Halloween II Set Visit Report. Update: Post-Screening Verdict
By Hunter Stephenson/Aug. 28, 2009 2:03 pm EST
I ask these critics to show me a comparable “rote” horror film this well-shot that stars the excellent Brad Dourif (Blue Velvet, John Huston’s Wise Blood) reminiscing about Lee Marvin. Or how about one with a fun Malcolm McDowell thinly and hilariously disguising contempt for movie journalists who trash certain directors with trigger-happy aimlessness. The early hospital scenes set to The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” make for only one of the sweet, sweet uses of music therein. Sidenote: I enjoyed seeing actress Silvia Jeffries’ (Tracy on Eastbound & Down) play a stripper who receives a priceless tip from Michael. Like most, I was worried that Sheri Moon Zombie would take a sizable Yoko-like chunk out of the movie, but she’s merely a muse to Michael (and Zombie) here. And sure, the dream sequences are different from previous Myers installments, but is that a bad thing? They add genuinely creepy flourish to Zombie’s grisly murder scenes. It’s only been an hour since my screening let out, but I’d say this is the second best Halloween movie in existence: inferior to John Carpenter’s first (obviously!) but better than Rick Rosenthal’s original sequel. I doubt the critics hating on this movie (and Zombie, for whatever reason) can debate my closing statement. And tellingly so. Rob Zombie put Laurie Strode in a Black Flag shirt and dragged her to hell. And I liked it!! And it makes me wonder: are sites like CHUD and STYD, that profess love for horror, this out of touch per the genre? They really prefer the dated Abercrombie bottle blondes of Platinum Dunes to Zombie’s girls, who for Halloween go as guys dressed as girls and leave parties to shag a werewolf in a van? Weird.
Set Visit Report: Earlier this year, /Film went down to Georgia to visit the set of Rob Zombie’s Halloween II. The sequel to 2007’s remake was shooting in a quaint, charming town called Newborn—an hour or so outside of Atlanta—that is tucked behind sprawling farmland and reached by hilly roads outlined in dead trees. Spring was in session, but outside it was already chilly and the approaching darkness and anticipation made it feel like Halloween night. After spending an hour completely lost and staring at a cow in search of cell phone reception, /Film finally reached the set. A handful of other peers including STYD’s Ryan Rotten joined us as we piled into a van and drove down a dark street to watch what publicists said was a climatic action piece in the film.On the Set
Rob Zombie and Co. are filming a scene next to a vast soybean field that seems to hypnotically appear and disappear by way of a helicopter spotlight. Indeed, we are just feet away from the two-story house of Sheriff Brackett (Deadwood’s great Brad Dourif), and underneath the helicopter, Michael Myers is hiding unseen in a small, dilapidated shack. This is a manhunt, but whether it’s taking place in a dream or in reality is not clarified by anyone on set. The small shack is whipped by blasts of dead leaves, steam, and weeds, and surrounded by flashing cop cars. Smiles are earned from us as Myers eventually bursts through the shack’s walls and steps into the light. Rob Zombie is watching the footage several feet away under a tent. And, in one of countless instances, he takes off his headphones and nearly hops to the shack to speak with Tyler Mane. Zombie looks equal parts happy, focused, and possibly over-caffeinated.
To the left of the shack, about 100 yards away, there is an unidentified car overturned at the bottom of a hill. It’s ablaze and remains this way for the duration of the shoot—at least five hours. A fire truck is parked on the road above it and water hoses are being sprayed to no avail. Outside the shack, an encounter suddenly occurs between Myers and Dr. Loomis, who is positioned on the ground and appears wounded. Myers rips off his mask and—to our surprise—seems to yell the word, “Die!” while attacking Loomis. After countless takes, the action then verges into spoiler territory. During breaks, Mane walks past us, dead silent, his filthy weird-beard protruding. It’s hard to tell if Mane’s gone completely method, is just putting on a show for the journos, or is just fed up with this helicopter that has taken on the role of a loud insect. As he walks by, he leaves a trail of cigar smoke. Apparently, Mane’s as big on stogies as Ron Perlman. I guess that rules out the method process.
Some thoughts on Rob Zombie’s standing in the horror genre. And Halloween II’s producers extend on Zombie’s role in the franchise
And there’s no way in hell that I’ll ever understand the mindset of horror fans who profess a love for—or at least offer an indifferent pass to—Platinum Dunes and their shitty, whorish reboots of Leatherface and Jason Voorhees, but proceed to attack Zombie’s take on Myers. His Myers is informed by a love for the genre, of serial killer lore, rock ’n’ roll and original stylings. Platinum Dunes is informed by test screenings, blow jobs, and Hollywood idiocy. Often, this online vehemence towards Zombie reaches a level not even allotted to countless and brainless slasher remakes like Prom Night. In considering this observation my analogy would be: I don’t care for the Arcade Fire, but I understand why they have fans. Moreover, I’d rather a non-deal-breaker band like Arcade Fire kick around and experiment in the mainstream to balance out the constant flood of glossy sham acts like Black Eyed Peas (aka Platinum Dunes).
