In Halloween (Green, 2018), it is forty years after the 1978 babysitter murders that destroyed the peace of Haddonfield, Illinois, and shattered Laurie Strode’s life. In this “recalibration” of the original, Laurie is now a grandmother and a self-described basket case. She is also a mother who raised her only daughter, Karen, to see the world as a terrible place with evil people in it. Laurie taught her to stalk and kill and to always be prepared, should the moment arrive. Now, the moment has arrived. It is Halloween night once again, and it is time for Laurie to meet her destiny. This time though, when faced with the The Shape, she is not alone. The Strode women are ready to form the greatest final group ever.
Even with all the previous sequels thrown out the window, this latest Halloween, and first of a planned trilogy, feels like the next logical entry in the saga of Strode and Myers. That is because Jamie Lee Curtis imbues Laurie with the long-lasting effects of trauma. The filmmakers made a testament to the generational nature of this trauma, how it affects every member of a family, and they explore the true horror of the randomness and cruelty of life. So this film seems so much more brutal, personal, and up close than anything that has come before. There is no covering your eyes, and there is no escape from the darkness. Laurie has to face it head on.
I didn’t realize that coming back to Laurie would hurt so much and yet feel so triumphant.
What you’ll find in this episode: what the filmmakers owed to the legacy of the original, how we feel about certain kills, and fan service.
– Ericca
Links and Recommendations:
Check out Halloween on IMDB.
Ericca’s further viewing pick of Sophie’s Choice.
Cole’s further viewing pick of The Crazies.
Christopher Nelson discusses the mask overhaul.
Danny McBride talks details of the Halloween Kills sequel.
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