Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

Halloween:
The Curse of Michael Myers

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Joe Chappelle
Produced by Moustapha Akkad
Malek Akkad
Paul Freeman
Written by Daniel Farrands
Based on Characters 
by John Carpenter
& Debra Hill
Starring Donald Pleasence
Paul Rudd
Marianne Hagan
Mitch Ryan
Music by Alan Howarth
Cinematography Billy Dickson
Edited by Randolph K. Bricker
Production
company
Distributed by Dimension Films
Release dates
  • September 29, 1995 (1995-09-29) (U.S.)
Running time
 88 minutes (Theatrical cut)
96 minutes (Producer's cut)
84 minutes (Director's cut)
Country United States
Language English
Budget $5 million
Box office $15.1 million

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (also known as Halloween 6 or Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers) is a 1995 American horror film and the sixth installment in the Halloween film series. Directed by Joe Chappelle from a screenplay by Daniel Farrands, the plot involves the "Curse of Thorn", a mystical symbol first shown in The Revenge of Michael Myers and revealed in the film to be the source of Michael Myers' immortality.[1] The cast includes Paul Rudd as Tommy Doyle, a returning character from the original Halloween film, and Donald Pleasence reprising his role as protagonist Dr. Sam Loomis in his final film appearance. Jamie Lloyd's appearance in the beginning of the film ties up loose ends to The Revenge of Michael Myers.

Curse opened to a respectable $7.3 million on September 29, 1995, coming in second to New Line's seminal serial killer thriller Seven.[2] Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers and the Thorn plotline would be rendered non-canon in succeeding installments, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and Halloween: Resurrection. However, the 2001 Halloween comic book series published by Chaos Comics—and based on Farrands' concept for the eighth Halloween film—attempts to bridge the continuity between The Curse of Michael Myers and Halloween H20.

The sixth installment is known for its controversial behind-the-scenes history, suffering from re-shoots in production and numerous cuts and arrangements made in the editing room; the workprint of the film, with 43 minutes of alternate footage including a different ending, was eventually discovered by fans of the series. This version, dubbed "The Producer's Cut" (as it was the original intended version of the film) developed a strong cult following, with bootleg DVD copies sold on eBay and online petitions targeting for an official release of it.[3]

Plot

On October 31, 1989, Michael Myers and his niece Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) have been abducted by a mysterious stranger in black at the Haddonfield Police Station. Six years later, teenager Jamie (J. C. Brandy) has been impregnated and her baby is born on Halloween Eve. The baby is taken away by the "Man in Black" who appears to be the leader of a Druid-like cult. Later, a midwife (Susan Swift) helps Jamie escape with her baby and is soon killed by Michael (George P. Wilbur). Jamie and her baby flee in a stolen pickup. Stopping briefly at a deserted bus station, Jamie makes a call to a Haddonfield radio station to warn them that Michael is about to return home, only to be ignored by the radio D.J. Barry Simms (Leo Geter) who is doing a broadcast on the Haddonfield murders.

Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence), now retired, is visited by his friend Dr. Terence Wynn (Mitch Ryan), the chief administrator of Smith's Grove Sanitarium where Michael had been incarcerated as a boy, who asks Loomis to return to Smith's Grove. During their conversation they overhear Jamie's plea for help on a local radio station. Later, Jamie drives back on the road followed by Michael, who causes her to crash into an old barn. Michael kills Jamie by impaling her on a corn thresher, but finds that Jamie's baby is not in the truck.

Back in Haddonfield, Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd), whom Laurie Strode babysat in the first film, now lives in a boarding house run by Mrs. Blankenship (Janice Knickrehm), a mysterious old woman. The family living in the Myers house across the street are relatives of the Strode family: Kara Strode (Marianne Hagan), her six-year-old son Danny (Devin Gardner), her teenage brother, Tim (Keith Bogart), caring mother Debra (Kim Darby) and abusive father John (Bradford English). Ever since seeing Michael Myers as a child, Tommy has been obsessed with finding the truth behind his motives. He finds Jamie's baby at the bus station, takes him into his care and names him Stephen. Tommy runs into Dr. Loomis and tells him that the Strode family living in the Myers house. The two believe Michael has returned to Haddonfield.

