I get where you're coming from, and I think you might enjoy it on a second viewing if you let go of what you want to have seen in the movie. I enjoyed it my first viewing, but I came to like it more with subsequent viewings once I embraced it for what it is.
I don't think they missed the '78 mark to the extent of Rob Zombie's series or H2-8, they just took a really heavy focus on Laurie and her family.
The most lacking element of '78 I found is the predatory, slow pacing attack of Michael. There weren't a lot of stalking shots, he just went on a slaughter, with no target, which is in line with the force of nature, inhuman origin from '78, but it would have been cool. They could have had a clearer shot of Michael stalking Vikki to add some of that. They did have a good stalking sequence with the vampire kid who was impaled on the fence.
Really though, the events of the film took place in a number of locations and went fast and it didn't lend itself to capturing certain traits of Michael.
That said, he's free now, the next film doesn't have to work on a new escape from him or anything, we can get predatory Michael.
