Halloween 2

I must say that despite my well known enthusiasm towards this movie since day one, I still managed to enter the theater with a tid bit of a worry due to all those scathing reviews floating around the 'net this past day. But I'm quite happy to announce that by the time the film was said and done, I left the theater with a grin from ear to ear. Halloween 2 is not only one of the most intensely terrifying horror films I have seen this year, it's also without a doubt the most emotionally gripping.

The performances were spectacular, with the stand outs of Scout Taylor Compton, Brad Dourif and Malcom McDowell for convincingly expanding their characters far beyond their initial incarnation. The characters were so fleshed out and intriguing that even the characters like Loomis who did nothing but act like a total dickbag still managed to excite me every time they showed up on screen. I'd got to give an ultra special shout out to Tyler Mane for saying more with just a glare than most people say with their words.

I'd say one of the major things that stands out for this film is the overall soundtrack and sound design. The sound managed to consistently keep you on edge through out, even in ordinary conversation. The ambient, pulse-pounding score provided by the mad genius Tyler Bates definitely hit every right note when the film called for it and the excellent use of classic songs is to die for- pun intended.

The gore was brutal to the extreme. Zombie has made quite a name for himself among the horror community for his incredibly well done murder sequences and this film is no exception. Yet I'd also like to give Zombie super special props because the way he chose to shoot the gore and death sequences managed to give the audience mucho sympathy for even the most smallest and insignificant of characters.

Rob Zombie has without a doubt grown as a director. His writing is pretty much the same level it has always been, but his directing has gotten fantastic. His choices with the music cues, the shot compositions, the juxtaposition of scenes and his absolutely amazing use of slow motion has without a doubt captured my own personal imagination.

I'd also like to express my complete love for the film's use of dream sequences. Even the ones where you're not supposed to know it's a dream manage to convey such a creepy atmosphere and intense imagery. The first dream sequence, which I will try not to spoil, is one of the most intense experiences at the cinema you'll probably have this year and this is coming from someone who sat through and loved the french gorefest Martyrs earlier this year. There's also another notable dream sequence that involves an incredibly fucked up family feast that'll make you squirm in your chair.

Any complaints? A few minor ones. While Cinematography overall through out the film was absolutely phenomenal (I love the use of moonlitten silhouettes), there were times where the scenes were a bit too dark to make out any detail. It made it difficult at times to accurately tell what exactly Myers was doing to a few of his victims. The editing also didn't help at times.

Overall, I'd give this film a solid 9/10.