Halloween: Resurrection
Encyclopedia
Halloween: Resurrection is a 2002 American horror film
and eighth installment in the Halloween film series
. Directed by Rick Rosenthal
, who had also directed Halloween II
, the film builds upon the continuity of Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
. Just like its former installment, Resurrection effectively ignores the storylines established during the fourth
, fifth
, and sixth
installments.
, Laurie Strode
(Jamie Lee Curtis
) has been sent to a psychiatric hospital
after it is revealed that she had beheaded a paramedic instead of Michael
; the paramedic had located the body of Myers in the dining hall of Laurie's school, but Myers had attacked the paramedic, crushed his larynx, and forcefully switched clothing and his mask. Myers then goes into hiding for the next three years.
On October 31, 2001, still in captivity, Laurie pretends to be heavily medicated, behaving as though she had extreme dissociative disorder. In fact, she hides her pills and prepares herself for the inevitable confrontation with Michael. When Michael finally appears, Laurie lures him into a trap, as she attempts to kill Myers, she second guesses herself, to make sure that it is really her brother this time. Myers takes advantage, and stabs her on the roof. She then kisses him, says, "I'll see you in hell", and falls to the ground to her death. Michael then returns home to stay. His mission is complete after over twenty years of searching and hunting Laurie down.
The following year on October 30, Michael is living in a section of tunnels below his childhood house. Six college students - Bill Woodlake (Thomas Ian Nicholas
), Donna Chang (Daisy McCrackin
), Jen Danzing (Katee Sackhoff
), Jim Morgan (Luke Kirby
), Rudy Grimes (Sean Patrick Thomas
), and Sara Moyer (Bianca Kajlich
) - win a competition to appear on an Internet reality show directed by Freddie Harris (Busta Rhymes
) and his assistant, Nora Winston (Tyra Banks
), in which they have to spend a night in the childhood home of Michael Myers. Their mission is to find out what led him to kill. Sara's friend Myles Barton (Ryan Merriman
) watches the broadcast during a Halloween party. On the day of Halloween, they start to search the entire house for something that can provide a clue to Michael's past, and decide to separate into three groups to cover more areas. The event goes horribly wrong as Michael returns home, and one by one he kills the students and the crew. Myles realizes the deaths are real while the rest of the party claims they are staged.
In the final scene of the movie, Michael's body is sent to the morgue. As the coroner opens the body bag, Michael's eyes suddenly open showing that he is still alive and a scream can be heard.
is alive, so in February 2002, the film was officially renamed as "Halloween: Resurrection". Also, the release date for the film was originally set as September 21, 2001, but producers at Dimension Films
wanted the film to be stronger so re-shoots took place from September to October 2001 and the release date was changed to April 19, 2002 and then again to July 12, 2002. Both Whitney Ransick and Dwight H. Little
were approached to direct the film but turned it down. Later Rick Rosenthal
, the director of Halloween II
, was chosen to direct. During the casting period of the film, producers considered Danielle Harris
(who played Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
) for a role in the film. In post production Bianca Kajlich
's screams had to be dubbed
because of her inability to scream. The film's trailer was delivered on April 26, 2002 with the release of Jason X
. Principal photography began in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2001 with the opening scene filmed at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, BC.
feel that dates back to the synthesizer
scores of the '80s.
would instead produce a remake
of the original Halloween
in 2007 directed by Rob Zombie. The sequel to Zombie's remake, Halloween II
, was released on August 28, 2009.
.
It garnered a rotten review of 11% on Rotten Tomatoes
. Lou Lumenick of the New York Post
said, "It’s so devoid of joy and energy it makes even ‘Jason X
’ look positively Shakespearian by comparison." Dave Kehr of the New York Times said, "Spectators will indeed sit open-mouthed before the screen, not screaming but yawning." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone
magazine said, "Every sequel you skip will be two hours gained. Consider this review life-affirming." Joe Leydon of Variety
said, "[Seems] even more uselessly redundant and shamelessly money-grubbing than most third-rate horror sequels." Glenn Lovell of the San Jose Mercury News
was slightly more positive: "No, it’s not as single-minded as John Carpenter’s original, but it’s sure a lot smarter and more unnerving than the sequels."
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
and eighth installment in the Halloween film series
Halloween (franchise)
Halloween is an American horror franchise that consists of ten slasher films, novels, and comic books. The franchise focuses on the fictional character of Michael Myers who was committed to a sanitarium as a child for the murder of his older sister, Judith Myers...
. Directed by Rick Rosenthal
Rick Rosenthal
Richard L. "Rick" Rosenthal, Jr. is an American film and television director. He is also a producer, actor, and writer.-Biography:...
