Halloween H2O

Starring:Adam Arkin, Beau Billingslea, David Blanchard (II), John Cassini, Jamie Lee Curtis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Adam Hann-Byrd, Josh Hartnett, LL Cool J, Janet Leigh, Larisa Miller, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Nancy Stephens, Emmalee Thompson, Brandon Williams, Michelle Williams, Matt Winston, Jody Wood
Studio: Buena Vista Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Halloween is one of the great modern horror films, but as a franchise its track record has been spotty at best, painfully bad at worst. Halloween H2O: Twenty Years Later, directed by horror vet Steve Miner (Friday the 13th parts 2 and 3, House), won't displace John Carpenter's original but it might help you forget the films in between. Miner certainly has: the film begins as if sequels 3 through 6 never happened. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, reprising her role for the first time in almost two decades) faked her death and is now a single mom and headmistress of an exclusive California private school. She's also a secret alcoholic who lives in fear of her homicidal brother-bogeyman Michael Myers. Guess who decides to show up for a family reunion? The film begins with classic horror-movie exposition (the deserted college campus, Michael's escape, Laurie's waking nightmares) accomplished with some humor and style, but it's all setup for the second half, a driving roller coaster of stalk-and-slash thrills. There's little of the self-conscious genre referencing of Scream and at times the film is a little far-fetched--it is a slasher movie about a knife-wielding homicidal maniac who won't stay dead, after all--but Curtis transforms Laurie from a shrieking victim into an empowered, determined horror-movie heroine who's learned a thing or two from the previous films. Adam Arkin, Josh Hartnett, and TV cutie Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek) costar, and the script received uncredited polish from Scream writer Kevin Williamson; Curtis's mom, Janet Leigh, pops up in a cameo. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

AT LAST A SEQUEL WORTH WATCHING!.......2007-06-04

This entry into the halloween series is probably about as good as it is gonna get! After two really really bad installments(parts 5 and 6) we get a pretty darn good sequel "Halloween H20". The best thing about the movie is that Jamie Lee Curtis is back and it makes all the difference. I still don't understand why they keep changing Michael's mask? It looked great in the first movie...why fix what ain't broke? This movie is really a 3 and 1/2 star movie,but they don't have that option. The DVD transfer is good,but I would like to see a 16X9 upgrade someday.

Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the film that made her a star.......2007-05-20

In HALLOWEEN H20, Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the film franchise which made her a star. This is probably the best entry since "Halloween II", in terms of performances and the fact that Jamie Lee Curtis is back as terrorised Laurie Strode. To properly enjoy this film, you have to disregard the 4th, 5th, and 6th films which featured Laurie's daughter, Jamie Lloyd. There is no daughter here, instead we have Laurie's son John (played by Josh Hartnett).

The film picks up 20 years to the day of the original Haddonfield slayings. With a new name and persona, Laurie Strode is the headmistress of a private school in Southern California, yet still living with the daily terror of her past literally coming back to haunt her. Sadistic, unstoppable Michael Myers has tracked down her records and decides a little family reunion is needed, but this time, Laurie vows to ensure it will be the final showdown...

Jamie Lee Curtis perfectly slips back into the role of Laurie, and the rest of the cast is equally fine, including Jamie's legendary mother (Janet Leigh, "Psycho") in a fun cameo as the school receptionist, Josh Hartnett as her son, and Adam Arkin as her boyfriend. There are some brilliant set-ups and action scenes, and the tension is taut.

HALLOWEEN H20 originally set out to close the chapter on Laurie and Michael, but the franchise has continued with "Halloween: Resurrection", again with Jamie Lee Curtis.

Halloween H20-TwentyYears Later-Zsendsational movie-still.......2007-05-15

The cast of actors-charactors blend in so well with suspense-its just unbelievable. Ms.Jamie Lee Curtis and the cameo appearance of her mother working together is very nice to see-and historical (Ms. Lana Turner was in the orginial movie of the notorious thriller, "PSYCHO") and her appearance really contribute to the suspense to the movie-Halloween H20. And seeing LL Cool J acting, WOW! Mr. LL Cool J is a multi-talented performer-he can do it all! I just love this movie.

"I'm not who you think I am." Halloween: H20 - 20 Years Later.......2007-05-13

In 1998, Director Steve Minor put his stamp on the Halloween series. This is the entry, the sequel everyone was looking forward to, the return of Jamie Lee Curtis and when Laurie and Michael see each other again. "I'm not who you think I am." is exactly right, it truely is a great sequel even though it is part 7.

Laurie has a 17 year old son and she is the headmistress of a secluded private boarding school. 20 years after he first attacked her he came back, she thinks her son is the one in danger, he is, but she has more to fear than her son's life. Laurie stops running and faces her fear in the most amazing ending the series has ever seen.

Note that this movie completely ignores parts 3-6 so continuity for this entry as part of the series is completely screwed up. The acting is extra ordinary in this entry, the best acting in the entire series comes from this entry. Jamie gives her strongest performance as Lauries in this entry. And unlike the previous two entries Michael is top notch in this entry, Michael is really scary.

This entry doesn't suffer from much asside from giving LL Cool J a role this entry soars on all levels. The ending where she attempts to grab his hand is the most emotional part of the series.

The bonus feature "Unmasking the Horror" is very informative, but again, Jamie sounds like an idiot in her interviews and everyone else sounds smarter than her which is the exact opposite as on film where she appears to be the smartest person on screen.

In conclusion, this is the definitive ending to one of the longest running horror series. This entry has an A list cast and some great scares. Too bad the series continued on and on and on...

Surprisingly good!.......2007-04-12

I liked it! While nothing can top John Carpenter's original Halloween -- sequels and remakes almost always fall short of our expectations -- H20 is suspensful and good, and the musical score includes a variation of John Carpenter's classic, errie theme as a reminder. Jamie Lee Curtis brings class and authenticity to the film, which is almost as scary as the original Halloween. The film's vibe succeeds without too much gratutious sex and gore, and keeps you on the edge until the end. I agree with the other reviewers who didn't like the other cheap sequels after Halloween II ... they just didn't have the same vibe as the first two films with Jamie Lee. This one is a worthy addition to anyone's Halloween collection.

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