Starring: Monica Keena, Shannon Elizabeth, Edward Furlong, Bobbi Sue Luther, John F. Beach, Diora Baird.
Director: Adam Gierasch.
It was kind of a remake nobody asked for(I suppose most remakes are that, though) but this remake actually isn't so bad. It maintains a sense of fun throughout, beginning with a spirited old-timey style prelude, even if it doesn't particularly develop anything beyond that. Adam Gierasch is an ascended fanboy more than he is a talented film-maker, and his affection and enthusiasm tends to make up for his lack of real directorial talent.
Affection and enthusiasm really is the name of the game here, actually. The cast is charismatic and fun but not particularly talented or skilled. Monica Keena is super shiny and mostly likable but never quite feels like a star. Edward Furlong has not aged well(and actually kinda looks like me, which is kinda demoralizing a little). Shannon Elizabeth has a thousand watt smile but was never a particularly strong actress. The story has a big sense of humor-such as Furlong talking to his Drug Lord employer while the latter is receiving oral sex for example-that keeps things afloat for the most part. There's a really nice Linnea Quigley cameo (wearing her original costume, too).
Gierasch fills a lot of space with time lapse photography with big long shots sweeping through the party, showing blasts of color and flashy costumes...and kudos for using T.S.O.L's "Code Blue" in this film, too. It's certainly loud, bombastic and enthusiastic. There's a Tiffany Shepis appearance, too, which is cool.
Gone is the quieter, smaller group party of the original film, replaced by a massive rager put on by Angela, now a promoter of some sorts and played by Shannon Elizabeth. It creates a more logical set-up, considering how the original suggested that nine or ten people actually makes a party. Of course, the cops break up the big noisy party, leaving our central characters alone in the big house for the plot to unfold.
The remake doesn't screw around much with the plot, really: at the end of the day it's still young people(though they're all easily in this mid-to-late twenties instead of high school kids which, again, kind of makes more sense) getting killed and possessed by demonic entities who seek to create mayhem through Halloween...even if they are given more of a goal(kill the world or some such thing) than random chaos. There's a lot more to the backstory, too...much more story heavy than the original. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing, it just is.
I will say the "spin the bottle" game actually looked like fun. Not so much that I would want to play or whatever, but that the cast actually looked like they were enjoying themselves in a very natural way. The cast does seem to have decent chemistry together, and might have been pretty friendly with each other. They work well together.
There's something charming about the way Angela seduces Suzanne, particularly due to Suzanne actually being, albeit somewhat reluctantly, kind of into it. Of course it's all sinister, considering how Angela is actually now a demon and Suzanne is in considerable danger. It's a pretty scene, anyway...even if the demon makeup effects really aren't anything to write home about.
Gierasch does the disappearing lipstick trick again,but it's somehow both less pronounced and more gross all at the same time. Lily places the lipstick into her boob, but without the closeup or the buildup, and then pulls it out of her Vagina after leaking a bunch of blood everywhere. It really doesn't work, except for the horrified reaction from her audience, who has a great stuttering explanation to the other characters.
Much like the original, the remake cuts the cast of characters down really quickly: seemingly within minutes only three central characters remain unpossessed.
There's a real sense of "no filter" happening with this film. The desperate crawl through the underground tunnel and Lily throwing tentacles from her boobs at the guys...I don't know if Gierasch actually had anybody proof read his script or asked the advice of anybody but I feel like that would have been a good idea.
Yet another movie that can't seem to keep itself together in the third act. It keeps pace with itself, even though the story can't quite sustain itself...the whole thing just kinda ends amid frenzied, disorganized chaos.
Final Thoughts: It's certainly not bad. Like I said earlier: enthusiasm and affection are the name of the game. What occurs is basically a charming but deeply flawed love letter to chaotic late 80's B-Movies. Considering that's what it is, I think I forgive a lot of its issues. It's a good effort and a halfway decent remake.
Final Rating: Three Stars.
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