I was fortunate enough to attend the U. S. premier earlier tonight (thanks to Beyond Fest and the American Cinematheque) where Laurie Strode herself (Jamie Lee Curtis) made a surprise appearance to introduce the film to a very enthusiastic audience. I'm old enough to remember seeing the original 1978 classic in the theater when I was only 8 years old (many times), so I try not to compare any of the sequels or reboots to it. It doesn't make sense to do that. But as far as sequels snd reboots go, Halloween Kills is definitely on the better side. I wasn't a big fan of the 2018 film. I like that it took the bold move to remove the brother/sister storyline. But overall, the movie felt like a missed opportunity. Halloween Kills almost makes up for it with lots of nostalgia from the original... including very well done flashbacks to Halloween night 1978, and bringing back original characters like Tommy Doyle and Lonnie Elam. But bringing back original actors, Kyle Richards (Lindsey Wallace) and Nancy Stephens (Marion Chambers) was definitely the best choice made for this movie. The exception for me would be the decision to bring back Charles Cyphers as Leigh Brackett. Although it was great seeing Cyphers back... he appeared way too old to still be wearing a police uniform. Michael Myers seems spookier in this movie than most of the others. He wasn't overused... so when he does appear, it feels more effective. He's "The Boogeyman" again... not just a murder robot who tilts his head after every kill. The plot feels much more focused than the 2018 film... and the characters are much more likable, which make the kills much more impactful! Also, Laurie Strode is not the main character in this installment, which works! Like Michael Myers, not having her in every scene gives other characters the chance to shine. But where Halloween Kills suffers is with some character's motivations and sometimes cringeworthy dialogue. There were some lines from characters that got unintended laughs... mostly from Anthony Michael Hall as Tommy Doyle (which has more to do with the script than Hall's performance). His main purpose in the movie seems to be getting all of the residents of Haddonfield riled up with war chants... which felt forced and almost comedic. I almost expected to see some with torches and pitchforks. Luckily, the positive far outweighs the negative... and I look forward to my next viewing of it. Lastly, I predict applause from all screenings when a beloved character briefly returns in a very creative way. Happy Halloween!!!

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