House of Horror

Hatchet (Unrated Director’s Cut)
Tagline: Old School American Horror
Released: 2007
Starring Joel Moore, Deon Richmond, Tamara Feldman, and Kane Hodder
Directed by Adam Green
Written by Adam Green

Format: DVD
Distributed by Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: December 18, 2007

Features:
1.78:1 Widescreen Presentation
Dolby Surround 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0
Feature-length audio commentary with director Adama Green, cinematographer Will Barratt, and actors Joel David Moore, Deon Richmond, and Tamara Feldman.
The Making of Hatchet
Meeting Victor Crowley
Guts and Gore
Anatomy of a Kill
A Twisted Tale
Gag Reel
Theatrical Trailer

Premise: Get ready for one of the most talked-about, red-blooded American horror movies of the past 20 years: When a group of New Orleans tourists take a cheesy haunted swamp tour, they slam face-first into the local legend of deformed madman Victor Crowley. What follows is a psycho spree of seat-jumping scares, eye- popping nudity, skull-splitting mayhem and beyond. Joel David Moore (DODGEBALL), Deon Richmond (SCREAM 3) and Mercedes McNab (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) star – along with horror icons Tony ‘Candyman’ Todd, Robert ‘Freddy Krueger’ Englund and Kane ‘Jason’ Hodder – in this screamingly funny carnage classic that Fangoria hails as “a no-hold-barred homage to the days when slasher films were at their reddest and wettest!”

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): Ben and a group of friends are on vacation in New Orleans, enjoying the sights and sounds of Mardi Gras. Ben is in the process of trying to get over his recent breakup with his girlfriend, so he and his friend Marcus decide to go on a haunted swamp tour to get his mind off his troubles. Joining them on the tour are sleazy porn “director” Shapiro and the two girls he’s filming, mysterious loner Marybeth, husband and wife tourists Mr. and Mrs. Permatteo, and shady tour guide Shawn. The theme of their tour centers around the legend of Victory Crowley, a deformed man who suffered an accidental death at the hands of his own father. Their swamp tour is cut short when their boat sinks, stranding them in the middle of the swamp. As it turns, out the legend of Victor Crowley is very real and very dangerous. Now, they must try to escape the woods before Crowley unleashes his bloody vengeance on them all.
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Freddy Krueger’s A Nightmare on Elm Street #2
Written by Steve Gerber
Art by Tony DeZuniga, Alfredo Alcala, and Joe Jusko
Released: 1989
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Story: Dreamstalkers Part 2

Premise: In 1989, Marvel Comics began publishing the first comic book series to feature Freddy Krueger and the Nightmare on Elm Street mythos. Freddy Krueger’s A Nightmare on Elm Street was published in classic black and white, on magazine sized stock, running for two issues before it was cancelled.

