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Michael, Jason, and Freddy: Can They Still Cut It?

Toxic Horror #1 Bertha Roegger

(Lots of actual mistakes in the article, it's not my typing)

When I first started writing about horror films ten years ago there was no Freddy Kruger, no Jason, and Michael Myers had appeared in just one film. John Carpenter's Halloween. At that time, graphically violent horror film was still a disrepitable genre. Magazine articles and television critics would occasionally throw a sop to George Romero for Night of the Living Dead, but Cronenberg, Craven, Dante, Carpenter, and others had yet to make "respectable" films, embraced by the mainstream opinion makers.

A lot of things have changed since then, for a lot of reasons. Stephen King has become the worlds best-known, best-selling writer. Horror anthologies are the second-largest genre in syndicated television after game shows. It seems that another Fangoria imitator reaches the news-stands every other month. And all the directiors named above have it's only in retrospect, after having the same plots rerun umpteen times, that they seem formulaic.

But the producers of these films are not solely to blame for the formula; in fact, the makers of the Halloween and Friday The 13th movies even attempted to kill off their lead maniacs early on. It was in response to fan demand that Jason and been absorbed by the mainstream. While the M.P.A.A has gotten tougher than ever in its vigilance against breaches of good taste, horror itself has become a part of the mainstream.

So why do I miss the good old days?

When Fangoria was first launched, I remember how refreshing it was to find a magazine that did not go on endlessly about the superiority of the "classic" approach to horror. I never could share Forry Ackerman's enthusiam for Lugosi, Karloff and the rest of the moldering corpses of horror's past. An exploding head, gouting blood, cascades of dripping phlegm---thats what spoke to me, and it sitll does. So you are not about to read a reant from me about how the "unseen" is more horrifically subtle then the graphic. No, what annoys me is that horror has become a franchise system. Say the words "horror movie" nowadays, and they will think of Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers.

To see how this has come about think about the rise of "fast food" I live in Hoboken, New Jersey. Ten years ago, there were about 6 different lunch counters on the main drag where you could get a decent hamburger for under two dollars. Today, there is only McDonald's and Burger King. How did these two close six different independent businesses by offereing an inferior, more expensive product? If you can answer that, you can probably tell me why Freddy, Jason and Michael rule the horror field today.

Fast food chains and mass market maniacs offer brand name recognition and predictability. A Big Mac tastes the same everywhere. Jason remains and inarticulate blugeoner, Michael a silent, singleminded stabber, Freddy an anarchistic wisecracking torturer. The popular films that first gave birth to this trio, by Carpenter, Cunningham, and Craven, were far from predictable; Michael were returned to life and transformed into cash cows.

But there are fans and there are fans. There's a bigh difference between the sort of fan I'm used to - the one who looks forward to the next Wes Craven or John Carpenter - and the fan that dominates horror today. He's the guy that thinks Jason is neat, and avidly awaits his next slaughter outing. Those fans were in minority ten years ago. Now they are the overwhelming majority. Why?

It used to be that horror films were given a slow, careful release; perhaps a dozen or so prints were initially struck, then more if success warranted it. A film would open first in New York or Los Angeles, and slowly roll out to other major cities. Word of mouth was the most powerful sales tool, and if a film was no good, it was word of mouth that killed it, quickly, before too much harm had been done.

Nowadays, it's all or nothing. It's a small release if only 300 prints are struck, and most horror films open nationwide, unless they go straight to video. Word of mouth? Forget it. TV ads get all the Jasonmaniacs' and Freddyphiles' mouths to watering, and the bulk of the film's money is made in the first opening weekend; even if word turns out to be bad, the investors' money has already been secured. Finacial security - sure money - is what sequelizing is all about. Unfortunatly for moviegoers, financial security and creative risks seldom mix.

Some would say that the horror sequal is the only way for horror to survive at all in today's market. There are less then 25,000 movie screens in this country; in a summer like the one just past, major releases like Indy Jones III, Batman, Ghostbusters II, Licence to Kill, and others occupied an overwhelming majority of those screens for most of the summer. Without an identifiable figure like Freddy Kruger, how could a new, unknown horror film get booked into theaters at all, let alone make any kind of a dent in the market? The American moviegoer has been thoroughly trained to catch every "big" movie that they "must" see. For myself, and a lot of horror fans like me, it was the little movies that hardly anyone had seen that always had the most appeal. But Jason, Michael, and Freddy have changed all that.

Maybe you think I'm an old fogey, a stick-in-th-mud, someone who resents, out of jealousy, the amalgamation of greater and greater power in Hollywood. Maybe you have a point. But it also occurs to me that one of the first people to raise a howl about these mass market was the man who started it all. John Carpenter, the writer and director who devised the unkillable maniac in his picture Halloween, fought long and hard to prevent its sequelization; he found that it's very hard to stand between Hollywood sharks and money to be made. Today, the Halloween saga continues without Carpenter's participation, while he continues to make worthwhile horror films, particularly They Live! , which all by itself is worth all the Halloween sequals lumped in one basket.

If Carpenter could do it, so can you -- "Just say no" to junk food horror movies. Only when Jason, Freddy and Michael finally and thoroughly die can horror films start anew.

Donald Pleasence Profile

(Dr. Sam Loomis)

"I'm a professional actor. I get the part, I read the script. If I decide to do it, I learn the lines. I have no theory about acting. For me, there is no method. I just do it."

