Greetings, and welcome back to October Horror Fest! It is now DAY 20, and I honestly cannot believe how fast it’s going. I am so glad and happy to be able to share all of these horror stories with you all over the past twenty days, and now it’s just a matter of days until Halloween. Thank you all for sticking with me this far! Actually, speaking of Halloween, I think for a special, I have to dive back into my favorite horror franchise of all time. It just seems right, doesn’t it? New place, same mask, same killer. And of course, it IS Day 20. Let’s match up our titles, shall we? Without further ado, sit back, relax, turn off the lights, grab some Candy and Popcorn, and let’s review…

Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! You guys already know how much I adore my Halloween, so let’s dive in! Actually, you guys know what time it is, exposition time baby! WOOOOOOOO H20 FOR DAY 20!!!!

Okay, let’s try to get this as straight in all of our heads as I can. Halloween is split up into five timelines, those being the original timeline (Halloween 1,2,4,5,6), the spinoff timeline (Halloween 3 – Season of the Witch), the reboot timeline (Halloween 1 and Halloween 2 – 2007 and 2009), the Blumhouse timeline (Halloween 1, Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends), and finally, and most importantly for today, the Halloween H20 timeline (Halloween 1, Halloween 2, Halloween H20, Halloween Resurrection).

This movie is named Halloween H20 because it came out twenty years after the original in 1978, and follows the story of Laurie when she’s twenty years older, and her duel with the devil is behind her. The events of the original Halloween are canon to every timeline besides the spinoff and the reboot, so they are in play here. However, this timeline ALSO includes Halloween II, meaning that the events of that movie are still in play, and Michael and Laurie are canonically siblings. This movie ignores ALL of the sequels from the original timeline BESIDES Halloween II. Got it? Got it. ALRIGHT LETS GO!

Our film begins with MR. SANDMAN (the iconic theme from Halloween II), as we see a title card for Langdon, Illinois, on October 29th, 1998. Langdon is pretty close to everyone’s favorite town, Haddonfield, so we know where this one is going. (by the way, this movie takes a LOT of Scream influence, which is funny because Scream took a LOT of Halloween influence. It’s really a full circle moment and horror fans like myself ADORE to see it). We pick up with NURSE MARION, the nurse from the original film who got ambushed by Michael in the car (Marion actually has the distinction of being one of the only characters (besides Laurie) to be in every single timeline. Marion steps into her house, only to find that it has been robbed and ransacked. She then runs next door to her teenage neighbor, Jimmy, who shows up wearing an oddly familiar hockey mask, before taking it off (you know how I said that this movie had a LOT of Scream influence? Well, here’s exhibit A). Jimmy heads into Marion’s house to check it out, and finds major damage in Marion’s office, with papers everywhere. Marion then heads back in, while Jimmy and his friend Tony head back to their place. Marion first goes to her office, where she sees a photo of the late Dr. Loomis, who she stuck by for twenty years after Michael’s rampage. She finds her file on Laurie Strode COMPLETELY MISSING, with all of its contents stolen. She walks back into the hall, as we see The Shape behind her (he looks GREAT in this shot btw). He disappears in a flash, as the front and back door open simultaneously. Marion makes a break for it, finding her way back to Jimmy’s house, only to discover that he and Tony have been BRUTALLY murdered. Michael then begins his attack, and Marion actually fights back! However, it’s in vain, as the police arrive at her door, and she is unable to do anything. Michael slits the good Nurse’s throat, and she falls to the ground, dead. (oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Marion also holds the distinction of being killed by Michael in two separate timelines!) As the police cluelessly find their way to the pile of bodies, Michael steals Jimmy’s car and drives away, ready to hunt down his sister once more (this was a cold open by the way).

