'Halloween' Scares up Strong First Reactions After Toronto International Film Festival Premiere

The new Halloween movie debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, and early [...]

By Michael Hein

The new Halloween movie debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, and early reviews are trickling in on social media.

The new movie shares a title with the 1978 John Carpenter original, yet it is set four decades into the future. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode, in what is described as her "final confrontation with Michael Myers."

Halloween hits theaters on Friday, Oct. 19, but the premiere took place on Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival. Movie critics and social media pundits on hand offered their first impressions on Twitter, as lifelong fans eagerly await the new movie.

"Halloween '18: I dunno, you guys. Carpenter's original has a raw, primal power that endures across four decades. This...doesn't," wrote Yahoo Entertainment's Ethan Alter. "That said, the big finale does kick ass, particularly with a pumped audience. Call it a draw?"

"David Gordon Green delivers best HALLOWEEN movie since the original & does a smart job [with] its callbacks to the 1st film," declared Collider's Jeff Sneider. "Legit scary, & while crazy violent at times, it shows restraint at others. Loved the score. Jamie Lee Curtis is a badass, like Ripley crossed [with] Sarah Connor."

"DGG directs the hell out of the new HALLOWEEN," Sneider went on. "There are some chilling shots, esp. during a motion sensor scene. I had nitpicks, like some goofy humor & the off-camera kills, but the gory ones really make up for everything we don't see. Jibrail Nantambu is a fun scene-stealer."

"I refuse to spoil anything for you, but I can safely say that [Halloween] contains the 2nd best Michael Myers ever put to screen," wrote Nightmare on Film Street's Jon DeHaan.

Sneider later quoted Alter's tweet, offering a more direct comparison between the Halloween films of 1978 and 2018.

"There's no question the original is superior," he clarified. "This was never gonna top that, nor should anyone have been expecting such a miracle. But trust me, this is effective and super satisfying and horror fans are going to eat it up next month. If THE NUN can open to $50M, I mean... c'mon!"

This year's new take on Halloween was directed by David Gordon Green. Curtis is joined in the cast by Judy Greer (Ant-Man), Virginia Gardner (Runaways) and Nick Castle, who played Meyers in the original. Castle is better known as a writer and director these days. After the first Halloween, he went on to write Escape From New York, direct The Last Star Fighter, and much more.

Halloween premieres on Friday, Oct. 19 in the U.S.

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