Editorials
[Discussion] Do You Want to See Dr. Loomis in Next Year’s ‘Halloween’?
There’s a petition that’s been circulating around the net in the wake of Blumhouse and John Carpenter announcing that a new Halloween film, penned by Danny McBride and David Gordon Green and set to be directed by Gordon Green, is headed our way next October. The petition, to date signed by well over 1,000 fans, was created in an effort to beg Blumhouse to cast Robert Englund in the role of Dr. Loomis.
The reason we haven’t shared the petition, as other sites have, is because it’s incredibly silly for a multitude of reasons. For starters, we have no idea if Dr. Loomis is even going to appear in the new Halloween film (the script hasn’t even been written, and we’ve been provided with very little insight at this time), and besides, as fun as fan casting might sometimes be, going one step further and starting a petition to beg a studio to bring YOUR vision to the screen is, well, it’s idiotic. Besides, didn’t Englund basically already play Dr. Loomis in Behind the Mask, ten years ago?!
Now I can only assume the petition was started in the wake of Danny McBride revealing that next year’s Halloween reboot will continue the story told in the original versions of Halloween and Halloween 2 – the assumption from many fans is that this means the new film will be set in the 1980s, and that Dr. Loomis will once again find himself going toe-to-toe with Michael Myers. Of course, we have no idea if it’ll actually be set in the ’80s or jump forward to the present day, but even if it does take place directly after the events of Halloween 2, wouldn’t it stand to reason that Loomis would have died in that hospital explosion? After all, that was Carpenter’s vision… until Halloween 4 came along.
Which brings me to the question I thought worthy of discussing here today. Do you want to see Dr. Loomis in McBride and Gordon Green’s Halloween? Or is Loomis, at this point, better off dead?
Some fans would argue, perhaps rightfully so, that a Halloween film just isn’t a Halloween film without Dr. Loomis – he is, after all, the Ahab to Michael’s Moby Dick – but personally speaking, my number one hope from the new Halloween movie is that it provides a fresh new vision for the franchise. I already wrote a lengthy article about why I think we should all be excited that McBride and Gordon Green are the men in charge, but the gist was essentially this: I’m ready for something new and different.
At this point, we’ve seen two actors play Loomis across seven movies, and I’m just not sure there’s anything left to explore in regards to that doctor-patient relationship. Furthermore, if Gordon Green’s Halloween is set right after the other two, it’d be incredibly jarring to see a new actor trying to be Donald Pleasence; and that’s honestly just not something I have any desire to see.
Robert Englund? He deserves better than playing a character another actor already nailed.
The Halloween franchise no longer needs Dr. Loomis. It doesn’t even need Laurie Strode. It needs only one person, and that person is Michael Myers. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see him interact with new characters. To do things we haven’t already seen him do. I’m ready, simply put, for the Halloween franchise to break free from nostalgia and bring us something fresh.
Sorry, but there’s just nothing fresh about Robert Englund as Dr. Loomis.
Again, we’ve already seen it…
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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