Michael Myers of the "Halloween" franchise is the go-to example for a faceless slasher villain. In director John Carpenter's original 1978 picture, actor Nick Castle is credited not as playing "Michael Myers" but as "The Shape" — Michael is an extension of the shadows, stretching out to kill on pure instinct before receding back into the darkness where he belongs.
In that original "Halloween," five people are murdered by the Shape:
Michael's older sister Judith (Sandy Johnson) in the movie's opening flashback.
The offscreen Christopher Hastings, who Michael kills to steal clothes after he escapes the sanitarium.
Teenager babysitter Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes), who has her throat garrotted and cut.
Bob Simms (John Michael Graham), who is dressed as a ghost for the holiday.
Lynda Van Der Klok (P.J. Soles), Bob's girlfriend who Michael ambushes by wearing his ghost costume.
Michael is a dispassionate killer; he slices Annie's neck with a quick strike,...
In that original "Halloween," five people are murdered by the Shape:
Michael's older sister Judith (Sandy Johnson) in the movie's opening flashback.
The offscreen Christopher Hastings, who Michael kills to steal clothes after he escapes the sanitarium.
Teenager babysitter Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes), who has her throat garrotted and cut.
Bob Simms (John Michael Graham), who is dressed as a ghost for the holiday.
Lynda Van Der Klok (P.J. Soles), Bob's girlfriend who Michael ambushes by wearing his ghost costume.
Michael is a dispassionate killer; he slices Annie's neck with a quick strike,...
- 6/2/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
If you are an avid fan of WWE then you must be aware of the various gimmicks the many wrestlers have had over the years. Wrestlers often turn to popular characters from fantasy to film to seek inspiration for their acts, so that fans can find their gimmicks appealing and battle the high competition.
Glenn Jacobs as Kane (Image via WWE)
This could not have been more true for one WWE Hall of Famer, Glenn Jacobs, whose character Kane was inspired by Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise. Although Jacobs carried the name to fame, it was Jim Cornette who was the mastermind behind the character.
Michael Myers Inspired One of the Most Evil Gimmicks in WWE
Michael Myers (aka The Shape) in Halloween Ends Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Universal Pictures.
There have been countless horror movies and many villains throughout the history of cinema, yet Nick Castle‘s portrayal...
Glenn Jacobs as Kane (Image via WWE)
This could not have been more true for one WWE Hall of Famer, Glenn Jacobs, whose character Kane was inspired by Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise. Although Jacobs carried the name to fame, it was Jim Cornette who was the mastermind behind the character.
Michael Myers Inspired One of the Most Evil Gimmicks in WWE
Michael Myers (aka The Shape) in Halloween Ends Photo Credit: Ryan Green/Universal Pictures.
There have been countless horror movies and many villains throughout the history of cinema, yet Nick Castle‘s portrayal...
- 3/22/2024
- by Maria Sultan
- FandomWire
The Shape is back! Well, of course he is. He can't be killed, after all, and the "Halloween" franchise must go on to ensure that Michael Myers will still be terrorizing the fine folks in Haddonfield for generations to come. "Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers" continued the trend established in "Halloween 4" and "Halloween 5" of weirdly copying the sequel titles of the "Pink Panther" movies starring Peter Sellers. There was "The Return," then "The Revenge" and now it was time to dive a little deeper into "Halloween" lore, for better or worse.
Honestly, it was something of a miracle that "Halloween 6" even got made at all. After becoming the first in the series to actually premiere on Friday the 13th, "Halloween 5" was the lowest grossing movie of the franchise when it opened in October of 1989. After the development for "Halloween 6" stalled multiple times due to legal issues,...
Honestly, it was something of a miracle that "Halloween 6" even got made at all. After becoming the first in the series to actually premiere on Friday the 13th, "Halloween 5" was the lowest grossing movie of the franchise when it opened in October of 1989. After the development for "Halloween 6" stalled multiple times due to legal issues,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
"Halloween Kills" might be one of the weaker installments in the long-running "Halloween" franchise, but one of its stars is anything but. The new book "Halloween: The Official Making of Halloween, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends" includes a whole bunch of great behind-the-scenes stories about the new trilogy's production, including one about "Halloween Kills" actor Kyle Richards. Richards, a former child actress who is perhaps now best known as a castmate on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," played Michael Myers survivor Lindsey in the recent David Gordon Green movie (a role she originated in the 1978 classic), and apparently went above and beyond when it came to the film's stunt scenes.
