HALLOWEEN: The Franchise

[muthagoose]

Halloween 9 with both Dante Tomaselli and Jamie Lee Curtis?

"Halloween 9" has been on the cards for longer than, well, Howard's been in office here in Australia. Every writer in town has submitted a script, treatment or combination for the film over the past few years - I even did a little something at one stage, just prior to the "Halloween Retribution" tag was announced - and several directors have had meetings about directing it (including John Carpenter).

While the Weinstein's HAVE decided to remake that first "Halloween" - yep, new Laurie Strode - there is still a rough plan to do one more in the current series too. I'm not sure whose script they'd be using for this one, or even whether there is one yet (Matt Venne did something rather grand on this a year or two back - maybe it's his?), but whatever the case, one of the best horror filmmakers around at the moment has been in contact about directing it.

Dante Tomaselli, whose "Desecration" and "Horror" absolutely rocked (and whose new film, "The Satans Playground", I hear, is a major treat), has been in contact with those-that-matter to see if he can't take the reigns on "Halloween 9", according to "JoBlo.com.

Speaking in the Guts and Glory forum, the new prince of gore says "I'd love to direct Halloween 9. I really would. Halloween is my all time favorite movie. I saw it on my birthday in 1979. I was 9".

Tomaselli told the film's producers that "I'd want to bring back the spirit of the original Halloween", apparently, and that includes using Jamie Lee Curtis just "one more time".

Should he get the gig, Tomaselli says he'd love to get some of the franchise's most famous on-camera and off-camera talents to do cameos - including director John Carpenter - and if possible, he'd love to entice actor Bill Paxton, of "Titanic" and "Aliens" fame, to play a role in the film.

[muthagoose]

Halloween 25th Anniversary DVD

25 years ago, director John Carpenter changed the shape of terror forever with the immortal story of babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) and the night that Michael Myers came home. Roger Ebert still proclaims it “superb.” Entertainment Weekly calls it “the granddaddy of teen- slasher flicks, still more primal and frightening than any of the gazillion knock-offs.”

25 years later, HALLOWEEN remains one of the greatest horror movies ever made. For this landmark 25th Anniversary Edition, Anchor Bay (http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/) has created a stunning new high-definition widescreen transfer of the classic film, plus an unprecedented collection of bonus features that will surprise even the most hardcore fans. Celebrate this remarkable milestone in horror history with the ultimate two-disc edition of HALLOWEEN like you’ve truly never seen or heard it before!

Includes a 16-Page Collector's Booklet This DVD has been mastered with DiViMax -- a High Definition (HD) film transfer process that provides state-of-the-art picture quality – and can be viewed on any home entertainment system.


Features
Halloween 25th Anniversary: Feature Presentation (Disc One)

• Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director John Carpenter, Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, and Producer Debra Hill

• Halloween 25th Anniversary: Bonus Materials (Disc Two)

• Theatrical Trailer

• TV Spots

• Radio Spots

• Talent Bios

• Poster And Still Gallery

Halloween - A Cut Above The Rest: An all-new 87 minute documentary featuring interviews with Writer/Director John Carpenter, Actors Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles, Nick Castle, Charles Cyphers, Producer Debra Hill, Director of Photography Dean Cundey, Editor & Production Designer Tommy Lee Wallace, Executive Producers Irwin Yablans, Moustapha Akkad and others!

• On Location - 25 Years Later: An all-new 10 minute featurette with Actress P.J. Soles and Producer Debra Hill revisiting the original Michael Myers house

• DVD-ROM: Original Screenplay

• DVD-ROM: Screen Savers




Available from: www.anchorbayentertainment.com/

[muthagoose]

Has Zombie Found His New Laurie Strode?

It was reported over at Dark Horizons that Amber Tamblyn (The Grudge 2) is rumoured to be up for Laurie Strode in the remake of Halloween, which is being produced, written and directed by shock-rocker Rob Zombie.

www.amtam.com/

This has yet to be confirmed, especially since Zombie hasn't even finished with the script yet. Expect this rumor to be debunked by this afternoon.

Although, the progress has to be quick on this film as it's aiming for an October 19, 2007 release... if Lionsgate can pull it off with Saw (twice), why can't the Weinstein's do it with Halloween? Read on for a pic of Amber.

Zombie's vision of this film is an entirely new take on the legend and will satisfy fans of the classic "Halloween" legacy while beginning a new chapter in the Michael Myers saga. "This is a bit of a prequel and a remake, combined," says Zombie.

[muthagoose]

Synapse finds complete HALLOWEEN negatives

Don May Jr. of Synapse Films gave Fango the exclusive news of an amazing discovery regarding John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN: “What we’ve got is pretty much all the unused original camera negative from John Carpenter’s original HALLOWEEN,” he says (see another photo below). In conjunction with friend Billy Kirkus, Synapse was able to obtain these materials and save them from heading into a trash bin. “Luckily, Billy was able to find this material before it was destroyed,” May tells Fango. “The story on how we got the negative is a long one, but we’ll save it for when we’re able to showcase the materials in some way. Kirkus should be commended for pretty much saving the Holy Grail of horror films.

