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IMDbPro

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

  • 1998
  • R
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
85K
YOUR RATING
Jamie Lee Curtis, Josh Hartnett, LL Cool J, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, and Michelle Williams in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Trailer
Play trailer0:29
3 Videos
99+ Photos
Slasher HorrorTeen HorrorHorrorThriller

Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time, as the life of her own son hangs in the balance.Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time, as the life of her own son hangs in the balance.Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time, as the life of her own son hangs in the balance.

  • Director
    • Steve Miner
  • Writers
    • Debra Hill
    • John Carpenter
    • Robert Zappia
  • Stars
    • Jamie Lee Curtis
    • Josh Hartnett
    • Adam Arkin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.8/10
    85K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Steve Miner
    • Writers
      • Debra Hill
      • John Carpenter
      • Robert Zappia
    • Stars
      • Jamie Lee Curtis
      • Josh Hartnett
      • Adam Arkin
    • 753User reviews
    • 184Critic reviews
    • 52Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 12 nominations total

    Videos3

    Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
    Trailer 0:29
    Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
    Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
    Trailer 0:29
    Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
    Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
    Trailer 0:29
    Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
    How David Gordon Green Made the 'Halloween' He Wanted to See
    Interview 2:04
    How David Gordon Green Made the 'Halloween' He Wanted to See

    Photos254

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    Top cast28

    Edit
    Jamie Lee Curtis
    Jamie Lee Curtis
    • Laurie Strode…
    Josh Hartnett
    Josh Hartnett
    • John
    Adam Arkin
    Adam Arkin
    • Will Brennan
    Michelle Williams
    Michelle Williams
    • Molly
    Adam Hann-Byrd
    Adam Hann-Byrd
    • Charlie
    Jodi Lyn O'Keefe
    Jodi Lyn O'Keefe
    • Sarah
    Janet Leigh
    Janet Leigh
    • Norma
    LL Cool J
    LL Cool J
    • Ronny
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    • Jimmy
    Branden Williams
    Branden Williams
    • Tony
    Nancy Stephens
    Nancy Stephens
    • Marion
    Beau Billingslea
    Beau Billingslea
    • Fitz
    Matt Winston
    Matt Winston
    • Matt
    Larisa Miller
    Larisa Miller
    • Claudia
    Emmalee Thompson
    Emmalee Thompson
    • Casey
    David Blanchard
    • Waiter
    John Cassini
    John Cassini
    • Cop #1
    Jody Wood
    • Cop #2
    • Director
      • Steve Miner
    • Writers
      • Debra Hill
      • John Carpenter
      • Robert Zappia
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews753

    5.885.4K
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    Featured reviews

    Realrockerhalloween

    The crowning jewel

    H20 was the twentieth anniversary that features the return or I like to call it revenge of Laurie Strode.

    Jamie had realized during lunch that twenty years had pass since the original film and wanted to do a follow up film. She wanted to get the whole crew back and John Carpenter to direct. He refused after divorcing himself after his anthology idea was ruined. I consider Halloween, the fog, season of the witch, Prince of darkness and the thing his true series.

    Williamson wrote a script that was quite different from the finished project yet Jamie didn't want her character to be seen as a bad mother.I don't blame her. Who wants to look bad?

    The supporting castes were all fresh faced and did fine. The Halloween theme and scream score mix well together.

    The only problem is Donald Pleasence passed away before It was even dreamed of.

    It truly was the final Halloween in my opinion.
    8TedStixonAKAMaximumMadness

    Arguably the best of the "Halloween" sequels, "H20: Twenty Years Later" serves as the wonderful book-end to the story, offering a satisfying and entertaining conclusion.

    Ah, the mid-to-late 1990's... sort-of a rebirth of horror in a way. After all, the period from 1990 to about 1995 was wholly and decidedly a relatively murky period for the genre, with quality releases being very few and far between. Audiences were tiring of the holdover 80's slasher flicks and ho-hum ghost stories, with really only a handful of stand-out creep-shows to keep horror fans satiated. With so few quality-choices (notably the mini-series "It" from the book by Stephen King and the wonderful thriller "Candyman" from the stories of Clive Barker), it was no wonder that the early 90's were considered a "dead" period.

    Then, "Scream" happened and changed everything. It proved that not only could horror be widely appealing at the hands of gifted writers and quality filmmakers, but also showed that the old tropes and clichés could be "hip" and "cool" again when handled with care and a degree of nostalgic love.

    So, it should come as no shock that after the colossal misfire that was the previous film ("The Curse of Michael Myers"), the "Halloween" series got a new lease on life with a post-"Scream" sensibility in this 1998 release- "Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later." A minor degree of self-awareness, a focus on modern teenage and young adult culture and a fun blast from the past by way of original star Jamie Lee Curtis made the series relevant and modern in a way that both worked to re-invigorate interest and also pay homage to the series origins.

