Halloween 2021 Review #11 – ‘The Curse of Michael Myers’
The Curse of Michael Myers is the sixth entry in the original Halloween series. Released in 1995, it continues the story started in Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers. It also sees the return of Donald Pleasance as Dr Sam Loomis. Unfortunately, this is also one of his last movies as he died at the beginning of 1995.
The Curse of Michael Myers is the final entry in the first continuity of Halloween. However, the main question is: does it leave the series in a good place or was it yet another entry that makes me ask if there’s a point to it?
Before we go on, I need to make one point clear. It turns out the version I’ve seen is the Producer’s Cut rather than the Theatrical Cut. So, the review focuses on that version.
The Curse of Michael Myers isn’t like the last movie. Where Halloween V picks up right after the previous, this one jumps six years later. Jamie Lloyd has grown up and is trying to escape a Sanatorium… with her baby. We’ll come back to that part later.
She’s attacked by Michael Myers and the story spins out to several other characters. Dr Loomis returns, but it’s Tommy Doyle and Kara Strode. If there’s one thing that excited me in this movie it’s Tommy Doyle.
And that’s because he’s played by a young Paul Rudd.
The teenagers are trying to take back Halloween as a holiday after its ban. Of course, when things are ready to return to normal, the Shape has to return to wreak havoc. The story veers more into the supernatural as we find out Michael Myers isn’t actually a bad person.
A cult is controlling him using a curse to kill people to restore the natural order to the world. This plot takes away the agency of Michael Myers’ killings and turns him into a pawn. To me, this is a nail in the coffin of the character.
The ending to the Producer’s Cut is strange. Tommy stops Michael Myers by saying one word. Michael then forces the man in black to wear his costume while he disappears into the night. It doesn’t really make much sense, and again, makes every other character look bad.
Basically, they’re saying characters from other movies only had to say one word to stop Michael Myers for good.
I’ve always wondered why the Halloween series’ continuity changes so much. After watching IV to VI, it makes sense.
Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers has the makings of something better than what it is. It’s something I’ve said about the last two and it’s true. They have the bones of good movies but it’s unfortunate the script never pushes itself to be better.
Michael Myers goes down as one of the most terrifying horror icons. It’s a shame all of the movies don’t give him the script he deserves.
