Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
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Everyone in horror should know "The Shape". The white mask, inquisitive look, unstoppable killing sprees, Michael Myers is the Pepe LePue of movie killers. You have Freddy who is the wisecracking, inventive killer, Jason who is the rampaging juggernaut killer and Michael Myers. Myers is the slow moving, suspenseful killing machine that seems to like watching its victims before tearing into them. While I'll take any of these killers any day, there is just something about watching a person talk on a phone not seeing that emotionless face staring at them through the window. Now that's creepy.

When HALLOWEEN 3 came out fans of the series were in an uproar.

"Where the hell is Myers?"

The answer to that question is simple. He was never supposed to be in the movie. While I personally loved HALLOWEEN 3, starring the great Tom "Thrill Me" Atkins as a movie on it's own, fans wanted Myers back. Enter HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS. HALLOWEEN 4 had about everything that fans of Michael Myers could have wanted; kills, thrills and suspense. It even gave the viewers an explanation as to the return of Michael Myers, Dr. Loomis and also the absence of Jamie Lee Curtis.

HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS is about Michael Myers' return to Haddonfield for Laurie Strode's (Jamie Lee Curtis) daughter Jamie Lloyd. Young Jamie (Danielle Harris) lives with her foster parents and foster sister Rachel (Ellie Cornell). On a routine patient transfer, Michael Myers escapes and heads back to take care his family lineage. On the case is Dr. Loomis, badly burned if you remember from Halloween 2.

The movie jumps right into the action as Michael gets into the town of Haddonfield and the town soon goes into a state of emergency. On a side to all the tension and horror is a love triangle between Rachel, Brady (Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Sasha Jenson) and the stunning Kathleen Kinmont's Kelly Meeker. See, Rachel has a thing for Brady, yet when Rachel has to cancel a date with him to take Jamie trick-or-treating she finds him at Kelly's. What a dick. Of course looking at Kelly, me being a weak man, I might have had to do the same.

With most of the town's police force torn to bits from the return of Myers, sheriff Meeker and Loomis grab Jamie and Rachel and board up and wait in his home till the state police can come in with reinforcements. Guess who is there? Kelly and Brady. Oh the high school hijinks!
Learning that there is no stopping Myers when he is on a mission, Jamie and Rachel soon find that trying to stay alive
is much harder than thought.

This movie works great with 1 and 2, and as a stand alone sequel this is more than any fan could want. The suspense is there, the unstoppable force that is Michael Myers is back in spades, and even throwing in the little love tension worked well to give the characters an extra dimension. We even get a few great deaths here like a redneck's neck well....becoming quite red as it gets torn out.

Like most horror movies there are some parts that don't make much sense. How did Michael Myers get onto the truck carrying Jamie and Rachel to safety in the first place? Also, once in the bed of the truck how is it that no one inside the truck can hear him tossing passengers off the back? And don't get me started on Michael Myers' hair change from black to blond in one scene. Painfully obvious.

Other than a few hang-ups this is a complete winner that any fan of the series will love, and thanks to the great Anchor Bay we get a new DiviMax Special Edition. The picture is gorgeous and we get 2 commentary tracks. One with Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris (Rachel and Jamie), the other with writer Alan McElroy. Hey Alan, how did Michael Myers get onto the truck? Also included is a making of featurette.

If you already own a version of this movie, then I know you are feeling the pains of double dipping. Nothing is worse then having to buy a movie you already own in a different version (Evil Dead anyone?), however your buddy Rufus has a suggestion. Give your version to a buddy for Christmas or better yet drop it off at your local Goodwill store. I'm sure the needy could use some good movie viewing. Bottom line, buy this version of the film.

The series at it's best has all been about suspense, and the anitcipation of evil and HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS does the fans and the series justice.

Added:  Monday, July 24, 2006

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