    The film was lovingly crafted to serve as a book-end to the original, cleverly taking advantage of being released on the twentieth anniversary of the John Carpenter classic as part of it's schtick. It was built up as the "Halloween" to end all "Halloween's"... A "Halloween" for the modern era. A "Halloween" for the sharp and post-modern 90's crowd. And a "Halloween" that honored the long- beloved roots of the series.

    Directed by Steve Miner, the film revolves around Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode, now living as a teacher under a false name. Still haunted by nightmares of her murderous sibling Michael Myers, Laurie is trying her hardest to move on. But when her brother comes calling, the stakes are set for a final and apocalyptic battle from which only one can emerge alive.

    The success of the film really falls onto its clear adoration of the original and the desire to "evolve" and "complete" the story that it started in a new and fresh way. You can feel the love for that film oozing in virtually every scene here, with many subtle homages and call-backs. Yet it also builds and evolves the franchise in a way that previous films hadn't. Whereas prior sequels truly did feel like they were simply trying to re-create the magic of the original to increasingly diminishing results, "H20" actually has the guts to say "No, the best way to pay tribute to the origin of the series is to make homage and continue the story, but allow it to change with the times." A huge part of that is the result of that late-90's self-aware mindset popularized by other films, and I think it works wonders. There are numerous levels of subversion that make you second-guess where it's all leading, there's plenty of banter and humor that satisfies the audience, and it also makes the wise move to make all the characters likable... nobody here really has their own agenda as so many other slasher-sequels have done with their characters.

    Miner's direction is strong, with a keen sense of scope, atmosphere and composition. He finds just the right balance between old- fashioned cinematography and 90's era aesthetics, giving the film a unique tone and visual palate that both compliments and contrasts with the Carpenter original.

    Performances are uniformly strong for the material. Curtis is a joy in her returning role, giving Laurie a grand sense of pathos but also a drive to finally face her fears. Supporting roles by the likes of Josh Hartnett, Adam Arkin and even rapper LL Cool J round out a likable and believable cast. And there's no sore thumbs to be found. Also of note is voice-over artist Tom Kane, who perfectly re- creates the brilliant dialog of the late Donald Pleasance in a wonderful opening sequence. (Also, keep your eyes peeled for future superstar Joseph Gordon- Levitt in a small role in the opening sequence!)

    Should I have to address any negatives, I would definitely have to dock some slight points for a frankly shaky first act, which does fall back on the old tropes and clichés a bit too much. It just feels contrary to the much stronger second and third acts of the film, and it doesn't do much to subvert expectations or built on the legacy of the series. I also take some slight issue with the film's at times break-neck pace... it's already a fairly short film, and it rushes a bit too much for everything to really set in.

    Still, those flaws being stated, I can't help but feel that for my money, this is the best of the "Halloween" sequels. It built off of what came before, served as a loving tribute and also book-ended the series with what was at the time built up to be the final entry in the series. To me, the "Halloween" franchise is a trilogy- Carpenter's "Halloween", it's first sequel "Halloween II" and this film, "H20." Everything else to me is pure fan-fiction.

    I give "Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later" a strong 8 out of 10 as a horror fan and in particular as a fan of the franchise. Definitely worth seeing. (It's follow-up "Resurrection"... not so much.)
    6evanston_dad

    Surprisingly Good

    "Halloween: H20" makes an obvious effort to return to the franchise's roots and recapture the qualities that made the first one so good. It doesn't come close to succeeding, but it does manage to become, in my opinion, the second best of the series, though that's pretty faint praise.

    There are some creepy scenes early on in this film (the one in the deserted rest stop bathroom, most notably), but this movie really exists for the sole purpose of having Jamie Lee Curtis kick Michael Myers's ass, and the catharsis in watching her do so is worth the price of admission. There are some obligatory killings, but they go for gruesome rather than frightening, which was not John Carpenter's approach. But when Laurie Strode takes matters into her own hands and comes after Michael with guns blazing (so to speak), hold on to yourselves--violent tendencies seem to run in this family.

    The producers of this movie use a bigger budget to add some modern "scary" sound effects for atmosphere and fill out John Carpenter's original score with a sweeping orchestra--it's like John Williams' version of the Halloween theme. The whole thing feels like it's running on an I.V. drip of pure adrenaline. But fans of the series, or at least of the first two films, should enjoy it.

    LL Cool J is totally wasted in the token black character role, and Janet Leigh makes a pointless appearance as well, but listen for the brief strain of Bernard Herrman's "Psycho" score in one scene with her.

