Michael_Elliott Myers (Rise of the Boogeyman) (2011) *** (out of 4) The third and final film of Chris R. Notarile's "prequel trilogy" takes place in Haddonfield as Judith Myers is taking her younger brother Michael trick or treating. Along the way Judith runs off with her boyfriend as a mysterious figure begins to stalk Michael. I won't spoil who this figure is or what happens but I must say it's certainly an interesting idea. This "prequel" takes place a few minutes before the legendary opening sequence to John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN and at first I was thinking that this might have been the weakest of the director's trilogy but then the final minutes really pack a nice little punch. I wouldn't say the explanation of Michael killing is sister is perfect but it's certainly a lot better than a bigger budgeted remake came up with. Obviously there are a couple nice touches here including the use of the song Mr. Sandman and of course Carpenter's song gets a nice play (and I'm sure without permission but that's okay with me). At just 6-miutes there's really not too much filler as we're introduced to the characters and then the story takes off. Vincent Depinto does a nice job in the role of Myers, which is another plus. Fans of the series have been treated to many explanations over the years but this short is certainly worth checking out.

John Williams *** This review may contain spoilers *** First I would like to say this review is only short and this is the first ever review iv'e done here on IMDb so sorry if it makes no sense.ANYWAY I think the performances by the actors in this short where very good and believable and also captured the characters personalities well.As Chris stated in a Q & A the creepy thing about the Michael Myers character is how he was normal and then suddenly snapped and the way the character is portrayed in this short keeps to that instead of trying to come up with some rational motive and humanizing the characters madness.The sense of isolation in the scene where a young Michael sees the shape really adds to the horror and quite quickly builds the tension in the movie exactly like a good horror movie should.The part which I think was my favourite was when Michael takes off the shapes mask only to find himself wearing it, I thought it was such a cool scene and it almost seems like a nod to the Luke Skywalker Darth Vader scene on dagobah in the empire strikes back.Kudos to the costume department and location scout on this movie all the costumes and locations looked one hundred percent true to John Carpenters original.As a prequel I loved the idea of having the imaginary shape, I find it was the perfect way to hint at whats to come in the next movie.To be honest when I first heard about this short getting made I was baffled at how Halloween could have a prequel as it already begins with Michael as a child and his first murder.So I would like to praise Chris for his creativity on the script idea.Overall this is a very well made short especially considering the budget! It has good acting, a creative script and it is a prequel that unlike most fan films,doesn't look cheap, feels at home with and doesn't look out of place with the John Carpenter Classic and the Halloween franchise.

Woodyanders 1963. Haddonfield, Illinois. Halloween day. Teenager Judith Myers (a fine and appealing portrayal by Zoe Sloane) goes trick or treating with her younger brother Michael (an excellent performance by Vincent Depinto). Michael has a run-in with a sinister shape (creepily embodied by Kevin Lennon) who beckons him to confront the latent evil existent within himself. Writer/director Chris R. Notarile once again scores a bull's eye with this typically tight, tense, and atmospheric short that's not only expectedly chilling, but also quite sad and tragic. One can clearly tell from the sweet and touching interaction between Judith and Michael that Judith loved and cared about her brother; this in turn makes Michael's subsequent murder of her that much more shocking and heartbreaking. Moreover, Notarile warrants extra praise for not attempting to over-explain the root cause of Michael's psychosis; instead he merely shows that Michael was basically a likable regular kid who one fateful day just suddenly snapped and wisely leaves it at that. Better still, the cinematography and location convincingly evoke the original (the smart retaining of music from John Carpenter, Alan Howarth, and John Ottman further helps with recapturing the moody quality of the first film). Nice use of the golden oldie "Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes, too. And the final image of a drastically changed Michael is truly scary and unsettling. Well worth seeing.