New Jersey Stage 2015 - Issue 10 | Page 54

ing for me to attempt to relate, suffice to say we end up with more questions than answers. The film is an improvement on its immediate predecessor, though pouring acid in your eyes would be an improvement over watching the fifth installment. Gone is the ugly lighting, handheld camera and comic relief cops. To its credit, it does try to tie things in with the first film. Rudd’s landlady reveals herself as the babysitter of Myers on that fateful night in 1963 and there are visual callbacks, such as a young boy dropping a pumpkin upon sighting Myers. Despite this, it’s still a relentlessly dull affair which suffers from a lack of focus. There are too many characters who you know won’t be killed off and Pleasence’s role is little more than a bit part due to his ill health (he passed away just after wrapping up shooting). By trying to create a back-story for Myers, the producers were digging themselves into a hole and the wise decision was made to write off this mythology for the far more successful seventh installment. the wise decision was made to write off this mythology for the far more successful seventh installment 2 stars out of 5 NewJerseyStage.com 2015 - ISSUE 10 54