by Bryan Coates

Created on: September 18, 2009

First and foremost, it is important to understand that Rob Zombie's version of Halloween is not a remake. It is his own vision of the telling of the story of Michael Myers: like many writers who will take a Shakespeare play and retell it from the point of view of a different character. When John Carpenter released Halloween in 1978, it was a low budget, very dark film. It had no grand special effects, no real plot, no answers to the many questions that the film raised. What made Michael Myers a killer? Why is it only on Halloween night that he returns? In the days of the original Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th it was completely acceptable to make movies with no answers. You cannot enjoy a horror movie if you go into it questioning the plot or the reality of the situation. Horror movies are horrifying because there are things that cannot be explained.

Rob Zombie created a vision of Michael Myers different from the vision of John Carpenter. He decided to add more depth to the characters, more explanation as to why the events of Halloween night take place. In this instance, Rob Zombie has created a new film, not a remake. It is also clear that, even though he felt pressure from the studio to create a sequel (H2), Zombie intended the entirety of the story to take place during his first Halloween. It is a story he thought he could tell in the span of two hours; and any of the relevant questions would be answered during that time. There was never any mention of the strange happenings of the original series' sequels, such as the cult which wants Michael's kin in Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers.

There are some films which deserve a better budget, better actors and a grand presentation. Films such as King Kong. The original King Kong was released in 1933 and gained quite an audience. When Peter Jackson released his version of King Kong in 2005, it was spectacular to see on the big screen. With spectacular special effects and much better acting talent than the original, it is clear that the telling of the story of King Kong deserves a higher quality of film production. That is not to say that all older, lesser quality movies need the same treatment. The way John Carpenter filmed Halloween was so perfect that it makes it very difficult to say that the background information and the extra special effects Rob Zombie included were necessary. Not necessary for a remake, that is. But for Rob Zombie to tell his vision of the story of Michael

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