John Carpenter’s original Halloween film is the definitive film of the season. Besides the title staking its claim as THE Spooky Season movie, it is an all-time classic in the horror genre. Before you revisit Michael Myers this season, learn more about 1978’s Halloween.
Story
Halloween is one of the best and most influential horror movies ever created. The story centers on a young boy, Michael Myers, killing his teenage sister on Halloween night. Myers then spends the rest of his life in an insane asylum, until he escapes. He then returns to his hometown to terrorize a new group of teenage girls during Halloween.
Influential
The simplicity of the story for Halloween is part of its genius. John Carpenter wrote and directed the film. He would inspire a series of copycat projects. The idea of a supernatural killer, stalking a young woman primarily, would create an industry of “slasher” movies.
The look of Michael Myers, with the mask and knife, is now iconic. You will see the Myers mask everywhere during the Halloween season.
Final Girl
The Final Girl is an important part of horror films. The Final Girl is often the hero of the story, and the name represents the one girl who survives and often defeats the slasher. Jaime Lee Curtis and her role as Laurie Strode in Halloween is often credited with creating this story trope. Jaime Lee Curtis was so successful as the “Final Girl” she would play that role in copycat films during the era.
Franchise
The Halloween franchise has been running nonstop since the OG film debuted in 1978. There have been 13 films total in the franchise.
The quality of the films varies. Most titles that do not feature Curtis are usually of lower quality. A few of the Curtis’s entries, especially Halloween: Resurrection, are also not well received. The long life of the franchise shows that people never get tired of Michael Myers.
Legacy
Michael Myers is one of the all-time great movie monsters. He is in the same league as Freddy Krueger and Jason. Myers actually came first, and there probably would not be
a slasher genre of film without him. Michael Myers and the Halloween franchise still has a lot of life left in it.
- Adam C. Better
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