August 28 is not only the last Friday of August and the final movie-watching weekend of the summer, but it's also the arena for one of the most cutthroat theatrical release battles of the year. For some wacky reason, Warner Bros. and Dimension Films decided to release their high-profile, R-rated horror sequels on the big screen ... at the same time. This is almost unheard of in the horror community, where we're lucky to get two horror films released in the same summer, let alone two on the same day. This provides a tough dilemma for horror fans and movie goers alike: Which flick should you see this weekend? Let's look at the pros and cons of each.

Halloween 2
Pros: Directed by Rob Zombie, Halloween 2 is the original sequel to Zombie's 2007 Halloween remake, which means this version will be 100% Zombie and 100% unique to the franchise. Michael Myers appears to be grittier, scarier, and just plain meaner than we've ever seen him before, and Zombie himself has claimed the body count is higher than any of his other films -- combined. From the trailers and clips floating around online, Halloween 2 looks like one of the most hardcore horror movies of the year, and for the hardcore horror fan, what more could you ask for?
Cons: While some consider Zombie a fantastic filmmaker, others find he's a bit overrated. His love for creepy rednecks is tiresome and out of place in the Halloween series. The rumor is that Zombie filmed a few different endings to throw people off and limit the amount of spoilers leaked online. That could be true, or it could be he needed a few endings for Dimension to choose from, which could potentially make or break the film. The theatrical version of Zombie's Halloween ended much differently than the Director's Cut on DVD, and not for the better. If Dimension takes control of Zombie's vision, the results could be disastrous.

The Final Destination
Pros: The fourth (and final?) film of the Final Destination series is taking its love for imaginative death sequences one step further by presenting the film in 3-D. Every death by escalator, car wash, and NASCAR accident will be showering the audience with blood, and for those who enjoyed My Bloody Valentine 3D, that should be music to your ears. Directed by Final Destination 2's David R. Ellis, The Final Destination doesn't appear to take itself too seriously, but rather relishes in the guilty pleasure of killing off teenagers in imaginative and fun ways. If anything, it will simultaneously provide popcorn fun and horrific death sequences that should entertain horror and non-horror fans alike. Oh, and did I mention it's in 3-D???
Cons: The Final Destination series isn't known for its quality, especially Final Destination 3, and unlike the previous films, this entry doesn't feature a single "big" name to draw people in. With three other films in the series, it begs a few questions: Do we really need another Final Destination movie? Will the death sequences be different or just rehashes of what we've already seen? How many times can a group of teens cheat death and still have it feel new, fun, and entertaining?

So does the gritty, blood-filled return of Rob Zombie's Michael Myers get your hard-earned cash, or will it go to the lighter-toned sequel to the cool death sequence franchise pushing the gimmicky 3-D? Tough call. For me, I'm going with The Final Destination. While Halloween 2 promises to deliver, it doesn't sound like the kind of popcorn fun I look forward to in a summer movie. The Final Destination's lighter tone, high body count, sweet set-up, and use of 3-D sounds like the perfect theatrical experience that simply can't be passed up. I don't know if it will be the better of the two movies, but it will provide the most fun. And in the last weekend of summer, a little fun is all I'm looking for. But don't worry, Halloween 2, I plan on catching you in the theater too. It will just have to wait until next weekend.

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