    Grade: B
    nick568r

    Finally, a sequel that can live up to the original!

    when i went to go see this movie at the theaters, i was scared to death. But when i first watched it on VHS a couple times, i had no clue that it ignored what happened in Halloween 3-6.

    Halloween h20 picks up 20 years after the happenings of the first Halloween. Keri Tate/Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has gone into hiding and working as a teacher at a private school in California. But it's getting close to Halloween and she is unaware that Michael has now relocated his sister. Sooner than later, Lauri fights back, not wanting to live a life a fear and preying that her brother will not find her. The ending **spoilers** was great how Lauri fights back. At the end**spoilers** it showed how Lauri would kill Michael once and for all, but that was messed up in the next Halloween movie "Halloween Resurrection".
    7TheLittleSongbird

    20 years later...and worth the wait

    John Carpenter's 1978 'Halloween' is wholly deserving of its status as a horror classic. To this day it's still one of the freakiest films personally seen and introduced the world to one of horror's most iconic villainous characters Michael Myers.

    Which is why it is such a shame that not only are all of the sequels nowhere near as good but that the decline in quality is so drastic. Ok, the original 'Halloween' is very difficult to follow on from, but most of the sequels could at least looked like effort was made into them. The exception however is 'Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'. It's not perfect and nowhere near as great as the original, but it's the only sequel that's above average, let alone good and by far the best since the original. It does a great job breathing fresh life into a series that had gotten stale as quick as one can down a can of coke gone flat and such a welcome addition after the badness of the fifth and sixth films.

    'Halloween H20: 20 Years Later' has its flaws. It is too short and at times erratically paced, sometimes rushed and then taking a bit of time to get going after the opening. There is not enough breathing room for development of characterisation, which generally is shallow apart from the central relationship and the script tends to be weak (not unexpected, though actually it's far worse in the previous sequels, at least it sounds complete).

    On the other hand, 'Halloween H20: 20 Years Later' is the best-looking of the sequels, the first half in particular being close in style to the autumnal look of the original, something that none of the previous sequels did. The editing is coherent, it's not shot too darkly and there is an eeriness to the setting which can be properly appreciated as a result. The music is a welcome return to being an asset than a drawback like in the previous two sequels. While not quite a character of its own like in the original, it adds to the atmosphere and enhances it.

    Luckily there's nowhere near as much unintentional camp, out of place humour or bizarre subplots or idea that muddle the story. Instead much of the film is fun and there is a tension, creepiness and suspense, even poignancy at times, that the previous sequels were sorely lacking in. The deaths are the most creative and shocking since those in the original, while the opening scene is unsettlingly tense and the ending is creepy and touching. The central relationship is handled quite well.

    Although the characters are underdeveloped, none of them are annoying and they do have enough personality to stop them from being too dull. The direction is in control of the material and is at least competent and often well above that, especially in the second half when the film really does come alive. Of the sequels, 'Halloween H20: 20 Years Later' is by quite some way the best acted, Jamie Lee Curtis' wonderful performance being the film's best asset.

    In summary, the best of the sequels/follow ups and worth the wait. 7/10 Bethany Cox

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jamie Lee Curtis considers the film a thank you note to her fans. She stated that "Without that early career, I truly don't think I would have been an actor."
    • Goofs
      The newspaper clip shown during the opening credits, which states that Laurie Strode died in a car accident, says that she was a survivor of the "Halloween murders" of 1968. They took place in 1978.
    • Quotes

      Tony: Hasn't anyone ever told you that second-hand smoke kills?

      Nurse Marion: Yeah, but they're all dead.

    • Alternate versions
      An early workprint version had a different score and an altered opening credits montage, as well as a slightly different version of of the dorm room scene, where the girls have "So I Married An Ax Murderer" playing on the TV instead of in the final version where they have on "Scream 2."
    • Connections
      Featured in 2nd Annual Mystery Science Theater 3000 Summer Blockbuster Review (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Mr. Sandman
      Written by Pat Ballard

      Performed by The Chordettes

      Courtesy of Barnaby Records, Inc.

      By Arrangement with Celebrity Licensing, Inc.

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    FAQ30

    • How long is Halloween H20: 20 Years Later?Powered by Alexa
    • Was it a copycat killer or was it really Michael in this film?
    • What is 'Halloween H20' about?
    • Is 'Halloween H20' based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 5, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Halloween: The Website of Michael Myers
      • Miramax
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Halloween H20: Veinte años después
    • Filming locations
      • La Puente, California, USA(town: Summer Glen)
    • Production companies
      • Dimension Films
      • Nightfall Productions
      • Trancas International Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $17,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $55,041,738
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $16,187,724
      • Aug 9, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $55,041,738
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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