After Dr. Loomis tells her that she is living in Michael's home, Debra calls John to tell him she wants to leave Haddonfield but is killed by Michael. Later, Kara returns home to find Danny in his room with Tommy, whom he had met while on his way home. The three go to the boarding house, where Tommy reveals that he believes Michael has been inflicted with the curse of Thorn by a Druid-inspired cult. Thorn is an ancient Druid symbol that represented a demon that spread sickness and caused destruction. To prevent this, one child from each tribe was chosen to bear the curse of Thorn to offer a blood sacrifice of its next of kin on the night of Samhain (Halloween). When the corresponding Thorn constellation appears, Michael appears. The curse explains why Michael is out to kill his family and also accounts for his superhuman abilities. Tommy believes that Steven will be Michael's final sacrifice.

While Tommy goes out to look for Dr. Loomis at a party at the Haddonfield Junior College, Mrs. Blankenship reveals to Kara that she was babysitting Michael the night he killed his sister, and that Danny hears the "voice" (from the "Man in Black") telling him to kill just like Michael did, indicating that Danny also possesses the power of Thorn. Meanwhile, Michael kills John and Tim Strode, Tim's girlfriend Beth (Mariah O'Brien), and Barry Simms. After Tommy returns home with Dr. Loomis, the "Man in Black" finally reveals himself to be Dr. Wynn. The "Cult of Thorn" take Kara, Danny, Steven, and Michael to Smith's Grove. There, Loomis confronts Dr. Wynn who credits Loomis for first recognizing the evil power of Thorn inside Michael, which Wynn wants to control and study, and that Jamie's baby represents the dawn of a new age. Loomis is then knocked unconscious by a staff member.

Tommy finds Kara locked in a room in the maximum security ward and frees her. In one of the main hallways, they see Wynn and a team of scientists walk into an operating room to perform an unknown procedure. Tommy and Kara sneak into the adjoining room where they find Danny and Steven. Michael, (presumably angry at being exploited by Wynn and his staff), walks into the operating room with a surgical machete and Slaughters them all(Though we dont see Wynn's Death). Tommy, Kara, and the kids run with Michael in hot pursuit, and hide in a high-tech laboratory. Inside the lab, Kara notices tanks containing human fetuses with a chart of runes and scientific letter codes connected together by the Thorn symbol, suggesting that the cult of scientists have been exploiting the evil power of Thorn for the benefit of medical science. It is implied that they have been trying to clone pure evil using the desired genes that Michael possess by impregnating their female patients to replicate Thorn in its most powerful form. Steven is the result of this experiment tested on Jamie.

Michael breaks into the room. Tommy injects him with a corrosive liquid and beats him into unconsciousness with a lead pipe. As Dr. Loomis, Tommy, Kara, Danny, and Steven are about to escape, Loomis tells them to go on without him because he has "a little business" to attend to. Back inside the building, Michael's mask is seen lying on the floor of the lab room and Dr. Loomis can be heard screaming as Michael is nowhere to be found (implying Michael either escaped, or the reason Dr. Loomis is screaming is that Michael has killed him.)

Cast

Production

The Runic symbol of Thorn, which is a major theme in the film.

