History Awesome / Halloween2018

* Frank Hawkins is very much the most competent law enforcement officer in the ''Halloween'' franchise. Back in '78, he prevented Loomis from killing Michael for good. He realizes that this was a mistake, but the first thing he does when he learns Michael escaped? Send a few officers to Laurie Strode's place to guard the area. Second decision, search every single area of Haddonfield for Michael. And the second he sees Michael threaten Allyson, his reaction is to run him over with a police SUV. Oh, and knowing that Michael survived all of his injuries, his reaction upon getting out? Try to shoot Michael in the head. In most of the ''Halloween'' films, the police officials made a lot of common sense mistakes involving Michael in all the timelines. This included failing to keep him locked up somewhere, approaching a seemingly dead Michael, failing to get security around anyone who might be his targets, which should be really easy since they know he only targets his family and anyone unfortunate enough to be near them, and in general, failure to look for him given that his mask stands out easily in a crowded area. Frank almost finished Michael Myers if not for the doctor's intervention.
* Michael offing [[AssholeVictim Sartain]]. Yes, [[EvilVersusEvil they are both complete, utter bastards]] but with Sartain [[CopKiller killing Hawkins]] and ''[[EvilFeelsGood liking it]]'', deliberately endangering Allyson so that [[DirtyCoward he wouldn't get killed by Michael]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and putting on his mask]], all just to understand Michael and evil in general, going to the point where he presumably caused Michael to break out in the first place, leading to all the death before hand, it's ''intensely'' satisfying to see Michael kick the shit outta him, then crush his head to a pulp, all while denying Sartain's request to hear him talk.

** Karen -- who has very much been TheLoad up to this point -- utilizing her mother’s training near the end, pulling a spectacular WoundedGazelleGambit on Michael, luring him in by feigning terror and panic at her mother's disappearance, then shooting Michael in the face when it looks like he’s about to have her cornered. It's an incredible moment, with Judy Greer perfectly flipping from helpless terror to cold satisfaction in the blink of an eye as Michael finally makes a crucial mistake.

* On the topic of the film-making, there's the breathtaking scene right as Michael is being transferred out from Smith's Grove. Inside the facility, guards shout at other inmates and use tasers and it's utter chaos, while Michael stands serene. Right outside, Laurie sits and tries to work up the courage to finally kill Michael, and finally gives a SkywardScream when the prison bus departs. In a nearby motel, the podcasters listen to Dr. Loomis' distraught testimony, demanding and eventually begging for Michael's death. All of this is spliced together and scored to John Carpenter's dreamy and melancholic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Zjr3JpYS4&index=4&list=PLohYzz4btpaSM87MOHX0W_6Zx3oKdH488 "prison montage,"]] and it suddenly feels like a funeral; Michael is gone, and Laurie will never move on. But then Michael escapes...

** FridgeBrilliance occurs when people talked about the pumpkin being a metaphor for the Halloween franchise itself, having being rotted away by its sequels and remake, and that this film brought not only the pumpkin, but the franchise, back on its feet. Like entropy running backwards.
** Even more awesome when you realize the pumpkin that's recomposing in the credits sequence happens to be modeled after the pumpkin in the first film.
** In a meta sense, just ''seeing'' a unique, new twist on the pumpkin opening since [[Film/HalloweenIIISeasonOfTheWitch the third movie]] is enough to make any fan happy, especially how the other sequels moved away from it all in favor of rather ordinary, traditional movie credits.

** What's equally awesome is that this is a huge, plot-wide TakeThat to any justification for Michael's evil. In previous films, Michael was said to have killed for many reasons: depending on the film/continuity it could be his obsession with killing his sister, the Curse of the Thorn, his terrible childhood and repressed rage, or simply ForTheEvulz. This movie, on the other hand, shows you how terrifying Michael can be without increasingly convoluted reasons as to why he's a killer; John Carpenter originally intended Michael to have no reason for killing, and this movie certainly proves the effectiveness of that NothingIsScarier approach.

** THEN, when Michael pulls his usual NotQuiteDead and pulls himself up the cellar steps to grab Karen, it's Allyson - who up to this point has been utterly overwhelmed by the events of the evening and deaths of her friends - who grabs a knife and stabs Michael with it to get him off her mother.
*** And when he's getting slashed and stabbed, Michael is audibly grunting and exclaiming in pain. He's [[NotSoStoic not so numb]] after all, huh?.

