When word hit that Rob Zombie would be writing and directing the latest “Halloween” film, fan reaction was notably divided. When it was announced that the new film would be a remake, the division canted, favoring those opposed. The last few years have given us dozens of remakes, “re-imaginings”, and re-workings. Some well-received, far more, well…

I’m a fan of “Halloween”. Hell, I manage to find something to like about all the sequels, so I must be easy to please. That said, it hurts too much to think of the series continuing along the vein of “Halloween: Resurrection” or whatever they called that putrid Busta Rhymes vehicle in disguise. Therefore, I’m throwing my lot in with those who favor Zombie as the would-be savior of the franchise, and with the prospect of a remake or re-mix or whatever they want to call it.

Not that I’m without some doubts. “The Devil’s Rejects” didn’t work for me. Not as a seventies throwback/tribute, not as a new take on the revenge/road pic, not as much of anything at all, except maybe an occasional showcase for clever dialogue. After “Rejects”, I lost all interest in seeing “House of 1,000 Corpses”, and pretty much anything Zombie would direct thereafter. But the “Halloween” fan in me forces me to re-think my position.

I’m mostly a fan of Rob Zombie the musician, calling several of his discs from both the White Zombie days and his more recent work frequently-spun favorites in my collection. The man is a formidable artist, having helmed some amazing videos. My beef with “Rejects” has more to do with script than execution, so hope remains. Over at Halloweenmovies.com Zombie has stated that he plans to retain all the vital elements that work about the series, such as the look of Michael Myers, the under-emphasis on gore in favor of atmosphere, and the pounding musical score, or at least some version thereof. The look of his videos and his artwork is rich and stunning, very busy with lots of scary little touches. Seeing a “Halloween” pic that actually looks like it’s taking place at Halloween will be a welcome change. Remember the lush summer greenery of “H5”? A few jack o’lanterns here and there, and the set dressers probably took the rest of the afternoon off. You can be sure that Zombie will take great pains to capture the look and feel of our favorite holiday.

As for the prospect of a re-make, whether it’s Zombie directing or not, a fresh start is the only real hope for the franchise. The last film pretty much killed the mystique of The Shape as an unstoppable killing machine. Myers was jobbed out to Busta Rhymes so badly it looked like a WWE squash match. Plus, Jamie Lee Curtis said her goodbyes, and Donald Pleasence, rest his soul, is long gone.

“Halloween” is a true classic and deserves a serious, kick-ass jumpstart. And who better than the “Superbeast” to make it happen?

Read all of Patrick Green’s articles and reviews at Grave Misgivings