"The blackest eyes...the devil's eyes." With these words, Donald Pleasence sent chills down moviegoers' spines in HALLOWEEN. Donald Pleasence is perhaps the most recognizable face, other than Michael Myers, associated with the HALLOWEEN series. A true actor, famed on stage and screen, Pleasence appeared in the entire Michael Myers saga - and his lines as the obsessed Doctor Sam Loomis will never be forgotten.Born in 1919 in Workshop, Nottinghamshire, England, Pleasence, according to his own quote in FANGORIA magazine, had a "shuffling, misspent youth." He enlisted in the Royal Air Force during World War II, where he was shot down and spent a year in a German POW camp. After returning from the war, he began his acting career in the mid-1940's.Over the years, Pleasence became type-cast as a star of the horror genre. "My career was constantly tied to the insane person roles," he said towards the end of his life. "I was typed in a lot of people's eyes as the one who constantly plays the crazy, mixed-up character. But, as my career has progressed, more and more I'm the good guy, chasing after the crazy, mixed-up people." Some of his more memorable films in horror included: HALLOWEEN (and its sequels), FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE, the 1979 remake of DRACULA, FANTASTIC VOYAGE, CREEPERS, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, NOSFERATU, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, and THE GREAT ESCAPE. In all, Pleasence appeared in over 100 films and television appearances.Once Donald Pleasence was discovered by the budding young director John Carpenter, and instant friendship was created, which led to collaborations like HALLOWEEN, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Recent works from Pleasence included the Agatha Christie film TEN LITTLE INDIANS as well as Woody Allen's SHADOWS AND FOG.The classic actor was also well known on stage. He was nominated for four Tony awards, the London Critics Award, and the Variety Club Award. He appeared in plays like RESTLESS HEART and THE CARETAKER.

"It was an honor," HALLOWEEN 6 screenwriter Daniel Farrands said of Pleasence reading his lines. Members of the HALLOWEEN 6 crew, as well as HALLOWEEN 4 and 5 star Ellie Cornell remembered that Pleasence was a very "to-himself" kinda guy, often staying in his trailer until called for. In an interview with FANGORIA magazine, Pleasence said, "When I started in the first HALLOWEEN, I had no idea that Loomis would become such a memorable character. I thought it would be a one-time thing and that would be that. I never figured that he would go on and on and on," as he laughed softly.Pleasence was looking forward to returning to the stage when work on HALLOWEEN THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS was completed. "I'm enjoying playing Loomis again," he stated on his "new" endeavor in film world. But sadly enough, it was to be his last. February 2, 1995 marked the day Dr. Sam Loomis and Donald Pleasence died, shortly after wrapping work on HALLOWEEN 6. No HALLOWEEN film will ever be the same without the the trench-coat hero. His presence and tone can never be matched by any actor ever again in the series. "Do HALLOWEEN 7?" he said before his death. "Surely."

In Memory of Donald Pleasence 1919-1995

Jamie Lee Curtis Profile

(Laurie strode, Keri tate)

Jamie Lee Curtis has come a long way from being the young Hollywood daughter she was originally stigmatized as. She was born November 22, 1958 as the second child to the legendary Hollywood couple Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis (the family is pictured here). Her parents had a storybook marriage, but due to Tony's frequent affairs, it ended in divorce. Jamie Lee spent an "almost normal" childhood with her mother. Growing up in Hollywood, her mother would shelter her from the abnormalities of Hollywood, and often shelter her from movies. The film OLIVER was the first movie Curtis could remember seeing. Even then, her mother covered her eyes at some gruesome parts. Her mother wouldn't even let Jamie Lee see her most famous film...Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO. Curtis continued her education at Beverly Hills High School, where she wanted nothing more than to live a normal life. Her mother, concerned about Jamie's lack of interest in school, moved her to an Eastern prep school. At 16, Jamie Lee had decided she wanted to act.After attending the University of Pacific at Stockton for only 3 months, she dropped out. Her last name "got her in the door," Janet Leigh said. "But after that, she was on her own." Jamie Lee landed a deal with Universal, and ended up on various TV shows, from OPERATION PETTICOAT, to COLUMBO, to CHARLIE'S ANGELS. Then came HALLOWEEN, her first major film. She was paid only $8,000 for her involvement in the film, but it was a major break for young Curtis.However, she became type cast. More horror flicks followed. PROM NIGHT, TERROR TRAIN, THE FOG all featured Jamie as a scream queen. Meanwhile, Jamie Lee was becoming quite social in Hollywood. She dated singer Adam Ant for a while. She moved from the Valley to exciting West Hollywood. She had her share of substance abuse, admitting to taking Cocaine with her father.Suddenly Jamie changed her image. She took on a new sexy image in TRADING PLACES, and lost lots of her hair. However, the change worked. Jamie was hired in films, however they failed to work at the box office,,,from DOMINIC AND EUGENE to GRANDVIEW, USA, to PERFECT.Jamie showed up in the late 80's on the television show ANYTHING BUT LOVE. Playing the lovable reporter Hannah, she became a critical favorite. All of the sudden, Jamie Lee Curtis had become a big star. She appeared in films like A FISH CALLED WANDA, MY GIRL and opposite the Terminator in TRUE LIES.Today, Jamie Lee is married to Christopher Guest, a "quiet kinda guy" who also works in Hollywood. They have adopted two children, named Annie and Tommy (ironically, these are character names from HALLOWEEN). Her work continues today in television and film, with the recent addition of the television movie NICHOLAS'S GIFT and the thriller VIRUS. She is the epitome of a sophisticated Hollywood starlet. And to bring her career full circle, Curtis returned to battle Michael Myers in 1998's HALLOWEEN H20.

A 1998 INTRODUCTION TO HALLOWEEN

As fans may or may not know, producer Debra Hill recently introduced a big-screen showing of HALLOWEEN for a writing conference. We've got an exclusive copy of the speech she prepared to introduce the audience to HALLOWEEN!

Since this is a writing conference, I want to talk to you about the writing. For those of you who have seen the picture, or watched the laser disc a dozen times, I hope you'll get the references. For those of you who haven't...you'll have to wait until after the picture, to realize how poignant this speech really is.

This is how it happened...

In 1977 John Carpenter and I took ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 to the London Film Festival where we met the real Michael Meyers (a film distributor). He took us to meet Moustapha Akkad (owner of Twickenham Studios) who loved several esoteric aspects of ASSAULT, particularly the sound of the silencers. He asked John to write and direct a low budget film, THE BABYSITTER MURDERS." Coming back to California, John asked me, "a former baby-sitter," for some real life stories. I regaled him with tales of watching late night horror films, while nervously clutching a butcher's knife, as my charges slept safe from the Boogieman. And stolen kisses from my teenage boyfriend in the darkened living room lit only by the blue light of THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS. When Irwin Yablans called that fateful night to suggest the name HALLOWEEN, magic was made and John and I forged an alliance - we write it - he directs - I produce. Thus began a collaboration that has lasted over 20 years.

