Halloween Resurrected: Our Thoughts On The Big News

So by now the news has spread like wildfire through all media outlets that John Carpenter is returning to the franchise he started more than 30 years ago. That's right, John Carpenter is once again involved in the Halloween franchise.

While most people see that headline and rejoice, many others continued to read the fine print. John Carpenter will be Executive Producing NOT directing the upcoming project, which is all but confirmed to reboot the franchise in some way. Still, John Carpenter returning can hopefully only be a good thing. Most fans don't even care at what capacity he will be involved, only that he is in fact involved. Continue reading the news and the other big reveal is how Blumhouse Productions will be co-financing development and production along with Miramax, while series mainstay Malek Akkad will serve as producer via his Trancas banner. So that is the technical stuff right there. Now judging by my perusing of social media and news outlets comments sections, horror fans (a notoriously fickle bunch, myself included) are split on the news. One thing is for sure though, Michael is coming back, and hopefully this is a good thing. We wanted to explore what all this news means to us so lets get started shall we?


It is no secret Halloween is my favorite film, not only my favorite horror film, but my favorite film overall. I have loved this film for as long as I can remember for a myriad of reasons, that I won't get into here. Safe to say though, for me, Halloween 1 and 2 are the high points of this series (along with Halloween III but that is not a Myers story) From 4 on through 8 and the two Rob Zombie takes on the material the Halloween series as a whole, is a mixed bag, with all manner of highs and lows found within each installment. I personally find entertainment value in every single one, particularly in October, but I also know that the majority of them, are mediocre to average films made by committee and not a single voice like Carpenter's original or the second which felt like a natural extension of it's predecessor thanks to his involvement. I don't want to come off as a snob here, but while the character of Michael Myers is my favorite horror character, his film series leaves a lot to be desired.
I was one of the few people who seemed relieved the last plans for a new Halloween movie fell apart. Not because I didn't want to see Myers on the big screen again, but because I want to see Myers on the big screen done right. There is a reason I have constantly championed the Halloween comics as the best Halloween sequels since part 2, they showed an understanding of the story and characters and were able to expand upon what came before while remaining respectful of the source material. That is what I want out of a new Halloween film, and it has yet to truly be done, can this now be the chance for that to happen?

I want to get the possible debbie downer portion of this out of the way and address the fact that it is overlooked by many amidst the exciting CARPENTER & BLUMHOUSE headlines is that MIRAMAX and TRANCAS are still involved in this production. This means that two out of the four parties involved in this press release are also responsible for some of the lesser films in this series. That does not mean that they cannot right their wrongs with these new moves, but it also means I will be wary of what is to come because of their involvement and track record. Until more news comes out though, this is only a minor thing to be concerned with, as it seems like they have opted to work with Carpenter and Blumhouse in order to attempt to get things back on track. The question remains are Carpenter and Blumhouse up to the task? And more importantly as crazy as it may seem to ask, particularly with Carpenter, are they the right fit for the project?

Blumhouse has become a name horror fans should know well. They have built up an extensive catalog of films that, much like the Halloween franchise, vary in quality and effectiveness. As stated earlier, horror fans are a fickle bunch and there is no telling what may offend one and upset another, same as there is no telling what they will gravitate towards and enjoy. Blumhouse seem to be a polarinzg company. Just reading reactions online, I have seen some upset that Blumhouse is involved in this new Halloween, which I can both understand and disagree with. For me Blumhouse has helped usher in and co-sign some really cool horror films that have stood the test of time so far. I have greatly enjoyed films like Sinister, Insidious, Creep, and yes even half of the much maligned Paranormal Activity franchise. However they have also produced some films that are targeted more towards the teen audiences such as Ouija, Unfriended that many horror fans seem to enjoy ripping to shreds even if the films were successful at the box office. I for one may not enjoy these teen oriented films either, but I understand they aren't always made for the audience that praises the likes of Dario Argento or even know or care who John Carpenter is. That is just the way it is. Some films are simply products..

