Halloween H2O: Twenty Years Later

It was 20 years ago that babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her long-institutionalized, homicidal brother Michael Myers took sibling squabbling to a new level involving cutlery and the creative use of wire hangers in John Carpenter's low-budget smash Halloween. In this better-than-most sequel, Curtis returns to the role that made her famous, playing Laurie as a walking psychological disaster area still traumatized by her run-in with Michael. Blood is spilled (usually the blood of the libidinous), startling musical cues accompany every sudden appearance, and kitchen implements are used contrary to the safety instructions. While it's all just a bit too conventional to be truly thrilling, it's a fitting enough final (?) round for one of screen history's bloodiest family feuds. Moderately recommended. (S. Renshaw)