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): Allison and Juliann sink into Krueger’s brain, where Freddy manages to separate them and confronts Juliann in the boiler room. After degrading her, Freddy is repelled by Allison, who had taken the form of an energy bolt. The two dreamers awake shortly after; stunned at what occurred. Juliann, intrigued, prescribes Allison Hypnocil, to keep her from dreaming until she has had a chance to learn more about controlling her nightmares. Later, Juliann contacts one of her mentors and inquires about those who can dream stalk, as she thinks Allison has the ability. Her mentor warns her that dream stalking can be disastrous, and to heed caution. Meanwhile, Allison is to be transferred to Westin Hills from Springwood Medical, under the care of the skeptical Dr. Watley. After she is transferred, she will be taken off Hypnocil, as the institution is still reeling from the lawsuits incurred from the events in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Juliann, knowing their time is short, questions Allison regarding the first time she dreamt of Freddy. Allison explains she had a severe case of scarlet fever months ago and had a dream where she visited Freddy in a bar full of ghouls, walking off the path of “good” dreams. When Krueger tried to kill her, he found out he couldn’t, because she didn’t belong there. Allison escaped back to the path of good dreams, though Krueger has been after her ever since. Juliann, convinced Allison’s inner strength can destroy Freddy, informs Allison of her theory. Afterward, Juliann retires back at her apartment, contemplating her next move. While thinking, she drifts off asleep and is confronted by Krueger. After a game of cat and mouse, he tricks Juliann and stabs her in the stomach, killing her. Allison, distraught over Juliann’s death, vows to destroy Krueger once and for all. Three weeks later, after successfully ignoring Dr. Watley’s counseling, Allison draws pictures of herself to use in the dream; a wrestler, a punk warrior, and more. She’s confident that when the time comes, she will be able to finally eliminate the threat Krueger poses. While doodling Freddy’s sweater, glove and hat, she falls asleep, only to confront Krueger sooner than she planned. Allison combats Freddy using the different dream forms she drew; albeit to no effect. In a moment of self realization, Allison becomes Freddy, using the sweater, hat, and glove she drew. Freddy and Allison square off, where tapping into his power, she manages to wound him. When poised to deliver the killing strike, she awakens to a startled Dr. Watley, who thinking she is having an episode, orders for her to be sedated immediately. Allison, too weak from her previous encounter with Freddy, cries out in terror.
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Freddy Krueger’s A Nightmare on Elm Street #1
Written by Steve Gerber
Art by Rich Buckler, Tony DeZuniga, and Joe Jusko
Released: 1989
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Story: Dreamstalkers Part 1

Premise: In 1989, Marvel Comics began publishing the first comic book series to feature Freddy Krueger and the Nightmare on Elm Street mythos. Freddy Krueger’s A Nightmare on Elm Street was published in classic black and white, on magazine sized stock, running for two issues before it was cancelled.

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): In Springwood, paramedics are called to the home of Allison Hayes. Allison, a teenage girl, was found by her parents in bed, severely wounded and barley breathing. The paramedics, thinking Allison’s parents abused her, call the police to investigate. Meanwhile, in New York City, Dr. Juliann Quinn is in the process of moving back to Springwood. She is having nightmares relating to child murderer Fred Krueger, and wants to find a way to confront and stop the horrific dreams. On the plane ride over, Juliann reads a letter from a nun who worked with Amanda Krueger, Freddy’s birth mother. The nun details the events of Amanda’s rape at the hands of the one hundred patients at Our Lady of Sorrows mental institution. Following the letter, Juliann examines the psychologist’s report on Krueger, compiled during his trial. The next morning, after another terrifying nightmare, Juliann attends a meeting at Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, where she is assigned Allison’s case. Allison survived her ordeal and now refuses to sleep. Juliann meets with the girl, and the two discover they share the same nightmare about Fred Krueger. Juliann is concerned, as she knows Krueger has targeted her because her parents were part of the mob that burned him alive, but she doesn’t understand why he has targeted Allison. Later, Juliann convinces Allison to partake in a dream exercise, which will allow Allison to exert control over dreams. Allison reluctantly agrees. Starting out, Juliann draws a picture of a rock formation and hypnotically suggests to Allison that the two can meet there in the dream. After they fall asleep, they soon awake on top of the rock formation in Juliann’s drawing. Juliann takes Allison through some dream exercises, allowing Allison to tap into her “dream power.” Just as the two dreamers make some progress, Freddy appears and threatens to kill them both. The rock under the girls’ feet begins to change to a tissue substance, making them sink into the ground. Freddy, gloating over their impending doom, reveals the rock formation is his head and they are sinking in his brain.
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Saw (2-Disc Uncut Edition)
Tagline: How Much Blood Would You Shed to Stay Alive?
Released: 2004
Starring Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, and Tobin Bell
Directed by James Wan
Written by James Wan and Leigh Whannell

