Here is my ranking for the Halloween series. Like I said before, I am not the biggest fan of this franchise. Most recently, the filmmakers are doing yet another iteration of Halloween. This time as a "cinematic universe" and a television series. Oh my god, can you let this franchise die! There more bad than good sequels and there's a only a few that I can call "decent." However, I'll save my thoughts on the ranking. Anywho, let's move on with the list:
13. Halloween: Resurrection - This is the bottom of the barrel, people. One of the worst horror sequels of all time and what's ironic about it is that this has no reason to exist. The ending of H20 had a finality to it and the whole point of the film was about the exploration of Laurie's trauma and her overcoming that. I think it's one of the best endings of the series: Laurie chopping off Michael's head and, with the ax in her hand, walks triumphantly to the path ahead. Just beautiful. This was the true ending of the Halloween series. But they completely undo this in the first 12 minutes, using tired exposition and plot contrivances. They unceremoniously kill off Laurie in favor of some bland, forgettable, and very unlikable characters. It's also incredibly dated with its use of a reality show/webcam gimmick akin to The Blair Witch Project. This is nothing more than a cash-grab sequel, milking out Michael for all what he's worth.
12. Halloween Kills - You already know how I feel about this one. This is like hilariously bad, truly the low point of the series. That "Evil Dies Tonight" mantra has been stuck in my head since watching this film and not in a good way. Not to mention, the characters in this movie were incredibly stupid on stupendous levels. Laurie is barely in the movie, Karen and Allyson are out of focus, and most of it is just Michael killing random people with some unnecessary (albeit stylishly well-done) flashbacks. It left me feeling hollow and empty, which made me realize that I'm not really a fan of this series. It's basically a filler movie with no purpose at all.
10. Halloween 2 (Rob Zombie Version) - This movie was a waste of my time and really hard to sit through. Not because it was disturbing, far from it. It was because of how utterly OBNOXIOUS it was. Holy crap! Every single character, with a few exceptions, is god-awful. Laurie, our precious main character is a complete shrew throughout the whole film. Hearing her constantly yell and scream is like nails on a chalkboard. Well, it was only because I watched the director's cut but that's beside the point. This movie is also nonsensical with the whole psychic connection between Laurie and Michael while he has visions of his dead mother and a younger version of himself (?). And it's like what am I watching? Not to mention, the first twenty minutes is a DREAM. I mean what the fuck?! From then on, it all went downhill from there. Spliced up with nonsensical visions and Michael Myers killing people while looking like a hobo. Rob Zombie didn't even want to do this movie and I can see why. It's totally unwatchable and should be avoided at any cost.
9. Halloween Ends - I know this movie has its defenders, but hear me out. The Corey Cunnigham subplot seems like a good idea on paper, but the execution is terrible. Case in point, the opening scene. Now when I first watched this I thought this was very shocking but then I realized, something was...off. David Gordon Green used a lot of comedy angles for this scene, especially when the kid Jeremy falls down the staircase. I just couldn't help but laugh, god help me. And from then on, we've got some terrible, terrible writing concerning Allyson and Corey's budding romance along with some detestable characters you can't wait to see die. Half of it feels like a horrible Stephen King adaptation where Michael takes a backseat. If it had different writers and a different director with a bit of rearranging, this might come out better than it was. But at the end of the day, I was just plain bored throughout. David Gordon Green did a good experiment with Halloween 2018, but I think he should stay away from horror franchises for right now.
8. Halloween (Rob Zombie Version) - This made me realize that I'm not the biggest Rob Zombie fan and his style of filmmaking doesn't translate well as a Halloween film. Even the original director John Carpenter agrees. First, Rob Zombie takes too much of his time developing the character, who starts off like a typical kid. Not particularly normal, but typical. Secondly, his appearance is that of a two-ton wrestler which misses the point. He basically body-slams his victims like it's WWE. What made Michael effective in the original is that he's an average-sized man blending in with society. That's what made him scary, he could be anybody. Lastly, half of the characters in this movie are total scumbags! It just loses the tension for me. Plus, it's kind of strange that Rob Zombie would add his usual hillbilly characters in a Halloween film. Haddonfield is supposed to be this mom-and-apple pie type of town and having his usual brand of weirdo characters just doesn't blend well. Overall, it's not that great.
