Michael Myers through the years
I think we can all appreciate a good scary movie during October, or at least on Halloween. And I’m here to give you all a reason to appreciate one series in particular that should be at the top of your watch list this spooky season.
The “Halloween” series began in 1978, following the murders Michael Myers enacts as he pursues Laurie Strode. This pursuit continues for another 11 films, until “Halloween Ends.” The newest and final film of this popular franchise begs the question — Will Myers finally get Strode or his due justice?
The role of Michael Myers is played by James Jude Courtney in the most recent three films. The other films in the franchise had multiple different actors to play this role, due to the infamous mask never being removed.
Myers’ murdering spree began with his sister and her boyfriend, who he killed on Halloween with a chef’s knife. The knife became his weapon of choice throughout the series.
Myers committed the murder as a child, and spent the following 10 years in a psychiatric ward, until he escaped right before Halloween in 1978.
Upon escaping, Myers met Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. This first film consists of him trying and failing to kill the 17-year-old girl. This failure began his chase for Laurie and those closest to her.
Michael Myers gained the nickname the “Shape” and is also referred to as the “Boogeyman.” Children see the Boogeyman and parents consistently tell them they are just imagining things, before the parents are usually murdered by Michael themselves.
Over the film series, Michael is constantly present, but his pursuit for Laurie is not. At one point in the franchise, Michael kills her. At another point, the films don’t address her existence at all.
The franchise completely ignores the death of Laurie and continues on with the story as if it never happened. Laurie loses multiple friends, family members and members of her community during Michael’s quest for her.
The last three films in the franchise have been made as a cohesive trilogy. The 2018 film “Halloween” shows Laurie as a paranoid survivor, waiting for Michael’s return.
The 2021 film follows Laurie and her family continuing to fight against Michael, only for a shocking ending that leaves her more devastated than ever before.
The new release “Halloween Ends” is the conclusion to the franchise and was overall a strong tribute to the previous films.
The newest film was less of a jump-scare-slasher film in comparison to the original films in the series. It had borderline comedic aspects in the murders, as well as more of a concrete plotline and character development.
“Halloween Ends” used traditional horror movie tropes in an ironic way, causing the viewer to anticipate one thing before delivering another plot twist.
There was a build-up of some scenes that other films in the franchise delivered in the first 15 minutes.
The newest film paid tribute to the first “Halloween” through references like the infamous sewing needle. It showed Laurie’s struggle with the past and the impact that past events had on her present.
Other characters in the film, such as Allyson, returned to the screen and had a large impact on the plot.
“Halloween Ends” is a conclusion to an influential horror franchise and is a must-see. While you can enjoy the film without watching all the films, it is best to watch the first “Halloween” and the previous two films from 2018 and 2021 in order to have context.
“Halloween Ends” is available at the theaters in Providence and Logan, and it is available now for streaming on Peacock.
Get your fright on Aggies and watch Michael Myers’ horror show come to an end once and for all.
-Sara.Prettyman@usu.edu
Featured photo by Bailey Rigby