Format: DVD
Distributed by Lions Gate
DVD Release Date: October 18, 2005

Disc 1 Features:
Widescreen Presentation (2.35:1) enhanced for 16×9 TVs – Newly Remastered Alternate Cut
6.1 DTS-ES Digital Audio
5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX
2 Feature-Length Audio Commentaries
English and Spanish Subtitles

Disc 2 Features:
Saw – Director’s Original Short Film – in 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
On-Set Preview of Saw II
Hacking Away at Saw – Behind the Scenes
Exclusive Episode of “Full Disclosure Report” – Go Inside the Real Jigsaw Investigation!
Alternate Storyboard Sequence
Jigsaw’s Workshop (Build a Puppet DVD-ROM)
Saw Director’s Art Gallery
Trailers
Easter Eggs

Premise: Obsessed with teaching his victims the value of life, a deranged, sadistic serial killer abducts the morally wayward. Once captured, they must face impossible choices in a horrific game of survival. The victims must fight to win their lives back, or die trying…

Backstory: It is hard to believe the story behind this film. Two Australians sent the script and a short film (included on DVD) to America and had it picked up and turned into a multi-million dollar franchise. It isn’t Halloween anymore without another Saw film, and although the first movie was an intelligent suspense thriller, it has quickly become a horror cash cow.

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): A man wakes up in a bathtub in a dark room unaware of his location or why this is happening. He soon learns that he is not alone and when the lights come on, comes face to face with Dr. Lawrence Gordon. Both men are chained to pipes in a derelict bathroom, closed off from the world. In the center of the room is a dead body, a gun in his hand and his brains everywhere else.

They start to try and ascertain why they are here and who brought them. The answer eventually comes in the form of a tape recorder in the dead man’s hand. The contents of which explain that they are both there for the same reason – they do not value their lives. The man on the tape is going to make them prove to him they do… but how you ask?

Gordon is told, in order to survive he must kill the other man in the room: Adam. His motive? Adam is a photographer doing surveillance for the police. He has pictures of Gordon visiting his mistress and was there when Gordon was abducted. Dr. Gordon realizes this is the work of the “Jigsaw Killer” – a man who places people in situations where they must place survival over pain, more often than not, in bizarrely ironic ways. Dr. Gordon was a suspect in the Jigsaw case and was present to hear the only surviving victim give her statement. The girl, Amanda, explains the horrific account of how she awoke wearing a “reverse bear trap” on her face threatening to yank her head in two. With seconds counting down, she has to find the key in the stomach of a man dead in the room with her. Before her scalpel strikes, and with mere seconds to go, the man wakes up… and after a moment of hesitation she attacks.

As a suspect Dr. Gordon has been followed by grizzled cop David Tapp. Tapp has his own reasons for hunting Jigsaw – the death of his partner. His obsession for Gordon leads him to being suspended and staking out the Doctor’s house unaware Gordon is in Jigsaw’s hands. Gordon’s wife is also living in blissful ignorance even though the killer may be in her house.

Events unravel to the point where Gordon panics, and with the threat of his wife and child being harmed, cuts through his own leg to free himself from the chains. Bleeding to death, he crawls away leaving Adam alone. Except not… the body in the room rises and is revealed as the killer. In fear, Adam tries to shoot him with the gun, and so Jigsaw turns off the light and slams the door behind him. For now, Adam’s fate is as unknown as the dark he is left in.
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Halloween: 20 Years Later (H20)
Tagline: This summer, terror won’t be taking a vacation.
Released: 1998
Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, Adam Arkin, and Michelle Williams
Directed by Steve Miner
Written by Robert Zapia, Matt Greenberg, and Kevin Williamson (uncredited)

Format: DVD
Distributed by Dimension Films
DVD Release Date: October 19, 1999

Features:
Widescreen Presentation (2.35:1)
Unmasking the Horror
Trivia Game
Music Video – “What’s this Life For” performed by Creed

