Halloween

Operating as both a prequel and remake, the Rob Zombie-directed Halloween 2.0 picks up 15 years before the events of the original, exploring the events that shaped The Shape. Seeing that the young Michael Myers shows the textbook signs of being a serial killer in the making, it’s only inevitable when the big killing spree comes about and li’l Mikey is shipped off to The Snake Pit. Fifteen years later, The Shape breaks out of the institution and sets about slaughtering anyone who stands between him and his baby sister all grown up. The remake half of the film plays like a Cliff’s Notes version of the original, with any quiet time that had been used for dread removed as Myers scurries about like he’s part of the Manson Family Circus. The biggest misstep here is attaching a backstory for The Shape, a move akin to exploring what motivates the shark in Jaws. Ultimately, this entry is only abusive, loud and ugly, with no attention paid to suspense or dread. Just headbanger posturing that serves as nothing more than trailer-trash Grand Guignol.