Halloween

L'introduction est efficace mais trop moderne par rapport au reste, je préférerais une conclusion plus psychologiquement intime et sombre. Cependant, cela se termine peut-être de la meilleure façon possible. Parce qu'il respecte absolument l'original et réussit l'aspect le plus important - me ramener dans les mêmes rues, arrière-cours, couloirs et chambres avec cette atmosphère unique qui a autrefois défini ma faiblesse pour ce genre de film incroyable. Et ça fait foutrement plaisir ! JEREMIE (14/10/2018)

The new Halloween may not be as scary as the original from 1978 or as entertaining as H20, but it is still stimulating and self-aware enough to not be an unnecessary sequel. It can be seen as, for example, a morbidly humorous argument with films and (documentary) series that attempt to understand evil (e.g. with the aid of psychology). Laurie Strode knows that sometimes it is better not to ask too much – as done by other characters attempting to encourage Myers (by whom they are as similarly unhealthily fascinated as some horror fans) to express himself (which they mostly accomplish, but not in the way they would have imagined) – but instead to simply pick up a kitchen knife or shotgun. Based on more than just Laurie’s example, Green’s three-generation horror film shows how in the past forty years women have learned to more effectively protect themselves against danger and to cast off their assigned roles (in addition to costume gender swapping at a Halloween party, an inverted variation of a famous scene from the first Halloween appears). Despite that, they still have to face mistrust and the suspicion that they are deranged hysterics, in which the film is very much in step with the times. The film’s direction is above reproach and the music by the father-and-son team John and Cody Carpenter is blood-chilling. When cult films are brought back to life, this is how it should be done. 85% (16/10/2018)

The sequel that the original Halloween deserved. If we assume that making a sequel four decades later is a good idea, I can’t imagine how it could have been done better. On the other hand, I also have no idea what would have to happen for a thoroughbred slasher to truly excite me in 2018. In an era when prime horror films are not only scary and superbly crafted, but also try to go a bit further, the simple slasher movie is inevitably a step lower. Proof that Halloween, and the sub-genre as a whole, is a relic from the past can be seen when the creators, in a surprising twist, attempt to deviate a little and address the unhealthy obsession of the public with horror icons, which in a slasher movie is a bit too much. Though it does make sense conceptually and fits into the logic of the plot, I cringed at the screen because I was watching something that had no business doing in a slasher flick. Other than that, it’s really brilliant. A masked killing machine immune to psychological analysis, American suburbia and scared teenagers. The moment when Alysson sees her friend skewered on the fence and runs hysterically down the street is the closest to the sheer terror of the original film. (20/10/2018)

Mad killer Michael Myers is free and goes after Laurie Strode, who escaped him on his first spree. She's a mental wreck, but she's been preparing for this confrontation for 40 years. Only one can survive, but anyone can die... The new Halloween follows in the footsteps of the original one, refusing to conform to new trends and contemporary styles. It's old-school, unafraid to build tension for long, knows how to get under the skin and refuses cheap violence. Instead of gratuitous brutality, it relies on uncomfortable chills, excellent actors and the most traditional "Halloween" scares in the style of the classic first film. If you want modern horror, look elsewhere. But if you're a fan of Carpenter's film, you couldn't possibly get anything better in the cinema. (17/10/2018)

A predator does not want to die until it kills its prey. But the same goes for the prey. David Gordon Green has carved out and carefully shone a dignified tribute on the unbeatable original, with an amazing soundtrack proving that, like Michael, John's tunes from the 1980s do not age. The atmosphere is dense, the homage is elegant, the camera rides are smooth. The jump scares are not completely inventive, but the atmosphere is sharp ... I see no reason not to get sliced up again. (16/10/2018)

Meta Halloween 1978 meets #MeToo2018, and it's bloody good and surprisingly old-fashioned. If it wasn't for the noticeable loss of pace during the overlong finale, and the reprehensible underutilization of the potential of the "new Laurie" with an equally sounding screamer, it's on par with the first one. (16/10/2018)