Premise: This smart and suspenseful thriller scares up a bone-chilling good time with original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis (True Lies, Halloween I & II) and a hot cast of hip young stars! Now the headmistress of a private school, Laurie Strode (Curtis) is struggling with the horrifying, 20-year-old memories of the maniacal killer Michael Myers… when he suddenly reappears with a vengeance! And this Halloween, his terror will strike a whole new generation! Laurie’s rebellious son John (Josh Hartnett – The Faculty), his girlfriend (Michelle Williams – TV’s Dawson’s Creek), and the school security guard (LL Cool J) will become Michael’s newest victims unless Laurie can conquer her greatest fears and put evil in its place once and for all! The time has come again for you to experience the frightening fun of Halloween – the motion picture series that totally redefined terror!

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): On October 29th, 1998, in Langdon, Illinois, Nurse Marion Chambers-Wittington (Nancy Stephens, Halloween and Halloween II) returns home to find her house has been burglarized. Alarmed, she asks assistance from Jimmy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a teen who lives next door, and his accompanying friend. After calling the police, Jimmy investigates Marion’s house and is unable to find anything out of place, except that her office was ransacked. After the boys leave, Marion inspects the mess in her office. She notices a file folder labeled Laurie Strode, which has been opened and the contents taken. Feeling like someone is still there, she rushes to Jimmy’s house, only to discover he and his friend have been killed. As she tries to escape the murder scene, the killer makes himself known: Michael Myers. Marion attempts to flee, though Myers catches up to her and slits her throat. As the police finally arrive, answering the original burglary report, Myers manages to slip by them into the night. The next morning, detectives note Dr. Loomis’s files on Myers in Marion’s home and alert Haddonfield that Michael Myers, whose body has been missing for 20 years, might be returning home.

On October 31st, in Summer Glenn, California, a secluded private school is planning a field trip. The buses leave that night, and students are expected to be packed and ready by time the buses leave. Keri Tate (Jamie Lee Curtis), headmistress of the school, begins the morning by arguing with her 17 year-old son, John (Josh Hartnett), about going on the trip. She feels he isn’t ready to go alone without her supervision. As the day goes on, Keri is haunted by the tragic events that took place on Halloween 20 years ago, when Michael Myers tracked her down and tried to kill her. Since then, she has become a functioning alcoholic, overbearing parent, and unable to maintain intimate relationships. Her boyfriend, Will (Adam Arkin), who works as a counselor at the school, notes her mood and her attempts to distance him. Later, before the buses leave, Keri has a change of heart and gives John her permission to go on the trip. However, unbeknownst to Keri, John, his girlfriend Molly (Michelle Williams), and friends Sarah and Charlie, plan on having a covert Halloween party in the empty school. As the buses depart, Michael Myers unnoticeably gains entrance onto the grounds, and disconnects the phone lines.

Later that night, Keri confides in Will that she is really Laurie Strode, the survivor of the 1978 Halloween murders. She had faked her death in a car accident years ago to go into hiding under an assumed name. She prays every year that her brother, Michael Myers, will be unable to find her. While Keri discloses her past to Will, John and his friends continue with their private Halloween party. Myers stalks the unsuspecting teens, and after the pairs separate, kills Charlie and Sarah. John and Molly, concerned that their two friends have not returned, set out to find them. Meanwhile, Keri notices that John’s camping equipment is still in his room and believes him to be somewhere on campus. Worried, she grabs a gun under her pillow and sets out to look for him, with Will in tow.

As John and Molly continue their search, they soon discover the dead body of Sarah, with Michael Myers revealing himself soon after. The two teens escape with Myers in pursuit, eventually ending up outside the doors of the locked dorm. Keri and Will, who could hear the kids’ screaming, get to the locked door moments before Myers catches up to them, and after kids are safely inside, Keri and Michael come face-to-face through the door’s port window. While Keri reaches for her gun, Myers disappears. Afterward, Keri and Will secure the kids in a closet and go looking for the elusive killer. Myers soon emerges, killing Will and prompting Keri to run. She gathers the kids and the three make it to her SUV, driving off toward the school’s front gate. When they arrive, Keri gets out and instructs the kids to drive to the nearest house and call the police. After the vehicle leaves, Keri destroys the gate’s controls, locking herself in with Myers. She grabs a fire axe and sets off into the school looking for Michael.

