This year’s Fantastic Fest in Austin opened in a BIG way with the premiere of the new HALLOWEEN. David Gordon Green (PINEAPPLE EXPRESS) directs this new sequel, complete with the blessing and new musical score from John Carpenter, and it (perhaps smartly) ignores all of the sequels to the 1978 original, meaning this is meant to be taken as the first “real” follow-up to the original story. Set 40 years later, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is now a broken woman, living in the fear of Michael Myers one day coming back and finishing what he started. She now has an adult daughter, and a granddaughter, both of which she’s told repeatedly to be prepared for that fateful day when Michael returns. She’s also trained and become a bit of killing machine, stockpiling weapons and doing target practice daily. Myers sits in a high security prison, observed by a doctor who finds him fascinating. As the Halloween holiday approaches, Laurie’s biggest fear may become a reality, and the terror will start all over again.
Despite one of the busiest red carpets I’ve ever seen, and me arriving just barely in time thanks to traffic, I managed to score some pretty great interviews with a few of the key players on this very exciting film. Check out my chats with Jamie Lee Curtis, and co-writers Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley. Strangely absent? Director David Gordon Green, who if I’m not mistaken LIVES in Austin, but for some reason was not in attendance. But honestly, as much as I love talking to David, I’m not complaining. I got some good content if I do say so myself… hearing the way Jamie Lee Curtis describes the kind of “scary” this needs to be, it’s just glorious. My sincere thanks to Adam and Andrew Conway for shooting this, and to my buddy Grady May for this smooth back and forth edit.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
