Why the First Michael Myers Works, But The Others Don't.

[@mega6836]

Yes! Michaels intelligence sets him apart from the other slashers, he's very methodical and blueprints every kill in his mind before it's done. Especially in the og where he spends the first half just watching the cast from afar, always present. He's an evil genius in 78 and just Jason in every sequel.

[@nightscout9979]

Michael indeed carefully planned all of his murders, even doing things like stealing gravestones just to add to the trauma, but didn't Jason do some observing of his own in Friday the 13th Part 2? I recall a hunting trap in Part 3 as well, and that Jason was either shown or implied to have set it.

[@tobymattana5320]

@@nightscout9979 Jason is a planner too in case u aren't familiar with that or don't remember just not on the level or even near the level of Michael. Michael was mentally ill, Jason was mentally disabled but with intelligent elements to him.

[@zodius9772]

Jason isn’t as dumb as they make out

[@cagneybillingsley2165]

the first one always works because we don't know the nature of the antagonist

[@hollyroxy25]

I also think Dr. Loomis always set these movies apart from other slashers. He gives it a levity the others don’t have.

[@freddieknapp9337]

rewatching the original Halloween i forgot about Michaels humor - who can forget when he had the bedsheet on his head lol

[@paulhoffmann3405]

What I always liked about the first one, that Michael is also a stalker. He is not just a random killer, he stalks his victims, etc. They dropped the stalking side of him almost immediatly.

[@ryuno2097]

@Judgment Time mmm mm mmm

[@travzimmerman1340]

What I hated about the 1st one was Michael, having been in Smith's Grove since the age of 6, driving 4 hours back to Haddonfield 15 years later pre-GPS in a stolen '78 silver Ford LTD wagon with Smiths Grove decals all over it. Then driving around Haddonfield all day/night. What was with all the f'ing driving? Oh, and nobody thought to alert the State Troopers of the stolen Ford? If they had the movie would've been over in 15 minutes.

[@-_deploy_-]

​@@travzimmerman1340 he was trying to understand how he could use the City on his advantage. He wanted to know the terrain.

[@tgriffin3059]

Parts 2 and 4 retained this trait. The stalking and death of the hefty security guard in 2 was a 5 minute segment. One of the strongest parts of 4 was when the group barricaded themselves in the house, but Michael was already inside with them. Halloween 5 not only utilized this approach, but took it to the level of an art form(the barn sequence, alone, is TWELVE minutes in duration). 5's stalking scenes equal or slightly EXCEED those of the '78 original. Over the years, the emphasis shifted dramatically, but that happened mostly at the time of Resurrection and thereafter.

[@tgriffin3059]

@@travzimmerman1340 So you're saying that back in the 70's, cops consistently located stolen vehicles within 24 hours? Hell, even if Michael HAD pulled over, he'd have simply killed the cop who stopped him.

[@JordanfromOhio]

Great analysis. However I would have to add that in Halloween 4 he did do a considerable amount of planning as well. He took the phone lines out, the power to the entire town, the 911 dispatchers and officers at the station, to set up the entire rest of his plan. What seems like random occurrences are carefully planned events that allow him to roam free the rest of the movie free from any major threats. One of the reasons I love Halloween 4 so much. Think it would have been better received if it had a high quality mask!!!

[@joshua89898989]

I wonder if they could just add the original mask into the film with cgi kind of like de aging affects now a days

[@locomotivesteam9334]

The H4 mask is ok, it's not a great mask but it's also not as bad as alot of people say it is.

[@teddyharvester]

​@@locomotivesteam9334 In my head the mask in 4 is a part of the worldbuilding. It's brand new, taken from the store, not worn in yet. And It's obviously a cheaper quality mask in its own right, because it's been 10 years, so manufacturers stopped putting as much effort. It's almost unintentionally meta in a way.

[@helterskelter2274]

Halloween 4 is my favourite.

[@joshua89898989]

@@helterskelter2274 Good film just wish mask was better done

[@theopoliusivory9463]

It works because their was never suppose to be a sequel!

[@killergrooves2438]

One thing I noticed recently is that he was basically building a spook house the entire movie. He steals the grave’s headstone and mask and sets up the bodies in a way intended to scare. The way he murders the teens is in a way to elicit a jump scare as if he’s jumping out of the dark and shouting “Boo!” the way a kid would. Then he takes those dead bodies and makes them into an attraction in this haunted house that he’s created in order to scare Laurie. Then when she’s sufficiently scared and runs away, it’s time for Michael to kill her.

