by Max Bosshart
35 years ago on October 25, 1978 the film Halloween came out. John Carpenter capitalized on a growing trend entering the horror scene. Though he wasn't the first to take on a film such as this, some had come before, he arguably did it the best. The film inspired a generation of filmmakers and movie audiences who carry on the tradition.
35 years ago on October 25, 1978 the film Halloween came out. John Carpenter capitalized on a growing trend entering the horror scene. Though he wasn't the first to take on a film such as this, some had come before, he arguably did it the best. The film inspired a generation of filmmakers and movie audiences who carry on the tradition.
As time passed ten movies came to fill the Halloween franchise, each representing the state of horror cinema through the eyes of the crazed madman, Michael Myers. Michael has become an iconic symbol of horror cinema, a member of the big three, alongside Jason and Freddy. He spans nine films, yes there are 10 Halloween films, we'll get to that, and has been portrayed by 6 actors as an adult and 4 actors as a child.
The series opens up with 1978's Halloween, written and directed by John Carpenter. The film opens up with six year old Michael Myers murdering his older sister. In present day, or to us 1978, Michael has spent the last 15 years of his life in a mental institute under the care of Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance). Escaping the night before Halloween, he looks to finish off his family, targeting his younger sister, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).
The series opens up with 1978's Halloween, written and directed by John Carpenter. The film opens up with six year old Michael Myers murdering his older sister. In present day, or to us 1978, Michael has spent the last 15 years of his life in a mental institute under the care of Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance). Escaping the night before Halloween, he looks to finish off his family, targeting his younger sister, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).
In the sequel, directed by Rick Rosenthal and written by John Carpenter, we return right where the first left off. Michael is thought to be dead and Laurie is taken to the hospital. Unfortunately for the characters, yet fortunately for the audience, Michael is alive and well. He attacks the hospital that Laurie has been taken to, looking to finish the job he started in the first movie.
In the third instalment, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, we find no sign of Michael Myers. It is the only film in the series that has nothing to do with the franchise. It is also the last of the films to have John Carpenter attached, as producer. Written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, the film film tells the story of a Halloween mask making company utilizing the magic of Stonehenge to bring chaos and demonic forces back into the world.
In the third instalment, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, we find no sign of Michael Myers. It is the only film in the series that has nothing to do with the franchise. It is also the last of the films to have John Carpenter attached, as producer. Written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, the film film tells the story of a Halloween mask making company utilizing the magic of Stonehenge to bring chaos and demonic forces back into the world.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, directed by Dwight H. Little and written by Alan B. McElroy, does exactly what the title says, it returns Michael Myers to the franchise. It introduces us to a new member of the Myers family in Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), the daughter of Laurie Strode. Jamie finds herself in foster care after Laurie dies in a car accident. Michael returns to kill Jamie.
Jamie and Michael's fight continues into Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, written and directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard. Jamie is now in a children's home after murdering her mother at the end of the previous film. She has gained a sort of psychic connection with Michael. Again, Michael returns to finish the job he started in the previous film and kill Jamie.
Jamie and Michael's fight continues into Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, written and directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard. Jamie is now in a children's home after murdering her mother at the end of the previous film. She has gained a sort of psychic connection with Michael. Again, Michael returns to finish the job he started in the previous film and kill Jamie.
Jamie Lloyd's story finds a conclusion in the sixth movie. Halloween: Curse of Michael Myers, directed by Joe Chappelle and written by Daniel Farrands. Being thought both dead, Michael and Jamie are in the hands of a cult. Jamie gives birth to a child and escapes the clutches of the cult, hiding the baby before finally being killed by Michael. Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd) makes a return to the franchise, finding the baby and enlisting the help of Dr. Loomis, as Michael and the cult both come stalking, looking to take out the newborn child.
