Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers is a 1989 American slasher film co-written and directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard, and starring Donald Pleasence and Danielle Harris. The fifth installment in the Halloween series, it follows serial killer Michael Myers who again returns to the town of Haddonfield to murder his traumatized niece, Jamie Lloyd, with whom he now shares a telepathic connection.
After the success of the previous installment, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers was rushed into production by executive producer Moustapha Akkad. The original screenplay, which was still under revision at the time filming began, introduced elements of supernatural horror, including Jamie possessing a telepathic link to Michael Myers, as well as a storied subplot in which Myers, under the influence of a cult centered around the ancient rune of Thorn, is driven to kill his bloodline. While the final cut of the film features a mysterious "Man in Black" character, the "Curse of Thorn" subplot was largely minimized, resulting in audiences and critics expressing some confusion, though it was expanded upon in the following film, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995).
Filmed in Salt Lake City in mid-1989, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers was released theatrically in North America in October of that year by the independent studio Galaxy Releasing. The film received generally negative reviews from critics and was a box office disappointment, only grossing $11.6 million domestically against a $5.5 million budget, becoming the lowest-grossing film in the franchise.
Plot
On October 31, 1988, Michael Myers is shot down a mine shaft by Sheriff Ben Meeker and the Illinois state police, but manages to crawl out before dynamite is dropped down to finish him off. He floats down a river and stumbles upon the shack of an elderly hermit who nurses him back to health. One year later, he awakens and kills the hermit before returning to Haddonfield to resume the hunt for his niece, Jamie Lloyd.
Jamie has been admitted to the Haddonfield Children's Clinic after attacking her foster mother. She has been rendered mute due to psychological trauma and exhibits signs of a telepathic link with her uncle. Dr. Sam Loomis learns of this connection and wants to use it to defeat Michael for good. Meanwhile, Michael kills Jamie's foster sister Rachel and begins stalking her friend, Tina Williams. Jamie senses whenever her loved ones are in danger, triggering episodes of convulsions that disturb those around her.
After unknowingly encountering Michael posing as her boyfriend that he killed, Tina attends a Halloween party at the Tower Farm with her friends, Sam and Spitz. Sensing that Michael is following them, Jamie (having partially regained her ability to speak) escapes the clinic with her stuttering friend, Billy Hill, to warn Tina of the danger. As Spitz and Sam have sex in a barn, Michael impales the former with a pitchfork and decapitates the latter with a scythe, and also kills two bumbling deputies Loomis had entrusted to protect Tina. Jamie and Billy find Tina as Michael tries to run them down with a car. Tina ultimately sacrifices herself to save Jamie. With nothing left to lose, Jamie agrees to help Loomis stop Michael once and for all.
Loomis and Meeker create a set up at the abandoned Myers house to lure Michael back to his childhood home. The police receive a call saying Michael has broken into the clinic, prompting Meeker and most of the officers to leave; however, this call is merely a diversion. Michael appears and kills the remaining officers. Loomis tries to reason with him, but Michael slashes him and throws him over the stair banister. He pursues Jamie throughout the house and up to the attic, where she finds the bodies of Rachel, her dog Max, and Tina's boyfriend. As Michael raises his knife to stab her, Jamie addresses him as "Uncle," causing him to pause. He agrees to remove his mask and let Jamie see his face, shedding a brief tear. However, when Jamie touches his face he goes into a fit of rage and chases her again. Loomis reappears and uses Jamie as live bait to lure Michael into a trap. He shoots Michael with a tranquilizer gun and beats him unconscious with a wooden plank before suffering from a stroke and collapsing on top of him.
Meeker and the police return and take Michael into custody. He is locked in a cell at the police station until he can be transferred to a maximum security facility for the rest of his life. As Jamie prepares to return to the clinic, a mysterious man in black who has been quietly observing all day arrives and shoots up the station. Jamie finds the bodies of Meeker and several officers, as well as Michael's cell broken open and empty. Realizing he has escaped again, she sobs in despair.
Cast
Production
Development
Development on a fifth Halloween was fast tracked to meet a pre-set release deadline of October 1989. Producer Moustapha Akkad turned to Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers writer and director Alan B. McElroy and Dwight H. Little to return for their respective duties on the fifth film, however both declined. Ramsey Thomas assumed producing responsibilities from the fourth film's Paul Freeman, and opted to hire playwright Shem Bitterman as screenwriter. Bitterman's script, entitled Halloween 5: The Killer Inside Me, which was written in the span of three days, featured an evil Jamie Lloyd and resurrected Michael Myers once again. However, Akkad was adamant about making Myers the sole antagonist of the film. Nevertheless, Bitterman penned a second draft by February 1989 and Jeff Burr, director of From a Whisper to a Scream, was being courted to helm the film. Burr's producing partners Darin Scott and William Burr were also in the mix to co-produce alongside Thomas. The directing job was seemingly Burr's until series co-creator Debra Hill met director Dominique Othenin-Girard at the 1989 Sundance Film Festival, and recommended him to Akkad.