[@tgriffin3059]

Great point. I once heard Michael described as an evil child in a powerful adult male's body, who is playing a game to whose rules only HE is privy. And your point underscores this....whatever else you can say about Michael, he's ENJOYING himself. Like a gamesman, or an artist of the macabre. Clearly, for him, what he's doing is not a means to an end...it is ITS' OWN reward.

[@johnnygrunge477]

I've been a horror fan for almost all my life and have been a massive subscriber to the 'Laurie is Michael's sister' aspect of Halloween. But this video, after seeing and enjoying the new trilogy but kinda being bugged by the she's his sister omission from the story, genuinely changed my mind on that when you explained how Michael methodically and meticulously plans out everything so that he gets everyone in one go. Because that just means that Laurie has only been Michael's obsession all these years not because she's his sister and he's got a blood-lust strong enough to kill what's left of his family, but she was just a babysitter who managed to escape him, a man who was deemed by a long time doctor to be just pure evil. Makes the first film even scarier because it makes you see it through Lumis' eyes, Michael genuinely didn't have any motive or reason to do what he did in the first film other than he just felt like it

[@markchavarria5187]

This is what I’ve been saying all along! This is why he is superior to all the other slasher characters. His “inhumane patience” for 15 years to pull this off was executed with effortless precision. That is what is truly frightening about him.

[@hillerm]

I wouldn’t say he’s superior to Art the Clown.

[@TehPesky]

He's not lol

[@markchavarria5187]

Clowns don’t scare me 🙄

[@yeeyeebubba1885]

@@TehPesky he is

[@JasonGravewalker]

@@hillerm Art the Clown just wishes he was Michael Myers

[@davares]

"I have not seen Halloween Ends yet" yea you shouldn't

[@persistentlypathetic6820]

I think Michael was at his best in the 2nd Halloween(1981) he seemed more cold, more determined, less patient. I think Dick Warlock did a fantastic job reinventing the character

[@swagsukeuchiha7599]

Halloween ii mike was in some ways better than halloween i mike. He is sneaky but more determined

[@persistentlypathetic6820]

@@swagsukeuchiha7599 agreed 100%

[@jackprescott9652]

I prefer the original. Dick Warlock moves were to rough. Even his head was to round for the mask. But i think he`s the second best after the original.

[@swagsukeuchiha7599]

@@jackprescott9652 i like the look of dick warlocks mask better than nicks.

[@ferox965]

@@jackprescott9652 My theory is that he moves differently in the second one because he was shot and injured.

[@wolfpackleader2752]

It's the fact that every movie has a Michael that goes straight into the killing, very little stalking and hiding in creepy areas. Halloween 1978 has very little kills because Michael took his time. If they ever do another one, I want a slow Halloween movie like the original. They could have done that with Halloween Ends since Michael is weaker but they totally missed that opportunity. Also I miss when Michael would get hurt(seemingly to be defeated) then get back up to scare his victim. It was creepy and it works well. The trailer for Halloween Ends where Michael can be seen in the background putting on his mask again made me believe Laurie seemingly defeated Michael and removed his mask as way to say, "I won!" to Michael only to get back up again and go another round. Missed opportunities.

[@bl5533]

To be fair to those Michaels, H2 had plenty of stalking and looming around michael as well as some H5 and H6 (but I agree not to the subtly and degree of H1 and H2 michael) H20 and HR and the Rob Zombie remakes didn’t really have that I agree, but 2018 showed some of it when he walked into the houses and on the streets, and Ends had Michael creeping around the house a bit before he went in and showed Corey what no neck feels like. Also maybe in Kills although offscreen, cuz he was probably eying those kids with the masks for a while but I will agree that I want a movie showing it similar to how H1 showed it and not just short or offscreen stalking moments.

[@filthycasual8187]

@@bl5533 Honestly, I think the reason he just goes right for it in 2018, Kills, and Ends, is because he knows he's old and he's lost a lot of time in Smith's Grove. He wants to capitalize on 40 years of not having killed anyone.

[@tobymattana5320]

Well, I plan on making a Halloween movie which is a sequel to 78 which mainly focuses on everything in the original but the rest of the movies combined other than 3. However only doing things appropriately.

