No tags yet.
The ripping off of American films by foreign producers is a long and storied tradition. From Lady Terminator (Indonesia) to Turkish Star Wars (uh, Turkey) to Time of the Apes (Japan) to The Pod People (France/Spain) to Zombi 2 (Italy), the cashing in on American blockbusters has been a significant part of foreign film distribution for decades. And if one is able to get past the ethical qualms of such flagrant plagiarism, quite a number of these rip-offs are bonkers and entertaining enough to completely transcend their base material, creating a singular experience in of themselves. The Resurrection of Michael Myers Part 2 is one of these films.
Seriously, this Swedish short film from 1989 reminds me of that Onion article, “Humanity Still Producing New Art As Though Megadeth’s ‘Rust In Peace’ Doesn’t Already Exist.” Cinema clearly reached the end of the line in Stockholm in 1989, and the rest of us just didn’t get the memo. The fact that new films keep being made is the cruelest kind of masturbatory exercise.
This postmodern opus begins with a man suffering some kind of seizure while sitting in a movie theater. He is rushed via ambulance to the hospital, where we see the fruits of socialized medicine in action: a drunken Halloween office party rages, as doctors snort coke off boobs and bone in examination rooms. When a Michael Myers mask is listlessly tossed on the ground, it takes on a life of its own and crawls to a different room, where out from behind the door pops a fully formed Michael Myers! Start chalking up that body count, son!
But based on the title alone, I’m sure you have some questions, so please see the frequently asked questions below:
“Wait, did I miss The Resurrection of Michael Myers Part 1?”
I haven’t got a clue. But someone in the film is seen carrying a stack of The Resurrection of Michael Myers VHS tapes, a blatant self-referential move that beats Scream by about seven years. See what I meant before about the death of cinema? This film cheapens all future cinema by simple virtue of existing.
“So this is from the same country that gave us August Strindberg’s modernist literary masterpiece, The Red Room and the paintings of Bengt Nordenberg?”
Yes, but what the hell are you doing reading my blog?
“A bonkers, completely unlicensed, Swedish Halloween knockoff? What more could I ask for?”
Well, for one thing, seven minutes into the film, Jason Voorhees and Leatherface show up and join in on the fun. Not to mention, there’s also a zombie that does kung fu.
“Is it in English?”
No, and the VHS rip on YouTube doesn’t even have subtitles. But don’t let that deter you. You’ll have no trouble following the story. Plus, the zombie speaks English. When he encounters two women in a hallway, he yells “bimbos!” before his eyeballs literally pop out of his head.
The Resurrection of Michael Myers Part 2 is a perfect Halloween treat. I purposefully kept this review short, fearing I'd spoil this unique, singular experience. There’s a what-the-absolute-fuck-am-I-watching moment about every twenty seconds. Hence, I wrote this more as a public service announcement, a feral shout to the Universe: "Sir, this film does exist!"
The film also benefits from only being 25 minutes long, so its obnoxious amateurishness never has a chance to outwear its welcome. Therefore, my recommendation is to pop this bad boy in as the opening salvo in your Halloween movie marathon. A tasty teaser, if you will. Your friends will undoubtedly be impressed by your knowledge of Scandinavian cinema.
