Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1988
Running Times: 84 mins (Spain) 88 mins (USA)
Format: colour 35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Ultra Stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Trancas International Films Inc
Executive Producer: Moustapha Akkad
Producer: Paul Freeman
Unit Production Manager: S. Michael Formica

SCRIPT
Script: Alan B. McElroy
Story: Dhani Lipsius, Larry Rattner, Benjamin Ruffner, Alan McElroy
Characters: John Carpenter

DIRECTION
Director: Dwight H. Little

PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography: Peter Lyons Collister
Lighting Technician: David R. Kohn

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Curtiss Clayton

MUSIC
Music: Alan Howarth
Halloween Theme: John Carpenter

SOUND
Supervising Sound Editor: Anthony Milch

LOCATIONS
Locations: Midvale, Utah, USA; Ogden, Utah, USA; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

STUNTS
Stunts: Carl Ciarfalio, Laura Dash, Debbie Evans, Kent Hays, Lane Leavitt, Fred Lerner, Bob Miles, Tom Morga, Patricia M. Peters, Fenton G. Quinn, George P. Wilbur

CAST
Donald Pleasence (Dr Sam Loomis)
Ellie Cornell (real name: Ellie Gottwald) (Rachel Corruthers)
Danielle Harris (Jamie Lloyd)
George P. Wilbur (Michael Myers)
Michael Pataki (Dr E. W. Hoffman)
Beau Starr (Sheriff Ben Meeker)
Kathleen Kinmont (Kelly Meeker)
Sasha Jenson (Brady)
Gene Ross (Earl)
Carmen Filpi (Jack Sayer)
Raymond O'Connor (security guard)
Jeff Olson (Richard Corruthers)
Karen Alston (Darlene Corruthers)
Nancy Borgenicht (woman attendant)
David Jensen (man attendant)
Rand Kennedy (trooper 1)
Don Glover (trooper 2)
Robert Conder (trooper 3)
Richard Jewkes (trooper 4)
Jordan Bradley (Kyle)
Richy Cumba (boy)
Stephanie Dees (girl)
Leslie L. Rohland (Lindsey)
M.J. McDonnell (female staffer)
Harlow Marks (power worker)
Richard Stay (Wade)
Danny Ray (Tommy)
Michael Flynn (Deputy Pierce)
Beverly Booth Rowland (elderly woman)
George Sullivan (Logan)
Ron Harrison (hick kid)
Walt Logan Field (Unger)
Michael Ruud (Big Al)
Tami Sanders (anchorwoman)
Eric Hart (Orrin)
Donré Sampson (state police)

PLOT SUMMARY

It's ten years since the events of Halloween (1978) and Halloween II (1981). While being transferred from the Richmond Mental Institute, Michael Myers escapes and goes back to Haddonfield looking for his niece, Jamie Lloyd, daughter of his late sister Laurie. As Myers menaces the girls new adoptive family, Dr Sam Loomis rushes to Haddonfield to confront his nemesis again.

After the brave but doomed attempt to broaden the scope of the franchise in Halloween III (1982), the series got back to its roots with the return of Michael Myers. Sadly, it's a bland and forgettable affair that goes to torturous lengths to give Michael someone to persecute (the ever-extending Myers family is surely the unluckiest in film history) but there's no real explanation why Michael wants to kill his neice. Lousy acting and very poor effects don't do much to distract us away from the flimsy plot. Very disappointing.

Netherlands
Video Distributor: Video Film Express

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Galaxy International
Video Distributor: CBS / Fox; Anchor Bay Entertainment Inc
Laserdisc Distributor: CBS Fox (2100-80)
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay (DV 10537)

Venezuela
Video Distributor: Blue Diamond Video

Australia
Rating: M

France
Rating: -12

Germany
All of the killings have been cut, though the film wasn't all that gory to begin with!

Netherlands
Rating: 16

Norway
Rating: 18

Spain
Rating: 18

Sweden
Like the German version, this one has also been heavily cut.

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 18

1988
October
21: USA - theatrical release

1989
November
3: UK - theatrical release

1990
May
9: France - theatrical release

July
15: Netherlands - theatrical release

1999
August
10: USA - DVD release (Anchor Bay (DV 10537))

2001
October
22: USA - television broadcast (on WQRF)

Ten Years Ago HE Changed The Face Of Halloween. Tonight HE'S BACK!

Ten years ago, on the night of October 31st, a small Midwestern town fell victim to an escaped killer. Under the cover of darkness, he carried out the most horrifying mass murder on record. Sixteen people, in cold blood! Ever since that night, no one has forgotten his name... and Halloween has never been the same. Now, Michael Myers has come home. He has returned for one more night of unholy TERROR!

Halloween IV - Michael Myers Kehrt Zurück - German title

SEQUEL TO
Halloween (1978)
Halloween II (1981)
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

SEQUELS
Halloween 5 (1989)
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

SEE ALSO
Scream (1996)

MAGAZINES

The Dark Side 60 p.18 (UK)
review

Fear November / December 1988 p.35 (UK)
review

KEYWORDS

slasher; stalk and slash; sequels; serial killers; twist ending; halloween; impalement; masks; schools; electrocution

CONTRIBUTORS

Ken Karpinski; Kevin Lyons