Halloween (R) Grade: C-

If the horror movies of the 21st century could be described as anything, it would be the era of splat and the remake. While studio execs have been banking on modernized versions of older horror movies, filmmakers like rock star-horror buff Rob Zombie have been treating horror fans to the blood and gore they crave in horror flicks. So, if the two united, Zombie's remake of "Halloween" should have served as the perfect love child (or two-headed monster) of the pairing.\nZombie's "Halloween" begins with a 10-year-old Michael Myers (played wonderfully by Daeg Faerch). Struggling with a turbulent home and school life, young Michael shows signs of being an extremely disturbed individual; a social outcast who prefers to constantly wear a clown mask to hide his ugliness. All the bad signs come to a head when Michael begins reacting to his antagonists. After his sister Judith abandons his trick-or-treating plans on Halloween, a brutal massacre ensues, and Michael is sent to a mental institution under the supervision of Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell).\nFifteen years later, a grown Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) has become silent to the outside world. Always masked, Michael spends his time working on his vast compilation of homemade masks. He also learns that Dr. Loomis will no longer meet with him, and that Michael is soon to be transferred from his current mental institution. At this point, the plot weaves into the original story line of "Halloween," as Michael searches for his baby sister Laurie (Scout Taylor-Compton), whom he had a soft spot for as a child. \nOn the surface, "reimagining" "Halloween" was a good idea by Zombie. He had the credibility, and the approval of John Carpenter, to explore the 1978 classic. But the movie falls short at times when Zombie opts to shock the audience. The original succeeded on little gore, and while gore is one of Zombie's strong points, holding back in a few scenes could have helped the impact of the overall story. The domineering Michael was very menacing and intimidating, but his violent and powerful strength along with his grunting made him reminiscent of a comical Hulk-type figure at times. \nUnfortunately, Zombie's "Halloween" faced the uphill battle of remaking a classic, as well as living up to the expectations of what Rob Zombie could do with "Halloween." And while the movie had several strong aspects like adding depth to Michael Myers, it still pales in comparison to its predecessor. Sometimes, Rob, less is more.