 I feel like the major concern here from fans about Blumhouse's involvement is that they fear Halloween may fall into the category it once did with H20 or Resurrection where it became too glossy, too hip, or nowadays too millennial for lack of a better word, like some of the Blumhouse films can be. This is a valid concern, as we saw Platinum Dunes butcher A Nightmare On Elm Street with a slick yet unimaginative and ultimately hollow remake that killed the franchise for the time being. We have witness the Texas Chainsaw Massacre be mishandled in recent years by both Platinum Dunes and other studios. And poor Jason Voorhees is sitting in limbo after a financially successful but poorly realized and frankly rather stupid (and yes I know I'm talking about Friday the 13th) reboot. Horror fans have been screwed over before when it's come to their favorite characters, so there will always be that trepidation surrounding news of this kind.

With Blumhouse things surely can go either way. Though I am hoping things turn out well thanks to the fact that since they have actual horror fans working there, they absolutely realize how important this is for not only themselves, but for the franchise and it's fans. Reading about how they have been working on this project for almost a year and how Jason Blum himself stated that Carpenter's involvement is integral to the success of this project gives me that hope. My inclination is to believe that Blumhouse's Halloween will be much closer to the tone of Sinister than some of their more teen oriented films. They seem excited about this as it is a huge opportunity and hope that helps us get something special.

Certainly the biggest piece of this news is that John Carpenter is returning to the franchise in the role of Executive Producer. Now anyone who knows about films, knows that that title can mean everything or nothing at all. Hopefully in this instance it means everything, and it means that John Carpenter will provide careful input and help guide this thing in the right direction. I love Carpenter and the majority of his early filmography. He has obviously created some of the most timeless horror films in Halloween, The Thing, The Fog and others. If you really want to get fans about a Halloween film excited this is as big a way to do it. I am not sure who is responsible for getting him on board but whoever it is was should be commended as in recent years, if you have ever heard Carpenter speak, he always seemed a bit non enthused to revisit any of his past works in such a capacity. I was originally a bit skeptical as I am familiar with his stance on such things. However, reading his quotes in the press release, he seems on board, of course, that could all be good PR skills on his part, saying all the right things, but I just have to hope that he really does have some enthusiasm for this project, and I feel like he would have to if he is actually getting involved in the way they claim he is, as there is even talk about him possibly scoring the film. Which would be pretty great given how enjoyable his current musical output has been. For all intents and purposes Carpenter's involvement has to be looked at as a positive especially with quotes like  "We're going to go back to the earlier traditions that we started with. It's kind of gone astray a little bit. I thought that maybe the remake went off somewhere that I didn't want it to go. Michael Myers is not a character, he's a force of nature. He is not a person; he is part supernatural, part human. When you start straying away from that and start explaining, you're lost. So hopefully we can guide it back in that direction." That is EXACTLY what you want to hear. Let's hope they stick to that and Carpenter is as involved as everyone would want him to be.

While all this news is interesting, Blumhouse and Carpenter's involvement eye raising, the real thing that will end up making or breaking this new Halloween is the writer and director. For Halloween to really be what it needs to be for everyone involved, a strong director with a real vision for this material needs to be in place along with a great writer. The film needs to have a style and look to it, it cannot be a by the numbers looking film, with everything looking sterile and polished. Ideally I and many others would say the visuals of David Robert Mitchell's It Follows would be perfectly suited for Haddonfield and Michael in October. While we have no clue who the producers are looking at, we can only hope it is a director who can really tell a story while having a visual flair. This goes back to stating that this Halloween cannot simply be a product film that comes and goes, it really needs to be a film that can stand on it's own with other great horror films, it needs to be the Halloween film that Michael Myers fans can be proud of. It needs to figure out a way to be timeless the same way the original is. This is a tall feat, but with careful planning and preparation, this new Halloween can succeed and be something special, the question is, will it? Time will tell, We look forward to seeing how it all comes together. Oh...and if this isn't a given already, it needs to be released in early OCTOBER!