“Right now, I need to physically go through all the reels and, hopefully, match up the numbers on them with a lined script, like I had to do when I was looking for extra scenes from A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET,” May continues. “I called HALLOWEEN editor Tommy Lee Wallace, and he was pretty excited about the find and will hopefully find us a lined script to reference the individual shots. He was amazed that this material has shown up almost 30 years after filming.”

HALLOWEEN fans will likely be amazed too when they eventually get to check out the visual riches Synapse and Kirkus have unearthed. “Wallace told me about some specifics of the original shoot,” May says, “and pointed out that what we have probably contains scenes that were originally filmed much differently and reshot. The ‘clothesline’ sequence was completely redone by Carpenter; what you see in the film wasn’t the way it was originally done. The most exciting possibility is that Wallace told me about the original ending—and if this is indeed all the original camera negative, then we certainly have it. Wallace explained that he always thought it was funny that, even in the ‘original shooting scripts’ that are for sale for HALLOWEEEN, the ending always has Michael Myers disappearing at the end. That isn’t the way they originally shot it. The original shooting script, and the way the movie was initially filmed, had Michael dying at the end. Only a few days later did Carpenter decide to reshoot the ending with him staying alive. They filmed him falling, and Donald Pleasance doing a bunch of different reaction shots on the balcony, just in case they decided to change it…which they did.

“There was even one can in those boxes labeled ‘1981,’ ” May adds, “so it makes me wonder if what we have is the new footage that was shot for HALLOWEEN’s television version. I won’t know for sure until I start digging through them.”

Which is not to say he hasn’t already started checking out part of this treasure trove. “Last time I was in Los Angeles working, I shipped a few of the reels to myself and put them up in an HD telecine room,” he says. “The negatives were in such good shape, they looked as if they were shot yesterday. The sequences I randomly grabbed were Jamie Lee Curtis talking on the phone and carving the pumpkin, and the sequence where Kyle Richards tries to pull Nancy Loomis out of the laundry room window. [Laughs] Poor little Kyle doesn’t quite succeed and, after failing to pull Nancy properly, just turns, looks at the camera and shrugs. An obvious blooper! God only knows what else we’ll find.”

It’s also uncertain at this point exactly what use will be made of all this material. “Malek Akkad [son of late HALLOWEEN producer Moustapha Akkad] has been in contact with me, and we’re speaking right now,” May reveals. “Obviously, Malek really wants the materials. I want to work with him and make sure it’s all properly transferred and preserved, and Kirkus was very adamant that the footage not go anywhere without my participation and restoration services. It will be a major undertaking. It’ll take months. I’ve restored some classic horror films before [TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, RE-ANIMATOR], but I’ve never been so excited about a project. I mean, this is HALLOWEEN we’re talking about here—one of the most influential and important horror films of all time—and we’ve got around 45,000 feet of unused footage. It’s worth it to go all out and make sure it’s all properly archived and transferred.”

And he’s hoping to team with another of the big guns in the cinematic restoration field. “I recently spoke to film preservationist Robert Harris about all this,” May says. “He has restored classic films for major studios, like VERTIGO and LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. He’s been a friend of mine for over 10 years, and even he was surprised at our find. We only spoke briefly about it, but can you imagine if Synapse and Robert Harris were to join together for this restoration undertaking? It certainly could happen!”

[muthagoose]

JOHN CARPENTER'S HALLOWEEN TO HIT THEATERS... AGAIN!

The word on the street is that Dimension will follow in the footsteps of the re-release of A Nightmare on Elm Street by showing John Carpenter's Halloween in theaters October 30-31st.

[muthagoose]

ROB ZOMBIE Explains Decision To Tackle 'Halloween'

Rob Zombie recently spoke to AOL Music about his decision to direct the remake of John Carpenter's late 70s cult horror flick "Halloween", tentatively due Oct. 19 of next year.

He says it was not an easy decision to take on the job, which begins production immediately following his current tour. "I thought about it for a long time before I even had an answer, 'cause 'Halloween' is a movie that I love," Zombie tells AOL Music. "But then I went off and lived with it for months."

What finally made him say yes? "After thinking for a long time and watching the original over and over, I thought of a way you could take that story and retell it totally different so it wouldn't look like you were just imitating a movie that already existed. There was a way to make it fresh," he says. "After I came up with that idea is when I decided to be part of it."

[muthagoose]

Details on re-release of 'Halloween'

Official details and a teaser image have come in for Big Screen Events' Halloween re-release, which you'll be able to check out in theaters everywhere October 30-31 at 8PM.

"Don't miss two nights of Halloween terror featuring the horror classic that started it all - the original Halloween - on the Big Screen! Plus, catch exclusive interviews with cast members of the original horror classic and the filmmakers of the next Halloween, including Rob Zombie - seen only at this two-night event."

Official Site: www.bigscreenboxoffice.com/subpage/index.asp?EventID=608

[muthagoose]

ROB ZOMBIE TALKS "HALLOWEEN REMAKE

LOS ANGELES, California — Horror remakes suck.

This simple fact is important for two reasons: 1) Based on the box-office success of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," "The Hills Have Eyes," "When a Stranger Calls" and more, you don't seem to know (or care) that they suck; and 2) This bit of information is coming from Rob Zombie, the metal-titan-turned-writer/director who's just been handed the keys to the "Halloween" kingdom.

