Halloween Has Screened, Here Are The Early Reactions

Facts from the original

• The 2018 Halloween revival screened at the Toronto International Film Festival the night before the article's September 11, 2018 publication.
• The film continues Laurie Strode's story and ignores most other Halloween sequels.
• The trailers teased a scary and gory return to form for the series.
• CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell delivered a first impression of the film.
• O'Connell said the new Halloween is mean and nasty and takes no prisoners with its kills.
• O'Connell noted David Gordon Green and co-writer Danny McBride surpass the body count of Carpenter's original before Michael even reaches Haddonfield.
• O'Connell described the kills as disturbingly brutal and involving hammers, head butts, long kitchen knives, boots, and much more.
• The film is written by David Gordon Green and Danny McBride, and directed by Green.
• The story takes place 40 years after Michael Myers's murder spree that left only one survivor.
• Laurie is now grown up with a family of her own and has been preparing for Myers's inevitable return.
• The film ramps up the body count and delivers grizzly murders.
• Jamie Lee Curtis comes full circle, going from frightened babysitter to a shotgun-wielding grandma ready to settle the score.
• Variety's Peter DeBruge said Laurie is badass and capable of taking a beating.
• DeBruge noted Curtis, just shy of 60, plays one of the toughest, most combat-ready grandmas ever to grace the screen.
• DeBruge said Laurie can get tossed over a balcony, fall off the roof, and still pick herself up.
• The article asks whether the film escapes the curse of the franchise having very few good movies.
• For the most part, the film does escape the curse and manages to be faithful to the original film.
• Fans will be able to spot plenty of winks and homages to the 1978 classic.
• Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt wondered if the film might be too faithful at times.
• Greenblatt listed tropes including teenager makeout sessions, frantic escapes through dark wood, death by ax, steel-toe boot, and bathroom stall.
• Greenblatt also noted the iconic score, the pumpkin-colored font of the credits, and a few original supporting characters.
• Greenblatt said Green might even be too faithful, with no new Deadpool-y twist of fourth-wall breaking or this-is-why-he-cries backstory.
• Overall, the impression is that those looking for a bloody horror movie that kicks ass will be satisfied.
• More than one person on Twitter called it the Star Wars: The Force Awakens of the Halloween franchise.
• The film is full of things people love about the first movie, plus introduces some new things while being surprisingly funny.
• Halloween arrives in theaters on October 19, 2018.