The writing of HALLOWEEN started by listing 10 Halloween scares. Things like:

1. The ghost dressed in the bedsheet is not your boyfriend...He's the killer!

2. As you carve the jack-o-lantern in the kitchen, the sound you thought was lightning is the bad guy breaking the window.

3. The breathing sound on the telephone is really your best friend playing games...Think Again!

4. The guy in the funny Halloween costume and the William Shatner mask - is not your neighbor next door.

And then we added character names...

1. Laurie Strode...really John Carpenter's first girlfriend.

2. Bennet Tramer...a USC friend who now writes for SAVED BY THE BELL.

3. Sam Loomis...John Gavin's character from PSYCHO who played Janet Leigh's boyfriend.

Michael Meyers...Our UK distributor and with love "OUR SHAPE."

Okay we have a story - we have some characters - and now we need a setting. Why not my hometown Haddonfield, New Jersey...But wait! To protect the innocent we changed it to Haddonfield, Illinois. Who'll know?

Time to write the dialogue - Me, the teenage girls "totally." John, Donald Pleasence speeches and all that evil stuff. And finally 3 weeks later, we are ready to shoot.

The money arrives and we start our 20 day schedule - full moon to full moon...

Three months in the editing room, three days on the mixing sound stage, and "the kids," as we were known on the lot, have a finished film. WOW...wasn't that easy? A $320,000 budget. A 55 million dollar gross. An independent film maker's dream. 20 years later...I present the original HALLOWEEN.

Enjoy tonight and thank you.

Appears Courtesy Of Debra Hill

Danielle Harris Profile

It was in October of 1988 that Danielle Harris first hit the big screen. She has since gone on to star in several films and television series to become of the most popular HALLOWEEN alumni. Little is known about Harris. Her full name is Danielle Andrea Harris...she was born on June 1, 1977. Her mother represented her in her youth. HALLOWEEN 4 marked her entrance into the motion picture industry, where she became good friends with her co-star, Ellie Cornell. She returned for HALLOWEEN 5, and wanted to play the part of Jamie in HALLOWEEN 6, although Dimension Films ended up going with J.C. Brandy instead. In her spare time, which there is very little of, she enjoys dancing, biking, ice skating, horseback riding, and karate. Here is a list of her appearances in the media...

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers [1988] -- Jamie Lloyd

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers [1989] -- Jamie Lloyd

Marked for Death [1990] -- Tracey

The Last Boy Scout {1991} -- Darian Hallenbeck

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead {1991} -- Melissa

City Slickers {1991} -- Classroom Student

Free Willy {1993} -- Gwenie (note: directed by H4 director, Dwight Little)

Daylight {1996} -- Ashley Crighton

Wish Upon a Star {1997} -- Hayley Wheaton

TELEVISION APPEARANCES

"Oprah Winfrey Show" {1989} - appeared to promote H5

"In Living Color" {1990}

The Killing Mind {1991} {TV Movie} --Young Isobel

Nightmare {1991} {TV Movie} --Dana Hemmings

"The Commish" (1991)

" Erere Indiana" {1991}, as Melanie Monroe {ep. Heart on a Chain}

"Growing Pains" {1991}, {ep.The Big Fix }

"Jack's Place" {1992}

"Roseanne" TV Series {1992-1993} Molly Tilden

The Women Who Loved Elvis {1993} (TV Movie) -- Priscilla

Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography {1994} {TV Movie} -- Jessica

Back To Back {1996} {TV Movie} -- Chelsea

In the spring of 1997, she returned to the big screen with WISH UPON A STAR. Here she plays Hayley, your average high school grungey outcast. Meanwhile, her sister is the preppy, popular one with a great looking boyfriend. One night Hayley wishes on a shooting star to BECOME her sister. The next morning, she awakes, in her sister's body! "Thank God, Katie [her co-star] and I got along!" says Harris. "We had to work really closely, studying each other's performances and then trying to duplicate them...We only played our physical characters for about ten minutes, the rest of the time we were playing each other!"Harris also recently returned to horror with a supporting role in URBAN LEGEND and a guest spot on the hit TV show CHARMED.

"Danielle Harris on Horror Movies"

If cinematic horror had a royal family, Danielle Harris would be it's princess. Her celluloid image as little Jamie Lloyd was etched forever into the consciousness of horror fans when she starred in Halloween 4 & 5 as the niece of Michael Myers and the daughter of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) - who appears only in 4 as a photograph in a frame. If audiences felt in any way betrayed by the undocumented disappearance of Curtis' character, they accepted it and took Laurie's orphaned daughter to their hearts -and their nightmares - in the two sequels. Halloween fans watched in horror as the Shape rose from the dead to stalk - and ultimately possess - the innocent little girl. They endured the incoherent Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, which featured an older Jamie (now played by J.C. Brandy). And they watched thrilled but bemused, as Curtis reprised her role in Halloween: H20, which bears no reference to the previous four films - and likely missed Harris terribly in the process.

Instead, horror's crown princess appears this year in TriStar's Urban Legend, all grown up and almost unrecognizable to anyone still looking for the ebony-haired little girl in the clown suit. At 20, Danielle Harris has blossomed into a beautiful woman, and an actress of consequence who has appeared in several major action films like The Last Boy Scout and Daylight. And with Urban Legend, she has come back full circle to horror films, a fact that wasn't lost on anyone on set. The presence of Harris and Robert England in the cast generated its own heart and nostalgia, and her return to the genre is something she is happy to discuss with her fans, and with FANGORIA, the magazine she recalls as her first enthusiastic supporter.

"This movie is different from all the other horror films out there right now, because it's about something unique, but something that everyone knows," she says of Urban Legend. "I think that when it's left to the imagination, it's much more scary. Even the opening scene-you see the ax come through the window and the blood hitting the glass, but you don't actually see her head coming off."

But you do see plenty of Harris' blood-mostly on the wall, in a message left by the killer for Urban Legend's heroine (Alicia Witt). It's an enactment of the old story about a coed who retires for the night with out turning the light on, only to discover the freshly murdered corpse of her roommate the next morning. Several factors weighed on Harris when she decided to resume her career as a scream queen, her role in the film being just one of them. "I play a terrific part", she says. "I'm a supporting cast member, but she's one of the most intriguing characters in the movie - a Marilyn Manson-loving maniac depressive. I'm only on screen long enough for the audience to want me off. As this character, Tosh, I'm not a little princess, or a good little girl, or sweet or innocent. I'm so opposite from that right now."