Halloween H20, directed by Steve Miller and written by Robert Zappia and Matt Greenberg, celebrates the 20th anniversary of of the franchise, bringing back the original target Laurie Strode. Laurie has faked her own death and changed her name to hide from Michael. She has a child and works at a posh private school and continues to live in fear, to which those closest to her feel is unfounded. Michael returns, terrorizing Laurie, her family, and friends.
The final film in the original series is Halloween: Resurrection, directed by Rick Rosenthal and written by Larry Brand and Sean Hood. Laurie Strode's story concludes in the film about six college students who spend the night at the Myer's family home for an internet reality show. During the night Michael comes home.
Halloween H20, directed by Steve Miller and written by Robert Zappia and Matt Greenberg, celebrates the 20th anniversary of of the franchise, bringing back the original target Laurie Strode. Laurie has faked her own death and changed her name to hide from Michael. She has a child and works at a posh private school and continues to live in fear, to which those closest to her feel is unfounded. Michael returns, terrorizing Laurie, her family, and friends.
The final film in the original series is Halloween: Resurrection, directed by Rick Rosenthal and written by Larry Brand and Sean Hood. Laurie Strode's story concludes in the film about six college students who spend the night at the Myer's family home for an internet reality show. During the night Michael comes home.
Rob Zombie's reboot of the series, Halloween retells the story of Laurie Strode(Scout Taylor-Compton,) Dr. Loomis(Malcolm McDowell,) and Michael Myers. The movie brings more exposition to the story of Michael Myers, but basically retells the original. The movie also brings back Danielle Harris to the Halloween franchise, playing Amy Brackett.
The sequel to Zombies Halloween, Halloween II is similar in fashion to the original Halloween II, but is not a remake. It has the same premise as it, but isn't as soon after the first movie, and isn't set within the hospital. Both of the films are written and directed by Rob Zombie.
First lets get the third movie out of the way. It is a Halloween movie, even if in name only. The film is easily the worst of the bunch. It comes across as though someone was trying to capitalize on the success of the first two Halloween movies and didn't do a good enough job. It doesn't make sense in the context of the series,. Though, at the time there wasn't a franchise yet and maybe the people had know idea that it would become what it is today.
The sequel to Zombies Halloween, Halloween II is similar in fashion to the original Halloween II, but is not a remake. It has the same premise as it, but isn't as soon after the first movie, and isn't set within the hospital. Both of the films are written and directed by Rob Zombie.
First lets get the third movie out of the way. It is a Halloween movie, even if in name only. The film is easily the worst of the bunch. It comes across as though someone was trying to capitalize on the success of the first two Halloween movies and didn't do a good enough job. It doesn't make sense in the context of the series,. Though, at the time there wasn't a franchise yet and maybe the people had know idea that it would become what it is today.
The original series, minus the third movie, comes across as the story of Michael Myers, but isn't really. The films tell the story of two main characters, that of Laurie Strode and her daughter, Jamie Lloyd. The series is broken up into three distinct segments, they story of Laurie in High School, the story of Jamie, and then the story of adult Laurie. In all reality Michael Myers truly takes a back seat in a series that develops the characters, story, and life surrounding his family.
On the other side of the coin, Rob Zombie gives us the remake and its sequel, which takes a much different approach to the story. These two films bring the focus to Michael. Trying desperately to create a more in depth picture of the madman underneath the mask. We spend far more time in his first movie developing the back story of Michael.
It comes across as though Zombie is pushing for a sense of empathy to the character. It isn't unthinkable to create an empathetic villain in a movie, even a horror movie, but with an iconic character that has been built on senseless violence it is but futile.
This turn in the franchise is less on Zombie and more a reflection on the turn in horror cinema. Characters built within a film are no longer meant to be developed, but rather simply be cannon fodder. The audience is presented two dimensional characters whose sole purposes are to be dismembered by a monstrous foe. The blessing of Zombie's films, within the context of modern horror is that, though the characters aren't as developed as Michael, they aren't simply there to just die.
