Escape from New York by Mike McQuay

 

(pb; 1981: movie tie-in, based on John Carpenter and Nick Castle’s screenplay)

 

From the back cover

“1997. In an America ravaged by war and gutted by riots and social collapse, ‘Snake’ Plissken was the deadliest man alive. Ex-soldier, ex-hero, outlaw. Snake was so slippery no trap could catch him, no jail could hold him. Then he was set up, betrayed, captured. They sent him into the ultimate prison: New York City. A penal colony 12 miles long and two miles wide. An urban jungle where men had become things and only the most brutal survived. But they gave him one shot at freedom. Somewhere in that cesspool of humanity was the President of the United States. Snake had twenty-four hours to find him. The rest was easy. He just had to get out alive.”

 

Review

Above-average movie tie-in novels consistently add different, character-expanding elements to their source-film stories. Mike McQuay’s Escape does this, e.g., showing New York police commissioner Bob Hauk’s rarely displayed sensitive side while revealing why he, a Leningrad war vet like Plissken, took the job. Additionally, McQuay details Plissken’s past and why he is the way he is, making Escape a standout, vividly pulpy read. That McQuay is also an excellent character-centric action writer with an in-joke sense of humor further makes Escape, long out of print, a book worth owning, an adaptation that’s as great as its source script/film.

 

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The source film, starring Kurt Russell as Snake Plisskin and Lee Van Cleef as Bob Hauk, was released stateside on July 10, 1981.

Halloween II by Jack Martin

(pb; 1981: sequel to Halloween by Curtis Richards. Based on the screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill.)

From the back cover

"It is Halloween night in Haddonfield, Illinois. Six gunshots pierce the silence of this normally quiet town. Neighborhood kids trick-or-treating on the street stare as a man plunges off a balcony. A doctor from the county mental hospital rushes from the house. He has followed his patient, who escaped from the institution, back to Haddonfield, where fifteen years earlier he brutally murdered his own sister. The demented young man has already killed three teenagers this evening. Tonight's massacre has only begun!"


Review

Halloween II is a well-written, solid slasher novel, based on John Carpenter and Debra Hill's screenplay for the 1981 film. If it lacks the out-of-the-blue shocker feel of its source film/novel, it is not Martin's fault. He does his best to imbue the straightforward slice-and-dice storyline with over-the-top descriptions and gore, while furthering the franchise's tone of spare, chilling thematic savagery.

There are few differences between the film and this movie tie-in book. There is one scene in the book that I do not remember from the film (it involves Michael's dispatch of a television producer) and Martin's writing gives us access to the characters' thoughts, giving them more depth.

(The original Halloween film and novel were meant to be single-shot works. No sequels had been planned. Then it made a lot of money and the producers insisted on a sequel. Therein, perhaps, lies one of this sequel's weaknesses.)

Halloween II, out of print and pricy, is worth reading. It is also worth owning if one's expectations take into account its inherent limitations (sequels rarely live up to the freshness of their source works), or if you are a Halloween completist.

Followed by Halloween III (another movie tie-in work, penned by Martin).

(Note: Halloween III has nothing to do with the Michael Myers-Laurie Strode storyline. . . once John Carpenter and Debra Hill had reconciled themselves with the inevitability of a Halloween-themed franchise, they decided that it should center around the holiday, not the Myers-Strode-Loomis triumvirate. Of course, its producers and its fans -- with their unimaginative expectations -- killed Carpenter's and Hill's ambition multi-vision at the outset.)

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The film on which the novel is based was released on October 30, 1981.Rick Rosenthal directed the film, based on John Carpenter and Debra Hill's screenplay.

Jamie Lee Curtis reprised her role of Laurie Strode. Donald Pleasance reprised his role of Dr. Sam Loomis. Charles Cyphers reprised his role of Sheriff Leigh Brackett. Dick Warlock played "The Shape" (a.k.a. Michael Myers) and "Patrolman #3" -- a professional stunt coordinator, Warlock provided that service for the film as well.

Lance Guest played Jimmy. Pamela Susan Shoop played Karen. Leo Rossi played Budd.  Nancy Stephens, wife of the film's director, played Marion. Gloria Gifford played Mrs. Alves. Tawney Moyer played Jill.

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Rob Zombie remade Halloween II. The film, a reworked sequel to Zombie's remake of Halloween (2007), was released stateside on August 28, 2009.

