La noche de Halloween

La apertura es efectiva pero demasiado moderna en el contexto del resto, preferiría una conclusión más psicológicamente íntima y oscura. Aun así, fue quizás lo mejor que pudo haber sido. Porque honra absolutamente al original y consigue lo más importante: al utilizar los mismos paseos de cámara y la misma música, me devolvió a las mismas calles, patios, pasillos y habitaciones, el mismo lugar con la misma atmósfera única que una vez definió mi afición por este increíble género cinematográfico. ¡Y eso es todo un placer! (14.10.2018)

The new Halloween may not be as scary as the original from 1978 or as entertaining as H20, but it is still stimulating and self-aware enough to not be an unnecessary sequel. It can be seen as, for example, a morbidly humorous argument with films and (documentary) series that attempt to understand evil (e.g. with the aid of psychology). Laurie Strode knows that sometimes it is better not to ask too much – as done by other characters attempting to encourage Myers (by whom they are as similarly unhealthily fascinated as some horror fans) to express himself (which they mostly accomplish, but not in the way they would have imagined) – but instead to simply pick up a kitchen knife or shotgun. Based on more than just Laurie’s example, Green’s three-generation horror film shows how in the past forty years women have learned to more effectively protect themselves against danger and to cast off their assigned roles (in addition to costume gender swapping at a Halloween party, an inverted variation of a famous scene from the first Halloween appears). Despite that, they still have to face mistrust and the suspicion that they are deranged hysterics, in which the film is very much in step with the times. The film’s direction is above reproach and the music by the father-and-son team John and Cody Carpenter is blood-chilling. When cult films are brought back to life, this is how it should be done. 85% (16.10.2018)

The sequel that the original Halloween deserved. If we assume that making a sequel four decades later is a good idea, I can’t imagine how it could have been done better. On the other hand, I also have no idea what would have to happen for a thoroughbred slasher to truly excite me in 2018. In an era when prime horror films are not only scary and superbly crafted, but also try to go a bit further, the simple slasher movie is inevitably a step lower. Proof that Halloween, and the sub-genre as a whole, is a relic from the past can be seen when the creators, in a surprising twist, attempt to deviate a little and address the unhealthy obsession of the public with horror icons, which in a slasher movie is a bit too much. Though it does make sense conceptually and fits into the logic of the plot, I cringed at the screen because I was watching something that had no business doing in a slasher flick. Other than that, it’s really brilliant. A masked killing machine immune to psychological analysis, American suburbia and scared teenagers. The moment when Alysson sees her friend skewered on the fence and runs hysterically down the street is the closest to the sheer terror of the original film. (20.10.2018)

Mad killer Michael Myers is free and goes after Laurie Strode, who escaped him on his first spree. She's a mental wreck, but she's been preparing for this confrontation for 40 years. Only one can survive, but anyone can die... The new Halloween follows in the footsteps of the original one, refusing to conform to new trends and contemporary styles. It's old-school, unafraid to build tension for long, knows how to get under the skin and refuses cheap violence. Instead of gratuitous brutality, it relies on uncomfortable chills, excellent actors and the most traditional "Halloween" scares in the style of the classic first film. If you want modern horror, look elsewhere. But if you're a fan of Carpenter's film, you couldn't possibly get anything better in the cinema. (17.10.2018)

A predator does not want to die until it kills its prey. But the same goes for the prey. David Gordon Green has carved out and carefully shone a dignified tribute on the unbeatable original, with an amazing soundtrack proving that, like Michael, John's tunes from the 1980s do not age. The atmosphere is dense, the homage is elegant, the camera rides are smooth. The jump scares are not completely inventive, but the atmosphere is sharp ... I see no reason not to get sliced up again. (16.10.2018)

Meta Halloween 1978 meets #MeToo2018, and it's bloody good and surprisingly old-fashioned. If it wasn't for the noticeable loss of pace during the overlong finale, and the reprehensible underutilization of the potential of the "new Laurie" with an equally sounding screamer, it's on par with the first one. (16.10.2018)