Harris has often been asked what it meant to her to assume a pivotal role in one of the most celebrated horror franchises of all time, at an age when most of her peers were still in the throes of full-time childhood. "I really didn't think about it, because I was 10," she says of Halloween 4. "It was my first movie, so I was more excited about that-just being an actress, never mind being in a horror movie. At that time, I wasn't even a horror movie fan. I did Halloween 4 and 5 back to back, and I decided that horror movies were all I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was going to be my thing."

There were tangible benefits for the young star. In addition to burgeoning fame with the public and increased visibility among her peers, she became an adored member of the franchise family as well. "For Halloween," she laughs. "I went out trick-or-treating as my character, Jamie Llyod. All of my friends went with me. [Executive Producer] Moustapha Akkad have my mom money to have a premiere for me in New York because I couldn't make it to the one in LA. She hired a theater, we screened the movie and I invited all of my friends." She saw the film many subsequent times as well. "I would go with my friends," she says, "and my mom would have to go with us because we were underage!"

Six months later, she began shooting Halloween 5, which followed little Jamie's story to it's next logical conclusion. Wiser and more experienced-even if only by half as year-the actress began to learn about the mechanics-and ego conflicts-inherent in her new position. "I had a bit of a problem with one of the characters on Halloween 5," Harris reveals. "It was a problem between his mom and my mom. He actually only worked on the show for about a week, and I was there for six weeks. Something had happened to my trailer, and they gave me his. There was a VCR in there, and my videos and my stuff-my costumes, blankets and pillows.

"When he came back on set, his mom threw all of my stuff out of the trailer, into horse manure, because we were shooting on a ranch," she continues. "She was furious that I has even been in his room. My mom freaked out and basically said, This is ridiculous-why is my daughter going through all of this? She's the star of the film. You need to take care of this problem. Until you do, I'm taking her offset.' My mom is anything but a stage mother, and she would only have done that if there was a major problem. I was crying, and his mom was yelling at me."

It was at this point that Harris was able ro witness, up close, the kindness and grace much evidenced by the late Donald Pleasence. "Donald pulled me aside and said, 'Look I wrap tonight, and when I leave tomorrow I'm going to make them keep my trailer, and it's going to be yours because you are the star of this movie.' My trailer was bigger than the director's trailer," Harris laughs, "and it was all because of him. He was such a gentlemen." Her performances in both films were made easier by the good will of the rest of the cast and crew, who took the young actress under their wing. Recognizing that Harris was young and possibly vulnerable, everyone pulled together to make the experience more comfortable for her. "I made really good friends with the special effects guys on both Halloweens," she says. "They showed me everything, and explained how it was going to be done. They didn't want me to have nightmares. I was even close and friendly with both George Wilbur and Don Shanks, who played Michael Myers in those two films. They were really cool with me, and they explained everything that they were going to do before they did it." One unexpected side effect of her new visibility as a horror icon, albeit a junior one, was that Harris unwittingly became a lightning rod for many of the prejudices the general population has about horror. She remembers one experience on Geraldo, where she appeared on a panel with Stepfather star Terry O'Quinn, producer Richard Rubinstein and Fango editor Tony Timpone.

"He was totally on my side," Harris says of Timpone. "There was a guy in the audience who said that most women in horror movies turn out to be porno stars. That was actually cut out of the Geraldo show because my mom said,‘That's wrong-that's not going to be my daughter.' I told the audience that there was crime every day in New York, and that the news was just as graphic as any horror movie, perhaps even more so-the fact that you can read that a women was stabbed to death 18 times and left in a dumpster is far more gruesome." When it came time to shoot Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, conflicts manifested themselves that eventually precluded her involvement, "I didn't like the script and there was a conflict about money-they were convinced that my character was a ‘scale plus 10' character, which was odd because I made more money on the first one and that was 10 years ago," Harris says wryly. "I was butting heads with everybody in the room-I really wanted to say, ‘Hey, let me tell you how Halloween sequels go, ‘ I didn't know if the director [Joe Chappelle] was even a fan of horror movies, or what kind of person he was. We never even talked until we met, and he told me what we were going to do. I didn't click." And when Halloween: H20 rolled around, there was no place for her-since the film is a follow up to the events following Halloween 2, Harris ‘ character was essentially uncreated and Curtis' Laurie was suddenly alive and well. Audiences were delighted at Curtis' return, but Harris has regrets about her non-presence in the movie. "I wasn't offered any involvement in H20," she says. "I had my manager call the producer and ask if I could play a cameo. Maybe there were a little mad that I didn't do Halloween 6. I hadn't asked to play one of the leads-that would have been a little dumb. But even a walk-by or a little scene behind the counter serving soda. Just something simple. All of the people who'd seen the Halloweens would have said, ‘Hey there she is!' But they didn't want to do it."

Like Curtis, Harris has made an impressive career for herself outside the horror genre, and her partial list of male co-stars reads like a blockbuster Who's Who. She has appeared with Sylvestor Stallone (in Daylight), Bruce Willis (in Last Boy Scout), and Steven Seagal (in Marked for Death, from Halloween 4 director Dwight Little), to name just a few.

"He was so nice," Harris says of Stallone (whose son Sage also appeared in Daylight as a potential romantic interest for Harris' character). "I was a little freaked out thinking, ‘Oh God, maybe he's going to be a jerk, he's such a big star,' and I was nervous. It was really cool, actually. We met him about an hour before we had out first scenes with him in the tunnel. He took the time to hang out-we were sitting in a tunnel full of water, and he would kneel down with me and have a conversation. I had a lot of fun doing Daylight, even though it was hard-‘Ugh, I have to get we again!'-and working with thousands of rats, etc. Actually, it was like a big playground-a huge water park."

She had an even better time in Last Boy Scout. "That was probably my favorite. Bruce Willis is awesome," she says foundly. "We'd ride this guy Carmine's big Bronco up to set, and Bruce would be pumping rap musi and spitting bubble hum out the window with me.

