Halloween: The Babysitter Murders

Director - Jack Norman (Friday the 13th: The Curse of Jason)
Starring - Jack Norman, Jessica Bloom (The Biker Warrior Babe vs The Zombie Babies from Hell), and Christy Faulkner (Scarewaves)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "He came home"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I have seen the original Halloween film so many times I can quote it.  This has lead to me being cursed to enjoy this film alone because people get sick of me quoting the film before the lines are actually spoken.  Everyone has that one friend that does this and I just happen to be that one friend. The Halloween series, like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm St., is one of my favorite series and it is hard for me to hate any of the films from this series including the remake (though Zombie's Halloween 2 does suck balls).  While others argue about which film is better and which ones suck I often find myself watching them all in sheer fascination.  Not long ago I was lucky enough to watch and review director Jack Norman's Friday the 13th: The Curse of Jason.  This was my first look at a fan film and I was really impressed.  This turned me on to that side of cinema and I often catch myself searching YouTube for fan films of my favorite movies now.  When Halloween was approaching Norman sent me a link to his newest fan film, Halloween: The Babysitter Murders.  Knowing Norman and his love of the slasher sub-genre I knew I would be in for a good time.  Thanks Jack for sending that over!
     The film opens with a man wondering through the center of town until he reaches a local hardware store. We then jump to two girls walking down the sidewalk talking as that figure, now wearing a mask, follows them until he is spotted and hides from them.  The two girls walk a bit and the two separate and go different ways.  The shape follows the young blonde and murders her while a news report comes on the t.v. announcing that Michael Myers has escaped and is making his way back to his hometown of Haddonfield.
     What sets Halloween apart from the other slashers is style.  John Carpenter is one of the few directors that has style and that is what sets him and the Halloween series apart. That is why so many people dislike the later entries in the Halloween franchise.  They lack the look and style that Carpenter crafted in the first film.  That is also why so many fan films based on Halloween is made and then go unnoticed.  However, director Jack Norman is a huge fan of Halloween and knew what he had to do to make a worthy Halloween film and he did it.  The acting in this film is indie perfection.  The cast shows a tremendous amount of talent on screen but have not had a lot of experience.  Aside from directing, Jack Norman portrays Michael Myers and does a solid job.  He has his movements and mannerisms down perfectly.  The story for this one is very similar to the original with minor changes and more homages to the series.  This honestly felt more like an indie remake instead of a fan film.  Finally, the film lacks the kills and special effects that made the original so much fun.  Instead of kills and special effects, this fan film gives the viewer some beautiful cinematography and subtle homages to the original series and remakes.  Overall, Halloween: The Babysitter Murders is a great fan film that pays respect to one of the founding films of the slasher sub-genre. Check it out!