In one scene, according to Abbie Bernstein's book, Richards was tasked with smacking the seemingly invincible killer known as The Shape with a sack of foam meant to be a stand-in for a bag of bricks. The foam...
In one scene, according to Abbie Bernstein's book, Richards was tasked with smacking the seemingly invincible killer known as The Shape with a sack of foam meant to be a stand-in for a bag of bricks. The foam...
- 11/24/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
In David Gordon Green's "Halloween Kills," it's revealed that Michael Myers is responsible for the trauma of an entire town, not just a few victims. The survivors of Myers' 1978 rampage and the citizens of Haddonfield, Il in general are shown to still be dealing with the aftershocks of The Shape's evil, a condition that has lain dormant for 40 years until his reemergence in 2018. Myers' new reign of terror causes a mounting mass hysteria within Haddonfield, resulting in violent and erratic behavior from a mob previously made up of good people that can only be described as self-destructive.
The leader of that mob, Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall), has been particularly traumatized ever since he and Lindsay Wallace (Kyle Richards) were saved by their babysitter, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), on that fateful night in '78. So it's no surprise that in an earlier draft of the script for "Kills,...
The leader of that mob, Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall), has been particularly traumatized ever since he and Lindsay Wallace (Kyle Richards) were saved by their babysitter, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), on that fateful night in '78. So it's no surprise that in an earlier draft of the script for "Kills,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
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Spoilers for "Halloween Ends" follow.
The "Halloween Ends" defender has logged on. I know a lot of people hold David Gordon Green's trilogy conclusion in low-regard, but I firmly believe it's one of the most interesting "Halloween" sequels ever made. Green and company take some mighty big swings, telling a story not so much about Michael Myers and Laurie Strode as it is about evil as a kind of infectious disease, almost surely a reaction to the Covid-19 era. The story, for those of you who forgot, finds Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) trying to live a normal life following the return of Michael Myers and the death of her daughter Karen (Judy Greer). As for old Mikey, aka The Shape, he's retreated underground, still healing from wounds inflicted upon him by an angry mob of Haddonfieldians.
In the midst...
Spoilers for "Halloween Ends" follow.
The "Halloween Ends" defender has logged on. I know a lot of people hold David Gordon Green's trilogy conclusion in low-regard, but I firmly believe it's one of the most interesting "Halloween" sequels ever made. Green and company take some mighty big swings, telling a story not so much about Michael Myers and Laurie Strode as it is about evil as a kind of infectious disease, almost surely a reaction to the Covid-19 era. The story, for those of you who forgot, finds Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) trying to live a normal life following the return of Michael Myers and the death of her daughter Karen (Judy Greer). As for old Mikey, aka The Shape, he's retreated underground, still healing from wounds inflicted upon him by an angry mob of Haddonfieldians.
In the midst...
- 10/31/2023
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Perhaps the most intensely discussed horror reboot of the 21st century is David Gordon Green's "Halloween." With a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 72% audience score, it seems like most of the intended crowd for the slasher legacyquel walked away satisfied, so Universal Pictures quickly put two more sequels on its calendar. Unfortunately, "Halloween Kills" was a drastic step down, earning only a 39% critics score. Sure, the audience score only dropped a bit to 66%, but when you're dedicated to the franchise, you're bound to be fairly pleased with whatever you get. "Halloween Ends" didn't fare much better, with just a 40% from critics, and a steeper drop to 57% from fans, officially taking it into rotten territory on both counts.
It's that last movie that has sparked some debate among longtime "Halloween" fans, with some appreciating the bold new direction that Green takes the franchise by making new character Corey Cunningham...
It's that last movie that has sparked some debate among longtime "Halloween" fans, with some appreciating the bold new direction that Green takes the franchise by making new character Corey Cunningham...
- 10/31/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Look out! Michael Myers is back — for revenge. Sort of. While "Halloween 5" is officially subtitled "The Revenge of Michael Myers," that subtitle never actually appears in the opening credits. Maybe they forgot. In any case, The Shape is back yet again, despite being shot approximately a billion times and dropped down into a mineshaft at the end of "Halloween 4." But you just can't keep this guy down for long (unless you're making a sequel about masks that turn kids' heads into bugs or something like that).
In "Halloween 5," The Shape spends a full year sleeping, only to then wake up, refreshed and ready to go after his niece Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) once again. Meanwhile, his old nemesis Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) has gone off the deep end, and he's willing to act like a crazy person if it means finally killing Michael once and for all.