"I didn't work with Steven Seagal that much-two or three days at most," she says of her Marked for Death stint. "But he was really nice. He took me into his trailer and showed me all of his spears and ninja stuff."

Harris has also appeared opposite another imposing figure, Roseanne, in the actress' hit series and the network movie The Woman Who Loved Elvis, and in the young appeal films Don't Tell Mom The Babysitters Dead and Free Willy and a TV flick called Don't Touch My Daughter (released on video as Nightmare). Now she's back in scream territory, and one reason for her Urban participation is that she has genuine supporters in the genre, horror fans being among the most loyal of any type of film followers. "I get recognized the most from those movies," she says of the Halloween duo. "They are my most devoted fans, the real, true fans who have followed my career over the last 11 years." And they will be delighted to know that she'd like to continue working in this genre. "Yeah, I do want to do more horror films," she says, "but cool ones. I read for I Know What You Did Last Summer and Killing Mrs. Tingle. Kevin Williamson and I talked about it, but Katie Holmes is playing the lead and there's a height difference-she's 5-foot-10 and I'm 4-foot-11, so I couldn't really play her best friend. And I Know wasn't something I saw myself doing. It would have been a great opportunity, because it did so well. It made Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar, but Urban is a better horror movie." She doesn't, however, believe that horror films today have become more sophisticated as the audience for them grew up and was replaced by a younger, more experienced one. "I don't know if sophistication is the right word, because the original Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street were very simple-the sequels were like B-movies," she says. "Maybe today's movies are cleaner. You don't really see that much any more-it's more mental, about mood and terror. Scream was awesome, but I didn't like Scream 2 as much. Then again," she says philosophically, "it's hard to make a sequel, especially when the first one was so good. Look at the Halloween series: Halloween and Halloween 2 were fantastic, Season of the Witch didn't have anything to do with that story, in 4 they came back to the story after 2, then the story got lost again in Halloween 5. And I didn't care for Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers very much. It's like hit and miss."

John Carpenter Profile

John Carpenter was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky on January 16th 1948. He was inspired to become a director after seeing such films as It Came From Outer Space, Forbidden Planet, and Creature From The Black Lagoon. He was educated at Western Kentucky University and University Of Southern California, where he studied film. As part of a college project he started a low budget film with fellow classmate Dan O'Bannon. The film was titled Dark Star (1974). After graduation this was expanded into feature length on a low budget of $60,000. As a student Carpenter made a few short films, one of which The Resurrection Of Bronco Billy, won an academy award for Best Short Live Action Film in 1970.At this early stage of his career Carpenter wrote two film scripts, The Eyes Of Laura Mars (1978), a pretty decent and successful Faye Dunaway film, and Zuma Beach (1978). Zuma Beach was about a rock star of sorts (played by Suzanne Sommers of "Three's Company" fame) who is down on her luck and decides to spend a day away from the hassles of work and heads to the beach to relax. The beach is filled with swimmers, mostly of the teenage variety, surfers, volleyballers, etc. Some of them recognize her, some do not. Some strike up conversations with her, etc. There is a large cast of recognizable people (or at least people who were to go on to become recognizable). Timothy Hutton, Perry Lang (star of the short-lived TV show "Riptide"), Delta Burke (star of the TV show "Designing Women"), Tanya Roberts (from "Charlie's Angels"), Rosanna Arquette, Parker Stevenson, and P.J. Soles. It was made for TV in 1978.Carpenter has also had some other scripts of his made into movies, check out Black Moon Rising (1986), El Diablo (1990), and Blood River (1991). These films are all TV movies. El Diablo is an above average western starring Louis Gosset Jr.Carpenter's second full length feature was Assault On Precinct 13 (1976). This is his own tribute to Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo, one of his favorite directors' movies. Though not particularly successful in America it wowed the audience in the London Film Festival and went on to become a cult hit. The film brought him to the attention of Irwin Yablans, a producer looking for someone to direct his story idea. The story involved a babysitter being terrorized by a homicidal maniac on the scariest night of the year. Halloween (1978) was a huge commercial success, it was the most successful independent film ever made for a number of years. The unrelenting terror and superb pacing marked Carpenters arrival into the mainstream of Hollywood directors. In the same year Carpenter also wrote and directed the TV movie Someone's Watching Me (1978), a Rear Window inspired thriller. This was released theatrically in Europe under the title High Rise. A year later he directed another TV movie, Elvis (1979) a biopic of the legendary rock'n'roll singer. Kurt Russell put in a fantastic performance in the lead role, the start of a long association with Carpenter. Elvis was a labor of love for Carpenter and was a huge success in the ratings. 1979 was definitely a boom year. The Los Angeles Film Critics anointed Carpenter with the 1979 New Generation Award for Dark Star, Assault on Precinct 13 and Halloween.

The Halloween series continued - Carpenter stayed on as producer and writer for number II and the rather different number III. With III Carpenter was trying to break free from the slasher mold, but the audiences wanted none of it.Carpenters next theatrical project after Halloween was The Fog (1980), a very creepy ghost story set in a coastal town. This was also a big hit and confirmed his reputation as Hollywood\rquote s' premier master of horror. For his next project Carpenter took a different direction with the big action movie Escape From New York (1981), a script written during the early 70's. Kurt Russell starred as a wise cracking macho hero, totally over the top. Great fun and another great success. Flush with his string of hits Carpenter then went on to possibly his greatest achievement.Inspired to direct by The Thing From Another World, he decided to remake it by returning to the original source, the short story Who Goes There by John W. Campbell. This involved the use of some of the most impressive (and disgusting) special effects to date, provided by FX genius Rob Bottin. The Thing (1982) was another success but was poorly received by the critics, it was felt that the special FX overpowered the story. The haunting score was provided by Ennio Morricone, a premier soundtrack composer. This was also unusual, Carpenter had provided the marvelous soundtracks to each of his movies to date. However, some of the Morricone compositions do sound very similar to Carpenters usual electronic nightmares.It seemed like a surefire winner. The master of horror fiction meets the master of horror cinema. John Carpenter's next project as a director was Christine (1983), the Stephen King novel about a possessed car, teenage angst and rock'n'roll. King admits he was disappointed with the finished project, saying it seemed lifeless and flat. Carpenter has stated that the problem with the film was that the car was just too nice to be scary.

