At the risk of objections from the cult fans of the original, I'm going to say Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is even better than John Carpenter's 1978 horror film that started it all. Although the technical aspects of the film still don't match up, it is more skillful with its storytelling. This movie has more of a story to it, more vigor, and, believe it or not, characters who act rationally in crises (well, for the most part -- but when they don't, it's in character, not a flaw in the screenplay).

The story picks up ten years after the second film. (The third had nothing to do with any of the others.) It seems Michael Myers survived after all, and he escapes while being transported in an ambulance. After a gruesome initial scene, Halloween 4 appropriately relies more on suspense than gore to chill its audience. This is an exciting ride -- and don't let anyone ruin the final scene for you.

Also noteworthy is that this is the first film in the series in which John Carpenter's famous Halloween theme music was arranged in a way that wasn't irritating -- it's nice to appreciate it for a change.