Review Detail
9.7 9 10
Overall rating
9.4
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
8.0
I have a lot of time for any fanedit by Ryantology. He approaches each edit with a genuine sense of love and enthusiasm, whilst ensuring it’s as professional and polished as possible. Knowing he’s as big a Halloween fan as I am, it’s always exciting when he announces he’s working on a new edit, regardless of what entry it may be in the series. So, it’s fitting that he should release his version of Halloween Kills, an entry which I consider to be one of the very worse in the entire series… could he actually save this film for me? Let’s find out.
Firstly, this is a tough ask for me. I have so many problems with this film. The dreadful dialogue which some of the legacy characters have to deliver, the fact Tommy is a complete idiot, the redundant over the top kills to characters introduced purely just to get more kills in the film and stretch it out, the ludicrous and heavy handed mob culture scenes…. Need I go on? Whilst I realise many of the Halloween sequels are hardly masterclasses of writing, Kills takes it to a whole new level of scraping the barrel for me. I think it’s because you get the feeling David Gordon Green honestly feels he and Danny McBride are doing something really clever and special here. Well, they’re not.
Anyway, onto the edit. Put simply, Ryantology deserves huge kudos for trimming or completely excising the worst sequences of this movie. He almost succeeds to the point where I could legitimately say I enjoyed the movie… almost. He tries really hard to get you to believe that the legacy characters are treated with some kind or respect or credibility. For example, Tommy’s story in the bar is truncated so skilfully, that it’s now a scene that has far more impact, even though it’s shorter (sometimes less is way more and this proves it). Unfortunately, Tommy is still an idiot for the most part and I still hate the way he’s written and portrayed in this film – but to be fair Ryantology does what he can here to make him more bearable. This is true for most characters now in this edit – they are at least bearable thanks to some nicely judged trims.
The movie is much leaner now, and this helps elevate Kills far more than it probably deserves. The one aspect of the movie I’ve always liked is not surprisingly James Jude Courtney’s portrayal of The Shape. He’s awesome and fills each scene he’s in with dread and a genuine feeling of suspense and terror. Ryantology’s sublime cut work actually adds to this even further, resulting in the finale at the Myers house where Allyson, Cameron and Lonnie venture in to confront Michael, being even more powerful and effective. Initially I wasn’t too sure on the way Ryantology intercuts Michael attacking Karen with the attack on the mob, but having had time to reflect on that, I think it works a lot better than the original scene we got and I absolutely love the final shot of this edit.
He also tries hard to make the mob scenes better at the hospital – and they are improved. However, I still hate the whole clumsy and heavy handed way this scene is constructed and it remains the worst part of the film for me.
So, whilst I couldn’t say Ryantology has managed to save Kills for me, as personally I think even more needs to be cut, it is a huge improvement on the theatrical version.. and I mean huge. At least now I can find some consistent enjoyment the movie, and that’s something I never felt previously. The fact I can score this as an 8 in terms of enjoyement, is purely down to the skill of the editor here. In terms of Halloween fanedits, this one is right up there with some of the best.
Firstly, this is a tough ask for me. I have so many problems with this film. The dreadful dialogue which some of the legacy characters have to deliver, the fact Tommy is a complete idiot, the redundant over the top kills to characters introduced purely just to get more kills in the film and stretch it out, the ludicrous and heavy handed mob culture scenes…. Need I go on? Whilst I realise many of the Halloween sequels are hardly masterclasses of writing, Kills takes it to a whole new level of scraping the barrel for me. I think it’s because you get the feeling David Gordon Green honestly feels he and Danny McBride are doing something really clever and special here. Well, they’re not.
Anyway, onto the edit. Put simply, Ryantology deserves huge kudos for trimming or completely excising the worst sequences of this movie. He almost succeeds to the point where I could legitimately say I enjoyed the movie… almost. He tries really hard to get you to believe that the legacy characters are treated with some kind or respect or credibility. For example, Tommy’s story in the bar is truncated so skilfully, that it’s now a scene that has far more impact, even though it’s shorter (sometimes less is way more and this proves it). Unfortunately, Tommy is still an idiot for the most part and I still hate the way he’s written and portrayed in this film – but to be fair Ryantology does what he can here to make him more bearable. This is true for most characters now in this edit – they are at least bearable thanks to some nicely judged trims.
The movie is much leaner now, and this helps elevate Kills far more than it probably deserves. The one aspect of the movie I’ve always liked is not surprisingly James Jude Courtney’s portrayal of The Shape. He’s awesome and fills each scene he’s in with dread and a genuine feeling of suspense and terror. Ryantology’s sublime cut work actually adds to this even further, resulting in the finale at the Myers house where Allyson, Cameron and Lonnie venture in to confront Michael, being even more powerful and effective. Initially I wasn’t too sure on the way Ryantology intercuts Michael attacking Karen with the attack on the mob, but having had time to reflect on that, I think it works a lot better than the original scene we got and I absolutely love the final shot of this edit.
He also tries hard to make the mob scenes better at the hospital – and they are improved. However, I still hate the whole clumsy and heavy handed way this scene is constructed and it remains the worst part of the film for me.
So, whilst I couldn’t say Ryantology has managed to save Kills for me, as personally I think even more needs to be cut, it is a huge improvement on the theatrical version.. and I mean huge. At least now I can find some consistent enjoyment the movie, and that’s something I never felt previously. The fact I can score this as an 8 in terms of enjoyement, is purely down to the skill of the editor here. In terms of Halloween fanedits, this one is right up there with some of the best.
L