One of Carpenters most critically acclaimed films is Starman (1984), for which Jeff Bridges earned an Oscar nomination in the title role. The film is really scathing in its portrayal of man's fear in the face of the unknown, a marvelous and uplifting movie. Two years later sees the release of the big budget flop Big Trouble In Little China (1986), a Chinese ghost story set in Chinatown, starring Kurt Russell. The flamboyant and boisterous action of the film takes precedence over any horror. An interesting attempt at an action-ghost movie, but not very successful critically or commercially. In 1984 he was also a producer on the enjoyable sci-fi film The Philadelphia Experiment (1984).After the big budget failure of Big Trouble... Carpenter returned to smaller budget films where he had more control. He intended to make a trio of these low budget films, starting with Prince Of Darkness (1987), which was the first of the multi-picture deal with Universal and Carolco. An ambitious film that successfully and chillingly explores the metaphysical aspects of pure evil. Alice Cooper had a small role as a sadistic tramp. Next up was They Live (1988). This is a great science fiction film starring the inimitable Roddy Piper, the WWF wrestling star. The third low budget film never appeared. Next up was Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (1992), a Chevy Chase vehicle. This was originally intended as a serious piece, but the big bucks lure of funny man Chase was too much for the studio to resist.After this disaster Carpenter decided to go smaller again, returning to TV to direct two segments of Bodybags (1993), a trilogy of tales in the Creepshow tradition. Carpenter also appeared in the film as the morgue attendant in the 'wraparound' story, introducing each tale with some ghoulish puns. Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) directed the last segment, the end result was a good quality TV movie. Back to the cinema screen again and Village Of The Damned (1995) was a remake of another of his favorite films, originally filmed in B&W in the sixties. This was not particularly well received. Universal Pictures apologized for moving its release date forward to fill the time slot which was vacated by To Wong Foo.., which was not yet ready for release. It had an unfortunate timing in the United States, opening the week after the Oklahoma bombing in which many children were killed.In The Mouth Of Madness(1995) was made the year before Village of the Damned, even though in the US it was released only two months before Village. Mouth of Madness received the some of the best reviews of John's career, opened the Fantastica Festival in Gerardmer and was nominated for Best Horror Picture at the Saturn Awards. It is a superb Lovecraftian tale starring Sam Neill and Jurgen Prochnow. A world famous horror author has gone missing while his books are having strange influences on people. Pure terror and pacing in the best Carpenter style, a moderate success both critically and financially.In 1996 Carpenter got back together with Debra Hill (producer) and his old mate Kurt Russell to bring one of cinema's greatest anti-heroes back to life. Snake Plissken was back for a sequel to Escape From New York, Escape From LA (1996). Kurt Russell reprised his role and Carpenter directed again, all three principals collaborated on the story. It was released to mixed reviews and box office. It is more of a remake than a sequel, a decision made based on the fact that market research showed that Joe Public had never even heard of Escape From New York. While not exactly setting the box office alight, it is on course for a successful world gross.Towards the end of 1996 JC was reported to be working on a futuristic sci-fi actioner Mutant Chronicles, based on a popular roleplaying game. After a few months JC is rumored to have fallen out with the producers, arguing the film needed a much bigger budget to be pulled of successfully. After this a few rumors circulated about a possible Western/Sci-fi film, but no real evidence appeared.JC's current project is VAMPIRE$, an adaptation of a fantastic, action packed novel by John Steakley. It follows a band of vampire hunters who are employed by the Vatican to rid America of some of the meanest blood suckers to ever appear in print. Carpenter is currently rewriting the screenplay with Don Jakoby, veteran of The Philadelphia Experiment and Arachnaphobia.Carpenter is a consistently successful director, while some of his films are more well received than others, none of his films have ever lost money for the studio (a pretty big achievement). He often works with the same familiar cast and crew (Kurt Russell, Debra Hill, Donald Pleasence, Tommy Wallace, Jamie Lee Curtis,... the list goes on). His awesome talent for portraying the fantastic on the screen puts him in a league of his own.

Interview with director of Halloween H20 Steve Miner!

Steve Miner appears to be quite an ordinary person. One would never guess that he was the man behind one of the most intense horror movies ever, HALLOWEEN H20. Sporting a loosely buttoned white Oxford shirt, he sat down to take questions on the newest HALLOWEEN installment. Relaxed and full of smiles, Miner is quick to answer and ready to offer insight into the creation of H20. Now, we present you an uncutexclusive

Q: How many times did you watch HALLOWEEN before embarking on H20?

SM: I didn't have to watch it more than once. I wanted to do something in the spirit of that...but I did watch it many times. I think since Jamie Lee called me up and said "could you do this," I think I've only watched it twice.

Q: And you avoided the others?

SM: What others? (laughs) I'm not aware of any others!

Q: Do you think there's a pressure on you to make this film better than the last ones since they left something to be desired?

SM: I think there's expectations. Most of the people who know [Halloween] will say "Boy this is gonna suck, this new one," but I think that once they see Jamie Lee is involved, maybe they'll get a clue that it won't be - bad and hopefully it won't be bad. But I think there's a responsibility that goes along with doing a sequel to [Halloween].

Q: This is the seventh HALLOWEEN. Is it hard to bring new life into something like this?

SM: Seventh? You mean second! (grin) Well, I hope we did it. I don't know if it was hard or not. But we worked very hard to do that. I think that approaching it from Jamie's idea from the beginning...where Laurie Strode would be 20 years later, and let's see where she's coming from and where she's going. I think that that concept is new life.

Q: This one basically ignores the other sequels. How is H20 better?

SM: I don't know that it could be better than the first HALLOWEEN. But...uhh...there were no other HALLOWEENs! What are you talking about?! (laughs)

Q: There are all kinds of references to the first HALLOWEEN, right?

SM: I loved the first movie. The first movie was a breakthrough for American cinema really. It introduced several concepts - of independent films, of the horror film as a genere, and it was really well done. It was a really terrific film. It relied on classic suspense and situations and not the gore and bloodfest a lot of them have become.

Q: Did you guys talk to John Carpenter during the making of H20?

