HALLOWEEN ENDS

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently in theatres and streaming on Peacock from director David Gordon Green, Blumhouse and Universal Pictures is the return of HALLOWEEN ENDS.

Corey (Rohan Campbell) is babysitting the obnoxious kid Jeremy. Trying to find ways to entertain the kid, it is Jeremy who decides to be the entertainment. It goes wrong and Corey’s life will never be the same in 2019.

Michael Myer’s hasn’t been seen and it is four years later. Haddonfield is still on high alert but trying to live their lives. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is one of those trying to forget the horrors her brother has inflicted on so many lives. She is in the process of writing a book about it all and living with granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).

Corey is keeping a low profile and working as a mechanic but it doesn’t stop people from harassing him. Laurie understands as they name call her as well yet she scoops up Corey and takes him to get his wounds tended to. There he meets Allyson and the two hang out together and she invites him to a Halloween party. He is having a good time until he runs into Jeremy’s mother.

Then a run in with the bully-pack and an accident has him waking up face to face in the sewer with Michael Meyers. Instead of running to the police, he runs to Allyson and makes it clear that he wants a relationship with her. Meanwhile, Laurie ends up at Lindsay’s (Kyle Richards) bar learning from Jeremy’s father that Corey was a good kid, but something is broken inside him.

Michael makes his way out of the sewer and Haddonfield is about to know chaos and fear once again but from who? Corey and Allyson decide they are done with Haddonfield and want to leave but, it is Halloween. Yet Laurie senses that something is very, very wrong letting Corey know that she wants to help but not at the cost of Allyson.

Corey turns to Michael Meyers with one goal, to get his hands on the mask that has put the fear into Haddonfield. Laurie and Allyson have it out and the town bullies are after Corey. As the new fear begins, there is the old fear to deal with and Laurie is going to do just that. It is time for brother and sister to fight to the very end – literally.

Curtis as Laurie Strode is iconic to this character and I swear to gawd if there is a remake five years down the line – someone is getting hurt! She is Laurie Strode from the young babysitting in 1978, to the older and wiser 2022 woman that I can relate to on several levels. I love that she came back to finish the series giving us an ending we all deserved. That being said there is also that bitter sweet that we won’t see Laurie Strode again – or will we? Okay, a girl can dream!

Thank you, Ms. Curtis, for showing us how to survive terror while we cheered for you every step of the way knowing that Laurie Strode may have had her moments of doubt but that spark to survive is real. You will always be our Scream Queen!

Campbell as Corey starts out a young man who just wants a babysitting job and it turns into a life changing event that follows him every moment of every day. It is not that he doesn’t want to forget, its just that no one will let him forget.

Matichak as Allyson also tries to live a life that doesn’t include fear and pain. Bucking against her grandmother at every turn, she is fighting for her sanity and to be free of the years trapped in being a part of the Strode family and legacy of horror.

Richards as Lindsay returns, still alive since 1978! Running the local watering hole, she is a tad jaded but keeps her eyes and ear open. Patton as Wallace has a thing for Laurie all these years later and keeps a close eye on her. He does not have much of a part but anytime he’s on screen I’m happy.

Shout out to James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle for being the masked Michael that has scared the crap out of most of us most of our lives on Halloween. In that fear, we all watched and waited to see where that face would show up in the window, at the end of a fog laden alley or in the shaking bushes? It has been an awesome ride and I’m personally thanking you for it!

Other cast include: Michele Dawson as Nurse Deb, Candice Rose as Mrs. Allen, Marteen as Billy, Joey Harris as Margo, Keraunt Harris as Willy the Kid, Destiny Mone as Stacy and Michael O’Leary as Doctor Mathis.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

Blumhouse Productions is known for producing horror films such as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, INSIDIOUS, SINISTER, THE PURGE, THE GIFT, GET OUT, HAPPY DEATH DAY and SPLIT. The films from Blumhouse have become instant classics and they continue to give us something to scream about! See more at www.blumhouse.com

Peacock is a streaming service from NBCUniversal with thousands of hours of current hits and timeless classics, plus megahit movies and more. Iconic shows, hit movies & exclusive Originals, plus sports, news & always-on channels can be found. For more please visit www.peacocktv.com

Director Green stays within the boundaries of Haddonfield in a way that keeps us in the moment. It is interesting to see Corey’s story and how he came to be the way he is giving off Michael Meyer’s vibes, he has the same detachment to human life. Yet, Michael isn’t about to be outplayed!

