Well a-lot of you were wondering if I would include this film in my review, despite the fact there’s no Michael Myers, it IS a Halloween film. John Capenter’s idea was that Myers died at the end of “H2” and the franchise could move forward without him with a different Halloween related story every year. So on that basis let’s take a look at it as a stand alone film.
Silver Shamrock Novelties are getting ready for Halloween, the masks are selling like hot cakes, the problem is, is that customers don’t know that these masks contain a computer chip that activates the mask to kill the wearer when the Silver Shamrock tune plays on TV.
With a cast containing Tom Atkins, Nancy Kyes & Dan O’Herlihy this film does have strong actors, The casting of Horror Favourite Tom Atkins was a stroke of genius. The truth is, is that if you take away the fact there’s no Myers it IS a good film, it has a feel of “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers” especially with the ending. It’s such a shame its just overlooked by people because of the no Myers prospect and it was a brave move from Carpenter and it could’ve worked out if not for people just wanting Myers.
If you haven’t watched it in a while I really suggest that you do, Don’t look at as a down-point of the Halloween franchise, look at it as a stand alone film and you might change your mind on the film. It truly was a great story with great acting, come on who doesn’t love Mr. Tom “Thrill me” Atkins?!
Just imagine what the franchise could’ve become if this was successful, instead of the countless films ruining Myers mystique we could’ve had a different original story every year for our beloved holiday.
It’s hard to process that thought isnt’t it? Now let’s see if you can sit through the entire Silver Shamrock commercial ;)
Miscellaneous facts about the film:
The original writer of the story was Nigel Kneale but he sued the producers to take his name off the movie after seeing how violent it was.
The tagline “The night nobody comes home” is a play on the original Halloween movie’s tagline, “The night HE came home.”
Michael Myers does appear briefly in this film, on a television advertising the original Halloween. It comes near the beginning when Dan Challis is drinking in a bar.
The small town of Santa Mira was also the setting for Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.
The voice of the operator that Challis keeps getting when he tries to call out of Santa Mira is Jamie Lee Curtis.
A novelization of the film was published in 1982 by science-fiction writer Dennis Etchison under the pseudonym Jack Martin. Despite the film’s commercial failure, the book became a best-seller and was even reissued two years after the film’s release, in 1984.
Using the original molds, the skull, witch, and jack-o’-lantern masks seen in the film were mass-produced by Don Post Studios and sold in retail stores to promote the film’s release.
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