We then get a title card for Summer Glen, California, as we meet up with LAURIE! (both Lauries (2018 timeline and H20 timeline), are paranoid and have PTSD over the events of 1978, but go about it differently). Laurie lives under the identity of “Keri Tate”, and we learn that she somehow faked her own death and moved all the way to California to avoid Michael (his body was never found after he burned in the hospital during 2’s events, so she is paranoid, especially because it’s now Halloween and the fateful night was twenty years ago today). We learn what’s going on in sunny California as we learn that Laurie is divorced, but lives with her son John, who is 17 (born three years after Halloween 1978). Laurie is the headmistress of Hillcrest Academy, a private preparatory school. Our girl Laurie is in a relationship with the school counselor Will, and has a secretary named Norma (I’ll get into this more later but this is a HUGE meta horror reference). However, we learn a few things about Laurie and her new life. For starters, John is SICK of her paranoia revolving around her brother, and wants to be rid of his mom’s controlling and overprotective attitude. Laurie continues to suffer from nightmares, and is even somewhat of an alcoholic. She lives in fear that eventually, the boogeyman will find her. Hilariously, we cut to a rest stop on the Northern California rest stop, as we see that the shape has got a flat tire. A woman and her daughter head into the bathroom at the rest stop, and Michael STEALS THE WOMAN’S KEYS, leaving them unharmed but speeding off with her car.

Back at Hillcrest, most of the senior class is getting ready to hop in buses and go on a trip to Yosemite. Laurie, of course, has NO intentions of letting John go on this trip, and it just so happens that John’s girlfriend Molly is also unable to attend. This leaves John, Molly, and two of their delinquent friends (Charlie and Sarah), to ditch the trip altogether and throw a Halloween party on campus while everyone else is gone. However, just minutes after this plan is concocted, John and Laurie enter into a heated argument about his freedoms and his mother’s paranoia. This actually gets down into Laurie’s heart, and she confides in Will that she feels like she is losing John. She actually AGREES to let John go on the trip, giving him a permission slip and sending him on his way, as she is starting to feel that being around her on the 31st is even more dangerous. Our boy John truly smiles and thanks his mother for this, as he walks out of the room feeling a tang of guilt. That’s right, John RIPS up the letter and agrees to stay with his friends on Halloween.

Before everyone begins to leave, Laurie once again runs into Norma, her secretary, who is leaving for the weekend. Okay, let’s nerd out. Norma is played by Janet Leigh, who played MARION IN PSYCHO! Norma is a pun for Norman Bates’ mother, and WOW it got me nerding out. ALSO, Janet Leigh is JAMIE LEE CURTIS’ MOTHER. YES! You are literally staring at horror royalty right now, and the two queens of the genre have a talk with one another. And I can’t go without mentioning that Norma says “It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare (the classic line), and Laurie responds by saying “I’ve had my share”. Norma gives Laurie some really good maternal advice, and gives Laurie reassurance that is VERY rare for our girl. I LOVEDDDDD this scene.

After all the buses leave, gate manager Ronny (really chill guy) who often lets John get out of the school and into the town spots Michael’s abandoned truck on the property, and as he goes to investigate, the boogeyman sneaks onto the property. We then cut to Laurie, who is leaving her office, and she is VERY paranoid. (with good reason, her brother is on the same ground as she is). The scene is VERY tense, and Laurie hallucinates Michael walking slowly towards her, closing her eyes over and over again until the figure is actually revealed as Will. In the background, however, Will spots the REAL boogeyman walking into the bushes. We cut to Molly’s dorm, AS WE SEE THAT SHE AND SARAH WERE WATCHING SCREAM 2 ON THE T.V. Specifically, where Ghostface asks Cici if she wants to die. FULL CIRCLE MOMENT FULL CIRCLE MOMENT I LITERALLY GASPED WHEN I SAW THIS. (Oh my god it’s so perfect it’s just like how in the original Scream the teens were watching the original 1978 Halloween. I LOVE IT) The group begins to prepare for the Halloween party, as Will meets up with the incredibly distressed Laurie in her house, who is VERY much drinking. As Will and Laurie make out, Laurie reveals who she actually is, and tells her entire story of her brother, and how he killed her sister Judith. She says how she got away when he came for her, as the Halloween theme softly echoes in the background. The two have a discussion, and Laurie is INCREDIBLY distressed by the fact that John is the same age she was when Michael attacked her. Seventeen.

