‘Halloween’ Movie review

‘Halloween’ (2018)
Miramax Films & Blumhouse Productions

Directed by: David Gordon Green
Written by: David Gordon Green, Jeff Fradley and Danny McBride
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Nick Castle, Haluk Bilginer, Will Patton, Rhian Rees & Jefferson Hall

With a film series spanning 11 entries (counting this newest one) and a rather confusing sequence (which ones count and which ones don’t???) the newest installment in the ‘Halloween‘ franchise will arrive in theaters this weekend and it arrives in style! This movie acts as a direct sequel to the original film from 1978 with both Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle reprising their respective roles of Laurie Strode & Michael Myers. Set 40 years after the events of the first ‘Halloween’ movie, Laurie Strode has spent her life since then preparing for the inevitable showdown with her tormentor, Michael Myers. While being transferred to a more secure facility, Michael escapes and cuts a swath of violent death through Haddonfield once again to find and kill Laurie and her entire family. It’s a climatic battle 40 years in the making and, for my money, it does not disappoint!

Trying to follow the ‘Halloween’ movies can be confusing at best. Different storylines with different plots set in a different order than chronological… it’s a lot to process. The one constant throughout is the menacing, silent mountain of pure evil that is Michael Myers. Since the first film in 1978, the stark white visage (which is actually a Captain Kirk mask) and eerie theme music by composer John Carpenter have become synonymous with horror and now, even after 40 years, this new movie doesn’t miss a beat. Jamie Lee Curtis is absolutely outstanding in her role and having her back as Laurie helped make an already impressive sequel even better. Director and co-writer David Gordon Green expertly creates tension and suspense throughout the movie in a way that seems almost effortless. This film may be one of the very best horror sequels of all time and can even stand on its own without any need to have seen the original in order to enjoy this entry. Judy Greer as Laurie’s daughter Karen and Andi Matichak as Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson also give harrowing & wonderful performances. I was pleasantly (if that’s a term one can apply to a horror film such as this) surprised a few times with  this one as the film occasionally zigged where I expected it to zag. A phenomenal job was done of honoring the source material, paying subtle homage to a few other films in the series and also delivering an incredibly visceral movie all while giving us a near-perfect sequel to a legendary classic bit of terrifying cinema. I have little doubt that ‘Halloween’ will manage to scare ‘Venom’ out of the #1 spot at the box office this weekend. Get your tickets now! You’d have to be crazy to not see this one on the big screen!

‘First Man’ Movie Review

‘First Man’ (2018)
Universal Pictures

Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Written by: Josh Singer and James R. Hansen
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Olivia Hamilton, Corey Stoll, Pablo Schreiber, Kyle Chandler & Ciaran Hinds.

‘First Man‘, the story of Neil Armstrong’s path to being the first man to walk on the moon (based on the book by James R. Hansen), comes to theaters this weekend. Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy portrays his wife Janet. The film covers key points and pivotal moments for Armstrong and his surrounding friends, family and colleagues including Corey Stoll as Buzz Aldrin, Lukas Haas as Michael Collins (the other two crew members of the Apollo 11), Kyle Chandler as Deke Slayton, Pablo Schreiber as Jim Lovell (who would go on to command the Apollo 13 mission), Ciarán Hinds as Gene Kranz, Jason Clarke as Edward White, Shea Whigham as Gus Grissom and so many more. Obviously many of these characters also appeared in Ron Howard‘s ‘Apollo 13′ film but rather than dealing with the aspects of the space mission itself, this movie focuses squarely on Neil Armstrong‘s personal life and then culminates with his famous Apollo 11 moon landing.

While there is plenty of drama to be had, there is also plenty of aeronautical action to suit nearly everyone. Director Damien Chazelle does an excellent job of clearly maintaining a great eye for detail throughout the process both from the perspective of being a strong period piece and in capturing all the complexities of the technical side of several NASA missions. The entire cast is excellent with Claire Foy giving a standout performance. The score by Justin Hurwitz is never overpowering but always present adding just the right musical elements when and where needed. What I thought would be a slow film was actually quite dynamic with only a few places where I would have liked to have seen things press on a bit more. While biopics are not always for everyone, I found this to be a great glimpse into the life of an American hero and a time in our history where the world watched with wonder as we raced to the stars. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give ‘First Man’ a space-faring 7. I also would recommend that this would be a film worth seeing in IMAX if you’re able to do so.