STACK #205 Nov 2021

FEATURE CINEMA

“And I think that’s really interesting because it makes you question: What is evil? What is scary? He may be just a human being in a white mask, but there’s something otherworldly about him,” says the no-nonsense actress. (She looks like very little would scare her, dressed today in a bold orange pantsuit.) If the franchise has now passed over to Green, then John Carpenter, 73, remains very much in the picture, both as a composer and executive producer. Produced by horror maestro Jason Blum (whose name has become synonymous with a whole new generation of scary movies), for him, Halloween is the crown jewel of horror. “I like to refer to Halloween as the James Bond of horror franchises," he says. "It’s the horror franchise with the most sequels by far, and I think that’s because when John Carpenter came up with Michael Myers, he just did it in a perfect way. It wasn’t an overly belabored decision, or a decision using data. He didn’t get a bunch of opinions, so the character came together quite quickly.

Halloween Kills is the second installment of a new trilogy. Jamie Lee Curtis talks to STACK about why our obsession with Michael Myers, much like the man himself, will never die. Words Gill Pringle “T he last thing in the world I thought I would do was another Halloween movie - let alone three!” laughs Jamie SCREAM QUEEN

“Michael Myers has gotten under everybody’s skin for so long. John is a brilliant creator who created a definition of evil that has stood the test of time for more than 40 years – and I think will go on for at least another 40, if not longer,” he teases, despite the fact Green’s current trilogy is expected to mark an end to the franchise upon the release of Halloween Ends in October 2022. In Halloween Kills , the stylish Curtis spends most of the film in a shapeless hospital gown, a prospect that could hardly have thrilled the actress. “We had some fun conversations with Jamie about her wardrobe opportunities in the hospital, and how unglamorous it was," confesses Green, who co-wrote the script with Danny McBride. “To some degree, as a writer, I have to take the blame for

Curtis made history by scoring the biggest opening weekend for a movie starring a lead actress over 55 years old. “I’ve been a part of these stories for 43 years, so it feels good," says Curtis, who has been wed to Spinal Tap writer/star Christopher Guest for 35 years. "It feels like family. What I loved about the 2018 movie is that it was about a family – an estranged family, but a family nonetheless.” Curtis has had more than four decades to ponder the enduring terror of Michael Myers. “For me, Michael Myers represents a question of: What is real evil? By making his mask white, I think John (Carpenter) and Debra (Hill), back in the day,

Lee Curtis, 62, talking about Halloween Kills , the second in writer-director David Gordon Green’s current trilogy. Of course, Curtis – the daughter of Hollywood legends Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh – made her film debut with John Carpenter’s original Halloween back in 1978, going on to become a bona fide movie star with roles in Trading Places, A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies and Freaky Friday . Halloween would also establish her as a scream queen, reprising her role of Laurie Strode in sequels Halloween II (1981), Halloween H20: 20 Years After (1998) and Halloween: Resurrection (2002) as well as appearing in numerous horror films including Prom Night and The Fog . When STACK talks to the actress today, she tells us how it was her godson, Jake Gyllenhaal, who coaxed her back into the franchise four years ago, insisting she speak to his friend Green. Halloween Kills has a lot to live up to given that the 2018 reboot marked the highest grossing film in the entire Halloween franchise, while

Because Michael Myers makes no expression, you project on him all your own fears

writing ourselves into a corner. We had to figure out how to get the boogeyman out of the burning basement, and how to keep Laurie alive with a gash in her gut. So, the reality of making a film that picks up where the last film left off, was a hospital bed and a surgical procedure for Laurie. "But it’s a testament to [Curtis's] bravery as an actress, and what a powerhouse she is, that she can use that vulnerability of the hospital gown. She can overcome that to connect with her daughter and granddaughter and the community of Haddonfield, keeping everyone fired up and excited. “She is a force of nature, both on and off screen, and it’s amazing to see her come to life in this way,” he says.

created an idea that you could place your own idea of what is scary upon that mask. Because Michael Myers makes no expression, you project on him all your own fears.

At 73 years old, John Carpenter is no longer making movies, but he's still actively making music. In fact, his latest effort is the original soundtrack for Halloween Kills . The 2018 Halloween soundtrack received unanimous praise and brought a rich and ominous depth to the iconic theme music that was famously recorded by Carpenter on a shoestring budget Carpenter's spooky music career

in 1978. Now, with the Halloween Kills score, director Green has pushed the musicians to be more experimental, and take Carpenter's sound to a chilling new level. The minimal, synthesizer-driven themes to films like Halloween , Escape From New York , and Assault on Precinct 13 are as indelible as their images, and their timelessness was evident when Carpenter performed them live in a string of internationally sold-out concert dates in 2016. This late career recognition has led to new works by Carpenter along with new collector releases and compilations of his past soundtracks.

Halloween Kills is in cinemas now.

7