As the road to Halloween Ends gains pace, a big question remains amongst Halloween fans; where does the franchise go next?
Like so many series, and with the nostalgia wave showing no signs of dying off yet, does Halloween’s future lie in its past?
Published in October 2003, to accompany the 25th anniversary of John Carpenter’s classic, Halloween: One Good Scare is a limited edition graphic novel penned by British writer Stefan Hutchinson, with illustrations by Peter Fielding.
In One Good Scare, a young man named David Loomis is a doctor following in his father’s footsteps but refuses to participate in the obsession that ruined him. A firm believer that Michael Myers is long dead – that is until a patient he takes on by the name of Lindsey Wallace is convinced that the bogeyman is after her.
This isolated tale had enough ties to the past of the Halloween lore, which was very much in limbo following the box office and critical failure of the previous year’s Halloween: Resurrection.
Hutchinson knows his Halloween lore and sprinkles his story with enough easter eggs to keep die-hard fans happy, whilst carving a new and refreshing tale for the Shape to stalk.
Illustrator Peter Fielding, reflected on One Good Scare, saying,
“Reading Stef’s script was what really drove me to do the book. It was so faithful to “the feel” of the original while building off the actual characters. It was never over-explained, just a sort of sentient, creeping feeling of dread. We tried to convey that in the visuals as well (tipping the hat to Dean Cundey’s iconic cinematography), by imposing a slowly constricting, framing darkness panel by panel. The intent of the book was to continue what was laid down, not to reframe it, or reinterpret it. One Good Scare wasn’t meant to be a love letter or homage, as much as an actual, meaningful extension of the story. Stef always knew what it was about. Halloween is about Fear.”
Fast forward just under a decade later, and the series was once again in the cinematic graveyard following Rob Zombie’s two Halloween films.
British filmmaker David Hastings took the story of One Good Scare and crafted it into an excellent short film.
We all know that you can probably count on one hand how many great Halloween fan films there have been, but One Good Scare is definitely one of them.
Hastings reflected on the experience of creating his take on the Shape, saying,
“I felt the material that Stef and Peter had created was just so much in line with Carpenter and Hill’s world. It was simple and ruthless; it told one tale.
“That narrative was cold, bleak and with hints of that original, almost supernatural Shape from the first film. I so wanted Trancas and Dimension to convince themselves this would make a perfect return to form for the series after Resurrection – and since they weren’t going to do it, I thought I will then.
“I believed in the world that Stef and Peter envisioned and I just wanted to play a small part in maybe opening that world up to more fans. Because if fans watched our little film, they’d pretty much then seek out the original comic series or graphic novel and see how brilliant that source material is. And poor Lindsey she never stood a chance did she?”
Have you read One Good Scare or watched the short film? Let us know in the comments.
Also, would you like to see a take such as One Good Scare as the next incarnation of Michael Myers?
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