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Halloween 5: Movie Review



I see this movie on a ton of lists of worst horror films, and each time I feel some surprise. I am huge fan of the Halloween Franchise; although, I confess I have not seen “Halloween 3: Season of the Witch” because that film doesn't count. The first Halloween film is a chilling masterwork, which the creative genius, John Carpenter, used to reveal the serial killer, Michael Myers, into a legend for film historians to gorge and one of the best musical themes ever written.

Five movies later, I was still in love with the franchise, but “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers” has some special qualities, which stand out so much to me, and according to the low reviews, I am the exception.

I confess, I was not crazy about the beginning of this one. I thought this film begins with a somewhat unrealistic touch, which is even a little much for this semi-supernatural horror. The film starts rolling slowly, but soon after it evolves into the single strongest quality: The Performance of Danielle Harris as “Jamie Lloyd.”

Whether people hate certain details of this film or not, they have to give some credit to this girl, for she gives an amazing high energy performance for a child actor. She shows so much genuine emotion, and it is so easy to connect and feel for the character. Danielle Harris debuted in this series in “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” and in the fifth film, her character evolves into a depressed, disturbed, traumatized, and fearful piece of innocence constantly on the run from evil and destruction.

Danielle Harris 1989


On the opposite end, this film shows the complexities of Michael Myers in a completely new realm, and it opens a door to the mysterious nuances that make this particular maniac so fascinating.

Such as this scene:

This is a prime example of how people hate this movie. This is #9 from a list of the ten worst moments in horror films, but when I first saw this film, I thought it was pure enigmatic gold.

Lastly, any film with Donald Pleasance becomes just that much better.

QATFYG:
I would love to think what “The Movie Man” would say about this film.
How much you wanna bet, he’d kick my ass?
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Comments

  1. Jeremy KiblerOctober 31, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    Haha here's my little "capsule review"/response:
    "Halloween" has always been the more successful (and personally favorable) slasher series than "Friday the 13th" (it's the shorter of the two and Michael Myers is a more menacing presence than Jason). In "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers," a routine continuation of "The Return of Michael Myers" (or "Halloween 4"), Michael Myers is at it again! Apparently being nursed back to health by a hermit for a year, Myers wakes up on Hallow's Eve and is still out for his mute, psychic niece (new “scream princess” Danielle Harris), killing anyone that gets in his way (more sex-driven teens). Though there are some decent kills for horror buffs, and Donald Pleasence is gladly on board again as Dr. Sam Loomis, "H5" is just a clichéd sequel, and the prey isn't worth a dime to care about. As a bad homage to Wes Craven's "The Last House on the Left," two bumbling deputies are added. There's an underdeveloped “mystery man in black” subplot (explained in the sixth entry) and another unnecessary sequel setup to boot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jeremy KiblerOctober 31, 2011 at 5:50 PM

    Not great, but better than Mikey getting mixed up with The Druids in #6 and picking on somebody his own size (Busta Rhymes) in #8. And not deserving of "Worst Moments in Horror Films."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Britt KempOctober 31, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    BUSTA RHYMES

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ned UsaNovember 2, 2011 at 12:53 AM

    yes #6 is my least favorite of the series, almost killed the series for me.

    Well, I still liked Danielle Harris in 4 + 5. Donald Pleasance was always entertaining for me.

    But in #8 it was just so much fun to scream at the screen. "WAIT BUSTA WAIT"

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 13, 2012 at 9:20 AM

    I agree with your review - my favorite movies in the Halloween series are Halloween 4 and 5.

    Here's how I'd rank them.

    Halloween (1978)
    Halloween 4
    Halloween 5
    Halloween II
    Halloween H20
    Halloween 6
    Halloween Resurrection
    Halloween (Rob Zombie)
    Halloween II (Rob Zombie)

    I listed the first one as the best due to its originality, classic-ness, and quality. But H4 and H5 are in their own category and are two of my favorites in the series.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousOctober 25, 2012 at 1:00 PM

    Parts 4 and 5 were good but I didn't care for the Utah locations and new music. Also, the masks in both films sucked big time, and how on earth could the Myers house go from a typical two story suburban home to a giant Victorian mansion?

    ReplyDelete

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