* Michael's TranquilFury over realizing he's been outsmarted, cornered, and defeated is absolutely indescribably satisfying. The way he bitterly looks up at Laurie with utter hatred as flames form around to envelope him is just...UGH! This is also the only time we see Michael's eye in the film, since he's a mysterious creature of darkness. But this one time, he's forced into the light, at last naked, powerless, and on the brink of death, just like all the people he's victimized. "Catharsis" doesn't even begin to describe it. Considering the 40+ year legacy of the ''Halloween'' franchise, it's quite possibly not hyperbole to say that this might be one of the most awesome, satisfying moments in cinema history.
** For the first time, Michael is not in control of the situration, left to burn like the animal he is.

!!Meta
* The film grossed over $77 million on its opening weekend, making it the highest grossing film in the franchise. On a small $10 million budget, no less.
* It's also the highest grossing female-led horror film, for Creator/JamieLeeCurtis herself ''and'' a female lead over 55.
* ''Franchise/{{Halloween}}'', despite being the TropeCodifier for Slasher films, has always been behind the ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'' and ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' franchises in terms of box office. With the release of this film, however, ''Halloween'' has become the highest grossing of the three from the ''opening weekend alone.''
* As of November 5, 2018, the film has officially beat ''Film/{{Scream|1996}}'' for the top-grossing slasher movie of all time by nearly $50,000 and is the 4th highest grossing horror movie with an R-rating.

** FridgeBrilliance occurs when people talked about the pumpkin being a metaphor for the Halloween franchise itself, having being rotted away by its sequels and remake, and that this film brought not only the pumpkin, but the franchise, back on its feet.

* Michael offing [[AssholeVictim Sartain]]. Yes, [[EvilVersusEvil they are both complete, utter bastards]] but with Sartain [[CopKiller killing Hawkins]] and ''[[EvilFeelsGood liking it]]'', [[WouldHurtAChild deliberately endangering Allyson]] so that [[DirtyCoward he wouldn't get killed by Michael]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and putting on his mask]], all just to understand Michael and evil in general, going to the point where he presumably caused Michael to break out in the first place, leading to all the death before hand, it's ''intensely'' satisfying to see Michael kick the shit outta him, then crush his head to a pulp, all while denying Sartain's request to hear him talk.

%% Please see thread to discuss a new image.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_shape__burns.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Pictured here: one of cinema's most notorious serial killers burning alive in a basement after getting shot at, stabbed, and beaten by a crazy old lady, a traumatized housewife, and a teenage girl.]]

----

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d0b28267_5562_4484_aa97_c4f20210cc97.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Happy Halloween, Michael.'']]

* The fact that the security around Michael has been improved considerably since the first film. Administrators and law enforcement didn't take Dr. Loomis's concerns seriously prior to Halloween in '78 and we saw how easily he escaped. Now Michael is in what appears to be a maximum security facility for patients with mental health and he's being guarded 24/7 under intense surveillance. This shows that they learned from their mistakes and are treating Michael like the threat that he is rather than a joke. It's also possible that after he was captured administrators finally gave Loomis whatever recommendations he made in making sure Michael was secure. Regardless, in most horror films law enforcement and administrators never learn from their mistakes regarding the villain. Here, they clearly have.

* The fact that the security around Michael has been improved considerably since the first film. Administrators and law enforcement didn't take Loomis's concerns seriously prior to Halloween in '78 and we saw how easily he escaped. Now Michael is in what appears to be a maximum security facility for patients with mental health and he's being guarded 24/7 under intense surveillance. This shows that they learned from their mistakes and are treating Michael like the threat that he is rather than a joke. It's also possible that after he was captured administrators finally gave Loomis whatever recommendations he made in making sure Michael was secure. Regardless, in most horror films law enforcement and administrators never learn from their mistakes regarding the villain. Here, they clearly have.

* Michael offing [[AssholeVictim Sartain]]. Yes, [[EvilVsEvil they are both complete, utter bastards]] but with Sartain [[CopKiller killing Hawkins]] and ''[[EvilFeelsGood liking it]]'', [[WouldHurtAChild deliberately endangering Allyson]] so that [[DirtyCoward he wouldn't get killed by Michael]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and putting on his mask]], all just to understand Michael and evil in general, going to the point where he presumably caused Michael to break out in the first place, leading to all the death before hand, it's ''intensely'' satisfying to see Michael kick the shit outta him, then crush his head to a pulp, all while denying Sartain's request to hear him talk.