"Horror-movie remakes for the most part don't work," Zombie said, taking a break from audio mixes in his recording studio to unleash his inner fanboy (which is never that far from the surface anyway). "They just imitate the original. They don't try to do something new and different, they just follow it. And if you're going to follow the original, then there's no point because that movie already exists."

It's that kind of fan-friendly logic (refreshingly honest and driven by a deep affinity for the genre) paired with the unflinching vision displayed in 2005's "The Devil's Rejects" that has horror fans betting their 18-inch Michael Myers action figures that Zombie's take on "Halloween" will be a whole lot more than just another Hollywood horror retread. So far, so good, Zombie said. While shooting won't begin until January, with an eye toward an October '07 release, the script — Zombie's blueprint for reinventing a modern horror classic — is complete. There's more Michael Myers, more Dr. Loomis and plenty of variations on the original. ... Oh yes, there will be changes, but more on that later.

Zombie's fresh take on the remaking/re-imaging/reinventing thing — and his cred with hard-core horror fans — will be put to the test with "Halloween." Not to overstate the issue, but John Carpenter's stylish and chilling original is viewed with the kind of reverence and adoration usually reserved for doe-eyed emo bands and the leaders of suicide cults. A seminal scream gem beloved by millions of filmgoers (and aped by countless filmmakers), "Halloween" set the new standard, giving us the unstoppable boogeyman, the virtuous heroine, killer P.O.V. shots and multiple "whew, he's dead ... no, wait" moments ... all stolen by a generation of slasher flicks to follow, but none of them ever used as effectively as they were during Michael Myers' first foray to the screen.

"My first memory of the film is of feeling swept up in the excitement of this new thing that was sort of changing the rules for horror movies," Zombie recalled. "It's just a great movie as a movie. Before it spawned this whole generation of imitators, the closest thing you could relate it to was maybe 'Psycho' — it seemed like this simple, suspenseful, Hitchcock-style movie. But of course, when something hits, it gets imitated, and the parts that get imitated are usually the most basic parts. 'Well, if they enjoyed four teenagers getting killed, then they're really gonna like 13 teenagers getting killed.' That's what gets exploited. I always feel bad that 'Halloween' gets lumped in with [the imitators] ... it sits alone as a classic film on its own, much better than any of the films it ever spawned."

And taking on such a classic is no small feat (undoubtedly, expectations would be somewhat lower if Zombie were revisiting, say, "Dr. Giggles"). Zombie said he's seen "Halloween" hundreds of times, and admitted that he recently had to cut himself off after repeated viewings left him feeling handcuffed as he tried to tackle the script for his own vision. He's certainly not alone, though. Generations continue to discover John Carpenter's original, and its hallmarks — that expressionless mask and that relentless score — can instantly chill anyone who's ever taken the cinematic trip to Haddonfield, Illinois.

"I think the music and the imagery and everything involved with 'Halloween' is still effective because it was simple, and simple things are always classic and they last," Zombie opined. "I relate it to the Ramones. When they were doing it first, nothing sounded like that, and it's hard to believe that nothing sounded like that because everything sounds like that now. It's hard to believe there was a time that was never done."

So why take on such a beloved and influential work, especially at a time when Hollywood seems to mine a different horror classic (Did we mention "Dawn of the Dead" yet? How about "The Amityville Horror"? "The Ring"? "The Grudge"? "Dark Water"?) every month?

"The remake thing is done all the time, but it's not done well," Zombie conceded. "I don't think it's because someone feels inspired, it's done because someone sees money. Truthfully, if I couldn't see any way to do this, I wouldn't do it because it's a challenging project."

That challenge came from Bob Weinstein, the co-head of the Weinstein Company who sat Zombie down for a meeting and simply said, " 'Halloween' ... what do you think?"

"My first reaction was I didn't see the point of any of this," Zombie admitted, adding that he was turned off by what a string of uninspired sequels had done to the legacy of the original. "Then I went away and thought about it for a couple months and started thinking that that was maybe a weird attitude to have." Inspired by David Cronenberg's 1986 take on "The Fly" and John Carpenter's 1982 version of "The Thing," Zombie started to see the possibilities in reinventing the franchise, and "started thinking of ways this could be done and done right."

Which brings us to the multimillion-dollar question (and the buzz of horror sites everywhere): What can we expect from Rob Zombie's "Halloween"? For starters, he describes his film not as a prequel, as rumored, but rather as "a remake with more back story built into it," and plans to make the film less about babysitters in peril and more about the man behind the mask.

"I want the lead character to be Michael Myers," Zombie said. "He's not just a faceless thing floating around in the background and then you focus on these girls. I feel that that's where you can make it different and that's where you can make it more intense."

As he talks about his vision, references range from "Murders in the Rue Morgue" to "The Constant Gardener" and "21 Grams," and he grows increasingly animated as he hits on his main goal: exploring these now iconic characters in greater depth. He talks about beefing up the roles of Sherriff Brackett and the somewhat demented Dr. Loomis, the gun-toting child psychiatrist who serves as Myers' chief foil while spewing his unique brand of dark poetry ("I watched him for 15 years, sitting in a room, staring at a wall, not seeing the wall, looking past the wall, looking at this night, inhumanly patient, waiting for some secret, silent alarm to trigger him off. Death has come to your little town.").