Upon entering the school’s second level, Keri shouts out at Michael, only to have him come down behind her. Knowing, she strikes him in the chest with the axe, albeit to no effect. The two engage in a game of cat-and-mouse, until Keri is able to surprise Michael, stabbing him numerous times, and pushing him off the second floor balcony to the ground below. Later, after the police arrive, Myers’s body is placed in a body bag and loaded into a coroners’ van. Keri, knowing Michael’s not really dead, grabs her axe and steals the van, driving off with Michael’s body. Under Keri’s watchful eye, Myers eventually escapes the body bag and tries to kill her. Keri slams on the brakes, sending Myers through the windshield. In a desperate attempt to kill him, she drives full speed at Myers, pinning him to the front of the van and then sending the vehicle tumbling down a hill, where it pins Myers against a tree. Keri, now wounded from being thrown from the van, finds her axe and approaches the trapped killer. Michael reaches out to her. Instinctively, she reaches out, and pulls back while remembering everything he’s done to her. Keri chops his heads off with the axe, finally killing him. Michael’s head then rolls down the hill.
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Halloween: NightDance #1
Written by Stefan Hutchinson
Art by Tim Seeley
Released: February 2008
Publisher: Devil’s Due Publishing
Story: Chapter One: A Shape in the Void

Premise: Halloween: NightDance is a four issue mini-series based around the Halloween mythos, with Michael Myers haunting the small town of Russellville, Illinois. This series takes place within the new continuity set into motion with Halloween: H20 and Halloween: Resurrection.

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): On October 29th, 2000, in Russellville, Illinois, Lisa reflects on her nightmares and darkening inner thoughts, hoping to one day dance herself free of them like a ballerina. The next day, she receives mail from a boy she used to babysit, Daniel. Daniel draws her pictures, which his mother then leaves for Lisa in her mailbox. Lisa takes her envelope from Daniel to school, where she and two friends discuss skipping school the next day to visit a traveling carnival. Lisa is shocked when she decides to open Daniel’s envelope and finds a child’s drawing, in crayon, depicting her death. Cut to Chicago, where Ryan and Marcie are taking a road trip Russellville, to visit Marcie’s family. They have not answered any of her calls, and concerned, she and Ryan plan to visit in person. Ryan reflects on how much he loves Marcie and what a good couple he thinks them to be. Later that night, a girl is held captive in an abandoned house, where she hears the screams of her companion, Ben, dying. She manages to escape her bonds and sees a man sitting in a chair looking at the dead body of Ben, which is tacked up to the wall. The girl manages to escape the house and flee into the storming night, with the man she saw in close pursuit. Meanwhile, Ryan and Marcie arrive in Russellville, where in the heavy storm, don’t see the running girl emerge from the woods. They hit her full on with their car, which then crashes nearby. Marcie gets out of the car to check on the girl, who is still alive. Ryan, hurt from crash, is horrified when a white masked man comes up from behind Marcie, stabs her in the back, and drags her into the darkness. In a panic, he stumbles out of the car after her, only to pass out. The next morning, Lisa checks her mailbox and finds another envelope, which she decides not to open. Her friend picks her up shortly after, and the two begin their “Halloween trip” to the traveling carnival. Unbeknownst to the car’s occupants however, Michael Myers begins stalking them.
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Friday the 13th: Bad Land #2
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Mike Huddleston
Released: February 2008
Publisher: Wildstorm Publishing
Story: Bad Land Part 2

Premise: Wildstorm Publishing continues their “House of Horror” titles based on New Line Cinema characters. Friday the 13th: Bad Land is a two issue mini-series featuring a short story about Jason Voorhees and the violent past of Crystal Lake.