In 1990, screenwriter and long-time Halloween fan Daniel Farrands set out to write the sixth entry in the Halloween series. Farrands gave his horror movie scripts to the producer of Halloween 5, Ramsey Thomas; impressed by his writing, Thomas set a meeting for Farrands with executive producer Moustapha Akkad. Farrands described the meeting:

“ I spent weeks preparing for the meeting and came in with a huge notebook filled with HALLOWEEN research – I had the entire series laid out in a timeline, a bio of every character, a "family tree" of the Myers and Strode clans, as well as all of the research I had compiled about the runic symbol (Thorn) that was briefly shown in "Halloween 5." I then laid out how I thought all of this might be explored in HALLOWEEN 6.[4] ”

Although the producers at the time had already sought to make a sixth Halloween film, a series of complicated legal battles ensued which delayed plans for a sequel; eventually Miramax Films (via its Dimension Films division) bought the rights to the Halloween franchise.

Writing

By 1994, several screenplays from different writers had been deemed insufficient. Farrands has said his initial intent for Halloween 6 was to "bridge the later films (4-5) in the series to the earlier films (1-2) while at the same time taking the story into new territory so that the series could expand for future installments."[5] Daniel Farrands had written several drafts of his script; his final draft, originally titled Halloween 666, went through eleven different drafts.

The writer and filmmakers' intentions with the script were to ultimately unveil what had kept Michael Myers alive, and his reasons for killing. They decided upon using the "Curse of Thorn" angle, which is the concept that Myers had been under the influence of an ancient Celtic curse that drove him to murder all family members in his bloodline; once this task was completed, the curse would be passed onto another young child.

Casting

Donald Pleasence returned as Dr. Loomis, in his last performance; according to Farrands, Pleasence "loved the script for 6, however, and told me that he felt it was the best story since the original." Danielle Harris asked to reprise her role as Jamie Lloyd, but Dimension could not come to an agreement over her salary and ultimately did not want to pay Danielle more than she received in Halloween 4. Harris herself admitted to "not caring for the script" and that upon meeting with director Joe Chappelle, did not see "eye to eye" on things. She also stated that she did not like that Jamie would be killed in the beginning of the film, because her character was no longer important to the series.[6] She ultimately opted out of reprising the role, and J. C. Brandy was cast instead. The producers wanted Brian Andrews to reprise his role as Tommy Doyle. However, without an agent, they could not get in contact with Andrews.

The leading female role, Kara, was given to Marianne Hagan; however, Hagan has since stated that Miramax did not favor her, and made aesthetic criticisms about her being "too thin" and her chin being "too pointy".[6]

For the role of Dr. Terence Wynn, Mitchell Ryan was cast; Farrands originally urged the producers to cast Christopher Lee, having had the veteran horror actor in mind when writing the character. Denise Richards also auditioned for the part of Beth, but the studio passed on her, giving the role to Mariah O'Brien.

Stunt performer George P. Wilbur, who portrayed Michael in the fourth installment, reprises his role as the silent unstoppable killer in the film.

Filming

Fred Walton (director of When a Stranger Calls and April Fool's Day) was originally attached to direct Halloween 6 but dropped out.[7] Cult movie director Jeff Burr also expressed interest in directing the film at one point.

Filming started in October 1994 and was shot mostly in Salt Lake City, Utah; the city was experiencing an early winter at the time which proved troublesome for the production company. Producer Paul Freeman and director Chappelle reportedly rewrote the ending on-set, even from shot to shot as production deadlines loomed large. Freeman also sent the crew home when crucial scenes needed to be shot; deleting scripted scenes indiscriminately, rewrote dialogue and action sequences; and took it upon himself to direct second-unit shots as well supervise the post-production phase of the original cut and made a series of blunders that resulted in Miramax taking control of the film, ordering reshoots.[6]

In early 1995, after filming and editing was completed, Halloween 6 was given a test screening which, as described by actress Marianne Hagan, "consisted primarily of 14-year-old boys."[6] During the Q&A afterward, one of them expressed great displeasure at the ending of the film, which entailed a Celtic ritual and the passing on of the Curse of Thorn to the Dr. Loomis character. As a result of the audience's disapproval toward the film's finale, the movie was rushed back into production, this time without Donald Pleasence, who died on February 2, 1995.

