by: AthenaY
Posted on 05.05.10 in All Horror Films > Slasher > Thriller/Suspense
Release Date: 2010

One thing is certain about Judith:  A Halloween Tribute Short Film– the creative voices behind the film are passionate about John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic. This short film is a labor of love by director/producer/cameraman Josh Hasty and writer Kenny Caperton.  Not only is the unique camera style from the original Halloween replicated, but the entire story is filmed in the same home where the classic film took place.  Judith is meant to offer fresh perspective on a very minor, yet important character whose role in the original Halloween was extraordinarily memorable, despite her very minimal screen time. (Warning: minor Halloween spoilers ahead.)

The young lady who is the subject of Judith is the unfortunate sister of everyone’s favorite masked psychopath, Michael Myers. In the original Halloween, her role is rather limited.  She is the victim, the object of the very young Michael Myers’ rage. As creepy music blares in the background, the camera follows Michael’s point of view as he sneaks up on his sibling as she sits, naked, unaware, brushing her hair in preparation for a Halloween party. In the new tribute film, the stylized camera angle remains the same, but the writer and director try to breathe new life into the cliched character, fleshing out her personality a bit and giving her an identity beyond hacked up pretty corpse.

The idea is an excellent one. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out quite as well on screen as it does in theory. Due to the small scale of the film, many of the actors, including Sarah Stephenson who plays the title role, are a far cry from their predecessors.  The acting is at times flat and at others, overly melodramatic. Glimmers of personality occasionally shine through, but not enough to make the viewer really care about Judith as an individual. Judith’s party preparations with her friend D’arcy (Ana Gilmore) add little to her already minimal character. The chance to develop Judith’s character is sadly squandered, lost in their rather mundane conversation about boys and Halloween decorations.

On the positive side, one stylistic departure from the original works well in Judith’s favor.  The background music, both during the credits and throughout the film itself, is excellently edited.  The choice of songs adds an eerie, contemporary feel that fits in well with the over-all atmosphere. Judith’s opening credits do a good job setting up the scene of small-town folks preparing for Halloween celebrations.  The choice of the Beach Boy’s serene, oddly haunting melody “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” lends a strange sense of foreboding to the opening shots of Judith. The meticulous attention to detail in set design not only contributes to the dark tone, but is truly a homage to the original.

If only the detail that went into creating an atmospheric setting carried over to the characters. Since the film is meant to add dimension to some minor characters, it would have been interesting to also get more of a glimpse into Michael’s story. True, this tale is meant to belong to Judith, but plenty of tantalizing hints about Michael’s madness are scattered throughout the script and the set. We see his attic room where he locks himself away, listening to loud music, scribbling dark poetry on the rafters and playing with his pet tarantula. Here, liberties are taken with the Michael Myers mythos. He seems like more of an angry, sullen teenager than a deeply disturbed child when his killing spree begins.

For a film intended to offer viewers a fresh perspective on a well-known story, Judith winds up raising more questions than offering insight about the characters and their motivation. The concept is there, but the execution is lacking. And as any Halloween fan knows, in this genre, execution is everything.

• ★★★★★

  Acting:

• ★★★★★

  Blood:

• ★★★★★

  Violence:

• ★★★★★

  Partying:

• ★★★★★

  Language:

• ★★★★★

  Humor:

• ★★★★★

  Predictable:

• ★★★★★

  Girls:

• ★★★★★

  Gore:

• ★★★★★

  Sexuality:

• ★★★★★

  Torture:

• ★★★★★

  Overall: