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Cheesy homages, horror movie cliches, and utter lack of common sense made me wanna walk outta this one early [SPOILERS]

posted 6 years ago by BeenSavage (631)
11 replies | jump to latest

Came into this very excited from what I saw in the trailers months in advance. Despite all of the series' predecessors being written off I was somewhat okay with it but not fully accepting being that this isn't a franchise with a number of duds and failures. It was even more shocking to see that they didn't want to acknowledge the second movie which was my personal favorite but okay. Unfortunately an hour in I felt completely finessed.

There were a number of references that were pretty cringe: pinning a victim to the wall with a kitchen knife, Michael burning to death like in the 2nd movie, etc. These were done very well in the movie(s) of the past (the very same you wanted to ignore) we don't need to see them again.

Then the cliches: the babysitter slipping and not being able to get up, not approaching Michael head on despite having an entire weapons cache at your disposal, nobody listening to the "old crazy lady" and it coming back to bite them in the ass, strength in numbers but decide to split up. I could go on for days.

Also worth mentioning the weak plot twist. I felt the movie could have turned out the exact same if they had omitted the doctor's m.o. of cat and mouse between Michael and Laurie. I think the one benefit of this would be to explain Jason's initial escape but still yet another cliche of the villain escaping from police custody on a transfer bus.

I really wanted to like this movie but couldn't. I expected a lot more.

[–] lennonforever (2453) 6 years ago

You are not alone in your assessment. It could have been better, and I too, do not know why the previous sequels were left out in the cold. All I can say is that it wasn't terrible, I give it a 5/10.

[–] BeenSavage (631) 6 years ago

Facts. Glad we're on the same page.

[–] lennonforever (2453) 6 years ago

🍻cheers

[–] LemmyLugosi (411) 6 years ago

5 out of 10 was a FAILING grade last time I was in a classroom. This movie sucked balls! I'd give it a 3 or 4. I don't just want my money back, I want the time spent, too.

[–] Dat89 (6) 6 years ago

It's hard to disagree with you. I like many others go into these movies wanting to love them. I certainly didn't hate this but sometimes I wonder how people think certain things are a good idea.

[–] replicant4 (219) 6 years ago

So....you guys went to a slasher movie, and were dismayed that there were....cliches??
Please. People go to those movies FOR the cliches! LOL

("Don't go in there!")

If everyone in slasher movies did the rational, reasonable thing....you wouldn't have much of a movie....nobody would be in much peril....and the bad guy would be locked-up (and a story on TMZ) by the end of the weekend.

[–] Ldlamb (639) 6 years ago

Yeah, I liked it....sometimes because of the “cliches”.

[–] replicant4 (219) 6 years ago

Agreed. I liked it as well. What some call "cliches"....I call STAPLES.

[–] Dat89 (6) 6 years ago

Its lazy writing. Plenty of films have demonstrated different ways to engage the audience. My cinema (60-70people) audibly moaned out loud during parts of the film while other parts were well done.

Not saying it was all bad but some if it was just taking the piss.

[–] replicant4 (219) 6 years ago

I liked the film as well, but found it to be a mixed bag. Agreed...some parts were very well done, and actually beautifully shot. For example, that grainy reveal of MM when he first puts that mask back on is pretty awesome. And the scene in that back yard....where, each time the security light turns off, and then back on again....MM gets a little closer to that goofy kid in the costume (who just made a pass at Laurie's granddaughter).

As a whole, part of the problem with trying to make a really GOOD Halloween film these days is....overexposure. Not only is the franchise a victim of its own success, but it also lost sight of what made the original so special. MM was just a spooky figure in the shadows, whom we rarely saw, but we could sense his presence. He was the perfect incarnation of The Boogeyman. Now....he's an action figure....he's on lunchboxes and t-shirts and memes. He has become as much a caricature as Jason.

Plus, every Halloween film will be compared to the original, which is the movie that set the standard. It's like how each disappointing Jaws sequel got compared to the high bar the original had set.

Also, the time, setting and era of the original was perfect. Back before cell phones and the Internet. Kids spoke of urban legends and "The Boogeyman". Girls giggled about boys and babysitting. Nowadays, if there were a MM situation, people would pull out their cell phones and it would be all over CNN and TMZ by the end of day 1.

To get a "smart" scary movie these days, you pretty much need to come up with a fresh, new concept (like "A Quiet Place"). I heard Hereditary was quite good as well.....but to me, that one sounds more disturbing than scary.

[–] jasonbourne (1027) 6 years ago

I think you're right. However, I enjoyed H 2018 because pretty much just watched the I, II and III (no Michael) and H20. It's also Halloween. The rest of the series I lost interest in even though everyone knows Michael Myers.

What gets me is we rarely see Michael taking a beating. He was clobbered in the head several times with a tire iron in 2018. He gets shot. What happens to him? Surely his mask takes a beating, too. He got shot by Loomis several times and fell out of the second floor balcony and lived. He's supposed to be a supernatural boogeyman, but Michael's doctor and reporters treat him as if he's human.

It's time to put this franchise out of existence.