Now, for my wish list. I wish this had been all about Laurie and Michael to the bitter end. It felt more of a Corey becoming Michael and Allyson sort of becoming Laurie kind of story. In the mix there are moments but nothing that shocked or made me jump. That was the thing about the relationship between the awkward siblings, they made emotions run rampant.

I wish there was more of Lindsay’s story of how she ended up with a bottle in her hands. I wish Laurie had gotten the guy (which she sort of did but not enough screen time for that). I wish we knew why Michael stayed in the sewer for four years, I’m nosey like that.

I think the ending is as it should have been giving Laurie a minute to stop looking over her shoulder. The nods here and there like THE THING are cool and the choice of nostalgic music always makes me smile.

Is this the end, truly? Well, I think the franchise will probably go in another direction. There are plenty of Michael Meyers’ out there waiting to have their story told. Let’s be honest though, it won’t be Laurie and Michael – the dynamic duo of horror, the Jekyll and Hyde of fear, and the sibling you don’t want to invite for dinner (especially around the cutlery).

Thank gawd for Blurays and streaming because the saga of Laurie and Michael can always be revisited during the Halloween season, or a rainy day, or a night when you can’t sleep. They will always be with us because of the generation of fans from 1978 knew a great thing when they saw it. Now we hold onto it and proudly wear our Meyers masks and put Laurie Strode up on a pedestal as a heroine we hope we all would be letting her carry the weight of our collective fears.

Man, I have bummed myself out. That’s our 70’s slang baby!

In the end – Michael’s time has come!

It is the Return of What Scares Us about HALLOWEEN and Now He's Home on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray/DVD and in time to remind you there are only 309 shopping days left until the spooky season from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and writer/director David Gordon Green, Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley from the characters created by John Carpenter and Debra Hill is the return of HALLOWEEN.

It has been forty years since Lorie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has had to deal with the likes of Michael Meyers in Haddonfield. When two documentary filmmakers come knocking on her door to ask about the night all that long ago, she gives her opinion and throws them out of her fortress laden house.

Strode has been living a secluded life much to the dismay of daughter Karen (Judy Greer) who still holds a grudge about her childhood and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) who wants a relationship with her grandmother. The problem is Strode believes that a time will come when Michael will return.

Her fears are actually being relocated to another facility and Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer) isn’t happy about it at all. When other patients along with Michael are loaded onto the bus, the good doctor makes it clear that he will see his patient checked into the new facility. Sheriff Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) knows about the transfer and sees how it is affecting Strode.

When the bus mysteriously crashes, the carnage begins immediately as Michael makes his way back to the place where it all began. Surviving the crash is Dr. Sartain who makes it very clear that Michael is the property of the state and can’t be harmed. One call after another leads Sheriff Hawkins to body after body with no sign of Michael.

Strode isn’t about to sit around and wait for something to happen and joins in the hunt to find the psycho killer. Granddaughter Allyson is at a high school party but after being upset by boyfriend Cameron (Dylan Arnold), she takes off towards home escorted by friend Oscar (Drew Scheid) and within moments she learns how cruel Michael can be.

Strode gets daughter Karen and her husband Ray (Toby Huss) back to her fortress while the police try and locate Allyson. When everyone else is knocked down one by one, it is up to the women in the Strode family to come together and finish what was started over forty years ago.

And this time pour some gas on it!

Curtis as Lorie Strode jumps into character without missing a beat. It is ridiculous how good she jumped back in and how much I believed that this is how it would play out. Admit it – we all wondered where the character would go and now we get to see it for ourselves. Oh I’ll just say it – I just love Curtis as an actress and a person. Having listened to her speak about her career and embracing the success that the HALLOWEEN franchise brought her then and now is a testament to just how frakken cool she is. She takes Strode to another character level and she does it with grey hair and a bad ass attitude.

