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Halloween
MGM


5.8

based on 18 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 162 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: R for strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity and language

Starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Daeg Faerch, Sheri Moon, William Forsythe, and Udo Kier

From acclaimed musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie comes an entirely new take on the highly successful and terrifying Halloween legacy, which began in 1978. While revealing a new chapter in the established Michael Myers saga, the film will surprise both classic and modern horror fans with a departure from prior films in the Halloween franchise. Audiences should brace themselves for unprecedented fear as Zombie turns back time to uncover the making of a pathologically disturbed, even cursed child named Michael Myers. (MGM)

GENRE(S):	Horror
WRITTEN BY:	John Carpenter (1978 screenplay) Debra Hill (1978 screenplay) Rob Zombie
DIRECTED BY:	Rob Zombie
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: December 18, 2007 Theatrical: August 31, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	109 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

TV Guide Ken Fox

Zombie delivers a scary horror movie immediately recognizable as his own -- something that will come as a welcome relief to fans who've diligently sat through seven "Halloween" sequels in hopes of one day reliving the original's terrifying magic.

LA Weekly Nathan Lee

Horrific as it is, Halloween isn’t so much a horror film as a biopic, and a superb one at that.

Premiere Paul Semel

Halloween is a real, classic-style horror movie, not an exercise in gross special effects. Oh, and for those who’ve missed Carpenter’s classic, this will scare the candy corn out of you, but the original is still champion.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

This Myers is more problem child than bogeyman.

Film Threat Mark Bell

As it stands, he made a noble attempt, and it could've been a Hell of a lot worse, but it's not as great a film as its potential hints at.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

As usual, Zombie has added an element of camp fun to the proceedings with his clever casting of B-movie icons in small roles, including Dee Wallace, Brad Dourif, Danny Trejo and Sid Haig.

The New York Times Matt Zoller Seitz

The new Halloween has sympathy for the Devil, but not enough.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Steven Hyden

This latest unsuccessful stab at Carpenter's masterwork just proves that the original Halloween is as unbeatable as its masked leading man.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

This is not a good movie but, considering what Halloween has evolved into over the course of seven sequels, it's perhaps better than it has a right to be.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

Filmgoers looking for copious amounts of mindless violence won't be disappointed.

Los Angeles Times Tasha Robinson

It's a more polished, high-fidelity version of a story that's played out on screen many times since 1978, but once Zombie runs out of subtext, he's right back to the same old slasher text: "Blood. Guts. The end."

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Zombie continues to have a true, unflinching artist's eye for the sublimely horrific (a woodsy murder sequence is pregnant with disturbing, painterly compositions), that eye is wasted here on an unnecessarily moribund history of sociopathy as it relates to Halloween in Haddonfield, Illinois.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

There is just no tension built prior to the murders.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jason Anderson

Like kudzu vine, killer bees and herpes, we may never be rid of it.

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

The set-up is tediously slow, while the later murders are packed so tightly it's like watching a blender on high speed.

Variety Dennis Harvey

Leaves nothing to the imagination: Michael Myers is always right there in plain sight, committing mayhem sans suspenseful buildup or mystique.

Boston Globe Tom Russo

As with Zombie's two previous schlock horror features, "House of 1000 Corpses" and "The Devil's Rejects," the atmosphere here isn't so much tense and jolting as unnervingly weird and gory, but it's effective.

Washington Post Richard Harrington

A film that contains dialogue so nasty and stupid, you'd swear (right along with the characters) that the booker for "Jerry Springer" wrote it (Zombie did).

The average user rating for this movie is 5.8 (out of 10) based on 162 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Lou D. gave it a9:
Great movie. Not too much like the original, but if I wanted that, I'd watch the original. This movie is incredible, the kill scenes are well done and the reimagining is top-notch. Half-remake, half-new. Rob Zombie is paving his way in this genre and he continues to move forward. Michael's childhood explains many previously unanswered questions and as long as you go into the movie with an open mind and look for a 9th movie, you will be happy. If you want a remake, watch the original. Theres no point in someone making a copy of something perfect, that is what Zombie avoided and thankfully so. Masterpiece.

Tom V gave it a9:
On its own merit, without judging various elements of the movie in relation to other Halloween/series films or Rob's previous films - its a great movie. If you watch it with preconceived notions of what you're going to see (vs with an open mind) - of course you will be disappointed. The second half of the movie could have strayed even a bit more from the original plot (1978) but the compromise is fine - it does plenty of justice to John Carpenter while creating its own identity. Excellent soundtrack too.

Brandon F. gave it a10:
The movie was AWESOME! It is hard to find a movie that looks realistic and has a sense of humor. It was a real treat to see the background behind Michael Myers and all his gruesome killings. It is an excellent movie!

Robert R. gave it a5:
Halloween is clearly unimpressive as it fails to enhance Zombie’s artistic merit. While Zombie’s western, The Devil’s Rejects, emphasized his affinity for drama, Halloween should’ve furthered that. Sadly it didn’t; it even lacked it. Halloween includes some nuanced performances and stark symbolism, but is deficient in drama, or furthermore, purpose. Zombie could achieve immense success if his next project included his genuine characters, dialogue, but added drama, as apparent in The Devil’s Rejects.

Bobby n gave it a3:
This movie had the potential to do justice to the original Halloween. It starts off promising, giving us a thorough examination of Michael Myers psychology, but things nosedive soon after that. The ending is a major disappointment and as many others have noted, there is little suspense involved in the murders. The cast does a decent job of delivering some terrible dialogue also. It all just seemed over-the-top.

A Movie Critic gave it a7:
Rob Zombie has created a re-imagining of a story that's been done to death but he does a great job. The movie's at its best when it focuses on the childhood of the killer, and the movie's extremely intense and very disturbing. The 2nd half of the movie, though, becomes a bit repetitive, as it becomes the typical "serial killer" movie and it goes on for a bit too long. The unrated version contains a very disturbing rape scene that was apparently entirely absent from the theatrical cut, as well as 11 minutes of additional footage....it was a bit too long for me, but still, what we have is a very disturbing and well-made movie, and Rob Zombie should be proud of adding a lot of depth to the character and story.

Kid A gave it a0:
Seriously, this movie was absolute garbage. The dialogue is achingly terrible, there is not one actual scare in the entire film, and the murders are not even effective in their purpose. If you enjoy watching a 5th grader being beat to death for minutes on end until your stomach turns, then this might be your movie. Doesn't even hold a candle to the original.

Halloween MGM

Halloween
MGM