Escape From Haddonfield
As you’re probably already aware, it was reported over the weekend that Rob Zombie has started shooting on his “reimagining” of Halloween. This news was greeted with the most overtly ridiculous form of protest yet; an actual protest, with picketing and everything. I wonder if the protesters are upset by the fact that a remake is being produced for Halloween, or are mostly disturbed that it’s Zombie at the helm. I can’t imagine they would be happier if it were some first-time music video director throwing together a bland, by-the-numbers rehash rather than someone who has shown at least a few interesting stylistic flourishes. Which brings us to my reason for bringing the topic up. I’m also strongly against this remake of Halloween, but for the opposite reason. I think Rob Zombie is too good for Halloween.
I could do without House of 1,000 Corpses, but I imagine The Devil’s Rejects would be half the movie it turned out to be if it didn’t have Corpses as a lead-up and point of comparison. Whereas with House of 1,000 Corpses Zombie gave us a fairly straight, if incoherent, retelling of the psychotic family sub-genre, The Devil’s Rejects dragged the clan out from their comfort zone and into the bright light of day. There they were revealed as pathetic, doomed little deviants that couldn’t adapt enough to achieve freedom for even a couple of days. And where Zombie blew his load in homages for the first film, in the second he integrated them more successfully, with genuine cinematic skill mixed generously with the deep-fried cinema he loves. Other than Eli Roth’s Hostel, I can’t think of a sophomore effort that showed so much growth.
And now we have Halloween, a franchise which has potentially the worst rate of success in horror movie history. Is it possible that this is a case where there was only one good story to be told, with any subsequent efforts doomed to failure? As for Zombie in particular, with The Devil’s Rejects he was able to take the unbridled freedom of House of 1,000 Corpses and temper it with a great deal of subtlety. With Halloween it appears that he’s accepting outside limitations for the very first time, as he obviously has to follow the basic structure of the original Halloween, and this just when he seems to be mastering a decent level of control himself.
No one was more surprised than I was that Rob Zombie had the potential to become one of the new guard of horror, but The Devil’s Rejects certainly made me consider it. As he moved further away from his inspirations and toward new worlds, I was looking forward to seeing what he came up with next. Now I’m not so sure.
The suburbs can be stifling, Mr. Zombie. Tread with care.
The Mist has been at the top of the most-desired Stephen King adaptations for a long time now. I know people who have no time for King at all, with The Mist being the sole exception. When the film version was finally announced with The Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont attached, most fans of the novella were relieved, and it looked like the whole thing would go off without a hitch. Until now. According to The Mist star Thomas Jane in 
Of far more interest than another fucking Halloween casting announcement is the news that 
The road to respectability is a long, strange one. I wonder if this is the first occassion the New York Times has acknowledged grindhouse cinema.
One of the selections from last year’s 8 To Die For festival goes solo with 
I’m considering some long-overdue rennovations to the site, and I was wondering if I could ask for some assistance. I’d like to know what you think. Criticism can be left in the comments below, or if you’re feeling particularly nasty, by email at steven@thehorrorblog.com. 
