapelle
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Paul Rudd, Marianne Hagan, Bradford English, Mitchell Ryan, J.C. Brandy, George P. Wilbur


Michael Myers and his niece Jamie Lloyd (now played by J.C. Brandy) have disappeared after the events that ended the fifth film. She has been captured and impregnated by the Man in the Black and is being kept underground in his cultish layer. After giving birth, the baby is marked with the Thorn symbol that Michael and the Man in Black had on them. She is able to escape with her baby, and calls in to the radio station to get word out that Michael is still around. A retired Dr. Loomis (Pleasence) and Tommy Doyle (now played by Paul Rudd) hear her plea and know he is still out there. Tommy was the child Laurie Strode was babysitting in the first one. He is now living in a boarding house in Haddonfield and is obsessed with finding Michael. His bedroom walls are covered in newspaper clippings relating to all things about Michael’s reign of terror. Michael kills Jamie once and for all but her baby was kept hidden.


Relatives of Laurie are now living in the old Myers house. Dr. Loomis heads back to Haddonfield to warn the Strodes that he may be back looking for the baby. The eldest daughter Kara (Hagan) is now living back at the house with her parents and six year old son Danny. Danny seems to have a sixth sense about Michael and the curse of Thorn. Tommy informs Kara about the history of the Myers house and how he believes Michael’s spree of terror is all linked to the curse of Thorn, which is why he is back again tonight.


How does the Strode family not know the history of the house? Kara’s dad seems to be the only one who knows as his brother was Laurie’s dad who sold him the house, but none of the rest of the family are aware of the history. They all live in the Myers house and are relative of Laurie Strode, yet no neighbor or someone from the Haddonfield community never made reference to those tragic events all these years ago. I find that hard to believe.


The film delves deep into the history of the curse of Thorn and gives more insight into how the Man in Black is involved. We got introduced to this concept in the fifth film, but it was never fully explained. I understand the idea of taking the story in a new direction to keep the franchise going, but I have never been a fan of the Thorn/Man in Black/cult aspect to the history of Michael Myers.


The film brings back some familiar faces and characters. George P. Wilbur who played Michael in the fourth film is back to play him again. He is the only actor to play him twice which is unfortunate as he is also my least favorite actor to play him. This film also marks the last appearance of Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis. He died shortly after principal photography wrapped. Even though the credits state “Introducing Paul Stephen Rudd”, this was his second movie he appeared in. Clueless was released earlier in 1995. He takes over the role of Tommy Doyle who was played Brian Andrews in the original movie. Danielle Harris decided to turn down the chance to appear as Jamie Lloyd again. Apparently, there was a money dispute. 


The film is just a mess overall. It is widely known that there are various versions of the movie floating around. Most notable is a “Producer’s Cut” that is quite different than the theatrical cut and includes an alternate ending. That version is not available commercially, but recently there was a screening of it held in Los Angeles that received a positive response. I would love to see it some day, so I hope it gets a blu-ray release. I originally regarded Halloween III: Season of the Witchas the worst of the the series, but even Paul Rudd can’t save this dreck.

RATING: * (1 out of 5 stars)

My Ranking of the Franchise
1. HALLOWEEN (1978)
2. HALLOWEEN II (1981)
3. HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1989)
4. HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988)
5. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)
6. HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995)

2013-10-27
Previous Post: “Halloween” Retrospective: HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1989)
Next Post: “Halloween” Retrospective: HALLOWEEN H20: 20 YEARS LATER (1998)

Archives

Follow Me on Social Media!

Twin Cities Live 1/27/23 – A Man Called Otto, Shrinking, Shotgun Wedding

https://youtu.be/qFwKN-lCMyw

Paul McGuire Grimes Talent Reel 2022

https://youtu.be/UQwT6zUMtuA

Movie Reviews

80 For Brady- 3.5 Ticket Stub, In theaters
Knock at the Cabin- 4 Ticket Stubs, In Theaters
Shotgun Wedding- 1 Ticket Stub, Prime Video
Living- 4 Ticket Stubs, In Theaters
M3GAN- 3.5 Ticket Stubs, In theaters
A Man Called Otto- 4 Ticket Stubs, In Theaters
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody- 2 Ticket Stubs, In theaters
Babylon- 4 Ticket Stubs, In Theaters
Avatar: The Way of Water- 4 Ticket Stubs, In theaters
The Whale- 2 Ticket Stubs, In Theaters
Women Talking- 4.5 Ticket Stubs, In theaters
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio- 4.5 Ticket Stubs, In Theaters, Netflix
Spoiler Alert - 4.5 Ticket Stubs, Peacock
She Said- 4 Ticket Stubs, Peacock

Streaming TV Reviews

Yellowjackets Season 1 - 4.5 Ticket Stubs, Showtime
Dear Edward - 4 Ticket Stubs, AppleTV+
The Crown Season 5 - 4 Ticket Stubs, Netflix
The Midnight Club - 4 Ticket Stubs, Netflix
Cobra Kai Season V - 4 Ticket Stubs, Netflix
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - 3 Ticket Stubs, Disney+

WEDNESDAY Cast Interviews

https://youtu.be/YPxSQ624eBA

TOP GUN: MAVERICK Cast Interviews | Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Jennifer Connelly on Cruise

https://youtu.be/x_YfGebKuK8

“Beautiful Boy” Q&A with Timothée Chalamet & Nic Sheff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIPQIu04c9Q

Archives

  • Retrospectives
    • THE DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE
      • MY DEFINITIVE RANKING OF BATMAN ON THE BIG SCREEN
    • MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE
      • Marvel Cinematic Universe – Phase Four
      • Marvel Cinematic Universe-Phase Three
      • Marvel Cinematic Universe-Phase Two
      • Marvel Cinematic Universe-Phase One
      • X-MEN
    • Stand By Me (1986)
    • The Bond, James Bond Challenge
    • “HALLOWEEN” RETROSPECTIVE – 40 Years of Terror
    • EVERYBODY IS STILL A SUSPECT: A LOOK BACK AT SCREAM
  • Interviews with the Cast and Crew
  • Home Releases – New on BluRay, DVD, and Streaming
  • The Archives
  • Marvel
  • Home

Designed using Chromatic. Powered by WordPress.