In "Halloween 5," The Shape spends a full year sleeping, only to then wake up, refreshed and ready to go after his niece Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) once again. Meanwhile, his old nemesis Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) has gone off the deep end, and he's willing to act like a crazy person if it means finally killing Michael once and for all.
- 10/28/2023
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
When I saw John Carpenter perform at NYC's Terminal 5 in November of 2017, he introduced his band's version of the "Halloween" theme with a curiously cryptic message. Before dropping the theme's iconic piano-led 5/4 beat, Carpenter simply said to the sold-out crowd: "Remember ... love never dies."
The application of that phrase to "Halloween" holds just as much ambiguity and eerie mystery as Carpenter's immortal 1978 classic does. Throughout that film, Carpenter and his co-writer and producer, Debra Hill, introduce numerous subtexts when it comes to the unknowable origin, motivations, and inner thoughts of "The Shape" aka Michael Myers; not only are there hints toward some psychosexual hang-ups he may have, but the character is deliberately played by multiple actors.
About 10 years prior to that concert, Dimension Films released writer and director Rob Zombie's remake of Carpenter's film, "Halloween." It was met with an almost overwhelming amount of revulsion, as seen in its...
The application of that phrase to "Halloween" holds just as much ambiguity and eerie mystery as Carpenter's immortal 1978 classic does. Throughout that film, Carpenter and his co-writer and producer, Debra Hill, introduce numerous subtexts when it comes to the unknowable origin, motivations, and inner thoughts of "The Shape" aka Michael Myers; not only are there hints toward some psychosexual hang-ups he may have, but the character is deliberately played by multiple actors.
About 10 years prior to that concert, Dimension Films released writer and director Rob Zombie's remake of Carpenter's film, "Halloween." It was met with an almost overwhelming amount of revulsion, as seen in its...
- 10/24/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
In John Carpenter's 1978 film "Halloween," the masked killer Michael Myers was played by multiple actors. For the bulk of his scenes, Michael — called "The Shape" — was played by Nick Castle, a film school friend of Carpenter's and a director in his own right. Castle also directed "The Last Starfighter" and "The Boy Who Could Fly." As a small boy, Michael Myers was played, in one scene, by an actor named Will Sandin in his first and last role on screen. In Pov shots, the hands of young Michael were provided by co-writer and producer Debra Hill, while the unmasked Michael — who appears only briefly at the very end of the movie — was played by Tony Moran.
Castle had the lion's share of screen time, however, and is generally thought of as the "official" Michael Myers by "Halloween" fans the world over. Castle would reprise the role for David Gordon Green...
Castle had the lion's share of screen time, however, and is generally thought of as the "official" Michael Myers by "Halloween" fans the world over. Castle would reprise the role for David Gordon Green...
- 10/21/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
For a few years now, Archie Comics has had its finger on the pulse of horror fandom. From titles such as Afterlife with Archie to The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, horror fans everywhere have discovered the more terrifying side of Riverdale and its inhabitants.
In a surprise announcement that Bloody Disgusting is proud to exclusively reveal, Archie Horror is making its horror convention debut with H45: 45 Years of Terror, a convention celebrating the 45th anniversary of John Carpenter’s Halloween, happening from September 29th to October 1st at the Pasadena Convention Center.
In addition to their presence, Archie Comics will also be bringing two crossover collaboration prints by artist Matt Talbot! The prints depict Halloween’s Michael Myers crossing paths with beloved Archie characters such as Sabrina Spellman, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and everyone’s favorite black cat Salem. These prints will only be available at H45 so fans...
In a surprise announcement that Bloody Disgusting is proud to exclusively reveal, Archie Horror is making its horror convention debut with H45: 45 Years of Terror, a convention celebrating the 45th anniversary of John Carpenter’s Halloween, happening from September 29th to October 1st at the Pasadena Convention Center.
In addition to their presence, Archie Comics will also be bringing two crossover collaboration prints by artist Matt Talbot! The prints depict Halloween’s Michael Myers crossing paths with beloved Archie characters such as Sabrina Spellman, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and everyone’s favorite black cat Salem. These prints will only be available at H45 so fans...