The film's ending was excised from the original cut that had been shown in the test screenings, and an entire new ending was shot that nearly dropped the film's "Curse of Thorn" concept entirely. Additionally, over twenty minutes of other footage was removed from the film during the re-editing process, creating several plot holes in the final cut.

Some violent footage was also edited out for fear of an NC-17 rating. This included several extra seconds of Jamie being impaled on the drills, with more blood pouring from her mouth and extra closeups of the drills going through her body. The other major edited scene involved Michael ramming the doctor's head through the bars in the hospital until his head is gorily mashed through and pulps of his skull hit the floor. This footage is restored in the "Director's Cut".

Soundtrack

Little Nicky Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by Alan Howarth
Released August 24, 1995
Genre Soundtrack
Length 56:41
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic

Music

The original music score is composed by long-time Halloween contributor Alan Howarth, his work in the series dating back to his collaboration with John Carpenter on Halloween II. However, Howarth's score was redone when the film went through reshoots. A soundtrack album was released by Varèse Sarabande, and is an unusual combination of the music featured in the original cut of the film, as well as that of the final theatrical cut.

The music of Alabama-based rock band Brother Cane was featured throughout the movie. The music came from their 1995 release Seeds on Virgin Records. The album's hit single "And Fools Shine On" can be heard when Kara, Tim and Beth arrive at school in their car. The song is also heard during the closing credits. Three other Brother Cane songs (all from the Seeds album) are featured in the film: "Hung on a Rope", "20/20 Faith", and "Horses & Needles".

"Disconnected" by the group I Found God is also featured in the film.

The soundtrack for the film was released on August 24, 1995, a month before its movie theater release.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Alan Howarth. 

No. Title Length
1. "Jamie's Escape"   4:04
2. "Birth Ceremony"   2:50
3. "You Can't Have the Baby"   3:37
4. "Empty Stomach"   2:58
5. "Watching Mom"   4:23
6. "Kara Returns"   3:38
7. "Thorn"   4:08
8. "Carnival Festival"   4:07
9. "It's Raining Red"   2:59
10. "Look Upstairs"   6:25
11. "It's His Game"   5:56
12. "Maximum Security"   3:40
13. "Operating Room"   7:56
Total length:
 56:41

Release

An earlier teaser trailer of the film employed the title Halloween 666: The Origin of Michael Myers, which according to Daniel Farrands, came before an official title had been decided, and that the trailer title was a combination of an earlier script titled The Origin of Michael Myers by another writer, and Farrands' original script titled Halloween 666. At one point, executive producer Moustapha Akkad asked Farrands for a title, who suggested The Curse of Michael Myers due to the troubled production. Although Farrands was half-joking, Akkad took the name to heart and decided upon it. Farrands also adds that this coincidentally made the subtitles similar to those in The Pink Panther films, which also used Return, Revenge, and Curse subtitles as Halloween's fourth, fifth, and sixth films, respectively.[8]

Box office

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers was released on September 29, 1995 in the United States, and brought in a $7,308,529 opening weekend gross, coming in second to serial killer thriller Se7en, being the first film in the series to beat Halloween II's opening weekend gross. The film went on to gross a total of $15,116,634 at the U.S. box office, from an estimated $5 million budget.

Critical reception

Overall, the film received poor reviews from film critics. It is the lowest reviewed Halloween movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Daniel Kimmel of Variety called the film "tired" and "run-of-the-mill",[9] while Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle said the film lacked suspense and said that "not even the presence of the late, gloriously histrionic Donald Pleasence can liven things up".[10] It currently holds a 6% "Rotten" rating on the film review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes based on 32 reviews. Screenwriter Daniel Farrands generally dislikes the film, due to its deviations from his original script. Although Farrands thinks both versions are poor, he considers the Producer's Cut to be the superior version.

