Jamie Lee Curtis

Josh Hartnett

Adam Arkin

Michelle Williams

Adam Hann-Byrd

Jodi Lyn O'Keefe

LL Cool J

Janet Leigh

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Branden Williams

Matt Winston

Beau Billingslea

Larisa Miller

Emmalee Thompson

John Cassini

Jody Wood

Chris Durand

Tom Kane

Nancy Stephens

LisaGay Hamilton

Steve Miner

Tommy Lee Wallace

Matt Greenberg

Robert Zappia

Patrick Lussier

Moustapha Akkad

Daryn Okada

Ken Beauchene

Mable Lawson-McCrary

Marguerite Happy

Laura Albert

Brennan Dyson

Casey Hotchkiss

Marcia Holley

Julie Michaels

Mike Hodges

Donna Keegan

Tania McComas

Isabel Henderson

Frank E. Eulner

Steve Boeddeker

Todd Ellis

Carolyn Dessert

Voni Hinkle

Richard E. Butler

John Boccaccio

Lisa Mozden

Jonathon Slator

Mark Cotone

Stephanie P. O'Brien

Gilbert B. Combs

Jeff Zucker

James M. Tanenbaum

Ed Gerrard

Greg D'Auria

Paul Croghan

Julie Glick

Leah Brown

Louis Lazzara

Jacques Jouffret

Cassandra Kulukundis

John C. Hartigan

Tom Reta

Vince del Castillo

April A. Janow

Kiley Fascia

Tom Grode

Sonny Merritt

Shari Perry

Dawn Swiderski

Jason D. Hodges

Brett F. Gates

Nicola Goode

James F. Cornick

Richard Cody

Marilyn McCoppen

Al Nelson

Frank 'Pepe' Merel

Casey Stone

Amanda Goodpaster

Brian Sata

Gary Rizzo

David Slusser

Ethan Van der Ryn

Andre Fenley

Lora Hirschberg

Bruce Lacey

Sara Bolder

Tony Eckert

Bobby Joe Garren

Chris Scarabosio

Claire Sanfilippo

Jana Vance

Nina Saxon

Gary Burritt

Craig B. Ayers Sr.

Sandina Bailo-Lape

Kent Sparling

Dennie Thorpe

Shannon Mills

Bob McMillian

Reid Paul

Eryn Krueger Mekash

Brian Jennings

Juliet Loveland

John Ottman

Paul Freeman

Harvey Weinstein

Debra Hill

Mary West

Deborah Everton

Christine Sheaks

Ross Brown

Bob Weinstein

Dawn Snyder

John Carpenter

Wanda 'Beau' Peterson

John Willett

Kevin Williamson

Malek Akkad

Cary Granat

Halloween Collection

Horror

Thriller

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Dimension Films

Nightfall Productions

Trancas International Films

Miramax

United States of America

English

california

boarding school

brother

new identity

halloween

witness protection

uncle

school party

sister

sequel

underage drinking

slasher

principal

death

evil

holiday horror

Brotherly love just went down another notch.

It's 20 years since Michael Myers Haddonfield, and in particular Laurie Srode, his sister. Laurie faked her death and is now a divorced mom with a teenage son. Michael is on his way to finish the job he couldn't finish two decades ago.

A true and honest Halloween/Michael Myers film this one, there's the distinct feeling that the people behind the series wanted to show that they remember what made the series popular in the first place. It's still the stalk and slash formula of course, but Jamie Lee Curtis returns and her character is nicely written. She's obviously still haunted by events passed and needs a stiff few drinks from time to time to keep the edge off. Yet she's in charge of a private school and is a stern but adoring mother to her son (Josh Hartnett). And she has a boyfriend (Adam Arkin) who cares for her.

The first half of film sets up Laurie's new world, while we jump back and forth observing Michael on his journey to final destination. Once the second half revs up, it's the scare time as Laurie's son and his friends come under great peril, which we know will lead to a final confrontation with Laurie. The kills strike hard, the suspense is ramped up, and then it's a frenetic action based finale capped off by a coup de grace of some distinction. All in all it's just a very good and proper Halloween/Myers movie. It didn't reinvent anything, it just turned the wheel full circle and arrived at a fitting closure. 7/10

Gimly

Of course we all know now that _H20_ went on to have a sequel, a reboot, a sequel to the reboot, and another _Halloween_ film coming out next year, but props to _Twenty Years Later_ for at least *trying* to end the franchise. It's nice sometimes to watch a horror go out on something other than a final-scare/cliff-hanger. Also notable for being the first Michael Myers movie that's any fun. Not a great movie, but credit where credit's due.

_Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole._

***Jamie Lee Curtis returns and the franchise redeems itself from the crappy part 6***

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is living in Northern California under an assumed name as a dean of a remote private school. It’s Halloween season and her son (Josh Hartnett) is turning 17. Will her evil brother show-up to wreak terror once again? Of course he will. Adam Arkin, LL Cool J and Janet Leigh have side roles.

“Halloween 4” (1988) was great and IMHO even better than the original 1978 slasher while “Halloween 5” (1989) was good, although it added a little campy humor. The next film, “Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers” (1995), was surprisingly a mess with weak characters, lousy story development and stale & pedestrian jump scares. So I didn’t know what to expect with 1998’s “Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later.”

The movie starts in Illinois with a glimmer of humor and the final scene of the character played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt made me bust out laughing. From there, the tone turns dramatic as events switch to the posh boarding school in California. The characters are confidently established and we feel we know them as Michael Myers stages his assault.

I’m glad the creators decided to finally switch the setting from Haddonfield, Illinois, to a wholly different locale across the country. Haddonfield was getting tired. The plot is similar to “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” which was released a few months later. “H2O” is arguably the second best sequel in the series after 4 and is at least on par with 5.

It’s great to have Jamie Lee as the ‘final girl’ again. Michelle Williams also appears on the female front. She was only 17 during shooting and cute as can be. The attractive Jodi Lyn O'Keefe is also on hand.

The film runs 1 hour, 26 minutes and was shot in Southern Cal (La Puente, Silver City, Chatsworth, Calabasas, Universal City and Los Angeles).

GRADE: B/B-

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later( 1998)

This summer, terror won't be taking a vacation.

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A review by John Chard

Written by John Chard on Mon Nov 02 2015

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