David Gordon Green, director of the great comedies Pineapple Express and Your Highness, pays homage to and follows up the classic Halloween from 1978, and I don't think John Carpenter can be offended. While I should point out that the original Halloween is not one of my favourite films and more or less only became a cult thing because it was the first at the time and therefore shocking to people, due to the lack of blood and the few murders it doesn’t stand out with me as a slasher, but I'm exceedingly pleased with the 2018 version. Michael Myers rages more than ever and his work is definitely enjoyable to watch. Quite a few victims fall, blood is not spared and there are some very nice explicit scenes, but again, it's nothing the average viewer won't digest. The nostalgia is nicely buzzed by the original soundtrack and I really liked the new one, they complement each other perfectly. The atmosphere is great, especially the finale in the building is built up so that I couldn't breathe at times and the silence in the hall with the cinema packed was unbelievable. The acting is also very decent, led by Jamie Lee Curtis, who is quite physically fit for her old age and is quite good with guns. The role of the young black man is also great, as he lightens the dark atmosphere with humour for a few minutes. The downside for me was the slower pacing (before Michael escapes from the asylum it's a bit uninspiring), and also the absence of boobs, which were abundant in the original. All in all, I'm satisfied and definitely the best Halloween (sorry Rob Zombie and Carpenter) and of course another golden hit this year next to Hereditary and A Quiet Place. 80% (19/10/2018)

I only saw the first Halloween, and now this sequel. It’s a great sequel. The creators (very surprising to me) have preserved Carpenter's uncompromising vibe without me feeling like they're just copying it, and everything is in its place, everything has (within the genre of course) logic, justification, reason... call it what you want. And Jamie Lee Curtis is admirable. She managed what Linda Hamilton failed to do in the last Terminator, namely to bring back an iconic female character to the game and not simply rely on her being an iconic female character. Having given a full rating to the original film, I don't see a single reason not to give it this time as well. (23/11/2020)

A typically painful sequel or the expected flush down the toilet. The new Halloween may be good in terms of craftsmanship, but by the most part is a characterless homage to the original that coldly copies Carpenter’s style, and every attempt at a signature of its own and to subjectivise the titular evil in potentially climactic scenes is paradoxically buried by Michael Myers’s legendary ghostly aura. The intro is a modern spasm that has nothing to do with the darkness of the first one, there’s one key twist that suddenly develops dementia and there are moments when it feels like a Wes Craven flick (the wisecracking black kid). At least the rest is an above-average, lively and at times inventive slasher, the kind we get in cinemas every now and again, but as a direct sequel to a horror legend, unfortunately, it’s not worth much. 55% (18/10/2018)

Michael Myers ne supporte pas qu'on lui impose une conversation. Le nouveau Halloween est conventionnel (comment pourrait-il en être autrement ?), mais c’est aussi une suite remarquable qui fait la part belle à l’original. C'est qu'il relate fidèlement l’environnement du film initial ainsi qu’une sélection de scènes, certaines d'entre elles se voyant ludiquement modifiées ou étendues. Pour ne rien gâcher, cet opus tire intelligemment profit de la nostalgie (notamment avec la salle partie en délire au moment où Michael a revêtu son masque emblématique). On pourrait scinder le film en deux parties imaginaires. Dans la première, Michael s’adonne à une folie meurtrière plutôt conséquente dans les rues d’Haddonfield, les victimes étant des personnages relativement creux auxquels le spectateur ne s’attache pas émotionnellement. Avec sa profusion d’étranglements, de coups de couteau et de gorges tranchées, cette partie fera le bonheur des fans de slashers sanglants. Puis, vers le milieu de l’histoire, un discutable revirement s’opère sur le comportement d’un des personnages, prétexte pour faire avancer l’intrigue. Enfin, pour la seconde moitié du film, on se retrouve dans une maison où commence la chasse aux héroïnes. Mais cette fois-ci, le public craint pour les personnages et le tout s’intensifie en une véritable intrigue horrifique qui glace le sang et se positionne comme la section forte de l’œuvre. David Gordon Green n’a vraiment pas à rougir de sa contribution à la série ! Par ailleurs, il est intéressant de constater que les grands crus d’Halloween sortent tous les vingt ans (1978, 1998 et 2018). [Sitges 2018] (13/10/2018)

Ça faisait longtemps que je n’avais vu aucun film d’épouvante, donc c’était le genre parfait à choisir en ce samedi soir de pluie. Pour être franc, je suis incapable de dire combien de films de la série j’ai vus ou pas, ni lesquels. Je ne me souvenais même plus d’une quelconque relation entre Myers et Laurie. Enfin, cet élément n’est pas si essentiel et le schéma de base est identique. Il n’y a plus qu’à se débrancher le cerveau et à assister aux actes déchaînés d’un tueur en série que tout le monde essaie d’attraper, mort ou vif. (27/03/2021)

The makers of the American film Halloween managed to take the essence of the original film and bring it into the present day in such a way that it still works. However, one simply can't get rid of the feeling that this isn't something to truly get excited for. Yes, it's similar to the original Halloween, but the atmosphere isn't that great and it certainly didn't make me want to scream in terror. But it's definitely very close to the original. (07/08/2019)