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

Even the ending of the original is perfect. It never needed a sequel.

[@takerfan4ever]

Halloween 4 is ridiculously underrated.. he was definitely at his best in that movie. The pacing for that movie was perfect too.. not too slow.. or too fast.

[@andrewwilson5104]

Ghostface just has intelligence but ghostface's intelligence is not as high as Michael's intelligence

[@flixsymmetry]

Nice analysis. The original also worked because at the time, he was simply an escaped mental patient who returned to his hometown and decided to stalk the first few people he saw. Of course as the film went on, they built the supernatural force into the storyline. But when this came out, it was the only one of its kind. I was 11 and it was the talk of my friends because it felt like it could happen.

[@h.w.barlow6693]

Halloween will always be a single installment for me.

[@marcusosuna687]

The first MM works because John Carpenter had no intention of MM being the face of the franchise Halloween. He wanted nothing to do with MM after the first movie. Universal fucked it up for everyone as they insisted on making a sequel before they handed Carpenter the keys to the movie The Thing. Halloween was supposed to be an anthology like Creepshow with different stories for each release.

[@manniken.]

This really helps to understand why the sequels aren't as scary

[@kainkong274]

2 is pretty creepy

[@Treblaine]

"All these pesky kids took was a mask, rope, knives, duct tape, pliers, a book on taxidermy, a can of gasoline, and a single match. Clearly nothing to worry about and obviously unrelated to that escaped psychotic killer."

[@TheShape_1031]

What?

[@Treblaine]

​@@TheShape_1031 I'm making fun of how clueless the police are to think these stolen items aren't suspicious.

[@nickmandl]

I’ve always felt that sequels only do a disservice to the original Halloween, particularly the way it ended. Shots of the town, Michael still breathing Bc he has transcended humanity, he is no longer a man who can be killed. He could be anywhere and everywhere and nothing will ever stop him Bc he’s the boogeyman. Pretty lame to turn around and be like “yeah it’s weird how he disappeared that night but we just found him around the corner and locked him back up”

[@kainkong274]

Halloween 2018 and Kills r a huge service and is respectful towards the original…so no

[@nickmandl]

@@kainkong274 incorrect, sorry bud

[@mrskinszszs]

​@@kainkong274no

[@punkem733]

Carpenter has said there was going to be no sequels. Makes the ending that much more scarier seeing him survive all that, and then showing all the places he's been too with his breathing getting heavier. You're right, to me it feels like we're being told he can be everywhere or nowhere. With no sequels it shows that the bad guy/evil wins, he might even be back to finish the job.

[@InShaneMedia]

The original Halloween is my Is favorite horror movie of all time.. But James Jude Courtney is hands down my favorite Michael even if the movies around him aren't up to par.

[@yungblade7]

He is Michael as far I'm concerned

[@LA_HA]

@@yungblade7 Airon Armstrong, aka Flashback Myers, is just as good, in my opinion. But, I generally like almost all the Myers. I even like the ones most fans don't - Durand and Loree. They're really good

[@Mark-db1ok]

Just one short year later here, 🙂 but I totally agree: JJC has absolutely taken over Michael Meyers with his work in that trilogy. I also agree about Airon Armstrong... I think he was HIGHLY underrated as young Michael. In a very divisive movie, the flashback was the only thing everyone seemed to love. And he was the star of the flashback.

[@thewhitewolf7886]

He's a slick, playful, deranged, spooky and stalking menace that looks like he could be anyone in a mask. Making him a hulk type doesn't work for me.

[@tortugadave8765]

He was pretty methodical at the hospital. Every kill was at the very least planned, but since he was already hurt from the previous movie's shenanigans he just wasn't as patient. He isolated the couple, turned up the hot tub water knowing one would come back to lower it, isolated the security guard and slashed the car tires as well as take out the gas from them.

[@memegalodon4522]

In 2018 he plotted a lot as well, leading Ray to his death, leaving a blood trails and misdirecting Laurie with Ray’s body. There’s a few other examples but those are the ones that stand out to me.

[@jimthar17]

Using the mannequins as cover and waiting to strike.

[@memegalodon4522]

@@jimthar17 Yessir.