Scout Taylor-Compton reprised her role of Laurie Strode. Malcolm McDowell reprised his role of Dr. Sam Loomis. Tyler Mane reprised his role of Michael Myers. Brad Dourif reprised his role of Sheriff Lee Brackett (the original incarnation of Brackett, played by Charles Cypher, was named Leigh Brackett).

Sheri Moon Zombie reprised her role of Deborah Myers, Michael's mother. Danielle Harris reprised her role of Annie Brackett.

Octavia Spencer played Nurse Daniels. Margot Kidder played Barbara Collier. Mary Birdsong played Nancy McDonald. Howard Hesseman played Uncle Meat.

Mark Boone Junior -- billed as Mark Boone, Jr. -- played Floyd. Duane Whitaker played Sherman Benny. Jeff Daniel Phillips played Howard / Uncle Seymour Coffins. Daniel Roebuck reprised his role of  "Big Lou" Martini.

Chris Hardwick played David Newman. "Weird Al" Yankovic -- billed as Al Yankovic -- played himself.

Halloween by Curtis Richards

(pb; 1979: based on the screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill)

From the back cover:

"Tricked by his cunning ... Treated to his savagery ... Annie, Linda and Laurie ... fresh, pretty, ready to be taken ... stalked by a sadistic power who has returned to claim new victims, on this ... the most frightening night of the year."


Review:

Halloween is an above average movie tie-in/novelization of John Carpenter's 1978 iconic slasher flick. What elevates the book version in relation to other movie tie-ins is its expansion into the background of why Michael Myers is what he is, as well as some of its characters' motivations (whose logic-challenged actions are sometimes frustrating).

What keeps Halloween from being excellent is its Richards's occasional flirtations with cheesy writing and love of unnecessary adjectives; also, there is the Laurie Strode's weird visualizations of Judith Myers's murder. These visualizations feel forced, unnatural, like Richards felt like he had to keep those sadistic images fresh in his readers' minds.

This out of print and pricy book is worth owning despite these minor nits, not only for its rarity but for its overall suspenseful writing and how it builds on the ideas, characters and horror of its source film.

Followed by Halloween II (by Jack Martin, a.k.a. Dennis Etchison).

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Two film versions have been made.

The first film, upon which the book is based, was released stateside on October 25, 1978. John Carpenter directed and co-scripted Halloween. Debra Hill co-scripted the film.

Jamie Lee Curtis played Laurie Strode. Donald Pleasance played Dr. Sam Loomis. Charles Cyphers played Sheriff Leigh Brackett.

Nancy Kyes, billed as Nancy Loomis, played Annie. P.J. Soles played Lynda.Nancy Stephens played Marion. Kyle Richards played Lindsey. Brian Andrews played Tommy.

Mickey Yablans played Richie. John Michael Graham played Bob. Brent Le Page played Lonnie.

Sandy Johnson played Judith Myers. Will Sandin played Michael Myers (age 6). Tony Moran played The Shape/Michael Myers (age 23).

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Rob Zombie's remake was released stateside on August 31, 2007. Zombie also wrote the screenplay, based on John Carpenter and Debra Hill's 1978 script.

Daeg Faerch played Michael Myers, age 10. Tyler Mane played Michael Myers, as an adult.

Sheri Moon Zombie played Deborah Myers, Michael's mother. William Forsythe played Ronnie White. Hanna Hall played Judith Myers. Scout Taylor-Compton played Laurie Strode. Dee Wallace played Cynthia Strode. Pat Skipper played Mason Strode.

Malcolm McDowell played Dr. Sam Loomis. Brad Dourif played Sheriff Lee Brackett (the original incarnation of Brackett, played by Charles Cypher, was named Leigh Brackett).

Danielle Harris played Annie Brackett. Richmond Arquette played Deputy Charles.Kristina Klebe played Lynda. Skyler Gisondo played Tommy Doyal. Gregg Stewart played Lindsey Wallace.

Ken Foree played Big Joe Grizzly. Richard Lynch played Principal Chambers. Micky Dolenz played Derek Allen. Sid Haig played Chester Chesterfield.

Udo Kier played Morgan Walker. Clint Howard played Dr. Koplenson. Danny Trejo played Ismael Cruz. Sybil Danning played Nurse Wynn.

Lew Temple played Noel Kluggs. Tom Towles played Larry Redgrave. Bill Moseley played Zach "Z-Man" Garrett. Daniel Roebuck played Lou Martini.

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Director/screenwriter David Gordon Green and actor/writer Danny McBride are said to be working on "a [2018] continuation of the original Halloween's sequel." (Quote is from the imdb.com site.)

I will post more about this possible film when more information is forthcoming.