After being instated as director, he infamously threw Bitterman's draft into a trashcan in front of Akkad. He brought in Robert Harders, of Home Movies, to write an entirely new draft, which saw a Frankenstein inspired story where Myers is resurrected and no longer evil but is pursued by an angry mob. Harders's pitch was rejected, leading Othenin-Girard to pitch a new concept with co-writer Michael Jacobs. The duo's initial title was Halloween 5... And Things That Go Bump In the Night. After reviewing the screenplay, director Othenin-Girard added Jamie's inability to speak to the draft, along with the supernatural plot device of her telepathic visions connected to Michael.
Another departure from previous films in the series was Othenin-Girard's attempt to persuade the audience to relate to the Michael Myers character, whom he intended to appear "more human [...] even vulnerable, with contradicting feelings inside of him." He illustrated these feelings with a scene where Michael removes his mask and sheds a tear. Girard explains, "Again, to humanize him, to give him a tear. If Evil or in this case our boogeyman knows pain, or love or demonstrate a feeling of regrets; he becomes even more scary to me if he pursues his malefic action. He shows an evil determination beyond his feelings. Dr. Loomis tries to reach his emotional side several times in [Halloween 5]. He thinks he could cure Michael through his feelings."
In the original closing scene, after Jamie finds that Michael has escaped from the police station, she is approached by a black-cloaked figure. At the time of filming, it was unknown who this figure was. It would only be expanded on and explained in the subsequent film, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), and the scene in question was attached to the beginning of the Producer's Cut of that film as a flashback. Though the cuts made to the beginning and ending of the film largely diminish this subplot, the "Man in Black" character still appears momentarily on several occasions in the film, which led to some confusion among audiences upon its original release.
Casting
Returning from Halloween 4 was Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, along with Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, and Beau Starr, as Jamie Lloyd, Rachel Carruthers, and Sheriff Ben Meeker, respectively.
Though enthusiastic of reprising her role as Rachel, Cornell was disappointed to learn that her character would be killed early in the film. In the original screenplay, her character died after Michael shoved a pair of scissors down her throat, but Cornell felt that this would be too gruesome, and requested that the writers change it; as a result, she is instead stabbed in the chest.
Karen Alston, who portrayed Darlene Carruthers in the previous film, reprised her role in the beginning of the film showing the anonymous person in the mask stabbing her as she falls into the bathtub of water. Her voice-over was recorded by Wendy Kaplan. Kaplan won the role of Tina Williams, the loud and wily friend of Rachel's. After Rachel's demise, Tina inherits the role of Jamie's protector.
George P. Wilbur, who had portrayed The Shape in the previous film, did not express interest in returning to play the role (although he did work as a stunt player on the film). Don Shanks was cast to play the speech-less, white-masked murderer. Shanks had already played a similar character in the first two Silent Night, Deadly Night films. Shanks also had a double role as the Man in Black. Wilbur, who had to wear hockey pads to appear to have a bigger build, would later portray the Shape again in the next installment, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. Shanks did not have to wear the hockey pads because he already had a larger build.
Max Robinson would play Maxwell Hart, the doctor who assists Jamie when she is having one of her nightmares in the beginning of the film. Betty Carvalho appears as his assistant, Nurse Patsey, who has a "motherly" feel to Jamie. Jeffrey Landman portrayed Billy Hill, Jamie's best friend, who has a stutter. Landman worked with a coach who taught him about stuttering to help him prepare for the role.
Newcomers such as Tamara Glynn, Matthew Walker, and Jonathan Chapin appear as Samantha Thomas, Spitz, and Mike, who are friends of Tina and Rachel. Walker would later appear in another slasher film, Child's Play 3 (1991).
Filming
Principal photography began on May 1, 1989, in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as the surrounding communities of Provo and Ogden. Several prior filming locations from Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers are featured in the film, including the Carruthers residence, as well as the local general store. At the time the shoot began, the film's screenplay was still unfinished.
According to actress Wendy Kaplan, Donald Pleasence exhibited utmost professionalism to the material, and while filming, treated it "like he was doing Shakespeare."
Unable to find a lookalike Myers house that matched the original Halloween, the filmmakers chose a bigger, more mansion-like house because they needed one that could provide wide rooms, hallways, an attic, a basement, and a laundry chute.
