'H2', Rob Zombie's sequel to 'Halloween'

[Marx]

And Final Destination was horrible, too.

I had my suspicions when they named it basically the same thing as the first one. I still haven't seen it.

 

[Marx]

I can't remember what the original projections for RZHII were? Does anyone remember?

 

[StylishHokie21]

I had my suspicions when they named it basically the same thing as the first one. I still haven't seen it.

If you've seen one of them, you've seen them all really.

 

[mastermindjcg]

I think, there's no denying the facts, anymore. Rob Zombie has lost ALL of his artistic cred with doing Halloween II, or as I like to refer to it, Halloween 2-A cause' that seems a more appropriate title. I mean, sure, the original 1981 version was a let-down of a follow-up to a classic, but still...

-so sayeth the mastermind-

 

[bullets]

I think, there's no denying the facts, anymore. Rob Zombie has lost ALL of his artistic cred with doing Halloween II, or as I like to refer to it, Halloween 2-A cause' that seems a more appropriate title. I mean, sure, the original 1981 version was a let-down of a follow-up to a classic, but still...

-so sayeth the mastermind-

No, he hasn't .

-so sayeth the bullets-

 

[CelticPredator]

Yeah it sounds like he rather hates slasher movies in general. If I read it write he loves psychological horror and Clockwork Orange-styled classic cinema. But he was putting down gore. He sounds as though he doesn't care for the Zombie movies, but he did call Zombie a good director, which I suppose is some praise. But very interesting. The man who hates slasher movies did two.

Theres two ways to judge a director...their vision, and how they work with their actors. Zombie's characters are pretty decently acted...its just his characters that suck.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

its just his characters that suck.

That's debatable. ALso, do you mean in all of his films?

 

[The Dark Defender]

Theres two ways to judge a director...their vision, and how they work with their actors. Zombie's characters are pretty decently acted...its just his characters that suck.

Indeed, I think Zombie's writing in the Halloween films makes actors look worse than they are, he essentially made Looming a walking parody to the point where there was really nothing McDowell could do to redeem it, he gave Dourif nothing to do at all in the first film, he's just...there (he was good in the sequel though), Scout has some acting chops but she's given little to do in the new film other than act drunk and cry...Moon acts so monotone in the new film that it looks like she just walked off the set of Plan 9 from Outer Space, I actually felt kinda bad for the kid that replaced Daeg because as a friend of mine pointed out, I couldn't tell if he sucked or if Rob was just directing him to act as comically montone as Sheri Moon.

"Because Michael Myers can only be one way? Reinterpretation is fine."

Good reinterpretation, sure; however I don't feel what Zombie did with Halloween or Michael as a character remotely resembles that. I've actually said that I felt that the realistic serial killer approach to an iconic slasher could've worked, but Zombie botched it to the point of absurdity for reasons I've discussed in detail here and in other threads.
If he wanted to reinterpret Halloween to the point where it barely felt like Halloween at all anymore, which as far as I'm concerned is exactly what he did, he should've just made his own film all together rather than "reimagining" Halloween as some trashed up, raunchy, over the top springer-esque slasher flick where Rob lifts elements from Jason, who he's said he hates, and the Halloween sequels, which he said he hates.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Wonder what other angle they could of went with for Michael. I mean for another vision, the idea is cool to explore Michael's past, though I prefer Carptentor's unexplainable Micahel alot more, this is cool, I just percieve it as another vision, albeit Zombie's isn't executed that well. Just that damn opening scene really turned me off from the film.

 

[The Dark Defender]

I think exploring his childhood would've been ok if it were done in a more palpable, relateable way. The problem with how Rob did it is it's as I've said, a very Jerry Springer-esque presentation of a child growing up in a broken home.

My parents were divorced when I was very young, I had a very, very horrible relationship with my stepmother as a child, and she was frequently physically and/or emotionally abusive toward me; but that doesn't mean that it was laughably over the top as that scene at the breakfast table in RZH.

Depicting a childhood that's palpable and relateable and following this child growing into a monster could've been very frightening, as is, Rob depicted the childhood as so warped and ****ed up that practically anybody that knew the kid could've seen his extreme psychosis coming a mile away, which is far less scary, and the way Rob wrote it, even unintentionally funny.
Whenever I think about "***** I WILL DIVE ACROSS THIS TABLE AND SKULL **** THE **** OUT OF YOU!!!! " I don't know whether to laugh or just shake my head.

 

[bullets]

Well there is still an original series to fall back on . You could view these new films as a different interpretation and either take it or leave it.
I do prefer Michael Myers to be more mysterious though . I might go back and rewatch some of the earlier films.

 

[Marx]

Indeed, I think Zombie's writing in the Halloween films makes actors look worse than they are, he essentially made Looming a walking parody to the point where there was really nothing McDowell could do to redeem it, he gave Dourif nothing to do at all in the first film, he's just...there (he was good in the sequel though), Scout has some acting chops but she's given little to do in the new film other than act drunk and cry...Moon acts so monotone in the new film that it looks like she just walked off the set of Plan 9 from Outer Space, I actually felt kinda bad for the kid that replaced Daeg because as a friend of mine pointed out, I couldn't tell if he sucked or if Rob was just directing him to act as comically montone as Sheri Moon.

"Because Michael Myers can only be one way? Reinterpretation is fine."

Good reinterpretation, sure; however I don't feel what Zombie did with Halloween or Michael as a character remotely resembles that. I've actually said that I felt that the realistic serial killer approach to an iconic slasher could've worked, but Zombie botched it to the point of absurdity for reasons I've discussed in detail here and in other threads.