Laurie then panics and goes to call John, only to realize that all the phones are dead. Laurie grabs her REVOLVER (We LOVE Laurie here), and teams up with Will and Ronny to look for her kid and his friends. But, what these poor teenagers don’t understand is about to bite them. They are alone in their dorm with the Shape. Charlie keeps trying to prepare treats for the party, but Michael appears behind him, staring him down. Sarah then goes to her dumbwaiter, ONLY TO FIND CHARLIE’S BODY, with his throat being slit. Sarah turns around, and sees Michael in the doorway, slowly approaching her with his bloody knife. He manages to stab her leg before she uses the dumbwaiter to go up, away from the shape (yes, she is sitting next to her boyfriend’s corpse). Sarah then gets her foot caught in the dumbwaiter, and Michael seizes his chance, CUTTING THE ROPE and causing the dumbwaiter to come crashing down on Sarah’s leg. She gets free, but her leg is MESSED UP. She begins to crawl away, as we see Michael’s shadow, and then, the shape himself. He puts his boot on her neck, and brutally kills Sarah, repeatedly stabbing her. John and Molly head upstairs, only to see Sarah’s body IMPALED WITH A LIGHT, hanging in front of them, blood everywhere. Michael stands there, doing his iconic head tilt, as John finally comes into contact with the evil that his mother has been running from. The maniac that hunted her down twenty years ago. Just like Allyson from Halloween 2018, John finally understands. He screams for Molly to run, and the pair BOOK IT.

Michael suddenly appears outside after the pair run, and JUMPS ONTO MOLLY. He goes to kill her, WHEN JOHN INTERVENES (LETS GO!). Our boy PUNCHES Michael several times in the mask, before Michael pushes him off, and stabs him right in the leg. Molly is able to hit Michael with a rock, and the two are barely able to escape, with the Boogeyman still hot on their trail. Molly desperately fumbles with her keys, as Michael approaches. They BARELY get in behind the gate to the dorms, but Molly drops her keys. The shape then desperately tries to get through the gate, before picking up the keys and methodically trying them one by one. (Michael is my favorite because he is the SHAPE OF EVIL. He is methodical, smart, terrifying, and that’s why. You would NOT see Jason trying individual keys (no hate to Jason, I still love you). Laurie and Will open the door behind the teens FINALLY, as they get in just as Michael gets through the gate, and stands at the door. In my FAVORITE scene in the entire movie, Michael and Laurie stare at each other through the porthole in the door. Brother and sister, finally reunited. Laurie’s terrified expression stares at the white mask, as the boogeyman tilts his head…

Laurie reaches for her gun soon after, but Michael disappears. Our group then ascends the stairs, where Laurie pushes her son and Molly into a closet with a lockable door, once again saying her classic line “do as I say”. This leaves us with just Will and Laurie. Will notices a shadow behind Laurie, and shoots. However, it was RONNY (DAMN!). Our poor man goes down, shot in the head. Laurie’s hand then becomes covered in blood, as Will stands up. However, MICHAEL APPEARS, coming out of a doorway and STABBING WILL IN THE BACK. Will is lifted off the ground (just like what happened to the nurse in Halloween II), as he stares his sister down. Laurie finds herself looking at a closet, a closet VERY similar to the one she hid in during Michael’s rampage twenty years earlier. She curses, and TRICKS OUR BOY, smearing her blood all over the door. Michael knives the door and looks inside, just like he did in ‘78, as Laurie appears and bashes him over the head with a fire extinguisher. (BEST FINAL GIRL OF ALL TIME.) He goes down, and after a moment, sits up, just like he did back then. In an INCREDIBLE shot, Laurie retrieves Molly and John as we see Michael stand up and pursue once again. The trio get to Laurie’s truck, as Michael maintains in hot pursuit. Laurie looks back at her brother, and speeds off. They arrive at the main gate, where Laurie hops out and opens it.