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): In the past, one of the fur trappers panics about the wounded Indian man, repeating “bad place, bad place,” and flees into the woods. The remaining two trappers argue over going after their colleague, and after some sharp exchanges, one of them leaves the tipi in pursuit. In the present, Philip sets out into the woods to walk off his anger over Diane and Jeremy’s relationship. Diane, thinking him foolish, pleads for Jeremy to go after him and bring him back. Jeremy sets off after Philip, only to run into Jason Voorhees. Jason decapitates him with swift efficiency. Back at the tipi, the remaining trapper dismisses his colleagues’ worries, only to be killed by the wounded Indian’s tomahawk. Diane, worried about Philip, is surprised when he returns to the cabin. Distraught after finding Jeremy’s body, he begins to barricade the cabin against possible intruders. Philip explains the situation to Diane, only to be killed by the unstoppable Jason. Jason then moves in on Diane for the kill, but she manages to escape into the woods. In the past, the following fur trapper comes across a clearing and finds his colleague severely wounded, still muttering, “bad place.” While the wounded trapper finally dies from his wounds, the Indian surprises his new target and kills him. In the present, Jason continues to track Diane, eventually catching up to her. Hopelessly trapped, she mutters, “this is a bad place, bad place” as Jason delivers the killing blow. Afterward, he drags her body into the icy lake and joins her in the watery grave. Jason’s actions mirror the wounded Indian, who in the past, dragged his dead mate and child into lake and joined them in their icy resting place.
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Friday the 13th: Bad Land #1
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Mike Huddleston
Released: January 2008
Publisher: Wildstorm Publishing
Story: Bad Land Part 1

Premise: Wildstorm Publishing continues their “House of Horror” titles based on New Line Cinema characters. Friday the 13th: Bad Land is a two issue mini-series featuring a short story about Jason Voorhees and the violent past of Crystal Lake.

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): In the early 1800s, a raging blizzard blankets the land, forcing three fur trappers to take shelter in a lone tipi in the middle of the woods. In the present, a raging blizzard blankets the land, forcing three hikers to take shelter in a lone cabin where the tipi once stood, now part of Camp Crystal Lake. Within the tipi, the three trappers find an Indian woman nursing her baby. Afraid, she keeps to one side of the tipi, while the men take refuge on the other side, eating the fish roasting on the tipi’s spit. In the cabin, the three hikers, Diane, Jeremy, and Philip, make a fire and find cans of tuna in the cupboards. Philip has a crush on Diane, but she sidesteps his advances. Later, Diane and Jeremy retire to the bedroom, leaving Philip asleep in the living room. While the two covert lovers consummate, Diane notices a hockey masked figure watching them through the window. In a panic, she screams, waking Philip. In the tipi, two of the trappers, now “hungry for something else,” attack the Indian woman and rape her. Afterwards, while she tends to her baby, one of the trappers notices her reaching under a blanket. Thinking she has a weapon, he shoots and kills her and the baby. While the men argue over the killing, the woman’s mate enters the tipi and finds the bodies of the woman and child. Enraged, he attacks the trappers, only to be shot in the face. The man, now wounded, escapes into the woods, while the trappers debate following him. In the cabin, the three hikers debate what Diane saw. Philip, hurt over her interest in Jeremy, leaves the two to “finish what they started.” Unbeknownst to the hikers however, Jason Voorhees is waiting in the woods, paralleling the wounded Indian man waiting to strike back at the trappers.
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Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
Tagline: Terror Never Rest in Peace!
Released: 1995
Starring Donald Pleasence, Paul Rudd, Marianne Hagan, and Mitch Ryan
Directed by Joe Chappelle
Written by Daniel Farrands and Joe Chappelle (uncredited)

Format: DVD
Distributed by Dimension Films
DVD Release Date: October 10, 2000

Features:
Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1)

Premise: For pulse-pounding suspense and relentless thrills, nothing can match Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers – one of the most frightening chapters in the chilling Halloween series! In a single horrifying night, Michael Myers’s masked reign of terror changed Halloween forever! Now, six years after he was presumed dead in a fire, Myers has returned to kill again – and this time there’s no escape! As the homicidal fury builds to a spine-tingling climax, the long-hidden secrets of the screen’s most maniacal murderer are revealed… with shocking results! Starring a thrilling cast, including legendary Donald Pleasence (Halloween, The Advocate) and Paul Rudd (The Cider House Rules, Clueless).

