Halloween Kills: Recut

A better version than the cut we got from the studio. I wish I could give it higher, but we are still talking about Halloween Kills. However, while watching Halloween Kills Recut, I was thinking, "What could Ryantology give us if they had their hands on every single filmed scene?"

You trimmed the unnecessary fat, and we thank you.

Side note: Anybody else think it'd be a heck of a shot if the entire scene of Michael vs. the Firefighters would all be seen through the dying/dead firefighter's POV, or am I alone in thinking that?

When I went to see this movie in theaters I was pumped! However, I left the theater sorely disappointed! The movie had too many "Oh come on, no one would do that!" moments, as well as the phrase "Evil dies tonight" being repeated too much! What Ryan did genuinely made this movie much more bearable. If I am not mistaken, the "Evil dies tonight" phrase was said 4 times with his cut, 3 of which were back to back from the mob, which made it seem like the phrase was really used only twice. That right there is an awesome change! He also cut the Big John, Little John search/death which I found very tasteful, as I hated the "Michael, you've come home" line. When I seen the original movie, I knew it would be gory, which I was cool with, but when I seen it, I thought "Ya know, this is maybe a little overkill with the gore", to which Ryan tamed some of it down in a way that didn't take from any scene, but still made sure you didn't feel as though you were just watching a new age gore-porn slasher. I give his edits a 10/10. They made the movie better for sure. That being said, I would love to cut out the entire hospital chase, but it could affect aspects of the story. The movie itself just isn't good, but Ryan did a great job at making it so much more tolerable!

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.

What a difference a few trims here and there can make. Ryantology has completely transformed this second installment in Green’s trilogy from a divisive entry in the series among Halloween fans into a worthy second chapter. Gone are the cringeworthy dialogue and failed attempts at humor, allowing the tone to remain consistent throughout the runtime. The mob mentality aspect of the film is also scaled back and restructured in away that makes it more digestible for the audience. The reworking of the ending is the highlight of this fanedit and makes the theatrical version pale in comparison. Can’t recommend this fanedit enough!!