Taking Shape

by Dustin McNeill

  A self-professed horror aficionado, Blum was very much interested in producing a new Halloween – but only if they could bring back John Carpenter in some capacity, which seemed like a long shot. Carpenter had become a vocal critic of Halloween’s sequels and famously declined to return on Halloween H20. In fact, Carpenter had also recently declined an invitation to return from Thwaites and Devine. Still, Blum insisted upon meeting face to face with the master of horror, who agreed to hear him out. According to Blum himself, his fifteen-minute pitch seemed to have little effect. That’s when the studio head leveled with the veteran filmmaker.

  “I said, ‘John, they’re going to make this movie with or without us. I’m not doing it without you, so if you don’t do it, I’m not doing it. But they’re still going to do it. We may as well join the party instead of letting them do it alone.’” - Jason Blum, The Daily Dead

  “I’ve talked about the Halloweens for a long time, but I haven’t even seen all of them [...] It finally occurred to me: If I’m just flapping my gums here, why don’t I try to make it as good as I can? You know, stop throwing rocks from the sidelines and get in there and try to do something positive.” - John Carpenter, Rotten Tomatoes

  This blunt approach seemed to finally win over Carpenter, who agreed to serve as executive producer and creative consultant on the new chapter. Blumhouse and Miramax officially announced their new Halloween co-production on May 23, 2016. This announcement also heralded Carpenter’s return to the franchise. Additional details beyond these were few, except that Universal Studios would be distributing the film via their existing deal with Blumhouse. This would mark Universal’s first series involvement since Halloween III: Season of the Witch.

  While the new Halloween had been officially announced, it still lacked many a thing, namely writers, a director, and a release date. Blumhouse would interview numerous directorial candidates throughout 2016. Blumhouse regular Mike Flanagan, who had previously directed Hush, Oculus, and Ouija: Origin of Evil, was strongly rumored as a frontrunner. Yet Flanagan publicly denied any involvement. “I’ve already made my Halloween with Hush,” he told iHorror.com. “Halloween is a perfect film. It’s one of my all-time favorite films, one of the films that most inspired me as a filmmaker, and I could never improve on it. The thought of following in Carpenter’s footsteps would be too intimidating.”

  Another directorial candidate was Adam Wingard, who had helmed chillers such as You’re Next, Blair Witch, and Death Note. An admitted fan of the franchise, Wingard actively pursued the opportunity and came close to securing the project. Later speaking to The Movie Crypt podcast, Wingard said: “I actually got an email, in confidence, where Carpenter basically gave them the thumbs up for me. And I kinda walked away from it like, I just got everything I wanted out of this job, you know. Like I just want approval from dad. And I walked away like, ‘This is about as good as it gets.’”

  On February 9, 2017, Blumhouse announced that the new Halloween would be written by the writing team of Jeff Fradley, Danny McBride, and David Gordon Green with the latter also directing. In a sense, these three were extremely unconventional choices. There was nothing in their filmographies (Pineapple Express, Your Highness, TV’s “Eastbound & Down” & “Vice Principals”) that would suggest they had the chops to tackle a top-shelf horror franchise such as Halloween. Then again, there was nothing in comedian Jordan Peele’s body of work that suggested he would be right for Get Out either. Yet that’s the risk Jason Blum took and it undeniably paid off for Blumhouse with both a robust box office yield and an Oscar-win. To land the new Halloween, the writing trio had to win over not only Jason Blum, but also John Carpenter, who would be consulting on the project.

  In pursuing Halloween 2018 as a direct sequel to the original, the filmmakers were hoping to reintroduce the Laurie Strode character to the franchise. This might have proven difficult given her death in Halloween: Resurrection, but the new film was no longer beholden to the old continuity. Carpenter himself was overwhelmingly in support of this unique approach. This owed largely to the fact that a direct sequel would undo the sibling connection he regretfully devised for Halloween II. Whether or not Jamie Lee Curtis would return remained a huge uncertainty as she had long since washed her hands of the franchise. Jason Blum very much liked the idea of bringing back Laurie Strode, though he was also willing to consider alternate storylines in the event that Curtis refused to participate.

