It may have taken me a while to get back on track with my Halloween retrospective, but we are back with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. I loved Halloween III: Season of the Witch as a kid. It was the first Halloween movie I saw, but the story goes that many people asked, “Where was Michael?” after they saw Halloween III, and they were not talking about Jordan or Jackson!
How to Download Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers was released on October 21, 198 . You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
Behind the Scenes of Halloween’s Comeback
It would take a few years for Halloween to come back as it would not be until 1988 that the series would return to theatres. John Carpenter and Debra Hill had plans for a fourth movie, but they ultimately decided to sell the rights, and it went in a different direction. While this movie did well at the box office, critical reception at the time was not kind, but I have always liked this movie, and now it is seen something as a cult hit.
Ignoring Halloween III: Starting the Thorn Trilogy
What went down in Halloween III is not mentioned; it is like that movie does not exist in this universe. What we have here is the start of a new trilogy of movies, movies called The Thorn Trilogy and I think that they kicked it all off really well here. I remember watching this for the first time at a friend’s house and as soon as it ended, we were desperate to see Halloween 5 as we had to know what happened next!
Michael Myers Returns to Haddonfield
Set ten years after the events of Halloween II, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. Michael has been in a coma for ten years under the watch of Dr. Loomis. Donald Pleasance is actually the only actor from the prior movies to return here. I am sure that for people who were into Halloween back in the late 70s and 80s, finding out that both these characters survived must have been pretty awesome.
© Halloween 4
Jamie Lloyd and the Underrated Rachel
Well, Michael is being transported to another facility, and he overhears that he has a niece in Haddonfield and this wakes him up and of course, he goes on a killing rampage. Michael’s niece is called Jamie Lloyd, and she lives with her foster parents and her teenage foster sister, Rachel. Let me tell you, in watching this back, I forgot what a badass Rachel was. I totally consider her a “final girl” and one of the more underrated ones, as she truly puts her life on the line to keep Jamie safe.
Danielle Harris Shines as Jamie
Jamie is a weird kid, and the young Danielle Harris does a wonderful job here. Jamie has nightmares about “The Shape,” and the kids at school pick on her due to her family’s history. Michael heads to Haddonfield to track down Jamie, and they have a pretty interesting dynamic. There is an awesome scene where you think that he has Jamie in his grasp, but then she screams, and he does not kill her.
Dr. Loomis vs. Michael Myers Once More
Loomis heads to Haddonfield once he finds out that Michael is awake and has escaped, as he knows exactly what he is after. The town has this mob that goes after Michael, and everyone is whipped up into a frenzy. Michael goes on an epic killing spree in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers! At the time, from what I have read, people felt that it lacked the stalkerish charm and the more cerebral pace of the first two movies. However, I think that this is a great extension of what happened in the first two movies, and they made Michael an absolute killing machine here.
A Powerful Ending and Cult Classic Status
Even though this is the better part of forty years old, I will not go into great detail in case some have not seen it. However, the ending of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is awesome and gets you well and truly pumped up and wondering about what could come next. Watching this again, I had a fantastic time. It is a movie I had fond memories of, but it was even more fun and better than I remembered it being. Unpopular opinion here, but I liked this better than Halloween II!
