By this point, I think you all may know how we here at The Nerd Blitz feel about the 2018 Halloween reboot (and if you don’t then go listen to Ep 50 of The Nerd Blitz Commentaries and hear us blow it for like 2 hours), but a novelization of it?
That could go spectacularly wrong in oh so many ways.
So that makes the real question here: did it go down the tubes or did it enhance what happened on screen?
Let’s kick back and embrace the spooky season once again, gang, as we take a look at what happens when Michael Myers got loose once again!
Just like a kitchen knife to the back of the brain tank, this is your official ***SPOILER ALERT***
I love tie-in novels and novelizations, just look at the other reviews on this site and that should become apparent in no time.
I have always thought they were a great way to expand our understanding of characters we love as well as re-experience stories we love through a new lens.
All novelizations can/should take you into the characters heads and add a whole new level of depth to a Movie or TV Show.
They should never just give you the movie on a page with “he said” and “she wondered” added, though there are quite a few that do just that.
But thankfully, this Halloween adaptation isn’t just a beat sheet of the flick with added “she wondered”!
There are a few moments where we get in Allyson’s head and learn more about her view of the world, her parents, and Laurie that really add a great depth to the movie.
Her morning runs, for instance, add a logical excuse for her endurance and stamina that not many horror movies (including this one!) ever think to cover.
And people have talked and joked about for years that horror characters, not just the villains and monsters, seem semi-superhuman.
I greatly appreciate John Passarella taking the time to address it.
I know that, generally, most Movie Novelizations are written based on early drafts of the scripts, and that really leads me to wonder about a lot of the little bits that are added.
Specifically, in this case, there is a bit of background about Hawkins that the sequel, Halloween Kills (which you can hear our initial reactions to *here*), could not contradict any harder if it tried.
In this book the Myers home, site of Michael’s first kill, has been, fuckin’ logically, knocked down and turned into a community garden by a committee that Hawkins was on.
Now, again, Halloween Kills retcons this in a big bad way!
But I’m curious if this little detail was some Passarella flair or if this was indicated in the script and the creative team decided to change course?
I break all this down to come to the point that this book and the movie it’s based on are far stronger and, seemingly, more well thought out than the shit storm that followed it.
Passarella definitely has a easy to read writing style that also makes me want to give him a lot of the credit for the tweaks and improvements.
Look, I haven’t read a shit ton of horror movie novels in my day (they are surprisingly hard to find), and the few I have read have mostly been just okay, not horrible but nothing super memorable either.
But this one is.
From the explanation of Oscar’s devil/vampire costume, to grounding Laurie even more so than the movie did, this novel fleshes out and adds enough new colors to the palette that it actually improves a movie I already loved.
I actually went back and rewatched the flick after reading this and it is indeed a more enjoyable experience.
So the bottom line is this: If you loved this movie or if you liked it but wanted some things explained, you definitely need to read this novel.
I only pointed out a few of the added bits, so there is still plenty of new lore for you to discover.
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And finally, given the state of the world, do what you can to leave it a little bit better than you found it.
As difficult as that may be currently, it can have an impact far greater than you know.
Until next time, stay safe out there, gang.