Home media

The film was first released for home media on VHS on October 7, 1997 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. A DVD followed on October 10, 2000. In January 2010, the film was released for the first time on Blu-ray in Canada from Alliance Films alongside Halloween H20 and Halloween Resurrection with no bonus material.[11] The film was released on Blu-ray and again on DVD in the United States on May 10, 2011 by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, once again with no bonus features.[12] Anchor Bay Entertainment and Shout! Factory once again released the film on Blu-ray on September 23, 2014 as a part of their 14-disc boxset containing the entire franchise. This release also contained extensive bonus features, such as a commentary from writer Daniel Farrands and composer Alan Howarth, interviews with producers Malek Akkad and Paul Freeman, actresses Marian O'Brien, J. C. Brandy, and Danielle Harris, George P. Wilbur, makeup artists John Carl Buechler and Brad Hardin, as well as Howarth, in addition to deleted scenes and archival behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, and a tribute to Donald Pleasance.[13] Lionsgate released yet another standalone Blu-ray on September 15, 2015 containing the producer's cut, but without any of the bonus features featured on the 14-disc release.[14]

While the film was initially released on VHS in Australia with a rating of MA15+, the DVD was not released until October 8, 2014, with no extras [15]

DVD releases
DVD name Region 1 Region 2 Region 4 DVD Special Features
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (theatrical cut) 10 October 2000 (Buena Vista)

10 May 2011 (Re-Release; Echo Bridge)

 N/A 8 October 2014 Theatrical trailer
Blu-ray releases
Blu-ray name Region A Region B Region B DVD Special Features
Halloween 6,7,8 Box Set January 2010 N/A N/A N/A
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (theatrical cut) 10 May 2011 N/A N/A N/A
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (theatrical cut); (Complete Collection Box Set) 23 September 2014 N/A N/A

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spots

Still Gallery

Halloween 6: Producer's Cut (Complete Collection Box Set) 23 September 2014 N/A N/A

Audio Commentary with Screenwriter Daniel Farrands and Composer Alan Howarth (Producer’s Cut)

“Jamie’s Story” – An Interview With The Original “Jamie” Actress Danielle Harris

“The Cursed ‘Curse’” – An Interview With Producers Malek Akkad And Paul Freeman

“Acting Scared “– A Look At The Film’s Cast With Actresses Mariah O’Brien And J. C. Brandy

“The Shape Of Things” – A Look At Michael Myers’ Murders And Mayhem With Special Make-Up Effects Artists John Carl Buechler And Brad Hardin And Actor George P. Wilbur (Michael Myers)

“Haddonfield’s Horrors” – The Sights of Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers With Director of Photography Billy Dickson And Production Designer Brad Ryman And Director of Photography (Additional Scenes) Thomas Callaway

“Full Circle” – An Interview With Composer Alan Howarth

NEW Cast And Crew Tribute to Donald Pleasance

Archival Interviews And Behind-The-Scenes Footage

Behind-The-Scenes Footage (approx. 30 Minutes)

Alternate And Deleted Scenes (Not Present In Either Cut Of The Film)

Teaser Trailer: Halloween 666: The Origin Of Michael Myers

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (producer's cut) 15 September 2015 N/A N/A

Alternate versions

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is notorious among Halloween fans for having multiple versions. The Producer's Cut is the best known; however, a Director's Cut also exists with most of the footage cut for the R-rating restored. The theatrical version was the only version commercially available—with the Director and Producer's cuts existing as low-quality bootlegs—until the Producer's Cut was included in the official Complete Collection box set from Scream Factory and Anchor Bay Entertainment.[16]