, who had also directed Halloween II
Halloween II
Halloween II is a 1981 slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal, and written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is the second installment in the Halloween series and is a direct sequel to the Halloween set on the same night of October 31, 1978 as the seemingly unkillable Michael Myers continues to...
, the film builds upon the continuity of Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later is a 1998 slasher film and is the seventh installment in the Halloween film series. It is directed by Steve Miner and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, and Michelle Williams. The screenplay, based on a story by Kevin Williamson further developed by Robert...
. Just like its former installment, Resurrection effectively ignores the storylines established during the fourth
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a 1988 slasher film and the fourth installment of the Halloween film series, directed by Dwight H. Little and written by Alan B. McElroy. The central plot focuses on Michael Myers returning home to kill his niece Jamie Lloyd , the daughter of Laurie...
, fifth
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is a 1989 American slasher film and the fifth installment in the Halloween film series. It was directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard and starred Donald Pleasence, who again portrayed Dr. Sam Loomis and Danielle Harris, who returned to play Jamie Lloyd...
, and sixth
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is a 1995 American horror film and the sixth installment in the Halloween series. Directed by Joe Chappelle from a screenplay by Daniel Farrands, the plot involves the "Curse of Thorn", a mystical symbol first shown in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers...
installments.
Plot
Three years after the events that happened in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Laurie Strode
Laurie Strode
Laurie Strode is a fictional character in the Halloween horror film series, portrayed by actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Scout Taylor-Compton. She appears in six of the present ten Halloween installments, first appearing in John Carpenter's original 1978 film...
(Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many...
) has been sent to a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
after it is revealed that she had beheaded a paramedic instead of Michael
Michael Myers (Halloween)
Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his older sister, then fifteen years later returns home to murder more teenagers...
; the paramedic had located the body of Myers in the dining hall of Laurie's school, but Myers had attacked the paramedic, crushed his larynx, and forcefully switched clothing and his mask. Myers then goes into hiding for the next three years.
On October 31, 2001, still in captivity, Laurie pretends to be heavily medicated, behaving as though she had extreme dissociative disorder. In fact, she hides her pills and prepares herself for the inevitable confrontation with Michael. When Michael finally appears, Laurie lures him into a trap, as she attempts to kill Myers, she second guesses herself, to make sure that it is really her brother this time. Myers takes advantage, and stabs her on the roof. She then kisses him, says, "I'll see you in hell", and falls to the ground to her death. Michael then returns home to stay. His mission is complete after over twenty years of searching and hunting Laurie down.
The following year on October 30, Michael is living in a section of tunnels below his childhood house. Six college students - Bill Woodlake (Thomas Ian Nicholas
Thomas Ian Nicholas
Thomas Ian Nicholas is an American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and writer. Nicholas is best known for playing Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year and Kevin Myers in the American Pie film series....
), Donna Chang (Daisy McCrackin
Daisy McCrackin
Daisy McCrackin is an American actress and singer-songwriter.-Biography:McCrackin made her film debut in the straight-to-video movie A Crack in the Floor co-starring Mario Lopez...
), Jen Danzing (Katee Sackhoff
Katee Sackhoff
Kathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
), Jim Morgan (Luke Kirby
Luke Kirby (actor)
-Early life:Luke was born in Hamilton, Ontario, to two American expatriates. His mother is from Brooklyn, New York, and his father grew up "along the eastern seaboard". His parents moved from New York City, New York, to Canada in 1974...
), Rudy Grimes (Sean Patrick Thomas
Sean Patrick Thomas
Sean Patrick Thomas is a Guyanese-American actor. He is perhaps best known for his co-starring role in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance, as well as his television role as Detective Temple Page in The District and also "Barber Shop".- Early life :Thomas is the son of immigrants from Guyana and was...
), and Sara Moyer (Bianca Kajlich
Bianca Kajlich
Bianca Maria Kajlich is an American actress. Kajlich has had starring and supporting roles in television and film; she currently plays Jennifer on the CBS comedy Rules of Engagement.-Early life:...
) - win a competition to appear on an Internet reality show directed by Freddie Harris (Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
) and his assistant, Nora Winston (Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks
Tyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough...
), in which they have to spend a night in the childhood home of Michael Myers. Their mission is to find out what led him to kill. Sara's friend Myles Barton (Ryan Merriman
Ryan Merriman
Ryan Earl Merriman is an American actor. He began his acting career as a child actor during the mid-1990s and has appeared in several feature films and television shows.-Background:...
