When a series has been running for forty-four years, with countless fans around the world, you're never going to make everyone happy. David Gordon Green and Blumhouse's “Halloween” trilogy has been divisive all along. 2018's “Halloween” was mostly well received, though I thought it played things a little too safe. “Halloween Kills” was liked by some, hated by others, and struck me as intermittently effective but shapeless in other regards. And now the trilogy comes to an end with “Halloween Ends,” a movie even more hotly debated. Those that love it, think it's one of the best films in the series. Those that hate it, hate it so much they're demanding the movie be reshot. Now the time has come for me, just another horror nerd here on the internet, to weigh in.
Four years have passed since the bloody Halloween night of 2018. Michael Myers has not been seen since but Haddonfield is still abuzz with debate and conspiracy theories around the killer. Laurie Strode, while attempting to write her memoir, decides to move on with her life. Her granddaughter Alison, now working as a nurse, seeks out romance with Corey Cunningham. Corey is a social outcast after accidentally killing a child following a Halloween prank. Persecuted by people in the town, Corey has an unexpected encounter as the end of October draws near: He meets Michael Myers and feels a bond with the aging murderer. Soon, Corey and the Shape are working together on a new murder spree. This causes quite a lot of conflict between Laurie and Alison.
“Halloween Ends” also presents another interesting question. Corey isn't like Michael Myers. He's not a seemingly normal kid who picked up a knife and stabbed his sister one night for no discernible reason. He's a socially awkward nerd brimming with anger and rage at the world that has abused him. There's no rhyme or reason to the Shape's killing, his victims chosen randomly. Corey, meanwhile, is focused specifically on the people who have hurt him. Essentially, “Ends” is dropping a more realistic version of a serial killer into a world where Michael Myers – the killer as avatar of unknowable death – exists. This raises the question of what evil even is. Is it a nebulous, outside force? Or is it something that lives inside us? Was Michael Myers born or made? Could any of us become a remorseless slasher killer given certain circumstances?
Whether or not you find Corey – a hilariously mundane name for a murderer, that similarly makes you realize that "Michael" is too – compelling will vary wildly. He has a clingy mom, who gets weird about his girlfriend. He dances strangely and generally acts like a spaz in public. I can relate to all that. In contrast to the unmovable Myers, his competency at murder varies. Yet he's an interestingly grounded take on the kind of disaffected youth that become murderers in real life, with Rohan Campbell's performance really working for me. This stands alongside further strong performances from Jamie Lee Curtis and Andi Matichak. Both of whom are allowed to breathe and expand upon the personalities they've already shaped, while Curtis gets some impressive stuntwork too. Laurie Strode remains a fighter.
Honestly, the thing that most surprised and impressed me about “Halloween Ends” is the sense of finality it brings to the series. There's no last minute shock to suggest the story might continues. The final set of shots are a brilliant callback to Carpenter's original. The the second word in the title is lingered upon before the credits run. Obviously, the franchise will continue, in one way or another. Yet I have to admire David Gordon Green for going in a more psychological direction with the final film of his trilogy, really attempting to do something different. I'm not surprised some folks hate it, people will debate the merits of this one for years to come, and that's fine. I, for one, found “Halloween Ends” to be an intriguing exploration of the themes Green has been working with since he first went to Haddonfield. I think it's the best of the trilogy and easily one of the best sequels in the entire “Halloween” experience. [8/10]
Gritos en la noche
A few years back, I decided to watch my first Jess Franco movie. When I was first reading about Eurohorror way back in my youth, Franco was a name I heard mentioned often. The director gathered a passionate group of defenders over his long, prolific career. Yet his movies have also been dismissed as the most disposable type of sleazy Eurotrash. I found my previous excursion into Franco country to be somewhat interesting but also extremely trashy. For my second attempt, I figured I'd go all the way back to the beginning. That would be Franco's first movie which is also regarded as some as the first Spanish horror movie period. That would be “The Awful Dr. Orlof.”
In France, at the turn of the century, someone is murdering young woman. Two separate men are spotted in connection with the crimes: A suave man in evening wear and a strange fellow with an ambling gait and unblinking eyes. The perpetrator is Dr. Orlof, a mad scientist who is using the skin and blood of beautiful young woman to heal his scarred daughter's face. The actual murderer is Morpho, a condemned killer that Orlof has hypnotized into being his slave. Inspector Tanner is on the case but, when he's slow to uncover the truth, his girlfriend Wanda decides to take matters into her own hands.
