Though John Carpenter's remaking Carpenter's iconic film.
The remake was met with a mixed response from audiences and critics, some of whom felt Zombie wasn't the right man for the job. However, there are aspects of the film that feel incredibly faithful to the original film as well as some big changes, for better or worse.
The Same: The Babysitter Murders
The main story of the original film involved the masked killer Michael Myers stalking and murdering a group of teenagers who are babysitting on Halloween night. The wordless killer follows the young victims from house to house and dispatches them brutally.
While the first half of Zombie's film is quite different, once he gets into the material of the original, he sticks quite closely to it. There are the same characters and they are killed in similar ways with nothing too new added.
Changed: Michael's Backstory
Carpenter's original has one of the most famous horror movie openings as a POV shot of young Michael Myers shows him one Halloween night when he killed his older sister while she was in her bedroom. It is a creepy, expertly directed sequence that does a great job of introducing Michael Myers to the world.
Probably the most significant change in Zombie's remake was delving into Michael's backstory in great detail. The entire first half follows Michael as he is bullied at home and at school which leads to his murderous future.
The Same: Bob's Death
Perhaps the most famous death in the original film is that of Bob. He is just an innocent teen partying in an empty house with his girlfriend. When he goes to retrieve some beer for them, he is attacked by Michael raised off the ground, and pinned to the wall with a knife.
With such an iconic death already established in the original, Zombie obviously couldn't resist doing his own version of the kill. It happens very much the same and still leaves us wondering how a butcher knife could hold up a human body like that.
Changed: How Michael Got The Mask
There are few faces more famous in the history of horror movies that Michael Myers' mask. Famously made from a modified Captain Kirk mask, the emotionless pale face is perfectly unsettling for this killer.
Neither film spends too much time on the origins of the mask. In the original, we learn Michael robbed a hardware store and took the mask when he returns to Haddonfield. The remake has him taking it from his sister's boyfriend as a child and somehow hiding it away.
The Same: Ghost Costume Scene
While it is the mask that is Michael Myers' most famous look, he does don another costume in the film that is also a famous image. After killing Bob, Michael disguises himself in his victim's ghost costume with a bedsheet and glasses in order to kill Lynda.
Once again, Zombie sticks to this half of the film quite closely and recreates the famous ghost costume moment as well. However, it is a bit unintentionally funny since his version of Michael is a hulking mountain who is clearly not Bob.
Changed: His First Kill
The shock of seeing a young boy brutally murders his sister makes for such an impactful introduction to Michael Myers' cold-blooded nature. It also feels like such an emotionless and random kill that defines the character.
Zombie's film paints a very different picture of young Michael as his first kill is of a school bully and feels very emotional. He then kills his abusive stepfather and his sister's boyfriend before killing his sister Judith. It sort of takes away from the moment that was so scary in the original.
The Same: Judith Myers' Gravestone
When Michael returns to Haddonfield on Halloween night, years after the murder of his sister, one of the first things he does is steal his sister's gravestone. It is this act that proves to Dr. Loomis that Michael has returned.
The moment is created once again in Zombie's film, and once again, it is Loomis who discovers the missing gravestone. However, in this version, it is replaced by the corpse of a dead animal.
Changed: The Kill Count
Even though Carpenter's Halloween is considered a legendary horror movie by many, it probably feels a bit tame for modern audiences. The kills are not very graphic, and for his first time headlining a horror movie, Michael doesn't rack up any huge kill count numbers.
Of course, Rob Zombie is not known for being subtle with his violence and gore so he is sure to ramp things up for the remake. Along with the three kills before he kills his sister, Michael's other victims in the remake include a nurse, several guards at his institution, some police officers, and even Laurie Strode's adoptive parents.
The Same: Boogeyman Line
Seeing as the most famous character in the original movie doesn't speak at all, it's surprising that there are still so many memorable quotes from Carpenter's original movie. Perhaps the most famous line of all is the final line when Laurie asks Loomis if Michael was the boogeyman. Loomis responds, "As a matter of fact it was."
Zombie doesn't recreate all of the famous lines from the original, but he is sure to include that one. Again, it comes when Loomis finally rescues Laurie from Michael.
Changed: Ending
The ending of the original makes for a simple yet chilling conclusion. After delivering the aforementioned final line, Loomis looks outside to where Michael's body fell out the window after being shot several times. The movie ends with shots of the various locations seen in the movie was the sound of Michael's heavy breathing is heard.
Zombie didn't seem interested in that more subtle ending and decided to go out with a bang. After Loomis delivers the famous line, Michael comes back for another attack. After subduing Loomis, he tries to kill Laurie. They end up falling off the balcony and Laurie shoots Michael in the head then screams as the film ends.