  David Gordon Green next sought to personally pitch Jamie Lee Curtis on the project, though the actress proved difficult to get a hold of. Green eventually turned to actor Jake Gyllenhaal, whom he had recently directed in 2017’s Stronger, to appeal to the actress on his behalf. (Gyllenhaal is a close family friend and Curtis’ official godson.) Gyllenhaal implored Curtis to meet with Green and hear his pitch, which she did in New York City. Like Carpenter, Halloween’s original scream queen wasn’t so easily enticed back to the series. She ended their meeting by asking Green to send her a script to look over, which he did. The actress read the script and phoned the director the following morning to pledge her commitment. Curtis’ return to the series was officially announced on September 15, 2017.

  As Green saw it, there were two possible approaches he could take with the new Halloween. One was to create a tribute film in honor of the original à la Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The other was to re-envision the Shape’s formative years à la Batman Begins, which Green felt had already been done by Rob Zombie. The tribute approach was hugely dependent on securing Curtis’ return, which they now had. This then became the direction for the new installment. Halloween 2018 would be aesthetically and spiritually patterned after the 1978 original. In many ways, it would be a return to form. The filmmakers initially considered shooting two sequels back-to-back, but later decided against such a widescale approach.

  The filmmakers were initially unsure what to call the new film. After much debate, they eventually settled on the simplest of titles - Halloween - making this the third film in the franchise with that moniker. (Oddly enough, the 2011 prequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing was also called The Thing. C’mon Hollywood!) Of the title conundrum, Green told Entertainment Weekly: “Do we call it The Shape? Do we call it Halloween Returns? What do you call it? Technically, it’s the third Halloween II. It got to the point where we were like, ‘Well, we don’t want to NOT invite anybody. We don’t want someone unfamiliar with the previous films to think they need to catch up.’ So we thought, for simplicity, let’s just call it Halloween.”

  THE HORRORS OF THIS WORLD

  The new continuity of Halloween 2018 tells that Michael Myers was apprehended following his 1978 massacre and incarcerated at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium where he has remained ever since. On the day before his transfer to prison, two investigative podcasters - Aaron Korey and Dana Haines - seek to interview Michael’s psychiatrist, Dr. Ranbir Sartain. A former student of the late Dr. Loomis, Sartain is obsessed with his patient. Sartain agrees to let Aaron and Dana visit Michael in the courtyard, though he is indifferent to their presence. Hoping to trigger a reaction, Aaron brandishes Michael’s original white mask, which now appears old and weathered. This causes nearby patients to begin raving loudly, though Michael remains unaffected.

  Aaron and Dana next seek to interview with Laurie Strode, whom they find living in isolation within a heavily fortified compound. A twice-divorced alcoholic, she remains consumed by that tragic night forty years ago. Laurie’s depression, paranoia, and anxiety have strained her relationships with daughter Karen and granddaughter Allyson. Expecting to one day face her tormentor again, Laurie’s home contains a safe room and weapons cache. (As Karen calls it, “her cage.”) Laurie speaks briefly with the podcasters before kicking them out.

  The following night finds Michael loaded onto a prison transfer bus. Laurie emotionally watches the bus depart before joining her family out for dinner. She suffers an emotional breakdown minutes after arriving and leaves. The transfer bus is later found abandoned with most o
f its occupants either missing or dead. Michael murders a father and son for their vehicle, which he drives to Haddonfield. He first visits his older sister’s gravesite to find Aaron and Dana already there. Michael then follows them to a nearby gas station where he murders both along with several staff. Donning a mechanic’s jumpsuit, he retrieves his original mask from Aaron’s car – becoming the Shape once more. Deputy Frank Hawkins, who apprehended Michael back in 1978, fears another slaughter. As night falls, the Shape begins stalking Haddonfield’s streets once again. He first kills two women inside their homes before murdering two of Allyson’s friends. Both Deputy Hawkins and Laurie respond to the latter murders and encounter the returned slasher. Laurie shoots him in the shoulder, though he still manages an escape

