While it grossed over $14 million against a $4.6 million budget, Halloween III: Season of the Witch was widely hated. Though it’s since been reappraied by critics and audiences, at the time, the movie upset people who expected Michael Myers. John Carpenter and Debra Hill hired Dennis Etchison to write for a fourth installment, with Joe Dante possibly directing. Unfortunately, executive producer Moustapha Akkad rejected the script, wanting more of a straightforward slasher with Michael Myers. Carpenter and Hill sold their rights to Akkad, who hired Dwight H. Little and Alan B. McElroy for the project. Donald Pleasance was the only returning cast member from the first two films as Jamie Lee Curtis’ career had exploded. Among the new cast was a young Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, and George P. Wilbur as the iconic killer. Finally, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers was released in theaters in October 1988.
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Rating
Synopsis
Ten years after his original rampage, Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur) is comatose and is transferred to Smith’s Grove. He awakens when he finds out he has a niece and escapes to Haddonfield, killing several people during his trek. His former psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance), learns about Michael’s escape and chases after him. Over in Haddonfield, Jamie Strode (Danielle Harris) lives with her foster parents, Richard (Jeff Olson) and Darlene Carruthers (Karen Alston). While the parents attend a Halloween party, their daughter Rachel (Ellie Cornell) has to babysit Jamie while she goes trick-or-treating. After arriving in Haddonfield, Loomis meets Sheriff Meeker (Beau Starr) to warn him about Michael’s intent to kill Jamie. A lynch mob hunts down Michael while Loomis and Meeker try to protect Jamie and Rachel from Michael’s wrath. Who will survive, and who will be the next victim of Michael Myers’ return?
Review
While I have my issues, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a decent, if unremarkable, slasher. It doesn’t come close to the quality of John Carpenter’s original, but for what it is, it’s okay. For starters, the opening credits sequence is excellent, perfectly capturing the vibe of Halloween and the changing seasons. From there, the movie retains this spooky vibe with its use of fog and minimal lighting. Since this was still early in his career, Dwight Little did great as a director and showed potential. The acting is solid, with Donald Pleasance being the consummate professional and carrying the film. Relative newcomers Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell are also great and have good chemistry as their relationship develops. George Wilbur makes for a good Michael Myers, giving off an imposing presence that sets him apart from his predecessors.
Admittedly, most of my problems with this film are issues that stem from problematic elements from previous installments. In my review of Halloween II, I mentioned that I didn’t enjoy the twist with Laurie being Michael’s sister. This film builds on that twist with the inclusion of Jamie, Laurie’s daughter and Michael’s niece. While it helps that Danielle Harris does a great job, the fact they followed up on the twist is bothersome. Also, the fact that Michael and Loomis survived the explosion in the second installment undermines its ending. From what I’ve read, the film was initially meant to be more of a ghost story, which would’ve been interesting. I understand the producers wanted to bring Michael Myers back, but they had to jump through hoops to get there. That said, it’s still less insulting than what was done to Michael in Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.
The kills are relatively tame for a slasher film, which isn’t entirely wrong, but it makes the movie feel soft. A few stand out, but that’s thanks to the late addition of special effects artist John Carl Buechler. Still, don’t expect anything as visceral as Crispin Glover’s death in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. Another strong point of the film is the score by John Carpenter’s long-time associate, Alan Howarth. He mixes the original theme with some moody synth music that adds to the movie’s ominous tone. While it takes time to get going, the climax, where the movie turns into a siege film, is thrilling. At roughly 88 minutes, there is quite a bit of padding, but the film gets in and out fairly quickly. Overall, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is a step down in quality, but it has its moments.
Buy Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZJcYFP.
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