Greer as Karen is a bit of a downer for me in that she has totally moves away from understanding her mother. Instead she lies to her own daughter about communication and basically treats Mom/Lorie like a whack-job. Of course she jumps on the whiny ‘oh my poor childhood’ band wagon but hey, suck it up chickie, your mother taught you to survive – remember that because we all certainly would want her on our side!

Matichak as Allyson is the screamer of the family apparently. Strode in her younger years didn’t scream as much as this kid does. I mean serious, stop running down the empty street screaming like a banshee – it’s like ringing the dinner bell for a starving lion for gawd’s sake. Other than that, you did a good job kid and if there is another HALLOWEEN I’m sure you’re on the menu again so keep those track shoes handy.

Patton as Hawkins is a cop who remembers what happened forty years ago just as much as Strode does. Once the word is out that Meyers is on the loose, he doesn’t waste any time hitting the streets and doesn’t mind when Strode steps in with her loaded weapon to do what needs to be done. I’m a Patton fan in case anyone was curious about that.

Bilginer as Dr. Sartain is a doctor who needs a doctor. His agenda is pretty much the reason there are medical boards that take away your license – know that mister!

Shout out to the two gentlemen that brought us the scares both mentally and physically – James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle – thank you sirs for your valiant successful efforts in freaking us out forty years later. Well played sirs, well played.

Other cast include Rhian Reese as Dana Haines, Jefferson Hall as Aaron Korey, Virginia Gardner as Vicky, Miles Robbins as Dave, Jibrail Nantambu as Julian and, of course James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle as Michael Meyers.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The Bonus Features for HALLOWEEN is not to be missed! There is deleted and extended scenes that I’ve watched twice with Extended Shooting Range, Shower Mask Visit, Jog to a Hanging Dog, Allyson and Friends at School, Cameron and Cops Don’t Mix, Deluxe Banh Mi Cops, and Sartain and Hawkins Ride Along. Also included is Back in Haddonfield: Making HALLOWEEN, The Original Scream Queen, The Sound of Fear, Journey of the Mask and The Legacy of Halloween.

MOVIES ANYWHERE is the digital app that simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers. For more information please visit http://moviesanywhere.com.

HALLOWEEN is an epic horror film that doesn’t hesitate to nod here and there to the original 1978 film that scared the living acorn candy out of most of us. Of course you can once again expect Michael Meyers to get creative in the way that he disposes of those who get in his way and this time age doesn’t seem to matter. He gives equal horror to all!

I jumped, hollered a bit, put my hand over my mouth, said ‘ewwwwwwww’ a lot, applauded, said ‘daaaaaaaaaaang’ many, many times and cheered. Lorie Strode and family had to make a few sacrifices but darn it if Michael doesn’t make them all work for ever second of survival.

I can honestly tell you that I am still excited about the film. Look, this isn’t rocket science but it’s enough rocket fuel to make those who remember 1978 happy and horror fans giddy to once again remember why we freak out seeing rubber Shatner masks coming our way.

This is a fun, spine chilling film that is a bloody run down memory lane and I can’t wait to see it again and again – with my hands off my face this next time!

In the end – believe in the Boogie-man!

It is the Return of What Scares Us about HALLOWEEN

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday just in time for the spooky season from Miramax and writer/director David Gordon Green, Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley from the characters created by John Carpenter and Debra Hill is the return of HALLOWEEN.

It has been forty years since Lorie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has had to deal with the likes of Michael Meyers in Haddonfield. When two documentary filmmakers come knocking on her door to ask about the night all that long ago, she gives her opinion and throws them out of her fortress laden house.

Strode has been living a secluded life much to the dismay of daughter Karen (Judy Greer) who still holds a grudge about her childhood and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) who wants a relationship with her grandmother. The problem is Strode believes that a time will come when Michael will return.

Her fears are actually being relocated to another facility and Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer) isn’t happy about it at all. When other patients along with Michael are loaded onto the bus, the good doctor makes it clear that he will see his patient checked into the new facility. Sheriff Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) knows about the transfer and sees how it is affecting Strode.

