HALLOWEEN IV, THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS

US, 1988, 88 minutes, Colour.
Donald Pleasence, Dannielle Harris, Ellie Cornell,
Directed by Dwight H. Little.

Halloween IV is less grisly than its predecessors. It simply reruns the original story, focusing on Jamie Lee Curtis's daughter (Jamie Lee Curtis seen in photos) and her fearless stepsister. Donald Pleasence turns up again as Dr Loomis. It's 10 years on from the original and Michael Myers terrorises the town. All fairly straightforward: some eerie suspense and some gruesome deaths.

1.Enjoyable horror in itself? As part of the series? The familiarity of the plot? Reliance on suspense and effects?

2.The date, the autumn, Illinois locations, the ordinary atmosphere for the horror?

3.Shocks, editing, grisly deaths, action? Atmospheric score?

4.Michael Myers and his story, the release, Dr Hoffmann's scepticism, the ride in the ambulance, the initial deaths, Dr Loomis confronting Dr Hoffmann, discovering the accident, the pursuit of Myers?

5.Michael Myers as evil, the deaths at the service station, in the town, his appearance in Jamie's dreams, his arrival, murders, appearances, the siege of the house, the destruction of the police station, the deaths, the final confrontation, Rachel knocking her over with the truck, the fall into the well - and reappearing in a transformed Jamie?

6.Jamie and the past, her parents, her fear, tension with Rachel, whether to go to trick or treat collection, seeing Michael Myers, in the shop with the costume, going out with Rachel, her fear, Dr Loomis, the chases in the house, in the school, on the roof with Rachel, the ugliness of the ending?

7.Rachel as the ordinary heroine, her parents, love for Brady, nice, helping Jamie, disillusioned with Brady, on the roof, her strength, the truck and running Michael Myers down?

8.The police and their work, Brady and the shop, with Kelly, caught by her father, confronting Myers, their deaths?

9.Dr Loomis and his fears, his past experience, coming to help, with the police, going to the school and setting the alarm, the ending?

10.The effect of this kind of nightmare on audiences, fears, what if...? And the heroics against powers of evil?