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): Six years have passed since the events of Halloween 5. Michael Myers, his niece Jamie Lloyd, and the mysterious stranger have all disappeared after the conclusion of the last film; now thought to be dead. Unbeknownst to the public however, the mysterious “Man in Black” had actually kidnapped Jamie and had her impregnated. Jamie (J.C. Brandy) gives birth to a baby boy on Halloween Eve, and with the help of her midwife, manages to escape into the night with her infant. While on the run, she is able to call into a nightly radio show requesting help. Michael Myers, who had been in pursuit since Jamie escaped, eventually catches up to her and finally murders his niece.

Meanwhile, Tommy Doyle (the child Laurie Strode babysat for in the original film, portrayed by Paul Rudd) has his eye on the family who’s moved into the old Myers house. The family living there are extended relatives of Laurie Strode’s adoptive family. Tommy has become obsessed with Michael Myers over the years and plans to be ready if he ever returns. After hearing Jamie screaming for help on the radio show, Tommy retraces her steps, finds the baby, and hides him. Also listening to the radio show was Dr. Loomis, who now retired, is writing a book about his experiences with Myers. Dr. Loomis, along with his old colleague Dr. Terrence Wynn from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, return to Haddonfield to follow up on Jamie’s plea.

While Loomis and Wynn follow the police trail to Jamie’s body, Michael stalks the Strode family. Danny, the illegitimate son of Kara Strode, has been hearing voices similar to ones Michael heard when he was a child. The voices tell Danny to murder his family, unbeknownst to be the influence of the Man in Black. While Kara and Danny are away at school, Michael murders Kara’s mother, then later her father, brother, and his girlfriend.

Tommy, concerned for the baby, takes him to Haddonfield’s hospital where he runs into Dr. Loomis, who recently arrived with Jamie’s body. He explains to Loomis that Jamie was not the last of Michael’s bloodline and Loomis should meet with him later so he can explain further. Tommy hastily leaves, only to end up confronting Kara Strode about her house’s past. Tommy reveals that Michael has been marked with a runic symbol called Thorn (or Thurisaz), an ancient Druid curse that drives those who are marked with it to wipe out their entire family for the good of civilization. For their safety, Tommy escorts Kara and Danny back to his apartment, and tells them to stay with the baby until he is able to meet with Loomis.

Later, Jamie’s autopsy confirms she recently gave birth, prompting Loomis to meet with Tommy immediately, with Wynn in tow. Tommy and Loomis meet, only to find the baby missing. The plot takes a turn when the Man in Black is revealed to be Dr. Wynn. Wynn, part of a Druidic cult which has been experimenting with pure evil all these years, has kept their work secret within the bowels of Smith’s Grove Sanitarium (where Michael was held for most of his youth). The cult captures Kara, Danny, and the baby, taking them to Smith’s Grove, leaving Loomis and Tommy unconscious.