"I felt the character of Dr. Loomis just popped in and out when they needed somebody to say something dramatic," Zombie observed. "I wanted his story to feel more intertwined with Michael in a way that means something, which they did in the original, but sometimes it feels like he disappears for a long period and then just pops up to go, 'He's evil!,' and then he disappears again for a while."

Zombie's eyes light up as he talks about casting his Loomis, and names ranging from Jeff Bridges to Ben Kingsley turn up on his very, very loose "what if?" list. "There is no shortage of late-50s, early-60s male actors that are amazing and would like to work more, probably much like Donald Pleasence at the time [he was cast as the original Loomis]," Zombie said.

But the beefiest role by far will be that of Myers. No longer a figure looming ominously in the background of an artfully framed shot, Myers — his motives, methods and machinations — will be front and center this time around, a switch Zombie thinks is essential to sharpen the blade a bit.

"One of the things that's happened over the years to all those characters is that they become friendly," Zombie added. "Michael Myers and Jason and Freddy and Pinhead aren't scary anymore because they're so familiar. I thought we have to find a way to go back and start fresh and remove everyone's preconceived ideas about what they think this character is because no one thinks they can be scared by it again. It's almost like Santa Claus."

That means trading in the unexplained motives of the mysterious, relentless killer of the 1978 original and exploring the motives behind the evil. "There's a lot of great stuff they hint at [in the original], but you never see. That's where I think there's potential to make something unique.

"When you research anybody, whether it's Charles Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer or Henry Lee Lucas and you see the things in their past, you go, 'Serial killer is the only job this guy was qualified for,' " Zombie said. "It makes it even more disturbing when you see the events that make someone have no concept of those things.

"The deeper you can get into a character's head, the further you will get under an audience's skin and the more it will unnerve them," Zombie added. "I think that people are used to these movies being a little bit tongue-in-cheek. You're not really supposed to really mess with them. But if you take it so seriously and there's no humor, it really gets to people. It doesn't happen that often. I remember ['Seven' was] the last time I was in a theater and people were walking out because it wasn't what they bargained for. People were saying, 'This is way too grim. I'm not going to survive two hours of this.' "

And it's hard to imagine places more grim than the inside of Michael Myers' head, but that dark, untapped space won't be the only new territory explored in Zombie's film. While "Halloween" purists will no doubt be pleased to note that key elements of the original — namely that mask and that score — will be intact, each will get at least a light touch from Zombie's brush. "There are even things about the original Michael Myers that bothered me," he admitted. "Like, he killed the only mechanic that wears a pristine mechanic's uniform. It's just things like that that bothered me."

Even the jarring 5/4-time piano melody of the film's main theme will be tweaked slightly, though Zombie plans to keep it rooted in the original. "It was the simpleness of it that became creepy," Zombie said. "It was sort of like the scary version of the opening credits for '[It's] The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.' "

They're minor changes (certainly compared to the character development he's got up his tattooed sleeve), but Zombie hopes they'll go a long way to putting his unique stamp on a horror franchise in danger of being crushed under the weight of seven sequels, each less inspired than the one before. "I think a lot of the sequels didn't work because they were just sort of doing an imitation of that movie, and you can't do that," Zombie said. "You have to come from a genuine place of inspiration with what you want to do."

So with a script and timetable in place, Zombie is now moving on to casting and location scouting. "We're right at the beginning of when this all begins," he said. Of course, "this" refers to much more than moviemaking. It also means scrutiny and debate from a legion of hard-core horror fans. It means the watchful eyes of a studio hoping that a blockbuster can be reborn. And for Zombie, it means satisfying both of those ends while also making sure not to suck. Or, as the man himself concluded, "You have to completely reinvent the wheel, but keep the people that love the original wheel thrilled. It's a tricky balancing act, but I think it's totally doable."

[muthagoose]

'Halloween' Coming in August Next Year!

Source: Dimension Films

Dimension Films has informed us that Rob Zombie's Halloween will now hit theaters August 31, 2007, a month and a half earlier than the original October 19 date! We've also learned that the script is completed and scouting is underway, more details as soon as they come in. Rob Zombie will also produce off of his own screenplay, which is sure to be one hell of a fun ride. Sheri Moon Zombie is the only confirmed cast member. Zombie's vision of this film is an entirely new take on the legend and will satisfy fans of the classic "Halloween" legacy while beginning a new chapter in the Michael Myers saga. "This is a bit of a prequel and a remake, combined," says Zombie.

[muthagoose]

ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLOWEEN PLOT AND SPOILERS...

From Bloody-Disgusting.com....

SPOILERS!!!!

Major spoilers ahead, BE WARNED: Today we've scored a look at the casting breakdown for Rob Zombie's Halloween, which is set to begin shooting on January 29, 2007! Inside you'll find not only a basic synopsis but a full list of the characters and their roles in the film, which hits theaters August 31, 2007.

But before anyone freaks out... we were kind enough to edit it down and remove who Michael Myers kills in the film. So if you don't want to know anything it's time to ignore this post and move on - no one is forcing you to read it.

Read on for the skinny and don't forget spoilers follow.


UNTITLED ROB ZOMBIE HALLOWEEN PROJECT
Start Date: Approximately January 29, 2007

STORY LINE: After being committed for 17 years, Michael Myers, now a grown man and still very dangerous, is mistakenly released from the mental institution (where he was committed as a 10 year old) and he immediately returns to Haddonfield, where he wants to find his baby sister, Laurie. Anyone who crosses his path is in mortal danger.

