Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

1995 Dimension Films
Directed by: Joe Chappelle; Written by: Daniel Farrands
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Paul Rudd, Marianne Hagan, and Mitch Ryan
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 88 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 5/10

A new mother and her baby escape a dingy, underground catacomb, from a dangerous cult, and the seeming object of their devotion, the masked serial killer, Michael Myers. She doesn't make it far before being on the receiving end of a sharp and deadly object, but thankfully, she is able to hide her baby somewhere that Michael and the cult won't find it. The baby is then discovered by Tommy Doyle. Many years before, Doyle's babysitter went toe-to-toe with the horrifying Myers. Ever since, Doyle has been obsessed with the idea of Michael's return, listening to conspiracy-based radio shows so that he can be ready to defend himself and his town of Haddonfield. Now, Tommy is under threat from not only Michael, but the mysterious cult, which seems to believe it will gain power as Michael kills his own relatives...and what do you know, there are a few remaining relatives, including an attractive girl, Kara, just Tommy's age, right there in Haddonfield. Now it's up to Tommy, Kara, and Michael's old psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, to protect this baby and get to the bottom of the mysteries of Michael and the cult, all while trying to avoid his murderous wrath.
If the plot to 1995's The Curse of Michael Myers sounds convoluted and insane, that's because it is. The above paragraph simplifies it greatly, and considering how diced up this film was in the editing room, there was probably considerably more of it in early cuts. This movie is a mess, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have fun watching it.
Since the story is a bit of wash, the fun comes from other, very distinct aspects of this film. First of all, you've got an extremely raw and eager Paul Rudd here, in the lead role as Tommy Doyle. Rudd is like an excited puppy in this film, and even if he hasn't yet totally refined his craft, his easy charm and charisma already shine through. You've also got some very flashy, peak 90's editing here, with great visuals by director Joe Chappelle. Chappelle went on to be better known for his directing work in television series like The Wire and Fringe, but I actually enjoy what he does here, and can't really blame the batshit, hacked by the studio, and reshot to hell story of the film on him. On top of all of that, though, the vibe of this film is just fun in general, even it is over-the-top gory and nonsensical. Released one year before Scream reenergized and flipped the entire horror genre on its head, The Curse of Michael Myers contains zero of that late-90's gunmetal-tinted metacommentary. This is a mid-90's video game magazine come to cinematic life, and while it may not actually be a good movie, it's a hell of a good time.