  With the Shape’s return now confirmed, police escort Karen and husband Ray to Laurie’s fortified compound to ensure their safety. They’re unable to reach Allyson, however, who is attending a school dance. After a fight with her boyfriend, she leaves for home on foot with a male peer. They soon come upon the Shape, an encounter only Allyson survives. Deputy Hawkins, now joined by Dr. Sartain, picks up Allyson to take her to Laurie’s compound. While en route, Hawkins spots the Shape and rams him with his vehicle. He attempts to kill the unconscious slasher but is instead killed by Sartain, who reveals himself as Michael’s secret ally. The doctor reveals to Allyson his plan to reunite Michael and Laurie, which he hopes will trigger his mute patient to finally speak. The Shape soon wakes and murders his demented doctor before stalking Allyson to Laurie’s home. Here he makes quick work of two police stationed outside – and of Karen’s husband.

  The final showdown finds the Shape in a brutal cat-and-mouse game with three generations of Strode women. Laurie is stabbed in the stomach, though she manages to blow off two of the Shape’s fingers with her rifle. She and Karen eventually force their attacker into the basement safe room before sealing him inside. As Karen tells Allyson, “It’s not a cage, baby. It’s a trap.” Laurie fills the basement with gas before setting it on fire, seemingly killing the captive Shape. Laurie, Karen, and Allyson hitch a ride with a passing motorist. Allyson clutches the Shape’s blade tightly as Laurie’s home burns in the distance.

  The opening title sequence of Halloween 2018 tells you everything you need to know about its intentions. In it, we find the same pumpkin from the original Halloween’s opening looking rotted and collapsed inward. The gourd slowly springs back to life until finally restored to its former glory. A rocking update of the Halloween theme plays as the pumpkin retakes its shape and the candle within flickers once more. This metaphor may not be subtle, but it is effective. After psychic powers, a secret cult, a live webcast, and the white trash grime of the Zombie films, the Halloween series needed a decent return to form. The result is pure cinematic comfort food. (Fun fact: The de-rotting pumpkin was not CGI, but instead a painstaking effort by production designer Richard Wright using time lapse photography.)

  Halloween 2018 tries desperately to align itself with the 1978 original at every turn. Part of that involves covering much of the same narrative ground. The Shape again escapes custody the day before Halloween and his doctor again teams with local law enforcement to find him. Dr. Sartain and Deputy Hawkins seem tailor-made to fill the massive voids left by Dr. Loomis and Sheriff Brackett. Such callbacks are frequent and numerous. One of the best qualities this film takes from the original involves keeping things simple. Of Carpenter’s storytelling wisdom, Green told MovieMaker.net: “His advice was always straightforward: ‘Keep it simple. Keep it relentless.’ Those may seem like two contradictory things, but they share a similar motivation: You don’t need big set pieces and you don’t need big spectacle.”

  “It’s a girl movie now. The girls are triumphant, finally. They’re heroes. They’re kicking ass. I love it.”

  - John Carpenter, Collider

  Though it’s seldom cited as a precursor, the new film owes more than a little to Halloween H20 for its thoughtful examination of trauma’s lingering effects. If you were to strip away that sequel’s Scream-vibes and inject a dose of #MeToo, you’d wind up with Halloween 2018. Both sequels are very much products of their time. More than a few critics have noted how Green’s film feels connected to the popular movement against abuse towards women. With its overt themes of female empowerment and unification against a male aggressor, it’s easy to see why. Jamie Lee Curtis would agree with those observations, though any such similarities are unintentional. Halloween 2018 was actually written some ten months before #MeToo first rocketed into the cultural consciousness.

  “I don’t believe that when David and Danny and Jeff were writing this, they were looking at it as a way of incorporating the #MeToo movement into this retelling or revisiting of this story,” the actress told Entertainment Weekly. “I think it is the natural occurrence of a zeitgeist, of a change, of a shift in thought and action which comes from these moments of tremendous cultural change.”

  In catching up with Laurie Strode twenty years later, Halloween H20 found the heroine struggling with her past but still holding it together, even if barely. This Laurie was a stable parent to son John while also being headmistress of a posh preparatory school. She was divorced, but that wasn’t entirely her fault. (“Well, dad is an abusive, chain-smoking, methadone addict.”) Laurie was also an alcoholic in H20, but a seemingly functional one. We see her tossing down an extra glass of Chardonnay when Will leaves for the bathroom. She later mentions “hoping and praying every year that her brother won’t find her.” Being a survivor, this Laurie doesn’t begin to fight back until the Shape attacks her son.