If he wanted to reinterpret Halloween to the point where it barely felt like Halloween at all anymore, which as far as I'm concerned is exactly what he did, he should've just made his own film all together rather than "reimagining" Halloween as some trashed up, raunchy, over the top springer-esque slasher flick where Rob lifts elements from Jason, who he's said he hates, and the Halloween sequels, which he said he hates.

Well said, DD.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Just that damn opening scene really turned me off from the film.

You mean the "bad family" scene? Tbh, I thought scene worked pretty good. I mean, it is Rob's vision.

 

[Doctor Jones]

It is his vision yes, I respect that aspect, just not handled very well.

Dark Defender explained it perfectly. That was like a big Jerry Springer routine. That was the first thing that came to my head. I even read the complaints since the film came out, forgot aobut that and Jerry Springer popped into my head.

I'm more interested in a seemingly normal boy in a normal family just snapping and killing for no reason. That;s more interesting because it's simple.

Now I prefer that, but I get this is Zombie's vision, a different one, just again, not exectuted very well. I think if he did it better, we wouldn't be having this conversation. He just thinks that a disfunctional familty involves white trash people who splur out curse words constantly. Can't he do something else with it? And little michael practically whispering "**** you." all the time was laughable.

 

[Marx]

I think a 'seemingly normal boy who grows up in a normal family and snaps for no reason' is much more terrifying than the typical 'broken home' scenario.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I thought it was an ok film and sequel, saw the ending coming from a mile away though. And I do wish that they had Annie survive since I totally ended up liking her a lot more than Laurie (though I understand why it was hard to get a grasp on liking her due to everything she was going through).

 

[StylishHokie21]

I think a 'seemingly normal boy who grows up in a normal family and snaps for no reason' is much more terrifying than the typical 'broken home' scenario.

Agreed. That's what made the original so frightening.

 

[bullets]

I thought it was an ok film and sequel, saw the ending coming from a mile away though. And I do wish that they had Annie survive since I totally ended up liking her a lot more than Laurie (though I understand why it was hard to get a grasp on liking her due to everything she was going through).

I know that wouldn't of been conventional but it's something i would be open to.

 

[DACrowe]

I prefer the normal boy who just naturally is pure evil myself. And if we go psychological like Rob did, I would have gone for a more normal background to illustrate the problems are mostly interior. But Rob wanted a white trash background, though it still boiled down to something being incredibly wrong in Michael's brain (and apparently genetics). I actually like his first film, because it isn't how I would have done it I thought it was a passable and refreshing presentation of the story (I would give it 2.5 out of 4 stars...just okay). The sequel was a mess with some good acting from Dourif, Harris and to a lesser extent Scout who was decent and I enjoyed her arc. Otherwise it was a mess of a film that had high ambitions, but was all over the place and rushed through the slasher beats in a very arbitrary, boring and repulsive way (strip club scene, eating dog, killing "Frank" girl in van, etc.).

But I would say Scout had a lot to do in H2. It is probably the most developed I've seen a lead protagonist from a slasher since Sydney in Scream. Albeit, Laurie was quite strong in H20, but that was kind of a retread so I don't count that. I thought Laurie's journey into insanity was one of the few good things about the H2 movie.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

I think a 'seemingly normal boy who grows up in a normal family and snaps for no reason' is much more terrifying than the typical 'broken home' scenario.

Oh, I agree completely. I'm just saying that for Rob's reimagining, it wasn't bad.

 

[Sawyer]

I think a 'seemingly normal boy who grows up in a normal family and snaps for no reason' is much more terrifying than the typical 'broken home' scenario.

QFT. I've been thinking the same thing since I first saw RZH. Overall, I moderately enjoyed Rob's first Halloween, but it just wasnt as effective as the original.

 

[The Apatow Crew]

I can't remember what the original projections for RZHII were? Does anyone remember?

Do you mean opening weekend or overall? Cause Opening week they were saying 20 million and it was close to that opening weekend.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Anyone seen this yet?

http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/09/rumor_director_found_for_hallo.html

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

QFT. I've been thinking the same thing since I first saw RZH. Overall, I moderately enjoyed Rob's first Halloween, but it just wasnt as effective as the original.

Agreed. I can practically TASTE the Halloween season when i watch the original, lol...

 

[ABleedingCorpse]

I watched RZH1 last night. I have my issues with it, but over all, I liked his first film. It's really that first half with Michael/Loomis that I like. Certian thinks about the remake parts I like, such as Michael following Laurie to her house, Michael standing behind Lindsay when she's watching tv, Lynda's nudity..

I just wish we could have gotten a remake that dealt more with Michael at Smith Groves. Something that shows us he's planning something, seeing something, waiting for his oppurtunity to strike..but all we got was him just sitting there, playing with mask then 15 YEARS LATER...blah. I would have liked to see Loomis or the janitor unknowingly give Michael some sort of information about Laurie in order for him to find her. All Michael had was that photo of him and her together. Which struck me odd that all Michael had to do was smell the mail Laurie dropped in the mailbox to figure out it was here...I mean, come on. Having the janitor try and be friends with Michael was a good angle, but it was wasted.

It would have been nice to see in H2 Michael actrually stalking Laurie. Having just watching her from afar, waiting for Halloween. Michael STALKS, he doesn't just show up all of a sudden and attack. At least he attempted to stalk in H1, but in H2 it's just like "BAM, I'M HERE, DIE". LOL