by Donald Lind

Created on: September 02, 2007

"Halloween" Remake Fails to Live Up to the Original"

Heavy metal rocker and horror director Rob Zombie has long professed his love of the 1978 film "Halloween," the John Carpenter-directed chiller that essentially gave birth to the modern slasher film. Last year, Zombie was given an opportunity by the Weinstein Brothers to add his touch to the long legacy of mass murder Michael Myers.

Zombie's only stipulation was that he would do a "Halloween" film only if he could remake the original. Zombie felt Myers' story was complete and any further sequels would do further damage to the killer's frightening reputation which has seen a steady decline over seven sequels. Zombie promised that his vision would offer a fresh new take on Myers and also stay faithful to the source material.

So Zombie presents his version of "Halloween," just one year shy of the 30th anniversary of the original and a year following the tragic death of series producer Moustapha Akkad (his son, Malek, has taken over the family franchise). Does it live up to the standard of terror set by the original? Does it manage the near impossible by becoming a remake that stays true to the characters and stories of the original while being a fine film on its own as well?

No. Not even close.

Fans of the original better not expect the creepy and unsettling atmosphere of the Carpenter original, where evil stalks innocence at every corner. For better or worse, this is a Rob Zombie film. While his colorful writing, off-beat directing style and morbid imagery worked to create a messed up universe in "House of 1,000 Corpses" and "The Devil's Rejects," his style just doesn't work with "Halloween," which tells a more serious, down-to-Earth story of a kid who goes insane and murders without any sense of reason or motive. The story expanded with hints at familial tragedy in later sequels that would require a slightly more subtle touch of direction.

Anyone who has seen Zombie's rock shows, his films or listened to his music can tell you that Zombie is anything but subtle. The story jumps right in with the moody number "God of Thunder" by KISS introducing young 10-year-old Michael (Daeg Faerch) escaping the constant bickering by his family downstairs by mutilating his pet rat. His day only gets worse, and he gets into a violent fight at school and is left alone, angry and sad on Halloween night. Then out of nowhere, he snaps and goes on a bloody rampage on his family.

Young Michael is transferred to Smith's Grove Sanitarium

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