Aside from its black-and-white ambiance, the second most interesting thing about “The Awful Dr. Orlof” is its uncertain relationship with women. The premise of a deformed lunatic and a mad scientist killing beautiful young women for their skin certainly sounds sexist. The movie was notable in 1962 for its few scenes of nudity, which were often cut out depending on what country you were watching it in. Yet “Dr. Orlof” is a little more complicated than that. Wanda identifies the killer very early on, after just getting one good look at Orlof. Her words are ignored by her boyfriend and the police. She goes undercover in the dance hall where Orlof picks his victims. This might just be an excuse to get the lead actress – the beautiful Diana Lorys – in a tight, skimpy outfit. It still makes the film a little more interesting than it otherwise would be, suggesting women weren't believed in the 1900s either.
From what I've read, this kind of set-up – generic horror movie tropes with some stylish direction – is what Jess Franco excelled at. The director was clearly fond of “The Awful Dr. Orlof.” He made several semi-sequels and quasi-remakes featuring some of the same characters and themes. “Orlof” was a sizable enough hit to spawn a couple of knock-offs unrelated to Franco's work as well. The rich black-and-white photography and a few oddball touches – which includes a jazzy score – goes a long way towards distinguishing what is a standard collection of mad scientist/gothic horror clichés. But I'm a sucker for some bitchin' gothic atmosphere, so obviously I loved this. I'm happy to add weird ol' Morpho to my collection of freaky monsters. [7/10]
“Are Afraid of the Dark?” – a show I've never been all that impressed with but retains a devoted cult following – would wrap up its original five season run with “Tale of the Night Shift.” Set in a hospital in the middle of the night, it follows a teenage volunteer nurse named Amanda. While deflecting the advances of pushy guy, Colin, she discovers empty packets of blood. Shortly after that, another teenage worker – a janitor named Felix – mysteriously ends up in the morgue. After which he's alive again and attempting to drink Amanda's blood. The teenagers are soon trying to survive against a shape-shifting vampire who has taken up residence in the hospital.
“Tale of the Night Shift” has a great idea for a horror story. In a hospital, a vampire would have easy access to blood and immobile victims, who everyone expects to die anyway. There's plenty of hiding space for a coffin, in the spacious basements and such. As the son of a night shift nurse, I know how empty hospitals are at night and how draining the job is on the nurses. A vampire would be a good metaphor for that kind of pressure. The best parts of “Tale of the Night Shift” plays on these ideas, focusing on the shadowy isolation of a ward in the middle of the night.
Sadly, the rest of “Tale of the Night Shift” is the typical kids-glove nonsense I expect from this show. The musical score is awful and clownish, drawing far too much attention to every moment. This is apparent in how the camera constantly cuts to the bite marks on people's necks. The acting is mostly goofy, especially from Jorgito Vargas as Felix. As you'd expect from a show for children, most of the bite is taken out of the vampire premise. As soon as the threat is dispelled, everyone returns to normal with no memory of what happened. I also find this show's continued focus on teenage romance really distracting. It's still too cutesy for me but a strong premise and an above-average villain still ranks this as one of the better “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” episodes I've watched. [6/10]
“The Munsters” wrapped up its first season with more of what you expect. “Herman's Raise” has Lily asking her husband to request a pay raise at work. Instead, the owner of the funeral parlor fires Herman, information he tries to keep from his wife. He tries out a number of jobs but he can't stop Lily from uncovering the truth. In the awkwardly entitled “Yes, Galen, There is a Herman,” Herman finds a little boy with his head stuck through a fence on his walk home from work. After he helps the kid out, both are excited to get to know each other better. Neither the other Munsters nor Galen's family believe the stories of their encounter at first, prompting visits from both parties.
The “Munsters” writers must've decided to use up all their remaining “What if Herman did [X]?” jokes at the end of the season. “Herman's Raise” features a typically ridiculous montage of Herman trying out various jobs, each one ending with people fleeing in exaggerated terror. The lengthiest scene is devoted to him working in a Chinese Laundromat. (Which features a not-exactly-sensitive portrayal of an Asian business owner.) That's a scene that just gets getting bigger and sillier, an escalation that admittedly got me to smile. Especially once Herman decides to quit and his later reaction to a ringing phone. Honestly, Grandpa's snide remarks about his son-in-law's intelligence probably got the most consistent chuckles out of me. You could always count on Al Lewis for those. This episode is also notable for John Carradine's first appearance as Herman's boss, which the veteran star puts some deadpan effect into.
After speeding my way through the first season of “The Munsters,” I think I can easily say that this is a comfort show for me. You always know what you're going to get when you watch one of these. The punchlines are predictable and the set-ups often contrived. Yet it's simply cozy for me. The characters, simplistic archetypes they might undeniably be, are just nice to spend time with. Ya know, I'm just saying, I'd love to visit 1313 Mockingbird Lane and hang out with Herman and the gang. I'm sure my reviews where not the most insightful. I find comedy challenging to write about in general and it's not like these half-hours give me much depth to dig into it. Yet I absolutely enjoyed it. I'll definitely be packing season two into next year's Six Weeks.
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