One aspect that is oft-overlooked about the Halloween franchise is that the Akkad family has been with it from the beginning and is 100% behind Rob Zombie’s fresh take on Myers and canon. Here’s what producer, Malek Akkad, had to say on set…
Rob Zombie has expressed that he’s done contributing to the franchise (Note: Yes, as he did after the first film). Akkad discussed where the franchise goes after Halloween II…
“Starting out, we were looking into how we could go into a normal sequel. We actually had a couple writers do a draft and what have you. But that didn’t work out, so we said, ‘Let’s get Rob back,’ so he can finish off what he started. And I like Inside and I met the Inside guys [who were previously attached to write/direct], but it wasn’t them as much as just as Rob. Rob’s sensibility, that he brings to that, you can’t get that. And these were guys were French, so there was something lost in translation somehow [laughs: /Film, Ryan Rotten]. When you’re dealing with the fans, obviously Halloween, and Michael Myers is a very American horror icon. And Rob gets that, and what I love, is that we really hit on the Halloween holiday [in this film]. And the first one, the fact that he was doing a remake, there were some constraints involved and certain elements…that he had to flesh out in his own. But with this one, he’s really taking it in his own direction. He brought new elements into the franchise that we’ve never seen before.”
“After the first one, I obviously built a lot of trust in Rob. But with the first one, the one thing that really stood out, is that we had gotten into the habit of using a stunt man for Michael. And Rob insisted on using an actor, which I agreed with 100%. And I trusted Rob 100%. When we started on the sequel, I told Rob,‘Don’t feel hindered by any sort of rules that we’ve had in the past. I want this to be your vision, and feel free to really express that vision.’ And I think it’s good. I think it’s needed. We need to break out from these kind of rules that have been established over the course of the franchise. I’m really thrilled.”
Producer Andy Gould, who has worked with Zombie in this capacity for years on all of his films, also spoke with us. He reiterated his desire to see Tyrannosaurus Rex be Zombie’s next film (as of yesterday, apparently The Blob will be next for them). He also shared Akkad’s sentiments…
After she had wrapped shooting for the night, and after we had downed 40 gallons of coffee and hot chocolate to stay warm, we visited with Scout Taylor-Compton in her trailer. Her boyfriend—who had a dark emo ‘do—was present, but got up to leave shortly after we entered. Some tasteless jokes were quietly exchanged. Sidenote: We will never forget watching that guy tell Malcolm “A Clockwork Orange” McDowell that V For Vendetta is the best movie ever made and continue to excitedly share its superlatives with him over dinner. A penny for the thoughts of McDowell at that moment. Sidenote: Speaking of which, we weren’t able to speak with McDowell on set, but he came up to /Film at dinner and greeted us with a friendly, quite awesome, “Good evening, gentlemen!” To which we replied, “…Oh, um, good evening to you sir.” Class act, him.
Taylor-Compton, who recently signed on to play Lita Ford in The Runaways, slouched against the make-up area of her trailer and puffed a cigarette. She reminded me of one of those cool stoner girls in high school who transfers to a private school in the city. As we chatted, she was bundled up, but beneath remained the ripped stockings from the shoot. Her face and hair were spattered with blood and dirt. She seemed used to the look. We were all pretty tired.
We asked her what she thought of the direction Laurie Strode was taking in the sequel: a damaged path of physical and psychological healing that is upended with the return of her brother. This time around, Taylor-Compton is the main character, which came as a shock to her, since Zombie wasn’t expected to return. (And she implied gently that she might not have either…)
“All [Rob Zombie] said was, ‘Be ready to kick ass.’ I had no idea what the script was about until I read it on the plane. I had no idea what Laurie was going to go through. Then [she read the script] and was like ‘Holy shit, this movie’s about me!’”
There were several other questions, but my recording was damaged in a recent move. The following question might have had something to do with sleep being on my mind at the moment, but I asked her if she has nightmares about Michael Myers…
Hunter’s Previous Coverage of Halloween II on /Film:
“You know what? I used to be scared of Michael Myers. My uncle would wear the mask all the time and it freaked me out. [laughs] And I hated that mask so much! But by filming the movie, it kind of brings me back to that time, especially filming the first Halloween. But now, I’m used to it. I mean, Tyler [Mane] is like my dad now.”
Rob Zombie Interview: Part 1
Rob Zombie Interview: Part 2
Essay: Rob Zombie vs Platinum Dunes and Their Takes on the Modern Monsters of Horror
Hunter Stephenson can be reached at h.attila[at]gmail.com and on twitter.