After regaining consciousness, Tommy and Loomis follow to Smith’s Grove, where Tommy manages to free the imprisoned Kara, and Loomis confronts Wynn. Wynn reveals to Loomis that the baby is to be Michael’s final sacrifice, with the curse being passed on to another, Danny. Wynn then has Loomis knocked out, while he and fellow cult members continue with an experiment, with Danny and the baby held close by. Tommy and Kara, now on the run and with Michael close behind, free Danny and the baby, but not before Michael murders the cult members in a gory bid for the group to expose themselves. In a desperate attempt to hide from Michael, the group takes refuge in a room geared for genetic engineering. Michael soon finds them, though Kara escapes with Danny and the baby, leaving Tommy to confront Michael. Tommy manages to inject Michael with various chemicals, and bludgeons him numerous times with a lead pipe, leaving him for dead. Afterward, the group plans to leave “far away from here,” while Loomis stays behind to “take care of some unfinished business,” never to return.
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Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Tagline: Michael lives… and this time they’re ready!
Released: 1989
Starring Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, and Wendy Kaplan
Directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard
Written by Michael Jacobs, Dominique Othenin-Girard, and Shem Bitterman

Format: DVD
Distributed by Starz/Anchor Bay
DVD Release Date: September 5, 2000

Features:
Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1)
Full-Frame Presentation
Theatrical Trailer
Inside Halloween 5 – Documentary featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage, a cut scene, and interviews with Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Executive Producer Moustapha Akkad, Cinematographer Rob Draper, and Don Shanks who played Michael Myers.

Premise: Following her mysterious behavior at the conclusion of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, young Jamie (Danielle Harris) is committed to the psychiatric care of Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence). Meanwhile, Michael Myers is presumed dead following a shootout with the Haddonfield Police and a fatal fall down a mine shaft entrance. But all is not as it seems. A well-meaning derelict nurses Michael back to health, and one year later he is back to kill again! Jamie finds herself the object of Michael’s murderous rage, and along with new friends and Dr. Loomis, she tries to prevent Michael from continuing his bloody rampage. However, there is a new visitor in town – a man dressed in black who quietly walks the streets with an unknown but sinister purpose. Why is he here? What is his connection to Michael? By the end of Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, many will be dead – you will be screaming!

Plot Breakdown (spoilers): The film begins with a recap of Michael Myers being shot and falling into the mine shaft from Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. Michael finds a way out shortly after falling and stumbles into a nearby river. After floating downstream, he staggers into a small shack by the river owned by a local hermit. Once there Michael collapses and remains in a comatose state for a full year. On October 30th, 1989, Michael reawakens, revealing a mark of the rune Thorn (or Thurisaz) on his right wrist, and kills the hermit. He then returns to Haddonfield, where his young niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) continues to live after nearly being killed by Michael the year before.

Jamie has been unable to speak since attacking her foster mother in a state of shock at the end of part four, but exhibits signs of a telepathic link with her evil uncle. Dr. Sam Loomis realizes that this link exists, and plans to use it to put an end to Michael. Michael begins stalking Rachel (Jamie’s foster sister, portrayed by Ellie Cornell), and her friend Tina (Wendy Kaplan). After both are killed, Jamie agrees to put herself in danger to help Loomis stop Michael for good. With Jamie’s help, Loomis lures Michael back to the old Myers house.

Michael makes many attempts to kill Jamie, finally getting the chance to kill her in the attic. In a desperate move, Jamie tries appealing to Michael’s humanity by saying “Uncle.” This causes Myers to pause. When Jamie asks to see his face, he takes off his mask. A lone tear runs down his face. Jamie reaches up to wipe it away, and Michael is thrown into a rage. The killer pursues Jamie who runs into Loomis. The good doctor seems to turn on the girl as he shouts for Michael to come and take her. It turns out that he has used the girl as bait and Michael walks beneath a heavy chain net that is dropped over him. After two ineffectual shots from a tranquilizer gun, Loomis ends up beating him repeatedly with a 2×4. They take Michael to the local police station. However, a mysterious stranger, dressed in all black and marked with the same Thorn rune, has come to Haddonfield. Jamie, sitting in a patrol car outside the station, hears multiple guns shots, followed by an explosion. Jamie gets out of the car and walks through the station, finding bodies of dead police officers. She goes over to Michael’s jail cell to discover that it’s empty. Jamie begins to sob, realizing Myers is once again able to get to her.
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