The Haddonfield Nightmare

This is a good fan film. Very optimistic about all Halloween fan films but this one is particularly different. The performances are professional, cinematography is clean and you can hear what people are saying which is a first. Well done to all around.

The story is very simple, and can feel a little thin at times; purely based on that the film may deserve closer to a 2-2.5. But, this is a fan film, so i'm naturally going to be a little softer, and... honestly... i was really blown away by how well directed i thought this was. I'm being serious. There were story things i really liked- john being in education like laurie was is a sweet detail, and it's nice that they don't draw overt attention to that, they trust the audience. But the technical is what stands out-

all the technical aspects are really, really, really, really well done. There's one scene that could've used ADR, but the audio is otherwise VERY clear, and the visuals feel professional. I have to imagine they used primarily found lighting, but unintentional found lighting can easily look so bad and this doesn't! I really LIKED the lighting! And the cinematography is well thought out; there's never a missing establishing shot, or reaction. Everything flows exactly like it should- which is a given in studio fair, but absolutely not in amateur works. It's genuinely very very impressive. And they do a really good job working within their limits without making it clear that that's what they're doing. The way all the kills are shot and choreographed never looks fake, and also never looks like they're trying too hide anything. They find a really strong balance!

Sure it's not a big-budget blockbuster. Nor is it even a low-budget B-movie. It's a fan-funded, fan-made follow-up to Halloween H20 and it's fairly enjoyable! Plenty of nods to the films that came before it, yet totally unique and entertaining. Add it into your annual 'Halloween' movie marathon!