Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

A year after Michael Myers' second killing spree, the residents of Haddonfield are trying to move on. However, somehow both Dr. Loomis and Jamie know that the horror is far from over. Sure enough, the murders start up again, but this time there seems to be more going on behind the scenes. Halloween 4 had been so successful the previous year, it was no surprise when 5 was announced. The sequel was rushed into production and released less than year later. The response was not so warm this time and the series' future was uncertain.

By 1989, the slasher film craze seemed to finally be running out of steam. Freddy and Jason appeared on the screen in sequels less successful than their predecessors. Unlike those franchises, the Halloween series had been dormant for a good part of the 80s. This of course made no difference and the fourth sequel ended up making even less at the Box Office than Season of the Witch. It's been one of the most hated entries in the series since then, believed to be the start of it's downfall. However, there are a few of us who feel it's been unfairly maligned.

The first thing to really stand out in the film is the opening titles sequence. It may not be as ominous as the one for 4, but it's still quite imaginative and mood setting. The cinematography is amazing, giving the film a real spooky atmosphere. All of the scenes in the barn and old house are particularly gorgeous and eerie. The score by Alan Howarth is not his best, but is still very effective. My favorite part is the bizarre chanting that pops up from time to time.

All survivors of the last film return and are joined by several new cast members. All in all, everyone does a fine job, especially young Danielle Harris who's mute through much of the film. Some of the supporting characters are thinly written, but the actors give their all. One thing that's different is that the humor has been cranked up a notch. Some comes from the characters, while the rest comes from certain situations. Not all of it hits the mark, but some does and keeps the film from being deadly serious.

One of the highlights of 4 is some of it's set pieces, like the one on the roof. There are some humdingers here as well, the most memorable being the laundry shoot scene. Also memorable are some of the kills, which are less over-the-top this time. The bad news is that some are off screen since the film is said to have been cut down from and X rating. The pace of the film is pretty good, slower in the first half before picking up for the second. And then we also get another strong cliffhanger, but would have to wait six years to see what would happen next.

One of the most irritating flaws is that some of the humor is of the goofy kind. The two bumbling cops and the music that accompanies them feel out of place here. Even more glaring however, is the mini-mansion that's supposed to be Michael Myers' childhood home. As a fan, I refuse to accept this as the case and would rather think of it as a hideout. How Dr. Loomis would known about it isn't so easy to answer, but what can you do? Though not on par with the original or 4, this entry is better than it should be and makes for a good watch this time of year.

9/10