[MICHAEL MYERS (10 YEARS OLD)] Caucasian, 8-12 years old, to play 10. Stringy haired, awkward kid, you get a sense that something is off just by looking at him. He has a very unstable mental state. He enjoys torturing/killing animals and then people. He hates his teenage sister, his stripper mother, and her abusive boyfriend Ronnie. He is, however, protective and very attached to his baby sister, who he calls Boo. This is very disturbing material that we need a very capable young actor for.

[LAURIE STRODE] Emancipated or legal 18 to play 17, Caucasian female. Pretty in an unassuming, natural way, this is Michael Meyer's baby sister. She is a normal, real, smart good girl, who is very responsible and caring. The second Michael sees her, he knows. Once he finds her, he will not let go, and Laurie has a strange feeling all day that someone is watching her...An actress who is riveting to watch.

[ANNIE BRACKETT] Emancipated or legal 18 to play 18, Caucasian, female. PARTIAL NUDITY REQUIRED FOR THIS ROLE. She is LAURIE'S best friend, cute, and curly-haired, full of teen enthusiasm and charm. Borderline bad girl (she rebels, but in a sweet way).

[LYNDA] Emancipated or legal 18 to play 18, Caucasian, female. FULL NUDITY WILL BE REQUIRED for this role. She looks like the hot cheerleader type, but has a bad attitude to go with it. She is the girl that convinced you to smoke cigarettes, smoke weed, steal your parents' car and taught you how to French kiss by making out with your older brother. She is all about opportunity.

[TOMMY DOYLE] 7-12 to play 8 years old, any ethnicity, a cute little boy who talks too much and whose babysitter is LAURIE. He is a mop top of a boy who asks lots of questions, and is filled with fear on Halloween. He believes in the boogey man and the wolf man, and sees Michael Meyers before anyone else does.

[JUDITH MYERS] Emancipated or legal 18 to play 16 years old, Caucasian, female. FULL NUDITY REQUIRED FOR THIS ROLE. A celebration of the Trailer trash slut. She dresses inappropriately for her age, and uses her sexuality for mass effect. She flirts with Ronnie even though he is her mom's boyfriend. She and Michael are not close, they fight a lot and she walks in on him while he is masturbating to his photo album of past pet kills. Her response? She calls him a pervert. In no way will this girl ever be a model citizen.

[WESLEY RHOADES] 14-16 years old to play 14, School-bully #1, ugly, acne-scarred. Teases Michael about his mom's profession.

[SHANE WILLIAMS] 14-16 years old, WESLEY'S sidekick, overweight, red headed. Also a bully. He tells Michael that he'd like to get physical with his mom, Deborah. He is Wesley's yes man.

[LOU MARTINI] 51 years old, large sloth of a man, bartender at the strip joint. Cares about business, and is not concerned with Deborah's troubled personal life.

[PRINCIPAL ERICS] 47 years old, thin, nervous, stiff guy who stutters when nervous. He's the Principal at Michael's school. Michael frightens him.

[ASST. PRINCIPAL JANSEN] 45 years old, attractive, older woman. School administrator.

[STEVE] 16 years old, big mess of curly hair, "string-bean" body. JUDITH'S boyfriend. He has sex with JUDITH and then brags about it. He is a life like skinny stoner character.

[FEMALE NEWS REPORTER #1] Describes the murders taking place. Real television reporting experience a plus.

[REPORTER #2] Describes the murders taking place. Real television reporting experience a plus.

[MARIA SANTOS] 34 years old, REPORTER

[MORGAN WALKER] 54 years old. Sanitarium's Head of Operations. Rail-thin man in a dark gray suit. He is responsible for MICHAEL'S escape. WE ARE LOOKING FOR A STRONG CAMEO APPEARANCE HERE - STAR NAMES ONLY

[DR. KOPLENSON] 45 years old, head physician at Sanitarium, large bearded man with a bandaged eye, recommends minimum security for MICHAEL MEYERS. WE ARE LOOKING FOR A STRONG CAMEO APPEARANCE HERE - STAR NAMES ONLY

[COUNCILMAN EDWARDS ] 52 years old. "Puffy" man with a bad comb over; WE ARE LOOKING FOR A STRONG CAMEO APPEARANCE HERE - STAR NAMES ONLY

[ELLEN LOOMIS] 55 years old, attractive silver-haired woman. The bedrock of the Loomis household. She is the ideal wife, caring supportive, terrifically worried about her husband's borderline obsession with his most famous patient. She is long suffering and a woman who the audience will need to connect with.

[LISA GREY] 50 years old, EILEEN'S best friend. She comes over for dinner more often than not, and often brings the wine she likes to drink. Thank god Eileen has Lisa to lean on!

[LUKE GREY] 56 years old, Older DR. LOOMIS' friend and Lisa's husband, distinguished looking professor type.

[KENDALL JACKS] Attendant at the Sanitarium, NOEL KLUGGS' trouble making buddy, and rapist. He is in excellent physical shape - he can handle the rowdy patient. He is one half of a terrifying team - no one wants these two attending their sick family members.

[KAREN MERCY] 27 years old, cute, severely mentally disabled, at sanitarium.