David Gordon Green, director of the great comedies Pineapple Express and Your Highness, pays homage to and follows up the classic Halloween from 1978, and I don't think John Carpenter can be offended. While I should point out that the original Halloween is not one of my favourite films and more or less only became a cult thing because it was the first at the time and therefore shocking to people, due to the lack of blood and the few murders it doesn’t stand out with me as a slasher, but I'm exceedingly pleased with the 2018 version. Michael Myers rages more than ever and his work is definitely enjoyable to watch. Quite a few victims fall, blood is not spared and there are some very nice explicit scenes, but again, it's nothing the average viewer won't digest. The nostalgia is nicely buzzed by the original soundtrack and I really liked the new one, they complement each other perfectly. The atmosphere is great, especially the finale in the building is built up so that I couldn't breathe at times and the silence in the hall with the cinema packed was unbelievable. The acting is also very decent, led by Jamie Lee Curtis, who is quite physically fit for her old age and is quite good with guns. The role of the young black man is also great, as he lightens the dark atmosphere with humour for a few minutes. The downside for me was the slower pacing (before Michael escapes from the asylum it's a bit uninspiring), and also the absence of boobs, which were abundant in the original. All in all, I'm satisfied and definitely the best Halloween (sorry Rob Zombie and Carpenter) and of course another golden hit this year next to Hereditary and A Quiet Place. 80% (19.10.2018)

I only saw the first Halloween, and now this sequel. It’s a great sequel. The creators (very surprising to me) have preserved Carpenter's uncompromising vibe without me feeling like they're just copying it, and everything is in its place, everything has (within the genre of course) logic, justification, reason... call it what you want. And Jamie Lee Curtis is admirable. She managed what Linda Hamilton failed to do in the last Terminator, namely to bring back an iconic female character to the game and not simply rely on her being an iconic female character. Having given a full rating to the original film, I don't see a single reason not to give it this time as well. (23.11.2020)

A typically painful sequel or the expected flush down the toilet. The new Halloween may be good in terms of craftsmanship, but by the most part is a characterless homage to the original that coldly copies Carpenter’s style, and every attempt at a signature of its own and to subjectivise the titular evil in potentially climactic scenes is paradoxically buried by Michael Myers’s legendary ghostly aura. The intro is a modern spasm that has nothing to do with the darkness of the first one, there’s one key twist that suddenly develops dementia and there are moments when it feels like a Wes Craven flick (the wisecracking black kid). At least the rest is an above-average, lively and at times inventive slasher, the kind we get in cinemas every now and again, but as a direct sequel to a horror legend, unfortunately, it’s not worth much. 55% (18.10.2018)

A Michael Myers no le gusta que le obliguen a conversar. La nueva Halloween es una secuela convencional (no podía ser de otra manera), pero bien realizada, que hace honor al original por encima de todo: reproduce fielmente la ambientación y las escenas seleccionadas de la película original, aunque cambiando y ampliando lúdicamente algunas de ellas. Además, trabaja muy bien con la nostalgia (cuando Michael se puso su icónica máscara, todo el cine abarrotado estalló de euforia). La película podría dividirse en dos partes imaginarias: en la primera hay una matanza en la ciudad de Haddonfield, en la que Michael despacha a toda una serie de personajes más o menos planos a los que el espectador no conecta emocionalmente. Esta parte atraerá sobre todo a los aficionados al slasher puro y a todo tipo de estrangulamientos, puñaladas y chasquidos de cuello. Hacia la mitad, hay un giro muy cuestionable en la conducta de uno de los personajes, que solo sirve de muleta para hacer avanzar la trama. Luego, en la segunda mitad, vamos al escenario de una casa, donde comienza la persecución de los personajes principales, que sí le importan al espectador. Ahí es cuando llega la tensión terrorífica realmente intensa y los momentos más fuertes de la película. Sin duda, David Gordon Green no se avergüenza de su contribución a la franquicia de terror. Y es interesante rastrear que un Halloween de calidad solo se da una vez cada veinte años (1978, 1998, 2018). [Sitges 2018] (13.10.2018)

Dlouho jsem neviděl žádný horor, takže na sobotní deštivou noc ideální žánrová volba. Upřímně si nepamatuji kolik a které díly z celé série jsem viděl a neviděl. Nepamatoval jsem si už ani vztah mezi Myersem a Laurie. Ono to ale zase není až tak podstatné, základní schéma je totožné, vypnete si mozek a sledujete řádění masového vraha, kterého se všichni snaží dostat, živého či mrtvého. (27.03.2021)

The makers of the American film Halloween managed to take the essence of the original film and bring it into the present day in such a way that it still works. However, one simply can't get rid of the feeling that this isn't something to truly get excited for. Yes, it's similar to the original Halloween, but the atmosphere isn't that great and it certainly didn't make me want to scream in terror. But it's definitely very close to the original. (07.08.2019)