  In catching up with Laurie Strode forty years later, Halloween 2018 finds the heroine in a much darker place, which is more in line with Curtis’ original vision for H20. This Laurie is nowhere near as functional as her H20 counterpart, having lost custody of daughter Karen years earlier following two divorces. Laurie’s present-day relationships with both her daughter and granddaughter are badly strained by her post-traumatic stress. Unemployed, she lives in isolation. Her alcoholism is also far worse in this film. We see her plowing through mini bottles of liquor in her truck before guzzling her son-in-law’s red wine as she arrives to dinner. Like H20 Laurie, she also prays, albeit for the complete opposite reason: “Do you know that I pray every night that he would escape […] so I can kill him?” Being a fighter, she’s more than prepared to hold her own against the Shape when the time comes.

  This last point summarizes one of the most important differences between these two depictions. The H20 Laurie has been on the defensive her entire life and thus reactive to the threat of Michael’s return. Halloween 2018’s Laurie has instead been on the offensive her entire life and thus quite proactive against the threat of Michael’s return. Interestingly, the new film redefines what it means to be a final girl in today’s cultural climate. In H20, a terrified Will asks Laurie, “What do we do!?” She answers back, “Try to live.” That might’ve been an okay goalpost for final girls in years past, but it simply isn’t good enough now. Survival without closure has been hell for Laurie these past forty years. She desperately needs to destroy the Shape before she can even hope to heal. And Laurie definitely cannot count on another male savior to rush in at the last moment. That’s essentially what happened in the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth Halloween movies – all of which saw the Shape live to see another October.

  Halloween 2018’s new take on the final girl archetype also drops the expectation that life will go back to normal after this all blows over – it definitely won’t. It’s far more realistic and interesting to explore the fact that life for Laurie, Karen, and Allyson will never be the same again. Karen lost a husband and Allyson a father. The ripples of Halloween 2018 will affect them in profound ways for the rest of their lives. More and more horror films seem to be concerning themselves with the lasting effects of post-traumatic stress, which further ties into #MeToo. “We never make movies about what happens after the violence,
” Curtis told Variety at the film’s premiere. “We make movies about violence, we glorify it, but we never ask what happens after.” (On the subject of exploring trauma in horror films, Rob Zombie’s Halloween II had quite a lot to say on the matter if you can get past the white horse bit.)

  At its most interesting, Green’s film recreates several iconic moments from the original Halloween with Laurie in place of the Shape. Allyson notices Laurie watching her from outside a classroom window. The Halloween heroine later falls off a second-story balcony only to disappear when the Shape peers over the edge. Back inside the house, she emerges from darkness behind the slasher, who was oblivious to her presence. This imagery serves to equate Laurie with her attacker, but why? Because Laurie is now a deadly force herself as she hunts the hunter. She has spent decades mentally and physically preparing for this confrontation. Like the Shape, Laurie is now a killer, two sides of the same coin.

  Ejecting Jamie Lloyd and John Tate from the family tree, Halloween 2018 positions Karen Nelson as Laurie’s only child. (Curiously, Karen was named both Jamie and Shanah in early drafts.) We learn through flashbacks that Laurie’s paranoid obsession had a damaging effect on Karen’s childhood. Rather than playing with dolls, Karen learned to use firearms. Instead of traditional mother/daughter outings, Laurie and Karen staged intense lockdown drills within their home. We also learn that, at some point, Laurie was deemed an unfit parent and lost custody of her young daughter. Karen may resent her mother now as an adult, but she hasn’t forgotten her teachings. In a brilliant demonstration of her training, she feigns a tearful breakdown during their final confrontation with the Shape. (“Mom, help us! I’m sorry! I can’t do it. I’m sorry!”) This lures her opponent into a false sense of assured victory. As soon as the Shape steps into view, Karen fires on him. (“Gotcha.”)