Plot
It has been 10 years since Michael Myres murderous rampage through Haddonfield, Illinois. The towns folk are still reeling, and mourning their loss.
Michael, survived the explosion that horrifically scarred Dr Sam Loomis, who also miraculously survived too. But Michael has just escaped another mental hospital. When Loomis discovers that Michael’s niece lives in Haddonfield, he rushes there as he thinks Michael is going after his one remaining family member… and he is right!!!
Direction
Directed by Dwight H Little, it has some solid action sequence and explosions much like the first two films.
Cast/Breakdown
Firstly, without stating the obvious, I have indeed skipped Halloween 3. I will get to it eventually – but right now I’m focused on the Michael Myres films.
The film reveals very early that both Michael (played by stuntmen Tom Morga and George Wilbur) and Dr Loomis (Donald Pleasence) survived the explosion at the end of Halloween 2. It has been 10 years, and Michael is in the process of being to another hospital, having been in a coma since the explosion. On his transfer via ambulance, he attacks the paramedics and escapes.
This brings Loomis to investigate, and he immediately deduces that Michael is going to go after his one remaining family member, the daughter of the now deceased Laurie Strode. Laurie is killed offscreen prior to the events in this film (and knowing full well that Jamie Lee Curtis is returning in future films, I’m looking forward to how they retcon this). Laurie’s daughter is named after Ms Curtis… Jamie, who becomes the new “Scream Queen” of the franchise. She is played by Danielle Harris, who I mentioned in my earlier review Urban Legend.
I really liked the set up here, especially the chatter between the hospital orderlies and the paramedics taking (you never get used to the faces… never, and Jesus ain’t got nothing to do with this place) it really sets up the horror that is about to unfold.
Jamie, who is an orphan – lives with a foster family – who genuinely love and care for her. She is having nightmares of Michael coming to get her (dun dun, now he is). Her entire family unit are supportive, and ‘big sis’ Rachel (Ellie Cornell) is wiling to put her own love life on the back burner for little sis.
Because of what she has been through, the towns kids are quite cruel to her (even making fun of her mum being dead? I don’t normally wish the psycho killer to kill kids, but wouldn’t have been sorry to see them go!)
This adds a slightly unnecessary – but added to pad the runtime – narrative arc where she has a conflict with her boyfriend Brady (Sasha Jenson) and best friend Kelly (Kathleen Kinmont).
Meanwhile, Loomis has tracked down the new Sheriff – Ben Meeker (Beau Starr – who sadly recently passed), who happens to be Kelly’s dad. When Michael kills the entire Haddonfiled police dept, the towns people decide to form a lynch mob to take him out. I really liked this portion of the film as it showed that the townsfolk ‘still remember’ and that this time they are on the side of Loomis. Michael’s early killings almost seem like he is taunting Loomis, and this feels more psychological than previous entries.
Loomis is off screen for a portion of the third act when Michael has his ‘final attack’ on the house, followed by the shoot out in the cemetery that seemingly puts an end to his reign of terror… but then his evil is transferred – an an absolutely brilliant and shocking set up to the fifth film….
John Carpenter and Debra Hall produced, and his score is prominent throughout.
Overall
Solid “third” entry in the Michael Myres franchise, with good supporting characters (Rachel, Sheriff Meeker), good new scream queen (Jamie), and a supernatural villain that just won’t quit.
Quite possibly one of the best “to be continued” films I can remember. Can’t wait for #5!!!
4/5
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