Halloween II

I caught a matinee of "Halloween II" yesterday.

I have to begin by saying I would call myself a fan of Rob Zombie, the film director.

I really enjoyed "House of 1,000 Corpses". Hell, I saw it four times in theaters. Granted, that last screening was at a run-down dollar theater, but that dingy aesthetic just helped me enjoy the film more.

I think "The Devil's Rejects" is his best film, and I revisit it often on dvd.

When I heard Zombie was going to remake "Halloween", one of my favorite films, it gave me pause. But I decided to roll with it and see what he came up with.

To my surprise, I found myself enjoying his take on Michael Myers quite a bit. The film was scattershot, and the final act feels wedged-in and rushed, but I liked the slow burn quality to the early days of young Michael Myers, and was shocked that Sheri Moon Zombie actually seemed to turn in a real performance.

So I was obviously willing to give the man another shot when the sequel came rolling by.

Then I saw it.

What a fucking train wreck.

The movie has so many problems, I don't even know how to talk about it. My biggest problem was Sherrif Brackett. Brad Dourif is the MVP of this film. His performance never felt forced, or half-assed. But I like Dourif in just about anything, so that doesn't surprise me.

But Zombie really dropped the ball with his character in the final act. Brackett needed to go Ahab on "Hellbilly Michael Myers" in a serious way at the climax. But no. His arc just kinda fizzles out at the end of this confusing mess. A little like everything else.

And that fucking white horse...

Honestly, despite its flaws, I can't hate this movie. I was oddly entertained by it, for the most part. And although the ending leaves A LOT to be desired, it's a Rob Zombie film, through and through. Whether or not that's a good thing is not for me to decide.

I'm a Rob Zombie fan, and I can't be objective.

I also could not recommend this film to anyone.

Except maybe my friend Titus. But he's also a Rob Zombie fan.