#TristianEggerling

[duranduratulsa]

Now showing on my Halloween Kills (2021) on amazing blu-ray! #movie #movies #horror #halloween #HalloweenKills #johncarpenter #michaelmyers #theshape #jamieleecurtis #lauriestrode #andimatichak #jamesjudecourtney #dylanarnold #nickcastle #JudyGreer #WillPatton #anthonymichaelhall #KyleRichards #nancystephens #DonaldPleasence #ripdonaldpleasance #michaelmcdonald #TonyMoran #CharlesCyphers #NANCYKYES #NancyLoomis #CarmelaMcNeal #ScottMacArthur #lennyclarke #jibrailnantambu #drewscheid #RobertLongstreet #pjsoles #DIVATYLER #tristianeggerling #OmarJDorsey #2020s #bluray

[teenplicity]

The sequel not only brings back Lonnie but other characters from the original films who survived that first Halloween night. The gravity of that decision by filmmakers and the history of the role he was taking on didn’t hit Tristian until it came time to film. “I didn’t really understand how much it meant to book the role of Lonnie until the first night I walked onto set. Everyone said, ‘Look, there’s our Lonnie!’ and I was immediately welcomed to the big circle of DGG and them,” Tristian recalls. “It was amazing to feel immediately part of the Halloween franchise and all the nostalgia of the details of the past. When photos of the flashbacks leaked, I started to realize just how much the fans loved the original film.” He teases fans, “They are in for many cool surprises for sure!” 📸: Kevin McIntyre #TristianEggerling #HalloweenKills #Halloween #LonnieElam #HalloweenFranchise #DavidGordonGreen #interview #Teenplicity #horror #horrorfilm #blumhouse #actor https://teenplicity.com/no-trick-just-treats-with-halloween-kills-star-tristian-eggerling/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CVU_5WJrCBv/?utm_medium=tumblr

[doomonfilm]

Review : Halloween Kills (2021)

Even if it overstayed its welcome a bit, and restarted one too many times for the likes of most, Halloween as a franchise owes nothing to anyone.  Maybe that’s what made my first time viewing of the 2018 direct sequel to the 1978 classic so special, as the creative time behind it clearly held the original film in reverence and created their offering in the hopes of making a coherent and enjoyable legacy that purist fans can follow.  Interestingly enough, this initial viewing (and its callbacks to the original), as enjoyable as they were, still left enough room for interpretation that a few story points went right over my head... that is, until I got going with Halloween Kills.

The lateral expansion and exploration of the 1978 and 2018 entries in a parallel fashion works well, especially in light of the fact that Halloween Kills literally picks up in the same moments that concluded the 2018 Halloween film.  Speaking of, many people found it unnecessarily confusing that the 2018 film chose to title itself identically to the 1978 classic, but with the provided context of Halloween Kills, it’s now crystal clear that the 2018 entry was less of a sequel to its 1978 counterpart and more of a pickup after a 40 year pause.  In this light, Halloween Kills feels like a sequel in both spirit and scope, be it the way that Laurie and her family are given new layers, the revelations surrounding Deputy Hawkins, or the Twilight Zone-esque descent into madness that consumes Haddonfield and serves as the narrative spine.  Out of this central theme, Halloween Kills goes into deep dives on mob mentality, repressed retribution from the victimized survivors of the terror that Michael Myers caused with his past actions, and/or most importantly, the exploitation of fear as a tool for control and power.

Halloween Kills also manages to expand the lore of Michael Myers without going to illogical extremes, with the most powerful expansion of all being a key moment in the creation of the current version revealing itself as a half-truth.  The self-awareness that gave Halloween 2018 its depth continues in Halloween Kills, with callbacks to the original narrative not only being continued, but literally sewn in to the presented story via repurposed footage.  The self-awareness is also present in terms of the film knowing that it is a sequel, particularly in the large ensemble cast, the insanely raised stakes and the over the top body count.  A nice added touch was the way that a collective agreement became present to save Laurie from herself... it definitely makes sense considering her condition in the wake of facing Michael Myers head on, but it feels bittersweet from the outside looking in, as her lack of knowledge created a false bliss and set up a bomb drop built around the denial of closure. 

As previously mentioned, there is a nearly seamless integration of footage from the 1978 Halloween film, and with the color-timing choices made overall, the entire film benefits from looking and feeling like its classic counterpart.  I must also double-down on my love for this film to embrace its nature as a sequel, with the kills being highly stylized and more spectacular, while the body count is raised to a dizzying degree.  The growth of the cast feels natural in the way that they all keep the heart of the story in their sights while letting their presence help feed the overall sense of panic and paranoia, making it grow in a way where tension stacks upon itself into a tower ready to crumble at a moment’s notice.  The updated set design on the Myers house is a nice touch as well, as it drapes a very familiar location in a reskin with plenty of personality. 

Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer and Andi Matichak all pick right up where they left off with Halloween 2018, moving forward with all of their post-traumatic stress that is amplified by their Earth-shattering discovery of the fact that Michael Myers is still alive, especially in the way that the uber-talented Greer‘s Karen essentially evolves into her final form of what Laurie was attempting to make her.  Anthony Michael Hall kicks the alpha instincts into gear as the mob leader, serving as a parallel terrifying presence to that of Michael Myers despite his stance as a protagonist and former victim.  Of all those that portray former victims, Robert Longstreet gives the most moving performance as he redeems the slander laid upon his name in the 2018 edition.  Dylan Arnold expands his character from a lustful, flippant and ignorant boyfriend character to a protector in the making hoping he can keep his girlfriend safe.  Omar Dorsey and Charles Cyphers capture the lack of foresight that impedes authority in a panic situation, standing as a voice of reason versus a voice of revenge conflict existing in the midst of a much larger conflict.  Kyle Richards and Marion Chambers also bring in the trauma-based energy as former Michael Myers victims, allowing their need for revenge to create interesting fight or flight reactions in the face of their elongated terror.  Carmella McNeal, Michael Smallwood, Scott McArthur, Michael McDonald, Brian F. Durkin, David Lowe and many, many more help fill out the fanatical and fantastic world of Halloween Kills. 

There is something poetic about Halloween Kills that, in my opinion, will most likely be read as either camp or fan service by the deeply cynical viewers of today.  With the 2018 edition setting up the return of Michael Myers as a showdown between he and Laurie, the poetry comes in the way that Halloween Kills unfolds the trauma, turns it into a collective madness, and all the while, allows Myers to remain his terrifying self while actually maintaining to build a sense of sympathy for his plight, making his eventual homecoming that much more powerful in terms of its subtext... in a way (and forgive me in advance for this level of corniness), the biggest threat that Michael Myers imposed was upon himself, and everything we’ve seen is a result of this.