[@Blast2224]

He also made sure to kill the mechanic and manager of the gas station so the podcasters wouldn’t be discovered until well after he was nearly in Haddonfield. He toyed with Julian first to lower Vicky’s guard before using her death as bait for Dave. He had patience with killing Oscar, using the motion sensors to freak him out first before impaling him.

[@georgekostaras]

It's also worth pointing out that the first Halloween has a ton of tension building to it.

[@BasementDweller_]

Halloween 2018/Kills also works. It’s the closest to the original film. Movements, stalking, the way it kills, and how it plays with the dead bodies like in the original.

[@kainkong274]

EXACTLY

[@kainkong274]

They r tho

[@amilcarmusah4218]

There was no stalking in these films, they had a demented old man who wanders aimlessly around killing random people. They have so reduced the character of Myers in the new reboot to senseless murders that we are literally shown how an adult Michael Myers surrenders to the police, and how he gives up chasing Lindsay, just falling behind her, lol) If there is one thing these films are true to the original, it is that they elevate all its flaws to the degree of infinity (the stupid and illogical behavior of the victims, huge plot holes that no one cares about) The only movie of the new trilogy that I liked is Halloween Ends.

[@RollingxBigshot]

The problem with this video is that other Halloween movies show him to be tactical, H2O for example. He planned all of his moves carefully on that film

[@doesntmatter6736]

He had to be smarter in the first one because he hadn't built up enough supernatural strength from kills yet?

[@Hats502]

The thing that made Michael frightening is that you never knew when he’d finally strike. You just know he’s there somewhere

[@Swanzo]

He's just standing there....menacingly

[@grzyruth9205]

I'm so glad you made thus. I've been saying something similar to this for YEARS but nobody ever listens to me. OG Michael Myers was unique and different from how he is portrayed in the sequels.

[@maestroubriaco]

In two words: the atmosphere and the tension.

[@WickerSticksSinema]

I agree. I would say that at least in Halloween 4 Michael seem to have a strategic plan. For instance how he took out the power in the town then eliminated the police officers. Yes it’s over the top but it did show that he had a bit of A calculating and tactical side to him.

[@StraightEdgeJunkie]

To me, it’s always just been the fact that Michael didn’t have a motivation in the first movie, which dehumanizes him and makes him scarier. Any kind of a motivation makes him more human, and less of a sheer force of evil.

[@chevken1831]

If they had never turned it into a franchise, it would be one of the scariest movies ever made.

[@andrewwilson5104]

To be honest with you I think Michael Myers might be the smartest horror movie slasher

[@kevincanales6654]

Dude, you made great points. I could never quite put my finger on why the first worked and the others didn’t. Great video.

[@_scabs6669]

Michael also had heart in the first one. The way he hides his face, watches the girls but never speaks, and disappears before they can interact with him -- there is a certain shyness in him. The terrified killer

[@willcooper1112]

Also interesting to note he was only 21 in the original

[@_scabs6669]

@@willcooper1112 the original incel

[@iter929]

@@willcooper1112But the end credits credited him as 23 for some weird ass reason

[@pinkdivadb]

Your mind is huge. He literally is shy...

[@vardenlongraf4688]

That’s why I only like the original one, because Michael was more of a stalker and only had to kill four in the original movie. Still he kept the whole movie suspenseful by his plotting patience and his skills

[@bggsz4]

While i do love the new movies, it always still bothered me how the Blumhouse Michael followed in the sequels' footsteps, being this 6'2" bulking powerhouse making smashing heads looking like horseplay. There was beauty to Michael being so average yet menacing in 1978, as well as having realistic strength for his kills, i mean if he wasn't wearing a mask he would blend in if he was in a crowd, the other Michaels would all stand out and that kind of ruins his aesthetic.

[@andrewwilson5104]

Leatherface has strength but not superhuman strength just basically the same strength as a bodybuilder

[@systemmonitor5295]

It's as simple as this. In the original film, he really is playing an elaborate game of trick or treat. The whole rigged-up Wallace household is a sinister practical joke. It's only when Michael gets back to Tommy Doyle's house that he resorts to the Jason-style hunt and kill method.

[@semperconstance]

Great work here. For most people, the original Halloween "just works", but they can't really articulate why. This manages to capture it in just enough detail to make the point clearly and succinctly. This should be required watching for future sequel writers.