7. Halloween 5: The Revenge (?) of Michael Myers - This was quite a tedious watch and not to mention, mildly confusing at times. The director was trying to add in these ideas that would stick but it doesn't land. Rachel, the final girl from the last movie, is killed off in favor of Tina, who's barely a character. And to retcon the cliffhanger from Return, they give Jamie a psychic connection to Michael. Oookay. On top of that, Donald Pleasence is extremely over-the-top, turning Dr. Loomis into a blubbering maniac, we have these two useless comic relief cops that serve nothing to the story, annoying teen characters, unnecessary jump scares, and very weak pacing. The only saving grace is Danielle Harris who gives a very sympathetic performance as Jamie and one of the few characters that I emphasized with. Other than that, this was a forgettable, subpar sequel.
5. Halloween 2018 - I know this is a controversial spot right here but it's a slightly above-average movie at best. The directing is well done, one of the highlights is Michael rampaging through the neighborhood of Haddonfield just in one take. The acting isn't half-bad either with Jamie Lee Curtis being the shining beacon of them all. But it's the writing that keeps it from being great. The whole Dr. Sartain twist was a total step down and ruined the pace of the movie. Quite frankly, the entire middle section is kind of a mess and it isn't until the climatic battle between Laurie and Michael that things start to pick up. It's got some good ideas going for it but it's not well-executed enough to keep this higher on the list.
4. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch - Now I have to be honest, I think this is just an okay film but at least the plot is engaging. Now I want to focus on the negatives first. Some of it is kind of cheesy. The acting from the female lead isn't all that great, the writing is kind of sluggish at times, and the pacing from the first act is really, really slow. But there are major positives, such as Tom Atkin's performance as a flawed but relatable everyman and Dan O'Herlihy's turn as an evil toymaker. However, the special effects take the cake. It's actually way gorier than Halloween 2! I can also see that there was a lot of thought and care put into this than the rest of the sequels that came after it. It's quite an inventive premise and it raises the stakes more in terms of storytelling.
3. Halloween 2 1981-Although this has its issues, it's still a solid Halloween sequel. The biggest highlight of the movie is the directing. Rick Rosenthal did an amazing job capturing the look and feel of the original that actually kept me engaged. There are a few missteps, such as the writing and characters. Laurie is bedridden throughout half of the movie and our focus is on the less-than-stellar hospital staff with zero personality. But it makes up for it with some inventive kills and a suspenseful chase scene between Laurie and Michael. It may not be a perfect movie but it's a perfect Halloween movie.
2. Halloween: H20 - This is hands down one of the best Halloween sequels. Again, it's not perfect but at least it focuses on Laurie's character development in a very real and honest way. It's less about the body count and more about the effects of Laurie's PTSD. There are some issues such as the tired jump scares, which is a big pet peeve of mine in horror films, and, once again, the writing of the characters, such as John and Molly's forgettable friends and LL Cool J's character who has some agency but is basically a glorified cameo. Besides all that, this is Jamie Lee Curtis at her best. After all, this is her movie through and through. The climax is probably one of my favorite parts. I love how Laurie just walks up to the school with an ax in her hand, ready to battle it out with Michael. It's so badass! But the ending takes the cake, wrapping things up with a neat little bow. This would've been the perfect trilogy too, with the theme being based on Laurie's trauma and her overcoming that. Starting with Halloween, Halloween 2, and H20. All in all, this film is the true finale of the original franchise. Locked and sealed.
1. Halloween - This is it. The forefather of slasher films and easily one of the best horror movies ever made. What works about Halloween is its simplicity and that's what lacking in the other films. This is also the best rendition of Michael Myers where he is presented as a normal-sized, normal-looking man who just happens to be an evil killing machine. When it comes to the suspense, it's not about the kills, it's about the anticipation of the kills. That's what makes Halloween so effective. You don't need blood and guts to make a horror movie engaging. It's all about the technique. The style of direction, the chilling music score, and the characters that we empathize with. Now, Annie and Lynda are nothing to write home about on paper but at least Nancy Kyes and P.J. Soles are charming in their performances. Although it's her first starring role, Jamie Lee Curtis is still riveting as Laurie Strode. With just that look in her eye, you know she's a star in the making. Lastly, Donald Pleasance gives a legendary performance as Dr. Sam Loomis, who's the Van Helsing to Michael's Dracula. Major props to John Carpenter who turned this low-budget B-flick into an all-time classic.
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