Halloween 4: The Rebirth of Michael Myers

By Ricky J. Duarte, Rue Morgue

Whenever I’m asked what my favorite horror film is (and I’m asked often), my immediate answer is always, undoubtedly, John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece, Halloween. I typically immediately follow that up with, “It’s a cliché answer for a reason.” Aside from its tension, tone, performances, and aesthetic, the film captures universal facets of terror beyond a thrilling chase or grisly kill sequence. Halloween proves that buried deep inside each of us exists a primal fear of isolation, loneliness, and being helpless against an unstoppable, omnipresent force. Michael’s pale, emotionless mask serves as a blank canvas upon which we subconsciously project the things that scare us most. You really can’t kill The Boogeyman.

When I discovered the film (first introduced by Joe Bob Briggs in a late-night double feature with Halloween II) there were only six installments. Now, at a whopping total of thirteen films (fourteen if you include the Halloween 6 Producer’s Cut – don’t get me started), the film has been reimagined, remade, and requeled so many times, fans now have the option of choosing their very own adventure, determining for themselves which timeline they deem to be considered official canon. While I’m a H1/H2/H20 guy, myself, I still absolutely love H4/H5/H6, aka, the “Thorn Trilogy,” and I have the Curse of Thorn tattoo on my wrist to prove it.

Often discredited, the ambitious storyline famously becomes muddled and confusing over the course of the three films, ending with the vague and deflating conclusion of H6 – which is why the Producer’s Cut is so much better. (See? You got me started!) However, it was the fourth installment that brought a new generation of fans back to the series, and with good reason. After audiences voiced their outrage at Michael Myers’ absence in Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the clear option would be to bring Michael back to Haddonfield in what is arguably one of the best installments in the franchise: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.

In some ways, this “return” feels like a “rebirth.” Without the involvement of original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, producer savant Debra Hill, or Myers mastermind John Carpenter on board, the film’s success would rely on the popularity of Michael as a legitimate villain, Donald Pleasence’s Ahab-esque Dr. Loomis, and a fresh reintroduction to the lore of the Halloween property.

By the time of its release in 1988, six years had passed since audiences had last seen Michael, and in this time, the shape of slasher films had changed dramatically. Even H2 was influenced by the surge of slasher flicks that had been released since the original. By now, the sequel would have to compete with the likes of Freddy, Jason, and countless other established horror icons in order to stand out. While it’s far from perfect (I’m talking about you, Myers’ mask – and the befuddling pink/blonde version), Halloween 4 provided a successful return to the franchise that started it all.

Smartly, rather than following the by-then-formulaic slasher model, H4 harkens back to the aspects that worked best about Halloween. From the first flicker of opening credits, rather than a slow zoom into a looming jack-o-lantern, we’re treated to a sleepy, nostalgic array of Halloween decorations in what is undoubtedly among the most atmospheric and moody sequences in the franchise. Whereas H3 lacked nearly any identifying signs of autumn, H4 lulls us into the season with an ominous, dreamlike segment that feels all at once familiar and dangerous. Isolated. Abandoned, somehow. Just as the original ends with all the places Michael may be lurking in the darkness, the twilight-laden opening of H4 serves as a grounding reminder that The Boogeyman could be anywhere.

The film also does an incredible job of introducing us to characters we would grow to care deeply for, a quality lacking in most slasher screenplays at the time. Rather than disposable, unlikable, horny teenagers, we fall instantly in love with foster sisters Jamie Lloyd and Rachel Carruthers, terrifically portrayed by Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell. The return of Dr. Loomis is the real MVP of the film’s success, though, as Pleasence would serve as a driving force throughout all five of the films he appeared in – six, if you include the Producer’s Cut. (I promise I’m done, now.) Despite the series’ less successful installments, Loomis achieves an arc of growing desperation in his pursuit of Michael, and it's Pleasence’s genius as an actor that justifies his continued presence in the series.

The film moves quickly, never lagging, and provides some truly memorable and frightening moments. From the interruption of Jamie’s bedtime prayers by a nightmare of her infamous uncle, to an anxiety-inducing rooftop chase, to Rachel driving the hell out of a stick shift down an abandoned highway, the set pieces in this film, though not extravagant, are well-utilized.

The kills in H4 are also noteworthy. A thumb to the forehead, a shotgun impaling, a cranial crush, and electric shock (RIP Bucky) serve as impactful and creative ways to off characters while instilling Michael’s strength and indomitability. Even Michael’s “death” feels satisfying.

What truly sets this film apart from the sequels to follow is its bold swing of an ending. Sweet, courageous Jamie is bestowed with whatever murderous force of rage that had possessed Michael. It may not make total sense, but it doesn’t not make sense, either. While at the end of Halloween, Loomis is unsurprised that Michael has vanished into the night, he is as shocked and surprised as we are that Jamie stands at the top of the stairs wielding a bloody knife and the blank “Devil’s Eyes” behind her clown mask. It’s a bold contrast, and an effective and satisfying conclusion to an effective and satisfying film.

Unfortunately, this seemingly perfect setup for the next sequel is completely fumbled when H5 does nearly all it can to undo everything that worked about H4. Completely separating Jamie and Rachel leaves a genuine void in place of their sororal bond, unceremoniously offing Rachel (one of horror’s truly unsung Final Girls) early on is a major misstep, and the introduction of the Man in Black and Curse of Thorn would all prove to be shovels in the grave of the beloved franchise … until H20. (I will always wish they’d included the brief scene that at least acknowledges the events of H4/H5/H6.)

Through the years, a greater appreciation has been seen for the Thorn Trilogy, but it’s Halloween 4, in particular, that has been generally embraced by the franchise’s fandom as a suitable sequel. If we’re considering the multiple timelines available within the series, perhaps it’s worth considering H1/H2/H4 as its own timeline trilogy, without being weighed down by the drain-circling mess that is Thorn. (Then again, if that were the case, we’d never have gotten the H6 Producer’s Cut!)

Post created and provided by Rue Morgue