Number 11 — HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS

For the month of October, we’re counting down the best horror movies of 1995! Check back every day for a new entry in the list.

Its Halloween Vibe Outdoes the Original

Despite being filmed in South Pasadena, John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN captures the eeriness of October with cool, crisp lighting (courtesy of cinematographer Dean Cundey), bags of imported leaves, and an abundance of jack-o’-lanterns. It’s a testament to the work that we’re still talking about it 45+ years later. But there’s a sequel that actually outdoes the 1978 original film: HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS. Upon a recent rewatch, I was reminded of how the Joe Chappelle-directed installment oozes with Halloween charm through every crack in the script. The story might be severely lacking logic and scares, but the cinematography remains top-tier.

Up until 1995, cinematographer Billy Dickson mostly worked in the television world. He’d taken on a non-TV movie here and there, but he made his bread and butter making TV films. He’d later be known for his work on TV shows like Ally McBeal and One Tree Hill. You can imagine my surprise when I watched Halloween 6 again. The camera loves Haddonfield. From the establishing shot of wet streets, rustling orange and brown leaves, and kids in costume heading off to school, it all seemed to work from the jump. The attentive camera work instantly captures my childhood growing up in the ‘90s – there was a sense of naivety and innocence, mixed with a bit of daring, that fueled my wonder about the magic of Halloween.

There’s a deep understanding of the sacred holiday’s roots that allows Dickson to conjure up spirits onscreen – not literally, of course. There’s an eeriness with how the camera moves and bottles up its imagery like collecting Polaroids. It’s as though a specter is guiding the viewer through a macabre tale about the Boogeyman. The night scenes are particularly impactful. The moodiness of the color palette (cool, misty blues, etched with a menacing quality; other times, there are crackling oranges and reds to make a point) pairs nicely with the intensity of the script, albeit disheveled and misplaced. You get the impression that each frame means something, even if that meaning is not thought out or sits outside of what makes Michael Myers scary.

Scriptwriter Daniel Farrands originally conceived the idea that the residents of Haddonfield conspired together to keep evil at bay. “In the reveal of ‘Halloween 6,’ it was almost like a Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery,’ where we found out the people of Haddonfield had been so tormented and terrorized by the specter of Michael that they had formed this cult as a way of warding off pure evil. This was going back to the origins of the holiday itself,” he told me in 2018. This idea rings far truer and grounds itself in reality far better than what we did get. While Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd) and Kara (Marianne Hagan) and her family bumble around trying to make sense of Michael’s latest rampage, the all-vibes visual storytelling never once feels overwrought or undercooked. It just feels right.

This doesn’t diminished or invalidate Dean Cundey’s work in the original Halloween. The acclaimed cinematographer first dipped his toes into horror with 1974’s SO EVIL, MY SISTER and saw success with THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA Witch (1976). His credits served him well for John Carpenter’s seminal classic – Cundey infuses a sinister moodiness into the film that you rarely see, even today. He’d go on to work with Rick Rosenthall for HALLOWEEN II (1981) and Tommy Lee Wallace for HALLOWEE III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982). But nothing captured the spirit of Halloween like the OG… that is, until Dickson’s work on HALLOWEEN 6.

Over three decades, the fifth entry in the Michael Myers saga has left some diehard franchise fans confused and others rather pleased. Regardless where you fall on the overall film, I think it’s safe to say that the cinematography is irrefutably the best in the series. Even David Gordon Green’s reboot trilogy (as much as I like those) fails to reach the same heights as HALLOWEEN 6’s haunting and downright chilling illustrations. Moments like when Michael can be seen outside Mrs. Blankenship’s (Janice Knickrehm) window as she regales a tale about Halloween; the strobe light slaughter in Smith’s Grove; and the slit lighting over Tim’s (Keith Bogart) eyes as he learns he’s living in the Boogeyman’s house are excellent examples of Dickson’s thoughtful and interesting stylistic choices.

It is mindblowing that a cinematographer known for working mainly in TV had such real vision for a tired and sad installment in a well-known IP. Billy Dickson should be lauded for his work here, as HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS stands as the shiniest of jewels in his crown. It’s yet to be beat in this franchise and perhaps never will. Maybe in 30 more years, we’ll have this conversation again. Who knows!