) watches the broadcast during a Halloween party. On the day of Halloween, they start to search the entire house for something that can provide a clue to Michael's past, and decide to separate into three groups to cover more areas. The event goes horribly wrong as Michael returns home, and one by one he kills the students and the crew. Myles realizes the deaths are real while the rest of the party claims they are staged.
In the final scene of the movie, Michael's body is sent to the morgue. As the coroner opens the body bag, Michael's eyes suddenly open showing that he is still alive and a scream can be heard.
Cast
- Jamie Lee CurtisJamie Lee CurtisJamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many...
as Laurie StrodeLaurie StrodeLaurie Strode is a fictional character in the Halloween horror film series, portrayed by actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Scout Taylor-Compton. She appears in six of the present ten Halloween installments, first appearing in John Carpenter's original 1978 film... - Bianca KajlichBianca KajlichBianca Maria Kajlich is an American actress. Kajlich has had starring and supporting roles in television and film; she currently plays Jennifer on the CBS comedy Rules of Engagement.-Early life:...
as Sara Moyer - Thomas Ian NicholasThomas Ian NicholasThomas Ian Nicholas is an American film actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and writer. Nicholas is best known for playing Henry Rowengartner in Rookie of the Year and Kevin Myers in the American Pie film series....
as Bill Woodlake - Ryan MerrimanRyan MerrimanRyan Earl Merriman is an American actor. He began his acting career as a child actor during the mid-1990s and has appeared in several feature films and television shows.-Background:...
as Myles Barton - Sean Patrick ThomasSean Patrick ThomasSean Patrick Thomas is a Guyanese-American actor. He is perhaps best known for his co-starring role in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance, as well as his television role as Detective Temple Page in The District and also "Barber Shop".- Early life :Thomas is the son of immigrants from Guyana and was...
as Rudy Grimes - Tyra BanksTyra BanksTyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough...
as Nora Winston - Busta RhymesBusta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
as Freddie Harris - Luke KirbyLuke Kirby (actor)-Early life:Luke was born in Hamilton, Ontario, to two American expatriates. His mother is from Brooklyn, New York, and his father grew up "along the eastern seaboard". His parents moved from New York City, New York, to Canada in 1974...
as Jim Morgan - Daisy McCrackinDaisy McCrackinDaisy McCrackin is an American actress and singer-songwriter.-Biography:McCrackin made her film debut in the straight-to-video movie A Crack in the Floor co-starring Mario Lopez...
as Donna Chang - Katee SackhoffKatee SackhoffKathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
as Jennifer 'Jen' Danzig - and introducing Brad LoreeBrad LoreeBrad Loree is a Canadian actor and stunt performer. He is a member of Stunts Canada. He played Michael Myers in Halloween: Resurrection.Loree was born in Burnaby...
as Michael MyersMichael Myers (Halloween)Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his older sister, then fifteen years later returns home to murder more teenagers...
Production
The film's working title was "Halloween: The Homecoming", but producers wanted a title that said Michael MyersMichael Myers (Halloween)
Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his older sister, then fifteen years later returns home to murder more teenagers...
is alive, so in February 2002, the film was officially renamed as "Halloween: Resurrection". Also, the release date for the film was originally set as September 21, 2001, but producers at Dimension Films
Dimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
wanted the film to be stronger so re-shoots took place from September to October 2001 and the release date was changed to April 19, 2002 and then again to July 12, 2002. Both Whitney Ransick and Dwight H. Little
Dwight H. Little
Dwight Hubbard Little is an American film director, known for directing the films Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, The Phantom of the Opera, Marked for Death, Rapid Fire and Murder at 1600...
were approached to direct the film but turned it down. Later Rick Rosenthal
Rick Rosenthal
Richard L. "Rick" Rosenthal, Jr. is an American film and television director. He is also a producer, actor, and writer.-Biography:...
, the director of Halloween II
Halloween II
Halloween II is a 1981 slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal, and written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is the second installment in the Halloween series and is a direct sequel to the Halloween set on the same night of October 31, 1978 as the seemingly unkillable Michael Myers continues to...
, was chosen to direct. During the casting period of the film, producers considered Danielle Harris
Danielle Harris
Danielle Andrea Harris is an American film and television actress, best known as a scream queen for her roles in several horror films, four of them in the Halloween series: in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers as Jamie Lloyd and in Halloween and...
