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Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, or simply Halloween 4, is a 1988 horror film and the fourth installment in the popular “Halloween” film series. It is also one of the films that reminded the 1980s that slasher villains still mattered, both culturally and in terms of raking in cinematic cash. Keep in mind that, in 1988, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master also came out, and was called “the MTV Nightmare” of that franchise.
Really, the main thing this movie promised was a return to the original nightmare known as its chief antagonist, Michael Myers (Tom Morga and George P. Wilbur).
The movie was directed by Dwight H. Little and written by Alan B. McElroy, who honestly must have done his best to cover up plot holes from the previous film. Rather than being burnt to a crisp, Michael Myers simply has a burnt face. Even more inexplicably, Donald Pleasence reprises his role as Dr. Sam Loomis, the psychiatrist who has been pursuing Michael Myers since the first film. Well, he too survived the horrific explosion of the second film, merely bearing facial scars from that deadly experience — and he’s supposedly not even superhuman!
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers Gives You What You Paid For
Yes, this fine film marked the return of Michael Myers, the iconic slasher villain, to the series after his absence in the previous installment, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which had attempted to take the franchise in a different direction. Recalculating that route likely wasn’t hard, even if Halloween creator John Carpenter had different story concepts in mind. Halloween 4 took a simple concept and continued it, both in a few vaguely new directions, but also in proven ways the fans like.
The Plot and Cast
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is set ten years after the events of the original two Halloween movies. Michael Myers, who had been presumed brain dead and in a coma, escapes from a mental institution and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, to continue his killing spree, as is tradition. Either Michael Myers just needed his beauty rest or he was biding his time to get people off their guard.
Well, in actuality, he becomes revitalized and determined to target his niece, Jamie Lloyd (played by Danielle Harris). Jamie is the daughter of Myers’ sister, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), who was the main character in the first two Halloween films. Then again, let’s be honest here. We all know the real reason Michael Myers returns: He comes back for that sweet, sweet cash…and you’re going to give it to him, too.
Anyway, Ellie Cornell plays Rachel Carruthers, Jamie’s foster sister, who becomes one of the central characters in the movie, perhaps even more so than Dr. Loomis. There’s also a character who is ostensibly Rachel’s boyfriend, Brady (Sasha Jenson), though he ends up with a side piece named Kelly Meeker (Kathleen Kinmont), the daughter of Sheriff Ben Meeker (Beau Starr).
On that note, it’s debatable whether this film abides by or avoids the “police are useless” trope, as it’s not like Sheriff Meeker and other cops have no role in the story. At the same time, Michael Myers does take out much of the police department, so the trope is at least sort of still alive. Let’s just put it this way: The cops are definitely useful in terms of supplying the movie with extra kills.
“Evil on Two Legs:” Reception and Legacy
Halloween 4 received mixed to positive reviews from both critics and audiences but has accrued a decent enough cult following. Personally, it is one of my favorites of the entire Halloween series, though it’s extremely tricky to say where I would rank it. The movie’s also interesting because it acts as sort of the prologue for the so-called “Thorn Trilogy.” In fact, it’s easily the best of that bunch, with some definite thrills and action-oriented scenes.
While the movie didn’t reach the same critical acclaim as the original Halloween, it was seen as a return to form for the franchise, and fans appreciated the return of Michael Myers.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers also marked a resurgence of interest in the Michael Myers character and helped revitalize the Halloween series, whose success was more than a series of accidents. This movie led to the creation of several sequels, including Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), starring Paul “Sex Panther” Rudd. After the winding, disjointed road of the Thorn Trilogy, the Halloween franchise has continued to evolve and expand (while abandoning that timeline), with the release of multiple sequels and reboots, including the 2018 film titled Halloween, which is a direct sequel to the original 1978 movie, effectively ignoring the events of the later sequels. Of course, Rob Zombie released his own Halloween movies, polarizing Michael Myers fans but giving Sheri Moon Zombie something to do.
The enduring popularity of Michael Myers as a horror icon has made the character and the series a significant part of the horror genre, and part of that is due to this sequel. Basically, it’s a movie that shouldn’t be as good as it is, but it gets just enough stuff right that it’s surprisingly memorable. In fact, the intro of this movie almost captures the feeling of fall better than the original (and if you challenge me on that, go ahead and compare it to the original and you might find I’m not just bullshittin’).
Regarding the closing of the latest Halloween trilogy with Halloween Ends, Jamie Lee Curtis said, “It’s now the end for Laurie and me…” So, on that note, some of us fans have nerve enough to ask: What if it wasn’t the end for Jamie Lloyd and Rachel Carruthers? Sure, some people will groan at the prospect of another rebooted timeline, but what the hell? Michael’s always ready to rumble.
Care to impress us with your thoughts on Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers? Take a stab at it in the comments!