When the bus mysteriously crashes, the carnage begins immediately as Michael makes his way back to the place where it all began. Surviving the crash is Dr. Sartain who makes it very clear that Michael is the property of the state and can’t be harmed. One call after another leads Sheriff Hawkins to body after body with no sign of Michael.

Strode isn’t about to sit around and wait for something to happen and joins in the hunt to find the psycho killer. Granddaughter Allyson is at a high school party but after being upset by boyfriend Cameron (Dylan Arnold), she takes off towards home escorted by friend Oscar (Drew Scheid) and within moments she learns how cruel Michael can be.

Strode gets daughter Karen and her husband Ray (Toby Huss) back to her fortress while the police try and locate Allyson. When everyone else is knocked down one by one, it is up to the women in the Strode family to come together and finish what was started over forty years ago.

And this time pour some gas on it!

Curtis as Lorie Strode jumps into character without missing a beat. It is ridiculous how good she jumped back in and how much I believed that this is how it would play out. Admit it – we all wondered where the character would go and now we get to see it for ourselves. Oh I’ll just say it – I just love Curtis as an actress and a person. Having listened to her speak about her career and embracing the success that the HALLOWEEN franchise brought her then and now is a testament to just how frakken cool she is.

Greer as Karen is a big of a downer for me in that she has totally moves away from understanding her mother. Instead she lies to her own daughter about communication and basically treats Mom Lorie like a whack-job. Of course she jumps on the whiny ‘oh my poor childhood’ band wagon but hey, suck it up chickie, your mother taught you to survive – remember that!

Matichak as Allyson is the screamer of the family apparently. Strode in her younger years didn’t scream as much as this kid does. I mean serious, stop running down the empty street screaming like a banshee – it’s like ringing the dinner bell for a starving lion for gawd’s sake. Other than that, you did a good job kid and if there is another HALLOWEEN I’m sure you’re on the menu again so keep those track shoes handy.

Patton as Hawkins is a cop who remembers what happened forty years ago just as much as Strode does. Once the word is out that Meyers is on the loose, he doesn’t waste any time hitting the streets and doesn’t mind when Strode steps in with her loaded weapon to do what needs to be done. I’m a Patton fan in case anyone was curious about that.

Bilginer as Dr. Sartain is a doctor who needs a doctor. His agenda is pretty much the reason there are boards that take away your license – know that!

Shout out to the two gentlemen that brought us the scares both mentally and physically – James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle – thank you sirs for your valiant successful efforts in freaking us out forty years later. Well played sirs, well played.

Other cast include Rhian Reese as Dana Haines, Jefferson Hall as Aaron Korey, Virginia Gardner as Vicky, Miles Robbins as Dave, Jibrail Nantambu as Julian and, of course James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle as Michael Meyers.

HALLOWEEN is an epic horror film that doesn’t hesitate to nod here and there to the original 1978 film that scared the living acorn candy out of most of us. Of course you can once again expect Michael Meyers to get creative in the way that he disposes of those who get in his way and this time age doesn’t seem to matter. He gives equal horror to all!

I jumped, hollered a bit, put my hand over my mouth, said ‘ewwwwwwww’ a lot, applauded, said ‘daaaaaaaaaaang’ many, many times and cheered. Lorie Strode and family had to make a few sacrifices but darn it if Michael doesn’t make them all work for ever second of survival.

After the film I can honestly tell you that everyone, and I mean everyone at the screening was talking excitedly about the film. Look, this isn’t rocket science but it’s enough rocket fuel to make those who remember 1978 happy and horror fans giddy to once again remember why we freak out seeing rubber Shatner masks coming our way.

This is a fun, spine chilling film that is a bloody run down memory lane and I can’t wait to see it again – with my hands off my face this next time!

In the end – believe in the Boogie-man!

MEGAN LEAVEY Inspires Coming to Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray/DVD and Digital HD from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Bleeker Street is the inspirational film based on the story of MEGAN LEAVEY.

Megan (Kate Mara) is a young woman staggering through life. Unhappy with her job and unhappy living at home with mom Jackie (Edie Falco) and her boyfriend Jim (Will Patton), it seems the days just blur.