Donald Pleasence accidentally broke Don Shanks' nose on the set when they were filming the scene where Dr. Loomis beats The Shape with a 2×4 block of wood.
Don Shanks was also injured when he was filming the scene where The Shape crashes Mike's Camaro into the tree. Othenin-Girard had forgotten to yell "Cut!" and fire was beginning to emerge from the car (Shanks put this down to Othenin-Girard being sidetracked by seeing stunts take place during his first major directing job). Finally, stunt coordinator Don Hunt told Othenin-Girard to finally yell "cut". Wendy Kaplan was also injured in this scene, as the car almost ran over the top of her.
Filming completed on June 11, 1989.
Post-production
The film had originally been given an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) due to its graphic depiction of violence, particularly the sequence in which Jamie, hiding in the laundry chute, is stabbed in the leg by Michael.
Alternate opening
The film's original screenplay featured a young hermit who takes in the injured Michael at the beginning of the film, whose shack was filled with ancient runes, tablets, and other occult items used to perform necromancy. Though initially filmed as such, with Theron Read portraying the young man (known as "Dr. Death"), the sequence was later re-shot featuring an older actor, and the occult paraphernalia and theme removed. In subsequent years, the original footage featuring Read was thought to be lost. This original sequence had been intended to set the groundwork for a subplot that had Michael Myers under the "Curse of Thorn," controlled by a cult devoted to this ancient rune.
In April 2019, actor Don Shanks reported that film reels had been discovered which may contain the original lost opening scene. In August 2021, it was revealed that Scream Factory had obtained the original opening sequence of the film to be included as a bonus feature on their forthcoming UHD and Blu-ray, which was released October 5, 2021.
Music
Alan Howarth returned to compose the film. Similar to previous movies in the Halloween franchise, the soundtrack contains the score and songs heard throughout the film by bands and solo artists such as White Sister and Rhythm Tribe. There are also some unknown bands and solo artists on the soundtrack such as Becca, DV8, Eileen Clark, Diggy, and Mark Chosak. The soundtrack was released to Compact Disc, LP Vinyl Record, and Cassette Tape on September 11, 1989.
Release
Box office
Halloween 5 opened theatrically in North America on October 13, 1989. It earned $5.1 million in its opening weekend, ranking number four at the United States box office. It continued to screen throughout November 1989, with a reported earning of $449,686 during the weekend of November 3, 1989, showing on 537 screens. The film's theatrical run lasted three months, concluding in December 1989, with an ultimate gross of $11.6 million domestically.
Critical response
Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote that the film was "rather like taking another swing through the same all-too-familiar funhouse", but thought it was "a bit more refined in its details than the conventional horror movie". Variety called the film "pretty stupid and boring fare" and noted that the series had become "practically indistinguishable from the Friday the 13th pics". Richard Harrington of the Los Angeles Times criticized the film as being "a prime example of the principle of diminishing reruns" and Donald Pleasence for "a flat two-note performance", though he thought Danielle Harris was "actually pretty good" in her role.
Some critics derided the film for its obscure appearances of the "Man in Black" character, which was not elucidated in the final cut of the film. Gary Thompson of the Philadelphia Daily News noted this in his review, commenting that "his identity is never revealed, and his actions are never explained. What does this mean? It means the series has turned into a soap opera, attempting to keep the audience interested with cheap dramatic stunts borrowed from daytime television." The Hartford Courants Malcolm L. Johnson, however, gave the film a favorable review, deeming it the best sequel in the series and praising Othenin-Girard's "arty touch to the stalkings and killings."
Home media
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers was released on VHS and LaserDisc by CBS/Fox Video in 1990. In September 2000, Anchor Bay Entertainment released the film on VHS and DVD, including a limited edition DVD housed in a tin box with collectible lobby cards. Anchor Bay reissued the DVD with additional bonus materials in 2006 before releasing it on Blu-ray in 2012. In September 2014, the film was included in a Blu-ray box set of the entire Halloween film series, released by Scream Factory, in association with Anchor Bay, in both a standard and deluxe limited edition. On October 5, 2021, Shout! Factory sub-label Scream Factory released the film in a UHD and Blu-ray combination package, featuring a new 4K scan of the original film elements, as well as newly-discovered cut footage included as a bonus feature.
Notes
References
Sources
External links
1989 films
1989 horror films
1980s slasher films
American films about revenge
American independent films
American sequel films
American serial killer films
American slasher films
American supernatural horror films
1980s English-language films
Films about orphans
Films about telepathy
Films directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard
Films scored by Alan Howarth (composer)
Films set in 1988
Films set in 1989
Films set in abandoned houses
Films set in Illinois
Films shot in Salt Lake City
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Films about children
1980s American films