2018 is full of some great movies, but there is a lot that I have been worried about. Sicario 2 does not look like it will have the same tone as the first movie. The first was so phenomenal for its slow tension, and the climax had an incredible payoff. This new entry looks to have too much action, but with Stefano Sollima who has worked on the first film and last years Wind River, I have some hope. Predator and Venom look generic and nothing special. I want these movies to be great, but they all look flawed. Now there is the new trailer for Halloween. I have never seen any of the movies, but with the return of John Carpenter who is going to write and produce the film along with Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle to star as the film’s protagonist and antagonist, my interest was sparked.
What the problem was waiting for a trailer to come up with the new sequel to the original Halloween. Not a single movie is canon except for the 1978 classic. Now that we have our first look at the trailer let’s dive into what we have seen and determine if this looks good.
We start off by seeing two investigators going to the prison in which Michael is being held at. They summarize the events of the first film, perfect for any newcomers like me. The man and woman walk into a wide open courtyard with several inmates with Michael at the center. As the man talks to Michael, who is facing away from the investigators, he brings up Michael’s infamous mask. The mask has a brand new look that looks older and more worn out. The look is perfect because this takes place so long after the events of the original film. When the mask is taken out a dog starts barking like crazy. A few inmates are laughing and screaming as the mask is shown up close when it is taken out of the bag. Everything about this scene is tense and well shot. This scene alone is one of the biggest highlights of the trailer, which is full of wonderfully creepy moments.
We see a few teenagers walking down the sidewalk of a neighborhood. The camera cuts to various Halloween decorations and to give us a better look at the community. One of which is a girl who is Laurie’s granddaughter. She explains to her friends that Laurie was almost murdered which is why she acts a certain way during this holiday season. We also hear that Laurie and Michael are not related. That plot point was started by later films in the franchise but is thrown out. As the teens talk we see Laurie open up a secret door down to her basement. That means Laurie has made adjustments to her home in case Michael ever comes back.
Laurie comes in to walk over to some shot up mannequins, which look terrifying. She tells a police officer how much she has been waiting for Michael to break out just so she can finally kill him. After that line we see her shooting a rifle for some target practice. Laurie is not messing around at all.
A boy and his father are driving down a road in which they see a bus flipped on its side and inmates are slowing walking out. They brake hard to avoid running over an inmate. The lighting and the way we see the inmates slowly shuffling towards the car is a haunting image. Laurie gets the news and tells her family about the bus crashing. Her daughter is confused about what the deal is about the bus crash. Michael is out loose and is ready to kill.
The most notable and terrifying moment is the next scene. A woman is in a stall at a bathroom in which Michael walks in. He puts his over the stall and drops bloody teeth. After this horrific move, he then drags her out to her doom. Another kill is shown when a man finds the dead body of a mechanic. Yes, that is how Michael gets his iconic suit by killing a man for the change of clothes. We then get a shot of Michael taking his mask out of a bag to put on. Every shot of him never shows his face. When we see a great image of him with his mask on, his eyes are entirely black. The darkness for eyes and the worn face makes for the grimmest looking Michael to date.
It is Halloween night. Children are walking around with their parents to trick or treat. They are not alone, we see Michael walking amongst the children. Some trick or treaters accidentally bump into the masked murderer. Shots are shown of Michael taking people down one by one. Laurie has her weapon and is trying to save as many people as she can. As she is running through the neighborhood, she looks up at a window to see Michael standing there. She takes a shot but turns out he is on the other side of the room. She just shot a reflection of Michael from a mirror. That is a great wink to the audience since there has always been a question of whether or not Michael can die. The mystery of this film is still up in the air, and this scene stirs up that question.
More scenes are shown of people being terrorized by Michael. A reference shot is shown of a sheet with two holes poked out for eyes is sitting on a chair. The ghost is an iconic scene from the original. As someone who has not seen the original, I am not able to pick out every reference, but we can expect plenty of nods to the classic film.
The last scene to discuss that is worth noting is the final one shown in the trailer. A young child asks the babysitter to close the door. She closes it, but the door won’t close. After a few attempts, she widens the door open to see what is blocking it from closing. Then Michael appears with a knife and strikes down at her.
I am quite impressed. As a newcomer to the franchise, this looks fantastic. I was worried going in, but this could be the worthy sequel that fans have been wanting. I will absolutely watch the original to prepare myself for this creepy sequel. The film looks beautifully shot. A lot of effort is shown to pay respect to fans and give them the film that they all want. Michael is back after 40 years, and he will be killing a lot of people. What do you think of the trailer? Are you excited for the new Halloween? If you have not seen the trailer, you can view it below:
Header image via Blumhouse Productions
Tristan Zelden 