SM: I didn't speak with him. Jamie did - it was her idea to make this movies. And she originally wanted to do it only if John and Debra Hill would do it. And for whatever reason, John couldn't do it. I don't know why. I didn't talk to him. Jamie did definitely. One of the things she told me, now that I think about it, was that John had said to her, "How's the character? What are you going to do with the character?" And I think his instinct was really right about that. Actually, it's too bad he didn't do it - I would have loved to seen his version.

Q: Is this film frightening as well as funny? There seems to be a need for laughs in horror films now.

SM: No one came up to me and said "Hey, you gotta make this funny." But, I like the mix of humor and scare and suspense. It goes back a long way. I mean, Hitchcock did it, the best. But I think since SCREAM the genere has become a little bit aware of itself. For the good, it was an entertaining movie that brought the genere back to the forefront, and I think it also made the genere aware of itself.

Q: Recycling itself, like with the remake of PSYCHO? What is going on in the genere?

SM: Hell if I know! (laughs) I have no idea. I just made one movie. I don't know what the other people are doing.

Q: Did you always intend H20 to be this short? So terse? (the running time on the film is about 80 minutes)

SM: Absolutely. I get bored so easily. I just get totally bored. I did this movie like I'm the audience, that's why I'm doing it. I don't try to figure out what I think people are going to find scary. I just do what I think is scary. I'll sit there on the set and watch the scene unfold and try to watch it like I'm in the audience, plus Bernard Herrman's music in my head. I'm like an audience. I like to watch movies but I hate to be bored.

Q: Is boredom a factor? Someone said TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was terrific and boring at the same time.

SM: I think so. Suspense and scary moments are created by nothing happening so much. But, you've got to be careful having nothing happen for too long. It'll get boring. Same thing with having the same thing happen too often - it's boring. You have to have chase and humor and scares and suspense and I just try and mix it all together and keep moving. It's just trying to get the rhythms of it going. Keeping the rhythms going and knowing where you can back off and knowing where you can keep the frame open and have people expect something to happen and how long you can keep that going without making it happen.

Q: What about the ones that don't work? Do you know why?

SM: (laughs) I've made some that don't work. The script wasn't very good and the acting wasn't up to par...

Q: Director was saddled with incompetence all around, right?

Q: Who's idea was it to put Janet Leigh in?

SM: Well, I think we all had that idea about the same time. It was everybody's idea. The opportunity to have the two original scream queens in one scene - it's too good to pass up! But we really didn't want to so gratuitously just stick her mom's face in the film so people would applaud, but to get her in a couple of scenes that would help with the character and the plot. So Kevin Williamson actually wrote those scenes. I think you can kind of see his touch in those scenes.

Q: Does Kevin Williamson have long term talent?

SM: Absolutely. He's a very talented guy. We're very close friends. Became friends doing DAWSON'S CREEK. I value his friendship as much as I do his talent. He's got a unique slant. Good writers have their own view of the world. David, Kelly, someone I work with, is the same way.

Q: How was working with Paul Freeman and Moustapha Akkad?

SM: They're the veterans of these films. Moustapha, of course, was involved in the first one - all of them. They're both great - very supportive- worked very hard for us and did a great job. Moustapha loves Michael Myers. Sometimes I think he's a little confused as to whether he's an antagonist or a protagonist. When I saw Moustapha Akkad on the set, I told him "You know, Moustapha, Michael Myers is not a Syrian killer, he's a serial killer!" (laughs)

Q: How does Michael Myers come back in the sequel to H20?

SM: Sequel? Are you crazy?! A sequel?! (laughs) Not a chance.

Q: How about the film's music?

SM: John Ottman has written a great score. Very very effective score.

Q: Is the music an important part of a HALLOWEEN film?

SM: It's an integral part, in almost any movie, except ahhhh...TWELVE ANGRY MEN. There wasn't too much music in that one. For this kind of movie, definitely. Even on the set when I'm blocking a scene or shooting a scene, I'll keep a score running through my head.

Q: What is your take on the remake of PSYCHO?

SM: I don't really have a take on it. I'm a fan of Gus Van Sant's. I think he's a really good director. I'm a huge fan of the first movie, you know. Good luck! I don't quite understand the shot-by-shot remake thinking. I'd be afraid it might be old fashion. I think our techniques have changed. I think if Hitchcock was working today and had the technology we have today, his films would look quite different.

Q: H20 is very dark.

SM: It's dark, but I think its a rich darkness. One where you can see into the shadows. The colors will be rich. You know they moved this date, so we're rushing to finish the movie - it's not even done yet! (interview conducted 7/12/98)

Q: Why did they move the release date [to August 5th]?

SM: Well, we had a test screening of the first cut and it just scored so highly on it...they felt it would play in the summertime.

Q: Being the 20th anniversary of the original, would you like to see a re-release of the first film?

SM: I know they had talked about it. I would love to see a re-release of that movie! Strike new prints, make a new negative, and digitize the score and stuff. It would be great!

Q: How easy is it for new young directors to break into the business?

SM: It's impossible! It was easier for me than for kids today. I feel really bad for the kids today. Now it seems that that's what everybody wants to do.

Q: Why was it easier before?

SM: Less people were doing it. It was a the beginning of independent films like HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13TH. They're much cheaper to make, much easier to get going, and there weren't that many film schools back then. Now there are lots of them and lots of kids who are real smart.

Miner in the early 80's, on the set of FRIDAY THE 13TH 3-D

Q: So you worked on the early FRIDAY THE 13THs.

SM: Yes. With FRIDAY we tried to copy the success of HALLOWEEN, clearly. We did it to break into the movies. We were working out of a garage in Connecticut. We didn't even have a script.

Q: Jamie got the ball rolling for H20. Was she involved in the script?

SM: She was very involved and very collaborative. It was really her vision of using Laurie Strode and starting at that point, that really checked in and made the whole thing make sense. Then I made sure she was involved - and believe me, Jamie Lee Curtis makes sure she's involved as well - through the whole process, through all the different drafts. We tried to pull the whole thing together. We brought her in for casting - she read with Josh Hartnett for us to make sure that would work. She was very involved.

Q: Where does horror rank in the hierarchy of films?

