Halloween Ends was an odd place to leave a franchise going on 50 that John Carpenter patented – and invariably perfected. This point is especially glaring when you consider that Blumhouse gave a first-timer to horror in David Gordon Green the keys for rebooting the series.
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It’s fair to say, on top of that, Blumhouse got ahead of themselves when they allowed Green to make a trilogy with complete creative freedom. This decision resulted in an arc that wasn’t tightly woven enough to end like a real trilogy in most eyes.
Having time to reflect on it, Green is able to acknowledge that Ends at least wasn’t for everybody. He also concedes he was doing what he wanted as well as what his producers liked, and less what fans would find intelligible or exciting.
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“As you see with the Halloween movies, the choices I make aren’t always the most popular ones,” Green admitted in an IndieWire interview. “So it’s trying to make something that me, and my great friends at Blumhouse and Morgan Creek, want [for] that property to be fulfilled, as much as the audience is there and has the appetite for it.”
But in the end, “I don’t think they were on the journey I was excited about taking,” he said. The reason they weren’t according to most is the introduction of a new character, Corey Cunningham, who was supposed to carry the film.
Actor Rohan Campbell was tasked with winning over moviegoers and the fans, but try as he might, that didn’t happen overall despite his level best. Most everyone was dismayed that he essentially replaced Michael Myers for two hours and was able to treat the unkillable godfather of slashers like a chump – and take his mask.
That Cunningham was dispatched so swiftly at the climax (by his hand mostly, but with a little help from The Shape) after so much build and baby-facing of the kid didn’t help matters. Consequently, what was supposed to be a last showdown between old foes Laurie Strode and Michael felt forced and less special.
Green still got a chance to take a swing at The Exorcist despite the mixed reception to Halloween Ends, which is a different demon altogether – worth cleansing definitely, although at a later date.