That is until she makes the decision to hop a bus and join the U.S. Marine Corps. It didn’t take long until Megan was in trouble within the Corps as well that has her cleaning the kennels of the K9 unit.

There she meets Rex, a four legged anti-social dog who gives trainers a difficult time. Megan continues to ask Gunny Martin (Common) to become part of the K9 unit. When a situation presents itself, Megan and Rex are paired together and so begins a training of each other to become a strong unit through patience and friendship.

Sent to Camp Ramadi in Iraq, Megan and Rex are sent on missions to sniff out IED’s clearing the way for soldiers and the Iraqi people. She also meets Matt Morales (Ramon Rodriguez) who is also part of the K9 unit and starts to become comfortable being part of a team.

Then a mission puts both of their lives in danger changing the path for them both. Megan knows that she can not continue on her path without Rex and with dad Bob’s (Bradley Whitford) push, she is will get Rex back at her side and will do anything to make that happen.

In that is the true meaning of friendship!

Mara as Megan portrays a young woman who clearly has problems dealing with home and family. Making a swift move to join the military, Mara’s character puts up serious walls until she creates an unbreakable bond with Rex. What is amazing is that feeling this connection and watching the story unfold between Megan and Rex; it is not surprising that they would work together so brilliantly. Mara and Rex are lovely in this film and the audience fell in love with them both.

Common as Gunny Martin is a man who clearly doesn’t take any guff from anyone – including a pint size Megan Leavey. Testing her potential and patiently watching to see if her dedication to the K9 unit is solid, he gives us both the tough Gunny as well as a man who understands the hurt of battle.

Rodriguez as Morales is a wise cracking but dedicated part of the K9 unit in Iraq. He manages to bring down some of Megan’s emotional walls but it can take the snap of fingers to bring them back up. Patton as Jim is not someone Megan is thrilled to have around and this is a small role.

Whitford as Megan’s father Bob is a man who realizes that choices he made in his life have affected his daughter. Wanting to reach out and help her, he just isn’t sure how to do it or if it would make a difference. This is a different role for Whitford and he delivers with a lovely scene when Megan returns from Iraq.

Falco as Jackie is – well – Falco. She is an over dramatic and wildly awesome to watch as Megan’s mother. Big or small, Falco brings her best to every role she does and always manages to surprise me.

Other cast include Geraldine James as Dr. Turbeville, Shannon Tarbet as Barb, Miguel Gomez as Gomez, Jonathan Howard as Peter Walters, George Webster as Finn, Corey Johnson as Master Sergeant and Tom Felton as Andrew Dean.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MEGAN LEAVEY could very easily be called a feel good film but that would be an injustice to the story being told. There are so many issues that are handled in this story with straight forwardness, no sugar-coating and boldly done.

It is the story of a young woman dealing with the situation her life is in and knowing at some point something had to give. Joining the Marine Corps gives Megan the opportunity to become part of something bigger than herself and not just fighting in a war but becoming responsible for Rex and the lives of everyone around her. Mara takes this role and lets us all experience the journey of this young woman until the end where we come to understand more than we ever could.

Director Cowperthwaite says of her film, “There are so many important story threads, what about the political commentary about the war one could make or about a ton of things regarding women Marines and dealing with their situations…and to focus on this world from Megan’s perspective. You have to hone in on that relationship and how that bond gets built because that is really what the story is – loyalty and friendship.”

In regards to PTSD and returning troops she says, “Dealing with PTSD when our military come home and how we can maybe look at it different, pay attention and be better listeners I think that would be a great thing.”

MEGAN LEAVEY is a story that is well done dealing with issues that might be uncomfortable for some to see but necessary to experience. This film speaks on love, understanding, patience and a friendship that saved not only the lives of others – but of one another as well.

The Bluray includes the Bonus Features of Never Give Up: An Inside Look at How Megan Leavey Learned to Trust Rex!

We are proud to offer a chance for Military Press readers to win a Bluray copy of MEGAN LEAVEY. Go to hellomoviemaven@aol.com with “Megan & Rex” in the subject line along with your name and address. We will be chose winners at random and will notify by email.

In the end – a true story of a marine and her best friend!