Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		2.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Blu-ray Movie Review

Curses.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 6, 2012

You can't control evil.

Hollywood studios must love Horror movies and Horror movie icons. Think about it: Horror films usually cost less to make than the average Action film. Legions of fans all but guarantee a return on investment. The killers generally cannot be themselves killed off; they're supernatural, they call Hell home, they've been cursed, or whatever the case may be, it's easy enough to shoot them, burn them, drown them, bury them, decapitate them. And when it's time for the next movie, hey, just bring them back! The movies operate, generally, completely outside the realm of reality, so there's no legitimate constraints to keep the killer from coming back for more blood, unless the character has just worn so thin that audiences simply no longer care. But when speaking of a Michael Myers, perhaps the ultimate Horror franchise icon, fans can't seem to get enough, so the movies keep coming, as regularly and as ruthlessly as Michael himself. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, the sixth film in the Halloween franchise, sees the return of not only Michael but a few characters from the previous films. It goes further into lore than ever before and creates a halfway decent story to accompany the killings. Unfortunately, it's all pretty routine from there.

Prophetic.

A child is born in the midst of a demonic ritual. The mother is Jamie (J.C. Brandy), and her and her baby's lives are in grave danger. Only with the help of a kindly, sympathetic nurse does she escape her hell on Earth. The nurse is killed by none other than Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur), who pursues Jamie and the baby back to Haddonfield, Illinois. It's Halloween time in Haddonfield, and rather than live on edge, the town has embraced its history. Michael is the subject of talk radio. He has his fans and his enemies, and his presence hangs over the town, for better or for worse. One local obsessed with Michael is Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd), a survivor of the Laurie Strode incident from 1978. Tommy locates Jamie after hearing her on the call-in radio show, begging for help but dismissed by the host as a crank. Though she's already died at the hands of Michael, Tommy locates her baby and runs into none other than Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) who once again finds himself at the center of the Myers killings. Now, Tommy must protect the child and the family living in the old Myers home from certain death at the hands of a masked madman who cannot be stopped, particularly on Halloween.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers angles to offer its audience more than slashing and stabbing and screaming, attempting to delve into franchise backstory and weave together a whole different premise that reaffirms the series' supernatural roots, but from a different perspective. The film dabbles in the occult and does a nice job of tying together the series' previous installments and making greater sense of the mayhem. Yet the picture never quite comes together beyond its efforts to give further shape to the story of The Shape. Most damaging, the film simply lacks scares. The action is terribly routine even in light of a surprisingly strong atmosphere and solid direction at the capable hands of Joe Chappelle (Phantoms). The picture plays with a predictable cadence, with the only surprises coming from the backstory, not the stalking and hacking and slashing and whatever else it is Michael does to his victims. Yet the script is largely poor and the narrative sometimes awkward. The film teeters back and forth between playing as straight Horror and a Psychological Drama/Thriller. The characters are flat and the pacing is questionable. This isn't a bad film, but it doesn't do all that much well beyond establish lore.

Yet there's comfort in familiarity. Though it may be nowhere near as memorable, intense, or well-made as the classic original, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers sees the franchise at its most typical. The film's adherence to general style will satisfy audiences who are looking for something different yet more of the same, which pretty much represents he sequel mantra for any series and within any genre. The picture's attention to detail as it pertains to backstory is admirable, but ultimately it comes down to how well the film portrays Michael stalking and killing victims that's the determining factor in the film's success. In that regard, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers does its thing no better and no worse than most of the sequels save for the few that are the most atrociously awful. Big knives, ruthless and creative killings, and the mere presence of Michael Myers all make the movie worth seeing, at least by those audiences that cannot get enough Michael or basic Horror in their lives. Newcomers will be better served to watch the 1978 film first and decide where to go from there; it works well enough on its own, with subsequent sequels -- even the second -- aimed more at the enthusiast than the casual filmgoer.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers's high definition transfer isn't the most impressive on the marketplace, but it's a serviceable image for a bargain Blu-ray of a rather uninspiring film. The print is fairly clean, with only a few pops and a modest grain structure. The image reveals sharp, crisp details that prove most impressive in brighter scenes. Facial textures are suitably complex, appearing well defined and film-accurate. Colors vary greatly; the darker scenes don't allow for much beyond shadowy blacks and blues, but bright outdoor shots yield nice and balanced hues on fall leaves, green grasses, clothes, and Halloween decorations. Blacks aren't too prone to crush, and flesh tones are suitably balanced. The image does occasionally see frozen grain, heavy blocking, and light banding, all three notably present in the scene featuring Tommy rescuing the baby from the bathroom. Still, this is a decent transfer, but no doubt fans will want better.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers features a poor DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack. This presentation yields almost no sense of natural space. The opening shots feature screams that lightly reverberate, but the atmosphere plays as if lifeless and hollow, never capturing with any realism the figurative journey towards a hellish occult location. Music lacks energy, though it features fair spacing and decent clarity. There's no rhythm or urgency to the track in any regard. Falling rain and rolling thunder sound puny. Dialogue sometimes sounds shallow, but is generally precise and crisp. The main culprit here is a disturbing and disheartening lack of effort. No element plays with any immediacy, verve, or natural rhythm. It's very much a bargain-basement presentation, and the end result is one of the lesser lossless soundtracks out there.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers contains no bonus material.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, or Halloween 6, introduces backstory and admirably attempts to move beyond the typical slice-and-dice Horror cadence. The picture is satisfyingly atmospheric but at the same time rather generic. The plot isn't robust despite efforts to the contrary, but it suffices for the sixth film in a Horror franchise. The movie shows Michael doing what he does best, which no matter how much plot or backstory or mood or quality direction a film of this sort may or may not enjoy, it all boils down to how well Michael goes about his business. In Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, business is good, but not booming. In short, this is a worthy, satisfying sequel that's no great shakes but that suits the franchise well enough. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers features mediocre video, poor audio, and no supplements. Fans should rent or hang onto their DVDs and hope for a better release somewhere on down the line.