SM: Depends on who you're talking to. I think its always going to be a subheading in the pantheon of movies because it's not for everybody. It's just not. A lot of people really enjoy being scared and some people just don't. But if you want to be scared, I think you will be, absolutely.

Q: Early work in horror film evolved from a literary source - like Frankenstein and Dracula. Where does something like H20 come from?

SM: It really evolved from pop culture. Surely the roots of it are in gothic elements. It's cyclical in the sense that you can make a certain type of horror movie for a while - and then it gets played out. You know, there's nothing left to do with it. You've gotta reinvent it. I think those Universal horror movies explored all that type of gothic Frankenstein mythology and PSYCHO was the first pop horror movie.

SM: Pop is - popular culture. Something more influenced by present day rather than past. It's roots are in the past. I think PSYCHO was that first pop culture horror film and I think that HALLOWEEN followed that some years later in taking it to the next step.

Q: Do you think H20 will take horror movies to the next pop level?

SM: I have no idea - I think what's going to happen, and it's so stupid to make these predictions because six months from now I'll look back and be wrong. The SCREAM imitators are just going to be pouring out of the woodworks starting in September and a lot of them probably won't be very good and people will get tired of coming to see these movies.

The only thing that every single HALLOWEEN film has in common is Moustapha Akkad. Through the years, actors, directors, and producers have briefly left their mark on the franchise, but the man who's taken charge of Michael Myers has stood behind each film, serving first as financier and as executive producer on sequels. Now, Moustapha Akkad speaks, complete with his "old world" accent, about the Season of the Witch, a famous scream queen, and that menance named Michael Myers.

Q: How did HALLOWEEN come about?

Akkad: It's a strange story I had. I was shooting a big epic - LION OF THE DESERT - and Carpenter, John Carpenter, came to me with a script. I didn't have time to read the script with a budget of $300,000. I was surprised, I mean, you worry when the budget is low and you worry when the budget is high. I said "$300,000 to do a film?" He said, "Yes." "What's the story about?" He said, "Babysitters to be killed by the boogeyman." The word babysitter just really kind of clicked with me because I thought every kid in America knows what a babysitter is. I thought this would really be something the kids could relate to. "Are you sure you can make it for $300,000?" He said "Yes, I'm not taking fees...I'm taking points," which was smart of him, of course. I said, "Let's go," because I was spending $300,000 a day shooting an epic, a big epic. And the picture was done, and came on budget and on time. So I added about $20,000 for some pocket money at least you know, after I saw the rough cut I thought it was a winner.

Q: What do you recall about that first film? What stands out?

A: What stands out is that really horror based on suspense. Nothing of the blood and the gore and the special effects. Maybe because the budget was low - we couldn't afford even extras. It was a very empty picture, very "haunty" looking. And I thought, my god, it's nothing of a subject, but there is so much of cinematic language into it. It was very cinematic.Akkad and star Jamie Lee Curtis

Q: How did that picture differ from HALLOWEEN: H20?

A: Oh well, obviously, the budget first of all. From $300,000 to $15 million is quite a jump. Plus the first one, we didn't distribute it nationally at the same time, we went from state to state, it was that kind of thing. Now, with Miramax, it obviously is a big boost for the franchise, for the promotion, distribution. It makes it a big film. The content I don't think changes. There is a victim and there is that killer. So really, no change. Just more expensive and distributed by Miramax. That's what gives it the boost.

Q: What is the story thread that ties the first HALLOWEEN to this HALLOWEEN?

A: Well, you know, because of the success of the first one, we always, every one we do, we like to go back to the first one. I mean, that's beacuse that's the success. We did II - it was quite a success. III - we had an argument. Let's change a little bit. At the time, the sequels was not even...there wasn't any sequels, I mean, we started sequels on all this. So, III, they said, let's change, let's change the story. And we did III without Michael Myers. And it was not as successful. So, on 4, I took it over and went back to the basics of number one. And it hit. And so we try always to go back to the number one, which was based only on the suspense, because you know Michael Myers is a human. The more we make him human, the more we make him human, the more he becomes believable. I mean that could happen to anybody, any home. I mean, it's not that force from the sky with the 10 eyes and 10 tails, and so on. The fiction-like. It's real scare - and that's what scares people.Steve Miner prepares for a shot under the eye of Akkad

Q: You had one character, and one actress, who was in that first one, who's also in this one. Who is that?

A: Oh, well, Jamie Lee Curtis. The first one, I think we were influenced by the success of PSYCHO. Janet Leigh was in PSYCHO and then we found out that she has a daughter - Jamie Lee. So let's put Jamie Lee in, and of course it was a great success. Now, being the twentieth anniversary, it was nice of her to do it [reprise her role]. So, it's interesting probably to ask the question why do people like to go to the movies, to pay money, to be scared? This has always amazed me. And so we did some studies, psychological studies, we got results...of security, like sitting on your chair. And then I asked my son, he was 17 years old, why do you like to go to the theater - pay money - to be scared? He said, "Daddy, I take a girl to the movies, after 5 minutes she's sitting in my lap, hugging each other. The next day I take a whole new girl. You don't have to break the ice, or have to touch her hand." It was funny, but I think it's working!

Q: What do you recall about working with Jamie Lee 20 years ago?

A: Well, I mean, it was very hard at the time, because she was just starting, and we were concentrating on Michael Myers and then, all of the sudden, her talent showed through while she was doing it, even at that age. She gave the picture that scare that conveyed to every kid in America. And obviously now, she's well established. She's so enthusiastic about the drama and the scare of the movie.

Q: How did HALLOWEEN: H20 come together?

A: Oh, lots of credit goes to Miramax. As a studio as big as Miramax, they were able to recruit the best talent and obviously with the best promotions, it came about. I am the protector of the franchise. Michael Myers - I love this guy! I keep protecting him on and on and on until (laugh) until I die!

Jamie Lee Curtis launched her career with the original HALLOWEEN. Now, it's twenty years later...and Curtis has returned to battle that evil brother of hers one more time in HALLOWEEN H20. Dressed loosely and acting a bit hyper for her last interview of the day, she has lots to tell. She's the one and only - Jamie Lee Curtis.

Q: People have been saying that you're the one behind this project.