To my mind, HALLOWEEN 4 marks the beginning of the 'unnecessary' sequel stage in the Halloween franchise – from this film onwards, none of the films were required, and none add anything to the canon or display any kind of artistic merit on their own grounds. The first movie is, of course, one of the best horror films of all time, and the sequel was a fun follow-up that held true in its own right. The third film admirably went off in a different direction, and perhaps the series would have done better to stick with this unrelated theme, but it wasn't to be and the endless Michael Myers reruns were to follow from here.
Compared to later films, HALLOWEEN 4 isn't all that bad. It holds fairly true as a standalone slasher film, throwing in various cheesy set-pieces, a couple of bits of unpleasant gore and a mini siege scenario at the climax whereby the survivors hide out in a house. A lot of the goodwill I feel towards this film comes from the presence of good old Donald Pleasence, really the only actor of note appearing here; he chews the scenery with relish and provides all of the movie's best lines. With his scarred face and pronounced limp, Pleasence has turned into a larger than life character, displaying even more presence than Michael himself. The sub-plot involving Danielle Harris as Michael's niece is by-the-by, to be honest.
Compared to later films, HALLOWEEN 4 isn't all that bad. It holds fairly true as a standalone slasher film, throwing in various cheesy set-pieces, a couple of bits of unpleasant gore and a mini siege scenario at the climax whereby the survivors hide out in a house. A lot of the goodwill I feel towards this film comes from the presence of good old Donald Pleasence, really the only actor of note appearing here; he chews the scenery with relish and provides all of the movie's best lines. With his scarred face and pronounced limp, Pleasence has turned into a larger than life character, displaying even more presence than Michael himself. The sub-plot involving Danielle Harris as Michael's niece is by-the-by, to be honest.