- 9/12/2023
- by Reyna Cervantes
- bloody-disgusting.com
The episode of Revisited covering Disturbia was Written, Narrated, and Edited by Kier Gomes, Produced by Tyler Nichols and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
The suburbs can be a scary place. The quiet and seemingly peaceful neighborhoods can sometimes be the living place of the very worst of secrets. You’re neighbors all seem to keep to themselves but the lonely old man across the street may just be hiding something sinister only a few feet away from where he waters his lawn. After all, the scariest of things are often found in the least likely of places, which is partially what makes them scary in the first place. And in the case of 2007’s Disturbia (watch it Here), nothing will send you into a deeper spiral of fear and paranoia than being trapped in close proximity to the neighborhood boogeyman- and what’s worse is… nobody believes you.
The suburbs can be a scary place. The quiet and seemingly peaceful neighborhoods can sometimes be the living place of the very worst of secrets. You’re neighbors all seem to keep to themselves but the lonely old man across the street may just be hiding something sinister only a few feet away from where he waters his lawn. After all, the scariest of things are often found in the least likely of places, which is partially what makes them scary in the first place. And in the case of 2007’s Disturbia (watch it Here), nothing will send you into a deeper spiral of fear and paranoia than being trapped in close proximity to the neighborhood boogeyman- and what’s worse is… nobody believes you.
- 9/5/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Halloween H20 episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written by Eric Walkuski, Narrated and Edited by Tyler Nichols, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
As we all know, the first half of the 90s could often be a scary time for the horror genre. Of course, there were more than a few stand-outs, but for the most part the slasher overload of the 80s had made the general audience rather weary of the genre – it was left to the hardcore fanatics to seek out the real gems. Even horror’s superstars weren’t pulling in the public anymore, some of them seriously slumming it in movies that were practically made to be sent direct-to-video.
The unkillable Michael Myers was not immune to this phenomena. In 1995, after hibernating for six years, The Shape made a not so triumphant return to...
As we all know, the first half of the 90s could often be a scary time for the horror genre. Of course, there were more than a few stand-outs, but for the most part the slasher overload of the 80s had made the general audience rather weary of the genre – it was left to the hardcore fanatics to seek out the real gems. Even horror’s superstars weren’t pulling in the public anymore, some of them seriously slumming it in movies that were practically made to be sent direct-to-video.
The unkillable Michael Myers was not immune to this phenomena. In 1995, after hibernating for six years, The Shape made a not so triumphant return to...
- 8/11/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Halloween (2018) episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written and Narrated by Jason Hewlett, Edited by Jaime Vasquez, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
When it comes to horror franchises the Halloween series is a bit like Chewbacca; it doesn’t make a lot of sense narratively unless you really understand what is going on. That’s right, you just heard a Star Wars reference in a video about a Halloween movie. Just roll with it… Technically the Halloween films are four different stories and one one-off tale told over the course of thirteen films, if my math is right away. Only one of these narrative shifts seems to have been done for creative reasons while the rest were undertaken in an effort to continue the series and make more money from the Halloween brand. If this sounds cynical to you,...
When it comes to horror franchises the Halloween series is a bit like Chewbacca; it doesn’t make a lot of sense narratively unless you really understand what is going on. That’s right, you just heard a Star Wars reference in a video about a Halloween movie. Just roll with it… Technically the Halloween films are four different stories and one one-off tale told over the course of thirteen films, if my math is right away. Only one of these narrative shifts seems to have been done for creative reasons while the rest were undertaken in an effort to continue the series and make more money from the Halloween brand. If this sounds cynical to you,...
- 7/21/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
In early 2022, a reoccurring, annoying discourse was circulating Horror Twitter: “There are no original horror icons anymore.” In particular, these people were discussing slashers, and how bored they were of the just-about-to-be-released Scream and Ghostface, as well as Michael Myers, off the heels of Halloween Kills, released a few months prior. Fast forward to just over a year later, and this writer is hoping those Tweeters have since eaten their words.
According to the elementary description for slasher movies spoken by Samara Weaving’s doomed Film Studies-teaching character in Scream VI, slashers are indicative of the era in which they are made, which is also true of any horror subgenre, to be fair. The Golden Age of Slashers of the ’80s are a product of its Reagan-era conservative values to which they either mocked or preached. The jaded, postmodern slashers of the late ’90s knew they needed a bit...
According to the elementary description for slasher movies spoken by Samara Weaving’s doomed Film Studies-teaching character in Scream VI, slashers are indicative of the era in which they are made, which is also true of any horror subgenre, to be fair. The Golden Age of Slashers of the ’80s are a product of its Reagan-era conservative values to which they either mocked or preached. The jaded, postmodern slashers of the late ’90s knew they needed a bit...
- 4/28/2023
- by Julieann Stipidis
- bloody-disgusting.com
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