Michael Myers: The Lost Years

Rob Zombie has created a pretty good remake to the classic "Halloween" probably better than anyone would have expected. I give Zombie props for trying to make psycho killer Michael Myers into a sympathetic character. A backstory is provided but doesn't really explain why Michael is the way he is, it's only there to show he's been like this from the very beginning. In the original we only see the aftermath of his bloody massacre of his family, but here we now see the famous slaying in all its bloody glory. Michael is then sent to a mental ward where he's treated by Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell). We see some of Loomis' sessions but I felt probably the same frustration he did, what makes Michael tick? When Michael grows up we see his escape from the mental ward and then it catches up with the original and we're back to where he's trying to track down his lone surviving sister.

What Zombie is doing is filling in the gaps the original film only alluded to and I don't think he had to do that. Michael Myers isn't really a complex character who needs much of a back story, he's a monster in a mask, a real life boogy man, you didn't need to know much more than that to make him scary.

That being said I must say this film does deliver a few doses of scare inducing scenes, I did jump out of my seat a few times, and the ending is quite effective. Credit should also be given to Zombie by not showing too much. Yes there is a lot of blood but a lot of it is left to our imaginations, I was surprised by the restraint of the film. I enjoyed the film, but I don't think it was necessary to be made, but I'm sure it will appeal to fans and I'm sure with the success it will spawn sort of a next generation of crappy sequals. Luckily Zombie is the kind of director with enough respect for the original John Carpenter film and the horror genre alone to make an entertaining remake.