[@giraffeclone8212]

Thank you for not making this video like 20 minutes long. Very brief and to the point, as it should be

[@rossmunley6489]

I recommend the Stefan Hutchinson Halloween comics, he is portrayed far more scarier there then he is in the sequels, being a trickster who methodically stalks and terrifies his targets from afar before moving In for the kill.

[@krantanos5444]

i think what makes the first movie so good is because no one really knows michael yet and what he is capable of, but in all the other movies everybody in haddonfield knows what michael has done in ‘78

[@tortugadave8765]

Yes and no, H2 was the next night and a lot of people didn't know what had happened or had just caught up on it, while H20 is 20 years later and most had moved on.

[@morningglory3488]

I'm glad this blessed me. It's something I've noticed too! Myers is smart! No one seems to recognize that, especially with later movies. I can enjoy all but there's something special about going "there he is! There he is!" when watching the first movie over again. I do enjoy most the other ones, but they really had something special in the first one.

[@watertommyz]

It was so obvious Michael knew what he was doing in the first film, and was thriving on messing with his victims. Hell, one of the creepier scenes is when he stops the car in the middle of the street. In broad daylight...and Laurie, rightfully was freaked out by it, while everyone else wasn't and just thought it was some jerk. Michael was also mocking his victims. Look at his "Bob" outfit, and when you included the tombstone. The other movies just did not give him the same agency, or subtlety.

[@Aviator-Chicken]

The thing that every film has missed out on his Michael stalking his victims. He is THE Shape. He watches from the bushes, the clothes lines etc. Waiting for the perfect moment. Every other interpretation has been Jason with a Shatner mask.

[@thenoirknight5729]

That last sentence. No. Not true

[@Aviator-Chicken]

@@thenoirknight5729 IMHO I think it’s very valid. Every later movie is obsessed with blood and kill counts. And while those things aren’t bad at all it’s just that there is a very different distinction between the first Halloween movie and the other 12 films. Michael in the OG stalked Laurie the whole movie. He only killed Annie and Lynda to mess with Laurie and lure her out of the house. It was very much a game of cat and mouse to him. While in the later movies every victim is killed as soon as he sees them. There may be a scene with stalking but it isn’t the entire movie.

[@elguestoiii7314]

That’s a great intro with Halloween II theme

[@SteveSoper1979]

I've felt this way for some time. The first Halloween is a good horror movie. The rest past that, epically Kills, are simply Monster movies. There's little to no stalking. He just goes around killing & can't be killed. Mix in a lot of gore with a high kill count and you have the modern day "horror" movie. I use that word very loosely. I think Halloween would have been better if they would have toned down the "this guy can't die" thing going on and keep it more of he's really just a twisted man who is a master stalker & has somehow been able to kept for being killed.

[@petermj1098]

The ending of the first movie is great because it is ambiguous if he was actually supernatural or not by disappearing.

[@boneman9751]

I’ve thought about this too and I’ve always compared Micheal to Jason and how their methods vary. I also believe that the 2 things that can kill a horror movie is absurdity and lack of uniqueness. Something I feel both Jason and Micheal have kept walking towards. Just as Micheal uses cunning as you’ve talked about, Jason is resourceful. This is a man who survived on his own while out in the woods. This is reflected by him taking things from the people he kills, using bear traps he finds, throwing knives, a bow, ect. Micheal almost seems to preplan everything while Jason is able to jump from kill to kill to kill with only the tools he has at any given moment. Jason gets more effective the more he kills and not in some “transcending evil” type bs, he just gains more tools. Part 6 is an amazing example and even gets laughed at because Jason acts like a hoarder with all the stuff he collects. This extends to the way he kills, brutal and efficient. Like in part 8 with the infamous kill where he punches a man’s head off. On the other hand, Micheal’s are slow and agonizing like when he pinned a man up against a wall by slowly pushing in the knife. Simply defining how these behemoths go about their sprees characterizes them so make them distinct and memorable. Micheal for the reasons you’ve talked about and Jason for the reasons I have. But without that, it’s just another slasher. Like DPS said: “formula: take a big man, throw him in a mask and task him with killin massive masses, quick.” Jason was killed by absurdity. Each new movie became more and more mind numbing weird. He was a zombie who fought a psychic before drowning in toxic waste under New York and later was sent to hell and then went to space. Micheal lost his distinctiveness, becoming just another “big man in the mask.”

