Phil's Halloween Horror Watch: Phil sees HALLOWEEN at the Cinelux Almaden Cafe & Lounge - October 18, 2018

It's safe to say that John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic HALLOWEEN (which I saw last week) changed the landscape of cinema when it was released to theaters and remains a milestone in the gnere. It scared the hell out of audiences everywhere, spawned a franchise of films and merchandise, put Carpenter's name on the map, and ushered in the slasher genre that dominated theaters throughout the 1980's. Granted, several installments of the series were less than we were anticipating, and don't get me started on the whole Rob Zombie's reboot and sequel. Then on May 24, 2016, Blumhouse Productions and Miramax announced that they would be co-financing a brand new film for the series, and that Carpenter himself would be both producing and scoring the film! And that original star Jamie Lee Curtis would also be returning along with the original Shape Nick Castle! Boy, did that excite me! And now, 40 years later, I'm here at the Cinelux Almaden Cafe & Lounge to attend the special Thursday night screening of the latest chapter in the story of Micheal Myers, simply titled HALLOWEEN!

The film's official synopsis: Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

Holy crap I loved the hell outta this movie!! This surpassed beyond my expectations! Jamie Lee Curtis returns to bring a new dimension to her iconic character Laurie Strode. Life has been hard on Laurie, and we learn the sacrifices, consequences, and loss that she has lived through these past 40 years. Her relationship with her estranged daughter Karen (Judy Greer) is almost non-existent, but she tries to reach out to her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). But when Micheal Myers (the returning Nick Castle) returns to Haddonfield to finish what he started all those years ago, it's up to Laurie to save her family and to end the terror of The Boogeyman.

Curtis and Castle are not the only ones to return to the franchise. The series creator himself, John Carpenter, returned as not only as one of the executive producers, he also scored the film! And it sounded freaking awesome! His new take on the movie's theme was awesome and it just sounded like a Carpenter score! This elevates the movie to a higher level, and increases the intensity and dread in the final product. I was so happy to have the man himself back on board to help guide the film back to its roots, which leads me to my next topic.

I felt like the movie (and the series) returned back to its roots, and that's thanks in larger part to director David Gordon Green and screenwriters Green, Danny McBride, and Jeff Fradley. Together, the crafted a simple, yet very effective, tour de force that hasn't been seen in the series for a very long time.

Since this was a Thursday night screening, the audience that I saw it with were loud, rambunctious, rowdy, and vocal. This was the perfect way to see this movie! They were cheering, screaming, laughing, and we were all having a great time! This is why going to the cinemas and watching a movie with a group of like-minded strangers is so important! We get to share an experience together rather than watching a movie alone. Where's the fun in that? That's so damn boring! Watching a horror movie with this type of audience makes going to the theaters so damn fun!

HALLOWEEN is my pick for Best Horror Film of 2018!! This is the sequel that we have been waiting for for the last 40 years!! Everything in this movie was phenomenal!! The acting, the directing, the cinematography, the film's score, there wasn't anything wrong with the overall presentation! And the kills were graphic, gory, and gorgeous!! You need to experience this movie on the big screen!! So make plans with your friends and loved ones and celebrate October the way it was meant to be: by spending time with the return of Michael Myers!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

HALLOWEEN is playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cineluxtheatres.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!