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Despite frustrating script, ‘Halloween’ brings plenty of scares

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Jamie Lee Curtis in a scene from "Halloween," in theaters nationwide on Oct. 19. (Ryan Green/Universal Pictures via AP)

Forty years later. Here we are, after almost four decades of horrendous sequels in the “Halloween” franchise, to be presented with a slasher that is as fun as it is gory. While this installation of “Halloween” will by no means be as much of a classic as the first, the theater will still be filled with shrieks of terror.

Exactly forty years after the eventful Halloween night that Laurie Strode (Jaime Lee Curtis) survived, Michael Myers (Nick Castle) is still at large. After escaping his imprisonment, Myers returns to Haddonfield, Illinois, to finish what was started decades prior. This time, Laurie is ready to fight back and enact vengeance.

It is safe to say that people want to be scared after seeing this long-awaited reunion; satisfyingly, that want was met.

There were several moments in the film where the dread continued to climb, reaching almost unbearable levels at times. This was due to how patient the film was, which is a nice change of pace when films often rush their scares. In one instance, a cliche was impressively subverted multiple times, giving the audience a false sense of safety. When Michael did strike, however, so did the gore. The kills were unapologetically graphic; two in particular made me turn my head away. Once again, the best executions were the grotesquely drawn-out ones.

That was perhaps the only want met. One of the smartest choices for the script was to completely forget any of the sequels happened. It allowed the film to return to the roots of the first, but the film chooses to instead follow aspects that cheesy horror movies use.

Unnecessary plot elements and incredibly stupid character decisions were frustrating signs of an amateur script. There was an attempt of a plot twist that could have proved interesting, which turned into one of the most moronic moments in film history. As the story was mainly written by David Gordon Green, a comedy director, there were many times that there seemed to be a lack of unity. While there were times where the horror shined, the absence of focus took a heavy toll. This was especially true when the film wasted scenes with stale jokes that Green forced in.

Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the film’s better qualities. Curtis’ performance as a tough but tormented survivor was believable, thanks to the emphasis put on her character. That’s about it though. She is the only one worth caring about, other than the already-established haunting presence of Michael Myers, who I must add looks frightening.

Fans looking for gruesome kills with some truly scary moments will be pleased. Those looking for more sadly won’t find much. “Halloween” is a refreshing change after many disappointing sequels but would not be able to stand without the safety net provided by the original. Popcorn will still fly, though, as fans jump with fear.

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