Producer's Cut

Copies of the original version of the film (known as the "Producer's Cut"), without the changed ending, have long been floating around in bootleg/collector circles. In addition to featuring a different ending which was intended to keep Donald Pleasence's character in the films, it also features longer scenes in several parts of the movie, as well as different music at times. Major plot points differ between the two cuts. For example, in the Producer's Cut, Jamie Lloyd is not killed by Michael's attack in the barn; she is wounded only to be killed later on in the film by the "Man in Black" after having a dream about how she was imprisoned in Smith's Grove. In the Producer's Cut, Jamie's child is revealed to be the inbred son of Michael Myers. There is also a flashback to Halloween 5 that shows Jamie and Michael kidnapped by the "Man in Black". On September 23, 2014, the Producer's Cut was officially released for the first time as part of the Halloween Complete Collection Blu-ray box set released by Anchor Bay Entertainment and Scream Factory.[17] On September 15, 2015 the producer's cut of the film was released as a stand-alone release through Miramax Home Entertainment.[17]

Release

A few select scenes from the Producer's Cut can be seen in the television version of the film. The scenes were re-inserted to increase the running time of the film (originally a scant 88 minutes).

On the Halloween: 25 Years of Terror DVD, it was stated that Dimension was trying to plan an official release of the Producer's Cut; Fangoria also reported that the Producer's Cut may get an official release. However, Lions Gate Entertainment/Miramax, who owned rights to the film, decided not to give an official release.

At midnight on October 27, 2013, the first official screening of the "Producer's Cut" took place at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles.[18] Screenwriter Daniel Farrands was present for a short Q&A, in which he stressed that there was still a major push in the works to get this version a proper release. He also said that the studio allowing this version to be screened in public for the first time, and the overwhelmingly positive response, were both huge steps in the right direction. The first official release followed the next year as part of the Halloween "Complete Collection" release.

Lions Gate Entertainment and Miramax released the Producer's Cut by itself as a solo release on Blu-ray on September 15, 2015.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Nicholas Rogers, Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), 110.
  2. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for September 29-October 1, 1995". Box Office Mojo. 1995-10-01. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  3. ↑ "Arrow In The Head Review: Halloween 6, The Producer's Cut". JoBlo.com. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  4. ↑ Interviews with Daniel Farrands "Daniel Farrands Interview: Halloween 6". HalloweenMovies.com.
  5. ↑ "Interview With Daniel Farrands". 73 Miles to Haddonfield Fansite. Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Danielle Harris, Marianne Hagan (2006). Halloween: 25 Years Later (A Documentary) (DVD). Anchor Bay Entertainment.
  7. ↑ "Fright Exclusive Interview: Daniel Farrands". Icons of Fright. June 2005. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  8. ↑ "Dan Farrands interview". Iconsoffright.com. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
  9. ↑ Kimmel, Daniel (29 September 1995). "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers". Variety. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  10. ↑ LaSalle, Mick (2 October 2005). "FILM REVIEW: Latest 'Halloween' is No Treat". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  11. ↑ "Halloween 6, 7 and 8 Available on Blu-ray in Canada without the inclusion of the Producer's Cut or any of the deleted scenes". DreadCentral.
  12. ↑ http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Halloween-The-Curse-of-Michael-Myers-Blu-ray/22169/
  13. ↑ http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Halloween-The-Curse-of-Michael-Myers-Blu-ray/32768/
  14. ↑ http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Halloween-The-Curse-of-Michael-Myers-Blu-ray/136276/
  15. ↑ "Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers on DVD-Video". EzyDVD. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  16. ↑ Smith, Jerry (May 19, 2014). "Scream Factory Announces Halloween: The Complete Collection Includes Long-awaited Producer's Cut of Halloween-6/". iconsoffright.com. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Barton, Steve (2015-07-16). "Halloween 6: The Producer’s Cut Getting a Stand-Alone Release". Dread Central. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  18. ↑ Zimmerman, Samuel (October 25, 2013). "Los Angeles! Producer's Cut of "HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS" Screening this Weekend". Fangoria Entertainment. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  19. ↑ http://www.22shotsofmoodzandhorror.com/home/blu-ray-announcement-lionsgate-to-re-release-halloween-6-producers-cut

External links

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