* Just the ''sheer number'' of people who try to fight back against Michael, rather than cower in fear. It almost ''never'' works, but still.

* On the topic of the filmmaking, there's the breathtaking scene right as Michael is being transferred out from Smith's Grove. Inside the facility, guards shout at other inmates and use tasers and it's utter chaos, while Michael stands serene. Right outside, Laurie sits and tries to work up the courage to finally kill Michael, and finally gives a SkywardScream when the prison bus departs. In a nearby motel, the podcasters listen to Dr. Loomis' distraught testimony, demanding and eventually begging for Michael's death. All of this is spliced together and scored to John Carpenter's dreamy and melancholic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Zjr3JpYS4&index=4&list=PLohYzz4btpaSM87MOHX0W_6Zx3oKdH488 "prison montage,"]] and it suddenly feels like a funeral; Michael is gone, and Laurie will never move on. But then Michael escapes...

* The opening credits. That classic, bone chilling theme plays over a (rather hilariously) rotted away jack o' lantern, which slowly reverts its own decay until it's looming up in all its former, leering glory.

** In a meta sense, just seeing a unique, new twist on the pumpkin opening since [[Film/HalloweenIIISeasonOfTheWitch the third movie]], especially how the other sequels (except for maybe [[Film/Halloween5TheRevengeOfMichaelMyers the fifth film with the pumpkin carving opening]]) moved away from it all in favor of rather ordinary, traditional movie credits.

* Michael's TranquilFury over realizing he's been outsmarted, cornered, and defeated is absolutely indescribably satisfying. The way he bitterly looks up at Laurie with utter hatred as flames form around to envelope him is just...UGH! This is also the only time we see Michael's eye in the film, since he's a mysterious creature of darkness. But this one time, he's forced into the light, at last naked, powerless, and on the brink of death, just like all the people he's victimized. "Catharsis" doesn't even begin to describe it.

** Karen -- who has very much been TheLoad up to this point -- utilizing her mother’s training near the end, pulling a spectacular WoundedGazelleGambit on Michael, [[spoiler:luring him in by feigning terror and panic at her mother's disappearance, then shooting Michael in the face when it looks like he’s about to have her cornered.]] It's an incredible moment, with Judy Greer perfectly flipping from helpless terror to cold satisfaction in the blink of an eye as Michael finally makes a crucial mistake.

--> '''Karen:''' [[ColdSniper Gotcha!]]

--> '''Laurie:''' [[PreAsskickingOneLiner Happy Halloween, Michael.]]

-->'''Sartain''': Say something...''\\

*** The short little zoom-in on Michael after she disappears. He seems positively ''confused'' at what just transpired.]

* Michael offing [[AssholeVictim Sartain]]. Yes, [[EvilVsEvil they are both complete, utter bastards]] but with Sartain [[CopKiller killing Hawkins]] and [[EvilFeelsGood ''liking it'']], [[WouldHurtAChild deliberately endangering Allyson]] so that [[DirtyCoward he wouldn't get killed by Michael]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and putting on his mask]], all just to understand Michael and evil in general, going to the point where he presumably caused Michael to break out in the first place, leading to all the death before hand, it's ''intensely'' satisfying to see Michael kick the shit outta him, then crush his head to a pulp, all while denying Sartain's request to hear him talk.

--->'''Sartain''': Say something...''
--->'''Michael''': (says [[BaitAndSwitch nothing]] and stomps the doctor's head with his foot, [[YourHeadASplode exploding it into a bloody mess]].)

