As anyone who saw the recent "Jason X" knows, serial killer franchises are currently getting an upgrade. Jason's been blasted off into space, Freddy Krueger's waiting for him to return so they can go head to head in "Jason vs Freddy", and Michael Myers has gone online.
Yes, you heard right. Myers is now stalking an internet webcast near you.
"Halloween: Resurrection" takes John Carpenter's original franchise into the 21st century as the silent slasher becomes the unexpected guest in a live internet broadcast set up by questionable entrepreneur Freddie Harris (Rhymes).
Convincing the usual group of feckless teens to spend Halloween night in the old Myers house, Rhymes tools them up with head-mounted web cameras to catch the action.
Of course, Michael's none-too-pleased about his house being invaded by this group of annoying, sex-obsessed teens, and so returns to do an impromptu house clearance, picking off the group one by one as the public watch and desperately try and send them helpful text messages like "He's behind you!"
With its shamelessly gimmicky set-up, "Halloween VIII" taps into the same kind of internet-obsessed horror as the recent "My Little Eye" and the upcoming "Feardotcom".
But other than putting Michael online, this really doesn't have any idea what to do with the gimmick beyond the obvious use of grainy web-cameras.
Director Rick Rosenthal, who set the franchise benchmark for talentless sequels with his trashy "Halloween II", fudges every attempt to build up the tension.
He also forces Michael to spend the whole movie stuck inside the house... how much stalking can a psycho do when he's locked within four walls?
If the "Halloween" series wants to reach double figures, it's going to need some "Jason X"-style irreverence some time very soon.
Oh, and if you're wondering why Michael is still stalking after seemingly coming to a grisly end in "Halloween: H20", that's all explained in a shameless prologue featuring the long-suffering Jamie Lee Curtis.
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
