The Spirit of Haddonfield

Unless you were one of the fortunate few who saw the debut of Blumhouse’s Halloween (2018) at the Toronto International Film Festival, one would assume your next foray into Haddonfield would have to wait until October 19, but you’d be wrong.

Rene Rivas’ highly anticipated Halloween fan short film is slated to land at YouTube on October 1, and from pacing to tone to intensity, The Spirit of Haddonfield emanates the aroma of familiarity one would expect from a passion project.

The love and respect, dare I say adoration of John Carpenter and Debra Hill’s original material from 1978 can be felt in each tracking shot, as well as the careful selection of musical cues that, much like Carpenter’s utilization, magnify the events playing out on screen.

With Flagstaff, Arizona as a stand-in for Haddonfield, Illinois, the film introduces and follows Hannah Owens, a high school senior who isn’t distracted by boys or partying, but personal issues that clearly weigh on her from the outset. What’s more, she has distaste for our favorite holiday not only because of the history of her hometown, but the constant specter of Michael Myers, exploited by several residents each October 31 because they find it funny, to Owens’ chagrin.

The homages to Halloween (1978) linger from the beginning in the best of ways, highlighted by a deft portrayal of The Shape by Vincente DiSanti, whom had already made quite an impression on the horror community with his work as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th short Never Hike Alone. From the matter of fact stride to stalk hovering to body language, DiSanti is two-for-two when it comes to emulating iconic slashers, a presence accentuated by Rivas’ almost Lynch-like use of what sounds like a deep, rolling wind that communicates what Halloween fans have long known, evil is everywhere.

With a run time of just over 19 minutes, DiSanti’s Shape wastes little time closing in on his target, a performance that acts as unquestioned nod to Nick Castle’s four decades before—efficient and fluid in movement—and absolutely terrifying.

The Spirit of Haddonfield is intense, lulling you into a false sense of calm before hitting the accelerator and never letting up. At no point does Rivas’ dialogue feel forced, and it is believably delivered by Owens throughout.

In fact, Rivas not only wrote, directed, and produced The Spirt of Haddonfield (along with DiSanti), but also edited, and even acted as Director of Photography. Halloween is a film that is near and dear to Rivas’ heart, a fact made abundantly clear in the care used to fashion what Rivas refers to as a “project of devotion.”

The tone and atmosphere hearken back to Carpenter, but the concept of homage sprinkled with original plot will not be one you’d expect, a storyline that came to Rivas more than a year ago. The short’s jack-of-all-trades wanted to drop his film before Blumhouse raised the curtain on theirs, but takes pains to open and close the movie with a simple message, “This is a fan film, and has no affiliation with the Halloween franchise or rights holders and was made for entertainment purposes only.”

In addition to several delicious (and seamless) twists, just know that Rivas eventually unleashes a shot inspired by the Overlook Hotel, and it is glorious.

A year in the making, The Spirit of Haddonfield was created through association with Left Lane Labs and Womp Stomp Films, and produced by Rene Rivas Productions and Left Lane Labs,  and is just the appetizer Halloween fans need to whet their collective appetite until that next, long-awaited excursion to Haddonfield.

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