On the other side of the coin, Rob Zombie gives us the remake and its sequel, which takes a much different approach to the story. These two films bring the focus to Michael. Trying desperately to create a more in depth picture of the madman underneath the mask. We spend far more time in his first movie developing the back story of Michael.
It comes across as though Zombie is pushing for a sense of empathy to the character. It isn't unthinkable to create an empathetic villain in a movie, even a horror movie, but with an iconic character that has been built on senseless violence it is but futile.
This turn in the franchise is less on Zombie and more a reflection on the turn in horror cinema. Characters built within a film are no longer meant to be developed, but rather simply be cannon fodder. The audience is presented two dimensional characters whose sole purposes are to be dismembered by a monstrous foe. The blessing of Zombie's films, within the context of modern horror is that, though the characters aren't as developed as Michael, they aren't simply there to just die.
This is the true beauty of the Halloween franchise as a whole, the characters. The franchise presents a wide cast of characters that appear and reappear within the series. It presents people in the series and at times leaves the audience hanging as to what happens, but then comes back to them down the road. It even brings in characters, like Tommy Doyle, who don't necessarily need to be brought back and develops their stories a bit more. Not many franchises do this, characters have become extremely expendable.
Another thing that the franchise does so well is create a dynamic between those that fear and those that don't believe. Its a very old story, that of the bogeyman and whether the bogeyman is real. Humanity itself is full of a sense of fear. Much of that fear undefinable, unseen and unformed. Its a fight between believing in this fear and not believing in it. Halloween, and many other movies similar to it, put a face to this fear and force the audience to face the fear of something we're not quite sure exists.
In the films this is easily represented through the skepticism of so many characters in whether or not Michael is alive or dead. Dr. Loomis is the perfect example of those that fear and the struggle to convince those around him that what he fears is real. Like so many in real life, Loomis is taken as someone struggling with the stress of what has come before, believed to be unfounded in his fear. Though in the series Loomis' fear is vindicated, with extreme results.
Another thing that the franchise does so well is create a dynamic between those that fear and those that don't believe. Its a very old story, that of the bogeyman and whether the bogeyman is real. Humanity itself is full of a sense of fear. Much of that fear undefinable, unseen and unformed. Its a fight between believing in this fear and not believing in it. Halloween, and many other movies similar to it, put a face to this fear and force the audience to face the fear of something we're not quite sure exists.
In the films this is easily represented through the skepticism of so many characters in whether or not Michael is alive or dead. Dr. Loomis is the perfect example of those that fear and the struggle to convince those around him that what he fears is real. Like so many in real life, Loomis is taken as someone struggling with the stress of what has come before, believed to be unfounded in his fear. Though in the series Loomis' fear is vindicated, with extreme results.
The question of the bogeyman in these films, like in many, is who is the bogeyman. There is a reason so many horror films leave the killer a masked person, a representation that the bogeyman is us. Buried deep within each member of the audience is a little bit of Michael Myers, or so the movie will claim. A way of saying that the true horror of humanity is humanity itself.
Halloween is one of those horror movie franchises that balances the fun of a slasher flick with the ability to reflect on life. It harnesses the fears people have and embodies them into Michael and his trademark knife. It creates serious movies, without taking itself too seriously, where others of its ilk have gone down a path of being slapstick.
35 years later we have a horror dynasty in the Halloween franchise. The name Michael Myers, his face, an odd looking Captain Kirk Halloween Mask, and the kitchen knife are all very recognizable today, even to people who haven't seen the series.
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Halloween is one of those horror movie franchises that balances the fun of a slasher flick with the ability to reflect on life. It harnesses the fears people have and embodies them into Michael and his trademark knife. It creates serious movies, without taking itself too seriously, where others of its ilk have gone down a path of being slapstick.
35 years later we have a horror dynasty in the Halloween franchise. The name Michael Myers, his face, an odd looking Captain Kirk Halloween Mask, and the kitchen knife are all very recognizable today, even to people who haven't seen the series.
Follow Mask----I mean Max -- on Twitter!
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