* Click on picture to watch the full movie *
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A while back I did a post about a Halloween fan film that caught my attention, and even despite it's flaws, oddly interested me with a subtle charm and genuine (though not always precise) nostalgic dedication. Not too too long ago I had heard about a tribute/fan film with an interesting title and twist: Judith, a "prequel" to the original film which gives us a little more than a glimpse into the older sister of Michael Myers who's infamously murdered in the opening sequence. Directed by Josh Hasty and written by Kenny Caperton (the man who lives in the replicated Myers House, which he built himself, that's becoming just as famous as the original), the film is only about an half an hour long, and is basically set up to let us witness a somewhat alternative opening to this series (as opposed to jumping right into the murder). It's the few brief hours and minutes before the climax finds its way into Judith's room, that shows a little bit of the town we will explore in scope in the later films, but mostly of the Judith character and her friend who plan a camp out with some people in the back yard.
I went into this very excited, that someone had come up with an original idea that would be interesting to explore. The trailer looked gorgeous -- professional, clear, well staged, and ruggedly retro -- and it had been shot at the Myers House NC with sharp cinematography and lighting. But I'm sad to say that the actual piece is a work of style over substance, even as a short film within a wide cannon of dense plotting throughout the franchise. This is a clearly a labor of love, as most tributes are, but the love doesn't really extend to actually crafting an essential/thought provoking entry to deepen Carpenter's intricately subtle masterpiece. Not that this film needs "more" (it's simplicity follows the same lane as the original), or that it needs to be as brilliant, but working as more of a character study, it falters in its clarity. Judith stays on its polished surface when it should be trying to sculpt something a bit deeper; such as an illumination or an expansion on the enigmatic mythology of the many themes of darkness embodied by Michael Myers and the surrounding characters. And the title character herself, played by an appealing Sarah Stephenson, is nevertheless a cipher (as Michael should be) that doesn't contribute to opening up interpretation on the Boogeyman or her place in his story.
I appreciate the vivid technicalities Hasty imbues his film with, but I only wish that the subtext was as clarifying and engaging -- as a few stringed, substantial glimpses can resonate in surprising, memorable ways.
I went into this very excited, that someone had come up with an original idea that would be interesting to explore. The trailer looked gorgeous -- professional, clear, well staged, and ruggedly retro -- and it had been shot at the Myers House NC with sharp cinematography and lighting. But I'm sad to say that the actual piece is a work of style over substance, even as a short film within a wide cannon of dense plotting throughout the franchise. This is a clearly a labor of love, as most tributes are, but the love doesn't really extend to actually crafting an essential/thought provoking entry to deepen Carpenter's intricately subtle masterpiece. Not that this film needs "more" (it's simplicity follows the same lane as the original), or that it needs to be as brilliant, but working as more of a character study, it falters in its clarity. Judith stays on its polished surface when it should be trying to sculpt something a bit deeper; such as an illumination or an expansion on the enigmatic mythology of the many themes of darkness embodied by Michael Myers and the surrounding characters. And the title character herself, played by an appealing Sarah Stephenson, is nevertheless a cipher (as Michael should be) that doesn't contribute to opening up interpretation on the Boogeyman or her place in his story.
I appreciate the vivid technicalities Hasty imbues his film with, but I only wish that the subtext was as clarifying and engaging -- as a few stringed, substantial glimpses can resonate in surprising, memorable ways.
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