[EARL HICKS] 35 years old, graveyard-shift security guard at sanitarium.

[BILL JUDGE] 30s-50s, another security guard.

45 years old, large mountain-man. His size gives him a natural confidence, and he does not scare easily. He is a trucker dressed in dirty coveralls.

[MASON STRODE] 51 years old, handsome man with graying hair. LAURIE'S dad. He hates corporate America. He is concerned with his daughter's safety, is a great guy, and seems to be the father figure that would survive any horror film.

[CYNTHIA STRODE] 45 years old, attractive woman with classic bone structure. MASON'S wife. LAURIE'S mom. Should look like a corn fed Midwestern all American mom, not pulled too tight.

[DEREK ALLEN] 55 years old, unshaven country type, dressed in hunting gear, works at a Gun Store (WEAPONS GALORE!) WE ARE LOOKING FOR A STRONG CAMEO APPEARANCE HERE – THE GREAT AMERICAN CHARACTER ACTOR WHO LOVES A GOOD SPOTLIGHT SCENE.

[GRANT CLARK] 54 years old, cemetery grounds-keeper. He has worked at this cemetery all of his adult life. Takes pride in his work.

[PAUL] 18-19, probably held back a year, as he is ANNIE'S Boyfriend (Annie likes older guys, even if they are stupid). He is a stringy or shaggy haired bony faced teenager. He smokes, but they are probably menthols. A dude.

[BARBARA FLORENTINE] 52 years old, head of Haddonfield Adoption Agency. A real 'Stick to the Rules' type. Character actors welcome.

[LIEUTENANT CHARLES] A police officer who is there throughout the film, as a man devoted to his job and his community.

[STAN CAMPBELL] 60 years old, the county coroner. One line - has had this job for years.

[MR. DOYLE] TOMMY'S Dad. One scene. Caucasian, middle-aged. A parent type.

[MRS. DOYLE] TOMMY'S Mom. One scene. Caucasian, middle-aged. A parent type.

[AARON KRAMER] 53 years old, nervous looking file clerk, on parole, a drug user. Says "um" a lot, works for BARBARA. GREAT FUN CAMEO FOR A BELOVED CHARACTER ACTOR OF NOTE.

[LINDSAY WALLACE] 9 years old, any ethnicity, the young girl that ANNIE baby-sits. She ignores ANNIE and is enthralled with the TV. She is very smart, probably smarter than Annie. This is a role that requires a lot of scene specific smart acting choices.

[BOB SIMMS] 17 years old, tall, long haired stoner-type. He is Lynda's boyfriend, and likes to guzzle beer.

[OFFICER LOWERY] 34 years old, he responds to LAURIE'S 911 call.

[muthagoose]

Lil' Michael Myers Casting Confirmed

Daeg Faerch (Freak Show) would be playing a Michael Myers (age 10) in Rob Zombie's Halloween, which begins lensing in January. Today we received official confirmation from Zombie himself confirming the rumor!

[Chick-O-Stick]

That looks like a girl, are ya sure?

[muthagoose]

ROB ZOMBIE Taps MALCOLM MCDOWELL For 'Halloween' Remake

Rob Zombie has tapped Malcolm McDowell to take on the role of Dr. Loomis in Zombie's upcoming remake of the John Carpenter classic "Halloween". This will NOT be a sequel, and it will be a complete "re-imagining" of the movie, similar to Zack Snyder's "Dawn of the Dead". ("Halloween" was a 1978 film in which a patient in a mental hospital, Michael Myers, escapes the asylum and goes on a killing spree. He was pursued by Dr. Loomis, who was brilliantly portrayed in the original film by the late Donald Pleasance.)

Commented Zombie: "I am thrilled to have Malcolm on board. He is ready to kick ass and make a new horror classic."

Rob Zombie will not only serve as director of the new "Halloween", but he is also a producer and music supervisor. "Halloween" will be Zombie's third gig as director, after "House of 1000 Corpses" and "The Devil's Rejects". Andy Gould is one of the co-producers; Gould has worked with Zombie on his two previous movies. The new "Halloween" is slated for release in October 2007.

Zombie says that this will be a "new take" on the "Halloween" franchise, and he hopes that it will oblige fans of the original while offering something fresh to movie-goers. The film is planned to be both a prequel and a remake of the original. The story is set before the events of 1981's "Halloween 2", and will focus on Myer's youth (before he was institutionalized) and how he develops into a serial killer.

Rob Zombie had this to say about John Carpenter in an interview with Variety: "The original 'Halloween' is hallowed ground to me, and I talked to [Carpenter] about it and he was very supportive of what I wanted to do. He said, 'Go for it, Rob. Make it your own.' And that's exactly what I intend to do. Over 25 years and a lot of movies, a very scary character became something of a Halloween cliché, with Michael Myers dolls that play the Halloween music when you press their stomachs. By the end of the sequel cycle, there was little connection to the original. I take that film very seriously, and I want to make it terrifying again."

[muthagoose]

It was reported that Halloween alumni Danielle Harris has scored the "lead" role in the quasi-remake, according to Fango. In Dimension Films' Halloween 4 & 5 Harris played Jamie Lloyd, Michael Myers' niece. No word yet on who she'll be playing in Zombie's vision, but is it possible she might be filling Jamie Lee Curtis' shoes?

