20 Great Performances Wasted In Terrible Horror Movies

18. Brad Dourif - Rob Zombie's Halloween II

Though you certainly can't call Rob Zombie's two Halloween remakes a pair of blandly safe rehashes, his aggressively vulgar, relentlessly sleazy retelling simply isn't a great fit for the mythology of Michael Myers.

And above all else, wasn't The Shape a far more interesting character without such a lengthy, demystifying backstory? By devoting so much of both films' runtime to chronicling Myers' origins, something was lost rather than gained.

But you sure can't fault Brad Dourif, who true to form gives an absolutely magnificent performance as Sheriff Leigh Brackett. 

Given that Dourif is mostly known for playing unhinged characters in the horror genre, it's refreshing to see him portray a genuinely decent man desperate to keep his daughter Annie (Danielle Harris) safe.

Across the 2007 film and its sequel, Dourif is a picture of haunted dignity, climaxing with his emotional breakdown when he finds Annie slain by Myers. 

Dourif is one of those actors who just can't give less than 100%, and he's one of the few parts of Zombie's Halloween saga that's entirely beyond reproach.