* Frank Hawkins is very much the most competent law enforcement officer in the ''Halloween'' franchise. Back in '78, he prevented Loomis from killing Michael for good. He realizes that this was a mistake, but the first thing he does when he learns Michael escaped? Send a few officers to Laurie Strode's place to guard the area. Second decision, search every single area of Haddonfield for Michael. And the second he sees Michael threaten Allyson, his reaction is to run him over with a police SUV. Oh, and knowing that Michael survived all of his injuries, his reaction upon getting out? Try to shoot Michael in the head. In most of the ''Halloween'' films, the police officials made a lot of common sense mistakes involving Michael in all the timelines. This included failing to keep him locked up somewhere, approaching a seemingly dead Michael, failing to get security around anyone who might be his targets, which should be really easy since they know he only targets his family and anyone unfortunate enough to be near them, and in general, failure to look for him given that his mask stands out easily in a crowded area. Frank almost finished Michael Myers [[spoiler: if not for the doctor's intervention]].
* Michael offing [[spoiler: [[AssholeVictim Sartain]].]] Yes, [[EvilVsEvil they are both complete, utter bastards]] but with [[spoiler: Sartain [[CopKiller killing Hawkins]] and [[EvilFeelsGood ''liking it'']], [[WouldHurtAChild deliberately endangering Allyson]] so that [[DirtyCoward he wouldn't get killed by Michael]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and putting on his mask]], all just to understand Michael and evil in general, going to the point where he presumably caused Michael to break out in the first place, leading to all the death before hand]], it's ''intensely'' satisfying to see [[spoiler: Michael kick the shit outta him, then crush his head to a pulp, all while denying Sartain's request to hear him talk]].
--->'''[[spoiler: Sartain]]''': [[spoiler: Say something...'']]
--->'''Michael''': ([[spoiler:says [[BaitAndSwitch nothing]] and stomps the doctor's head with his foot, [[YourHeadASplode exploding it into a bloody mess]].]])

** Laurie [[spoiler:maiming Michael by [[{{Fingore}} shooting two of his fingers off]] at point-blank range.]]
** Laurie, [[spoiler: after a prolonged struggle with Michael in her bedroom, is thrown from the second floor balcony. Michael takes a moment to savour her defeat as she lies prone, before being distracted by the sound of Allyson rushing into the house. The second he looks back, ''Laurie has disappeared without a trace.'' That's right, folks. ''Laurie Strode'' managed to pull a StealthHiBye on '''the Shape himself.''']] Doubles as an amazing CallBack to the original.
*** [[spoiler: The short little zoom-in on Michael after she disappears. He seems positively ''confused'' at what just transpired.]]

** Then, [[spoiler: when Michael gets shot by Karen, Laurie emerges from the shadows right behind Michael, just as he did forty years ago. And in the subsequent fight actually beats him in hand-to-hand combat, mainly by sheer [[CombatPragmatist combat pragmatism]].]]

** THEN, [[spoiler: when Michael pulls his usual NotQuiteDead and pulls himself up the cellar steps to grab Karen, it's Allyson - who up to this point has been utterly overwhelmed by the events of the evening and deaths of her friends - who grabs a knife and stabs Michael with it to get him off her mother]].
*** [[spoiler: And when he's getting slashed and stabbed, Michael is audibly grunting and exclaiming in pain]]. He's [[NotSoStoic not so numb]] after all, huh?.
** And the moment when everyone realises how thoroughly Michael has been outsmarted - [[spoiler:when Karen pulls the lever that seals off the panic room, and viciously explains it isn't a panic room, '''it's a trap'''. Even The Shape can only stand and stare up at them in helpless frustration before they burn him alive.]]
* [[spoiler:Michael's TranquilFury over realizing he's been outsmarted, cornered, and defeated is absolutely indescribably satisfying. The way he bitterly looks up at Laurie with utter hatred as flames form around to envelope him is just...UGH! This is also the only time we see Michael's eye in the film, since he's a mysterious creature of darkness. But this one time, he's forced into the light, at last naked, powerless, and on the brink of death, just like all the people he's victimized. "Catharsis" doesn't even begin to describe it.]]
* And on the other side of the coin [[spoiler:the implication at the end of the credits, when you hear Michael's heavy breathing, that he's somehow survived AGAIN. This version of Michael has no supernatural abilities, no Curse of the Thorn to save him, just an older man who's somehow MadeOfIron, yet he's never seen burning with the rest of the house as it turns into a torch, implying he somehow got out of a locked room while it was on fire, unseen by any of the Strodes. Evil never dies, indeed.]]

* The film grossed more than $77 million on its opening weekend, making it the highest grossing film in the franchise. On a small $10 million budget, no less.

* ''Franchise/{{Halloween}}'', despite being the TropeCodifier for Slasher films, has always been behind the ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'' and ''Franchise/ANightmareonElmStreet'' franchises in terms of box office. With the release of this film, however, ''Halloween'' has become the highest grossing of the three from the ''opening weekend alone.''