[muthagoose]

Rob Zombie announced today on his official Halloween MySpace page that Michael Myers will be played by none other than Tyler Mane in Dimension Films' Halloween remake!

I'm sure you all remember Tyler as Rufus from The Devil's Rejects, Sabretooth in the X-Men and the unstoppable Ajax in Troy. He joins Malcolm McDowell (Dr. Loomis), Sheri Moon, Daeg Faerch (young Michael Myers) and Heather Bowen in the quasi-remake, which hits theaters everywhere August 31st. Danielle Harris is still yet to be confirmed.

[muthagoose]

Zombie confirms "Making of" Documentary

Rob Zombie confirmed this afternoon on his official MySpace page that he is in fact filming a "making of documentary" for his upcoming remake of Halloween, which is set to star Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Daeg Faerch and Heather Bowen.

Rob writes, "Many of you have been asking if I plan on making a "making of Halloween" documentary similar to the "30 days in Hell" one on THE DEVIL'S REJECTS DVD. Well, the answer is yes. We started shooting on the first day of pre-production and we will continue up until we are finished."

"We started shooting on the first day of pre-production and we will continue up until we are finished." After being committed for 17 years, Michael Myers, now a grown man and still very dangerous, is mistakenly released from the mental institution (where he was committed as a 10 year old) and he immediately returns to Haddonfield, where he wants to find his baby sister, Laurie. Anyone who crosses his path is in mortal danger.


This is a link to a recent MTV interview with Rob Zombie about his take on the film:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk8Rqnah1TQ&eurl=



Another Michael Meyers

[muthagoose]

Still more HALLOWEEN casting...

Here’s another HALLOWEEN casting tidbit that came down the pipeline (i.e. writer/director Rob Zombie’s MySpace blog) this afternoon. The rocker/filmmaker now reveals that Pat Skipper has joined the cast, joining Malcolm McDowell and Tyler Mane, and is playing Mason Strode—father of Laurie (who may be played by Danielle Harris).

Pat Skipper on IMDB:
www.imdb.com/name/nm0804361/

Examine Skipper’s résumé and you’ll find that he’s had a modicum of bit roles in genre films like HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE, PREDATOR 2, ED GEIN, DEMONSTONE and John Carpenter’s MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN, along with a pretty extensive history on television, including episodic turns in the new NIGHT STALKER, TREMORS: THE SERIES and four episodes of THE X FILES, the latter as Bill Scully Jr., Dana Scully’s older brother.

- -

Brandon Mason on IMDB:
www.imdb.com/name/nm1686060/

[muthagoose]

Rob Zombie Casts Laurie Strode's mother!

Rob Zombie is making sure his Halloween remake doesn't leave any of your minds as he continues to take over our main page with more casting news. Today the rock shocker turned director revealed who will play d Cynthia Strode, Laurie Strode's mother in the new film, which hits theaters everywhere on August 31st.

Playing Cynthia Strode, Laurie's mother, is Dee Wallace-Stone (The Howling, Cujo, E.T.).

www.deewallacestone.com/

- - - - - - -

Learn more about...

Dee's Healing Workshop
Based on Dee's new book, Beyond Thought
Feb 24th 2007 - Burbank, CA

Official Site: www.deewallacestone.com/ws.php

[muthagoose]

A Couple of "Rejects" join the cast of "Halloween"!

More cool casting info folks. Well, a couple of our favorite rejects have joined the cast of HALLOWEEN. SHERI MOON ZOMBIE has joined the cast of HALLOWEEN as DEBORAH MYERS the mother of Michael Myers and longtime employee of THE RABBIT IN RED LOUNGE-- along with Sheri we have none other than WILLIAM FORSYTHE playing RONNIE WHITE, Deborah's abusive boyfriend.



"Hi... I excel at creepiness!"

[muthagoose]

Two More Cast Members Revealed for "Rob Zombie's Halloween"...

Word is that Lew Temple (The Devil's Rejects, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Danny Trejo (Grindhouse, The Devil's Rejects, From Dusk Till Dawn) have also joined the cast of Rob Zombie's 'Halloween'!

[muthagoose]

ROB ZOMBIE: More 'Halloween' Casting Announcements

Rob Zombie has issued the following update on his upcoming remake of the 1978 horror classic "Halloween":

"A couple of our favorite 'rejects' have joined the cast of 'Halloween'. Sheri Moon Zombie has joined the cast of 'Halloween' as Deborah Myers, the mother of Michael Myers and longtime employee of The Rabbit In Red Lounge. Along with Sheri we have none other than William Forsythe playing Ronnie White, Deborah's abusive boyfriend. [Also] joining the cast of 'Halloween' are Danny Trejo as Ismael Cruz, a sympathetic worker at Smith's Grove Sanitarium, Lew Temple as Nole Kluggs, a co-worker of Ismael at Smith's Grove. And last but not least, good old Ken Foree as Big Joe Grizzley, a truck driver who encounters Michael on his travels.

"I'll soon announce the remaining major roles of Laurie, Annie, Lynda, Judith, Sheriff Brackett, Kendall Jacks, Grant Clark, Principle Erics, Councilman Edwards, Lindsey Wallace, Tommy Doyle, Deputy Charles, Dr. Koplenson, Barbara Florentine and Morgan Walker. If you are wondering none of these remaining roles are played by anyone that was in 'The Devil's Rejects'. So start guessing."

