Today is going to stink because SHIRLEY TEMPLE is dead. I have to thank SHIRLEY for THE BLUE BIRD (1940) which had a big impact on me as a kid and for helping me write this review of ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLOWEEN II.
R.I.P. Shirley Temple
Today is going to stink because SHIRLEY TEMPLE is dead. I have to thank SHIRLEY for THE BLUE BIRD (1940) which had a big impact on me as a kid and for helping me write this review of ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLOWEEN II.
Rob Zombie is maybe my favorite contemporary horror filmmaker, but I disliked HALLOWEEN so I only saw HALLOWEEN II because of your review. I didn't like it! I liked the things that you liked (the exploration of Laurie's experience), but found the whole thing draggy (as opposed to pleasantly boring) and noisy.
And yet I read this review and am sure that I was wrong and must see it again!
Completely bummed!
I think I will watch The Blue Bird tonight. Thanks for posting the link, Unkle l!
Ben S,
I am in total agreement with you on Rob Zombie. He's my favorite too. I have to say though, at this point HALLOWEEN 2 is my favorite movie of his.
I think the key is that you just have to let go of the idea of "liking" it. I don't think it's meant to be liked in the way most modern horror films are. I think it is really supposed to be difficult and agitating and sort of force the viewer to experience something close to PTSD which is not pleasant.
Let me use Ginny Fields from FRIDAY 2 for an example. At the end of the movie, she is a hero and we all love her and she's an icon of power and tenacity. Coolest person who ever lived. But Ginny Fields the character can not possibly feel that way after her experience. But we as horror fans are not interested in that and it's kind of a cop out. I think with H2 Zombie is showing us what we don't want to see or are not trained to see and I think that is incredible and meaningful. I find all of his work interesting but H2 as unpleasant as it sometimes is, cuts the deepest on an emotional level for me. (Also I really love it on a visual level too). That said, I've only seen LOS once so far so who knows what I'll think after I have explored that one more. I know my feelings towards H2 expanded the more I watched it.
Anyway, if I've got you thinking about giving it another spin that makes me happy. It's also good that we found something we don't feel the same way about- that's rare. Although I'm sure you have a different favorite Shelly Long movie than I do too. haha.
Mickster,
Aw, it is a bummer but who can ask for a fuller life than that? I hope you do watch The Blue Bird. That movie is probably responsible for me not being able to distinguish cats from people.