Halloween Kills (2021)

Michael Myers is back, and so are we -- it's time to close out another "season of the witch" with an episode about Halloween Kills, the long-awaited (by us, anyway) second entry in David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's sequel trilogy! After debuting to stellar box office numbers and some decidedly mixed reviews from critics and audiences, the new movie has left Chris and Nick with a lot to talk about, so pull that William Shatner mask over your face, grab your favorite piece of cutlery, and strap in for a mayhem-filled ride. Kills has what is likely the highest body count in the entire franchise, it brings back A LOT of supporting characters from Carpenter's 1978 original, and -- of course -- it treats us to another go-round of Jamie Lee Curtis in her most iconic role of Laurie Strode. There's even an extended flashback to 1978 that painstakingly recreates the look and feel of the FIRST night that Michael Myers came home. Is all of that enough to satisfy fans of the long-running franchise and, more importantly, of the film that put John Carpenter on the map? Your humble co-hosts break it down piece-by-piece, from the screenplay to the score to the bigger, badder, meaner tone that allows for brutality and bloodshed that might surprise even a hardened slasher fan. Does this film improve on the one that it (sort of) replaces in the series' continuity, Halloween II? Will fans enjoy the return of characters like Brackett and Tommy Doyle for a four-decades-later showdown with The Shape? And what, exactly, does this film have in common with Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ? All that and more on this very special Halloween episode! Incidentally, we keep the spoilers as limited as possible for most of the episode, but if you're wary of big-time spoiler content, then skip from 1:06:30 to 1:38:30, and you'll be all good! We've got a few last-minute spooky-season movie recommendations for you, too, of course, so enjoy this jam-packed episode, have a very happy Halloween, and don't forget: EVIL DIES TONIGHT!!!