It only took nine movies and a body count in the dozens, but in 2007 slasher icon Michael Myers was finally imbued with some semblance of personality, to the consternation of many "Halloween" fans, and with thanks to one-man genre Rob Zombie. Out is the motiveless cipher of the earlier movies and in is a trauma-spawned Myers played first by Daeg Faerch and later by Tyler Mane. Throw in a hell of a lot of fucks and at least a few of the other elements that makes Rob Zombie's brand of horror so distinctive and what you have is a much-needed shot in the arm for the "Halloween" series (or an act of blasphemy, if you ask someone other than me). Not that "Halloween" ever reaches the heights of Zombie's best or anything; there's too much awkward lip service being paid to John Carpenter's 1978 original for that. But for the origin story portion of the plot, at least, "Halloween" is pretty compelling. There's just something about a weird-looking kid violently freeing himself from his own white trash existence that works so well for me. If only we didn't have to wait for the sequel for Zombie to free himself from the burdens of homage, because the movie isn't quite as good when he's tasked with hastily re-enacting the plot of the Carpenter classic, dialogue and all. Scout Taylor-Compton isn't quite her own Laurie Strode just yet, but she's a welcome enough presence, as is series returnee Danielle Harris, making the Annie Brackett role her own. Malcolm McDowell is our new Dr. Loomis and he's kinda fun, but he's not Donald Pleasence or Rob Zombie's "Halloween II" Loomis fun. Anyway, this movie gets too much bad press. It isn't fantastic but it is the first good movie in the franchise since "Halloween 4."
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