Get trick or treatin' early with this terrifying and gruesome kill list.
Who knew it would be 2018, and we'd still be getting more Michael Myers? The horror icon first splashed across nationwide theaters back in 1978, and he's been pretty damn unstoppable. The bloodthirst for the shapeless figure has (so far) spawned nine sequels, including the Myers-less Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which stars Tom Atkins, and tells an equally-horrifying tale of demonic masks and witchcraft.
In the last 40 years, Myers' path of destruction has resulted in some of the bloodiest and most brutal slayings in any horror franchise. Whether you're talking mid-run entries like Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers or the soft reboot in 1998 called Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, he takes no prisoners. Even within mediocre plots, as found with 2002's Halloween Resurrection, Myers pretty much has free reign to do whatever he wants, as long as there's plenty of gore, screams, and chills. His instrument of choice is often the classic butcher's knife, but he can get quite inventive at times.
David Gordon Green's vision of The Shape, a film simply called Halloween, a direct sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 original film (of the same name), hits theaters October 19, and it promises to be wholly thrilling and terrifying. With Scream Queen royalty returning, that is, Jamie Lee Curtis, reprising her role as Laurie Strode, the upcoming slasher installment boasts a load of fresh faces, including Andi Matichak, who is set to portray Laurie's granddaughter Allyson.
Ahead of the new movie, we've compiled our picks for Top 10 Michael Myers Kills from the entire run of the franchise (so far). Does your favorites make the cut? Let us know in the comments!
Bob (1978's Halloween)
As any die-hard fan will know, the original killer flick has very little blood in it. But there are more than a few bone-chilling pay-offs, including Bob's now-iconic demise. As the movie enters its third act, the cast of horny teenagers begin to bite the dust. When Bob, who just finished having sex with Laurie's close friend Linda, goes down for a beer, he uncovers something he never could have bargained for. Slice and dice, anyone?!
Sarah (1998's Halloween H20: 20 Years Later)
For being a slickly-produced, late-'90s horror film, coming off Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer and a myriad of other overly-polished slashers, the seventh entry is a fun time. The suspense and blood pumps on all cylinders, and while it is an unexpected slow-burn, the third act keeps you on the edge of your seat. And it all begins when Sara (played by Jodie Lyn O'Keefe) goes to find her boyfriend Charlie (Adam Hann Byrd, of Jumanji fame). She doesn't find the wine, but a still-fresh corpse instead.
Nurse Janet (1981's Halloween II)
Set the same exact night as the first movie, the follow-up to John Carpenter's vision is notably darker in tone, owed in part to the night-time setting but also the cinematography. It's another slow-burn, and as Laurie Strode spends two-thirds of the run-time in a hospital bed, the thrills come in how Michael Myers kills his victims, which includes Nurse Janet. When Laurie has a severe reaction to medication, Janet goes to find Dr. Mixter, who is dead by a needle to the eye, and Janet meets a similar fate. And the Myers' reveal calls back to when Laurie came face-to-face with evil.
John Strode (1995's Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers)
Ok, so the sixth installment is like having too many cooks in the kitchen. The storyline is all over the place, but the atmosphere is what keeps it from falling apart. Six years after part five, Jamie Lloyd has been held captive by a mysterious cult, who keeps Michael Myers alive and killing everything in his wake. Relatives of The Strodes (the family that adopted Laurie) move into the old Myers house when the patriarch of the family can't seem to sell it. He's an abusive asshole, and his fate is not so undeserving. After getting blitzed at work, he comes home to find a seemingly-empty house, only to discover that Myers is laying in wait to finally take him out. Exploding head? Sign us up!
Coroner (2009's Halloween II)
Amidst the generally-vulgar nature of much of Rob Zombie's two Halloween remakes, there are some truly inspired moments. When Michael Myers' body is being transported by two rather loathsome coroners who are in the middle of having a conversation about what it's like to have sex with a corpse, Coroner Hooks (the one driving) manages not to see a cow on the road. Cue: disastrous and bloody car crash. Myers escapes and proceeds to saw off Hooks' partner's head. It's horrific and among the movie's most brutal moments.
Attendant (1988's Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers)
Fans were clamoring for Michael Myers' return, so when Halloween III: Season of the Witch bombed at the box office, the studio resurrected their favorite killer. As Myers is being transported one rainy night (we're sensing a theme there), the two attendants let it slip that he has a niece named Jamie Lloyd still living in his hometown of Haddonfield. That awakens the evil from within, and Myers slays both his victims ⎯⎯ the male attendant is offed with a simple thumb to the forehead. Gnarly, man!
Nurse Karen (1981's Halloween II)
The sex-crazed characters never last long in horror movies. Nurse Karen and a paramedic named Bud don't waste much time getting it on in a hot tub ⎯⎯ or at least trying to. Once Bud is strangled, Michael Myers gives Karen a little massage before dunking her head into the scalding hot therapy tub. Her screams are blood-curdling and confirms Myers psychotic tendencies.
Lynda (1978's Halloween)
Michael Myers sure likes to strangle people. In the original film, when Lynda goes to call Laurie to find out where Paul and Annie are, Myers, in complete white-sheet ghost attire, stalks her and strangles her with the phone chord. It's simple, effective, and pretty bone-chilling, especially when Myers answers Laurie's call. Also, it's the first moment we get a close-up look at the mask. Just terrifying.
Nurse Marion Whittington (1998's Halloween H20: 20 Years Later)
The 1998 soft reboot brought back not only Jamie Lee Curtis, but Nancy Stephens returned to reprise Nurse Marion Whittington, Dr. Loomis' nurse from the first two movies. In the movie's opening scene, Nurse Marion comes home to find her home broken into. While there, Michael Myers steals a folder detailing where Laurie Strode is now living. After Joseph Gordon Levitt's Jimmy scopes out her place, he finds no signs of Myers, but wouldn't you know it...he's still there. The scene leading up to Marion's death is quite nail-biting, as yet another former survivor finally meets their fate. You can run, but you can't hide...in the end.
Alice (1981's Halloween II)
Alice just wanted to gossip with her friend over the phone. If only she knew fate had long but caught up with her. After hearing about the grisly murders over the radio, Michael Myers creeps into her home unaware. Alice goes to check out why her front door is wide open (if that's not creepy enough), but Myers pounces on the opportunity to slash her throat. It's unexpected and ties into Myers' classically cat-like movements.
Jason Scott is a freelance entertainment journalist with bylines in B-Sides & Badlands, Billboard, PopCrush, Ladygunn, Greatist, AXS, Uproxx, Paste and many others. Follow him on Twitter.
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