Halloween Week: Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Welcome back for Day 2 of Halloween Week and boy that last one was... eh, it wasn't terrible. I have certainly seen worse in my 4 years of reviewing that is to be certain. So lets dive right in the shallow end for some splintered bones, shall we? One year after the events of Halloween 4, Michael Myers fell down a substantial and plot point conveniently placed mine shaft that the camera work would have you believe was bottomless and little Jamie in a fit of terror accidentally stabbed her foster mother wearing her clown costume giving it that circle of horror feel. Taking on her uncle's legacy if you will. This is Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.

Honey, don't play with crazy men.

Jamie (Danielle Harris of The Wild Thornberrys, Debating Robert Lee, Halloween, Left for Dead, Fear Clinic, Hatchet II, Stake Land and The Victim) is now mute and withdrawn from normal child behavior (Can't imagine why!!!) and Doctor Loomis (Donald Pleasence of Halloween, Centennial, Dracula, Halloween II, Alone in the Dark, Warrior Queen and Ten Little Indians) keeps a watchful eye on her, convinced that the evil that is her uncle has not been vanquished.

Believed to be dead, Michael (Stuntman/actor Don Shanks of The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, Silent Night, Deadly Night, Halloween 5, Spirit of the Eagle, Wind Dancer, Ride with the Devil, Twice Today and Death House) escapes from the mine shaft and washes up on the nearby shore from the river. A friendly hermit helps Michael to his cabin where he lays for a year to heal and recoup and rewards the hermit with an affectionate murder. Jamie forced to stay in the psychiatric ward has exhibited signs of having a empathic or possibly telepathic link to her quite insane uncle. Ah, yes the psychic link to the killer chestnut. Gosh, where could I have heard that one before? (coughs Silent Night Deadly Night III, In Dreams, Hideaway, Split Second) and Loomis is trying desperately to convince Sheriff Meeker (Beau Starr of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Speed, Due South, Prisoner of Love, Shadow Hours and The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery) that Myers is in fact alive and heading to town yet again. Now in the Sheriff's defense he is still in office after his entire staff minus two deputies were slaughtered in his own office, coupled with the loss of his daughter that it could be argued that grief has him conflicted but you would also think he would take Loomis at his word.

Zombie Shatner??!!  Oh wait, it's just Michael.

With visits from her foster sister Rachel (Ellie Cornell of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Gabriel's Fire, Free Enterprise, The Specials, House of the Dead, All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos, The Darkroom, The Thirst and Dead Calling) Jamie almost feels normal when she sees the future of Rachel being attacked by Michael and tries to warn her when her doctors feel she is being hysterical and having a fit. Rachel sees Jamie off and heads out when she is murdered by Michael by having a pair of scissors thrust in the chest. Ouch. No sooner that murder when he stalks Rachel and Jamie's mutual friend Tina (Wendy Foxworth of Guiding Light, My Two Dads, Police Story: Monster Manor, Alien Nation and Blood Deep). 

 Meeker and Loomis attempt to put a plan together to capture Michael or destroy him outright. With elements of the previous gags, Michael replaces a boyfriend and proceeds to go back on his killing spree at the same time Jamie regains her speech. She and her friend Billy escape the ward in search of Tina. Will Loomis and Meeker be able to stop Myers or be caught in the wake of his murderous rage?

A few bits of trivia about the film at this time. An alternative opening for the movie was the hermit finding Michael's body and was to be shown and removing his mask gawking at it and his scarred face but the ultimate decision was to cut it for time.

KNB EFX has designed facial makeup for Myers looking scarred from the fire and producers wasn't sure to show the detailed look or put it in the shadows. KNB went for the latter saving them time to work on more gore effects.

Thanks to the MPAA the film was fighting off an X rating due to the violence, blood and gore that was all prevalent in Halloween 4 yet somehow a year later it was too gory so some scenes had to be trimmed back and neutering some of KNB's finer work of quivering bodies, a face plant through a windshield and Billy's leg mashed by the Camero. Man the MPAA can really ruin a flick. Don Shanks played both Myers and the mysterious Man in Black. The car chase sequence was shot entirely all that night. Poor Ellie Cornell is in the film of all of 20 minutes. Kind of a bummer for a return.

Hmm, pulse seems thready.