Laurie, however, tells the teens to go get help without her. Laurie knows that Michael will NEVER stop hunting her, so she locks the gate, and smashes the control panel. She arms herself with an Axe after kicking open a glass box (she’s so cool), and walks back towards the boogeyman, as the theme plays. She SCREAMS for Michael, as the theme intensifies. She eventually makes it back to the main building, and walks the halls. Michael then DESCENDS FROM THE CEILING (our man was literally pulling himself down by one arm) as Laurie and Michael each land good hits on each other. (Laurie gets slashed EXACTLY where she did in the first film). Micheal then removes the axe from his chest and slams it to the ground, as he tries to pursue Laurie. Laurie is hidden underneath a table, moving from table to table using her training since 1978. However, the camera pans up, and Michael is literally STANDING on the table his sister is under. Michael and Laurie proceed to get into a DEADLY game of cat and mouse in the cafeteria, as Laurie is able to stab the shape in the stomach with a flagpole (DAMN). She runs once again, and grabs a knife. She pops out from behind a curtain, and TOTALLY wins the knife fight against Michael, repeatedly stabbing him and causing him to fall from the balcony onto a table below.

Laurie takes a few deep breaths, and drops her knife, heading downstairs to finish the job. Micheal lays on the table, and Laurie grabs one of the knives she threw at him, still impaled in his chest, and raises it up, about to do what she couldn’t for twenty years. She is then grabbed and stopped by RONNY, who survived the gunshot, and takes Laurie away, saying that Micheal is dead. We pan up, as we see Michael;s body lay on the table. Eventually, the news and the police and EVERYONE show up, as our boy Ronny calls his wife and hilariously says he is going to write a thriller. Laurie stands, as we see John and Molly being cared for. She grabs her axe, and walks towards Michael’s bodybag, which has just been zipped up. Laurie, however, is Laurie freaking Strode, and she KNOWS the boogeyman is not dead. She STEALS A COPS GUN, and begins ordering the paramedics to load Michael into the van, as she speeds away in the newly hijacked car. (LAURIE. STRODE). She speeds up the winding California roads, as a horrific sound effect plays. We see the bodybag begin to stand up, but quiets the second Laurie looks at it. However, she looks in the mirror, and sees Michael attempting to escape. He RIPS out of the bag, and goes to attack Laurie, when she SLAMS on the brakes, causing Michael to go flying out of the windshield and onto the street.

Laurie then begins hoping that Michael will GET UP (oh my LORD she is on a rampage), and the second she does, she floors it RIGHT into the shape. He gets caught on the front of the car, as he stares at his sister. Laurie keeps driving and eventually DRIVES THE VAN OFF ROAD, sending the vehicle tumbling down a hill. We see Laurie jump out of the van and land in some grass, as Michael lands against a downed tree. The van then comes BARRELING towards him, and although he moves, for once, the shape isn’t quick enough. The van crashes into him, pinning him between itself and the tree. Laurie is bruised, bloodied, and looks absolutely destroyed, as she heads down the embankment. The van catches on fire, as Laurie grabs her axe once again. She walks in front of the van, and sees her brother’s torso over the tree. Laurie then calls out for her brother, as Michael touches his mask, and reaches out for her. Laurie begins to cry and smile at the same time, as she reaches out, and the siblings touch hands. However, this is the shape of evil. The boogeyman. Michael Myers. Laurie takes a moment, and then RAISES HER AXE, chopping Michael’s head clean off. The theme begins to play, as we hear sirens approaching in the distance. Laurie closes her eyes, and takes several deep breaths, as we cut to black…

THERE. WE. HAVE. IT. Guys, it was SO refreshing for me to return to Halloween. I LOVE Micheal Myers, as you all know, and I have actually never seen H20 until today. Funny enough, H20’s real name (if we get rid of all the acronyms) is Halloween: Halloween 20: 20 Years Later. That’s just really funny and I thought I would say it! Also, because of course, this movie got a sequel. It is called Halloween: Resurrection, and it is awful. In that one it is retconned that Michael switched clothes with a paramedic and got away, and the person Laurie killed was the wrong man. DISGUSTING. I will not even consider Resurrection as canon, because this ending was perfect for both Laurie and Michael. I hope you guys enjoyed the Day 20 Special (I’m sorry it’s late!), and I hope you’re ready for more!!! And, always remember, wherever you run, no matter how far, the Boogeyman will always find you…