(who played Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a 1988 slasher film and the fourth installment of the Halloween film series, directed by Dwight H. Little and written by Alan B. McElroy. The central plot focuses on Michael Myers returning home to kill his niece Jamie Lloyd , the daughter of Laurie...
and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is a 1989 American slasher film and the fifth installment in the Halloween film series. It was directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard and starred Donald Pleasence, who again portrayed Dr. Sam Loomis and Danielle Harris, who returned to play Jamie Lloyd...
) for a role in the film. In post production Bianca Kajlich
Bianca Kajlich
Bianca Maria Kajlich is an American actress. Kajlich has had starring and supporting roles in television and film; she currently plays Jennifer on the CBS comedy Rules of Engagement.-Early life:...
's screams had to be dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
because of her inability to scream. The film's trailer was delivered on April 26, 2002 with the release of Jason X
Jason X
Jason X is a 2002 science fiction horror slasher film directed by James Isaac. It is the tenth in the Friday the 13th film series and stars Kane Hodder as the undead mass murderer Jason Voorhees, the film made $16,951,798 worldwide with a budget of $14 million...
. Principal photography began in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2001 with the opening scene filmed at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, BC.
Music
For this eighth installment of the series, Danny Lux created a genuine score to the original instead of generating something new. He approaches the score with an electro-acousticElectroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music originated in Western art music during its modern era following the incorporation of electric sound production into compositional practice. The initial developments in electroacoustic music composition during the mid-20th century are associated with the activities of composers...
feel that dates back to the synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
scores of the '80s.
Rumored sequel
Halloween: Resurrection concludes with the potential for another sequel to continue the story. Although there were plans for a new Halloween movie to continue after Resurrection, no such film has yet been produced to continue the original series. Dimension FilmsDimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
would instead produce a remake
Halloween (2007 film)
Halloween is a 2007 American slasher film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a remake/reimagining of the 1978 horror film of the same name, the first in the rebooted Halloween film series and the ninth Halloween film in total. The film stars Tyler Mane as the adult Michael...
of the original Halloween
Halloween (2007 film)
Halloween is a 2007 American slasher film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a remake/reimagining of the 1978 horror film of the same name, the first in the rebooted Halloween film series and the ninth Halloween film in total. The film stars Tyler Mane as the adult Michael...
in 2007 directed by Rob Zombie. The sequel to Zombie's remake, Halloween II
Halloween II (2009 film)
Halloween II is a 2009 American horror film written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie. The film is a sequel to Zombie's 2007 remake of Halloween , and the second film in the rebooted Halloween film series and the tenth Halloween film in total...
, was released on August 28, 2009.
Halloween: The Homecoming
Halloween: The Homecoming is the workprint copy of Halloween: Resurrection. Noted differences include:- Alternate opening (Myers' home video is shown)
- Alternate ending (CSI)
- When Donna finds out the rat in the sewer is not fake, the crowd at the party gasp
- Alternate score
Rumored workprint
A copy featuring Nora's death, an alternate Donna death and more is rumored to exist but footage is hard to find; the following (deleted) scenes below are featured, and can be viewed on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
- Alternate opening
- Michael steals the Firebird
- Donna's alternate death (runs into spike)
- Nora Winston's death scene (strangled)
- Freddie Harris and Sara Moyer make it outside during Michael's "death"
- Michael's alternate death
Reception
Halloween: Resurrection was released on July 12, 2002 in the US to moderate reception which did not change in its later international release. The film's opening weekend on US screens raked in $12,292,121, the film grossed $30,354,442 domestically and a further $7,310,413 for a moderate $37,664,855 worldwide gross.It garnered a rotten review of 11% on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Lou Lumenick of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
said, "It’s so devoid of joy and energy it makes even ‘Jason X
Jason X
Jason X is a 2002 science fiction horror slasher film directed by James Isaac. It is the tenth in the Friday the 13th film series and stars Kane Hodder as the undead mass murderer Jason Voorhees, the film made $16,951,798 worldwide with a budget of $14 million...
’ look positively Shakespearian by comparison." Dave Kehr of the New York Times said, "Spectators will indeed sit open-mouthed before the screen, not screaming but yawning." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine said, "Every sequel you skip will be two hours gained. Consider this review life-affirming." Joe Leydon of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said, "[Seems] even more uselessly redundant and shamelessly money-grubbing than most third-rate horror sequels." Glenn Lovell of the San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
was slightly more positive: "No, it’s not as single-minded as John Carpenter’s original, but it’s sure a lot smarter and more unnerving than the sequels."
External links
- Halloween: Resurrection at FEARnetFEARnetFearnet is a cable channel, website and Video on Demand television service owned by Horror Entertainment LLC, a joint venture between Comcast, Lions Gate Entertainment, and Sony Pictures Entertainment...