"Halloween" cast so far:

Dr. Loomis - played by Malcolm McDowell
Young Michael Myers - played by Daeg Faerch
Adult Michael Myers - played by Tyler Mane
Deborah Myers - played by Sheri Moon Zombie
Mason Strode - played by Pat Skipper
Cynthia Strode - played by Dee Wallace Stone
Ronnie White - played by William Forsythe
Big Joe - played by Ken Foree
Nole Kluggs - played by Lew Temple
Ismael Cruz - played by Danny Trejo

[muthagoose]

Two More Casting Announcements for Rob Zombie's "Halloween"

JUDITH MYERS will be played by HANNA HALL. You'll probaly remember Hanna from Forrest Gump, she was young Forrest's girlfriend Jenny or as Cecilia from Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides.



The role of ANNIE BRACKETT will be played by none other than DANIELLE HARRIS.

[muthagoose]

ROB ZOMBIE: 'Who Gives A F*ck What Someone Else Thinks?'

Quint of Ain't It Cool News, a web site dedicated to movie news (from the sale of a script to a film's release), has posted a decidedly negative review of an early script of Rob Zombie's upcoming remake of the 1978 horror classic "Halloween".

Read the article: www.aintitcool.com/node/31221

While Zombie didn't address the review directly, he has posted a message for all those would-be viewers whose expectations of the upcoming film have been lowered as a result of reading the Ain't It Cool News write-up.

Said Rob: "I notice that so many people get crazy when someone you don't even know posts an opinion about what they think 'Halloween' will or won't be. This is crazy. Do you really go through life influenced by the thoughts of others that easily?

"Anyway, things change so much in a movie, from moment to moment, from second to second, that all I can say is: see it for yourself and figure out if you like it or not. Really, who gives a fuck what someone else thinks? Everybody likes different shit for different reasons. But deciding that you hate or love something that doesn't even exist yet? Well, that a little ridiculous."

As previously reported, Zombie has started making a documentary on the production of "Halloween". Zombie wrote in an recent online posting, "Many of you have been asking if I plan on making a 'making of Halloween' documentary similar to the '30 Days In Hell' one on 'The Devil's Rejects' DVD. Well, the answer is yes. We started shooting on the first day of pre-production and we will continue up until we are finished."

Zombie also wrote that he's seen the finished mask that will be worn by "Halloween"'s killer, Michael Myers, and commented, "All I can say is 'HOLY F***.'It looks perfect. Exactly like the original. Not since 1978 has (Myers) looked so good."

"Halloween" is due in theatres on August 31, 2007. Filming begins later this month. The movie is Zombie's third feature film as a director after 2003's "House of 1000 Corpses" and 2005's "The Devil's Rejects".

As reported last week, Zombie announced that he is working on a boxed set for his previous band, WHITE ZOMBIE. A solo live album is also scheduled for release sometime early this year.

[muthagoose]

Rob Zombie's Halloween Rumor Mill...

The web is abuzz with rumors regearding Rob Zombie's Halloween remake, below are a few...

- -

The trouble began last week when AICN posted a slanted script review, which Fangoria posted a completely opposite opinion a few days later. With each post fans found themselves confused, pissed, happy or just plain indifferent (that's me!). But one person who took it very seriously is Writer/Director/Producer Rob Zombie, who wrote on his MySpace blog "I notice that so many people get crazy when someone you don't even know posts an opinion about what they think HALLOWEEN will or won't be. This is crazy. Do you really go through life influenced by the thoughts of others that easily? Anyway, things change so much in a movie, from moment to moment, from second to second that all I can say is : see it for yourself and figure out if you like it or not. Really who gives a fuck what someone else thinks? Everybody likes different shit for different reasons. But deciding that you hate or love something that doesn't even exist yet? Well, that a little ridiculous."

Rumor has been circulating around town that this draft is NOT even close to the draft that was being used for the shoot that was supposed to take place this month in California. Anyways, what we've heard from industry buzz is that after the online fiasco, shock-rocker Rob Zombie is going back to the script and doing more re-writes, thus pushing the shoot back a bit, thus forcing the release back from it's August 31st date. We've called people on all fronts and can't get a straight answer, so I guess only time will tell the truth. Either way, I'm on board - let's see Michael Myers on the big screen again!

But no, the rumors don’t stop there...Many about who will play Laurie Strode...
Today Arrowinthehead posted a rumor they heard that LINDY BOOTH (Wrong Turn, Dawn of the Dead) was going to play the red head teen. Her manager who denies the rumors saying “we are aware of the project, but have not been approached.” In addition, Rob Zombie denies this rumor as well.

Another rumored name we’ve heard is AGNES BRUCKNER (Venom, The Woods), who stars in BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE, which hits theaters next week.

[muthagoose]

4 More Join the cast of "Halloween"

Rob Zombie revealed on his official MySpace blog for his remake of Halloween that Adrienne Barbeau (Creep Show, The Fog), Clint Howard (Evilspeak, Leprechaun 2, Ice Cream Man), Courtney Gains (The Phobic) and Daryl Sabara (Solace) have all joined the cast of the film, which is prepping for shoot soon.