[@anthonyaycock1720]

You're right in distinguishing Michael from Jason and other killers by pointing out Michael's cunning in the original movie. However, I disagree that this cunning isn't present in the sequels. Others have commented on this in Halloween IV. In Halloween V, Michael kills Tina's boyfriend, then dons that boyfriend's mask to impersonate him while driving Tina to the party. In H2O, he drives the stolen car to Hillcrest's security checkpoint and abandons it, which lures Ronny (LL Cool J) away from the guardhouse. While Ronny examines the car, Michael walks right behind him onto the school grounds. Earlier in the film, he tricks Marion out of her house, then slips inside to await her return, so he can kill her. He also skillfully separates Josh and his friends from their party, in order to kill them individually. In Halloween Kills, he does the same thing, separating Big John and Little John to kill them individually. Bottom line: while Michael is definitely more brutal in successive movies, he doesn't lose his cunning and treachery in the process.

[@greenman5229]

H4 has no subtly. And that is why it doesn't work for me. Everything is rampant up 10x. Taking out the power of a house? Nah take out the power for the whole city.

[@amilcarmusah4218]

Actually, he didn't separate Big John and Little John, they separated themselves🤷 Because there is such a cliche.

[@thomasffrench3639]

Well yeah Jason is a different character than Michael, so of course he would have a different style of killing. And most killers in other slashers can speak so they would also be different from Michael.

[@andrewwilson5104]

Where as Jason Voorhees main advantages are superhuman strength and durability

[@DLFLux]

You could argue this with the second film to a lesser extent too, he took out all the cars in the parking lot so nobody escape

[@d.k.prince5694]

The first Halloween left you actually wondering if Michael really is the Boogyman. The others kind of removed that mystery.

[@plasticweapon]

you're a little slow on the uptake if you're still wondering after the end of the first movie.

[@androblade3009]

One thing he does in the original movie that newer films don’t show as much anymore is how he stalks his victims. In the original film there are several scenes where he is constantly watching our character in the distance. It really made his presence felt throughout the movie and it’s something I really wish they did more of in later entries.

[@jl-fy3zj]

In all fairness, in Halloween 2 Michael's presence was known and he was being pursued so it probably wasn't as easy to take his time to plan out traps since the hospital was new territory of which he had no reconnaissance.

[@codythomas1450]

Oh yea? Then where was he when Lorie escaped from back door with him within reach right behind her. But we see Lorie have time to go bang on the neighbors door screaming for help and make it back across the street. Then Michael finally appears coming from back of the house towards Lorie but where tf was he?

[@scp-507]

You’ll be saying he isn’t smart in the other ones when in part four he deliberately cut off the town’s power supply so that nobody could call for help.

[@jringo45acp]

I'll keep watching Halloween movies for as long as they keep making them... no matter how stupid of cheesy they get.

[@Darthmiguel89]

Awesome analysis, I think that’s what gave OG Michael that scare factor, him just being seeing by us the audience planning and plotting his way to the next kill, unlike others that pop out of nowhere and just brutally kill, which I also enjoy lol

[@garouthetiktokinfluencerhu9731]

It would have been neat to see the anthology concept continue after Halloween lll. A lot of people hated it but I thought it was very entertaining.

[@rawheadrex1972]

IMO Halloween 3 should’ve been Halloween 2. Start the anthology right then as planned, instead of giving in and churning out a Michael sequel. I’ll bet we’d have gotten some great Halloween movies and stories throughout the years.

[@lutho7693]

@@rawheadrex1972 100% agree, they could have continued the Michael Myers time line with the 8th, or 11th movie as a "special surprise" Movie for the anthology and then move on as normal, you know what I mean?

[@craftingranger7552]

I think he works in 2018, kills he's clearing acting out like a wounded or cornered animal after what happened with Laurie and Ends was great direction to take him in but I can understand why some didn't like it.

[@Josiah_F]

In halloween 2 he cuts the phone lines and stabs the car tires

[@Ambulancemeep]

I agree. Another aspect of Michael ignored in most sequels is the fact that he savors the fear he invokes in others. The prime example of this is when he shows up in his makeshift ghost costume before he kills Linda. There is no methodical, tactical advantage for him to do this. He seems almost like a child for a moment, wanting recognition for his innovation. Until you remember he’s completely void of such emotion. Even the way he arranges the bodies of the victims in Halloween 1. He sets up a “spook house” that Laurie stumbles upon. Why do this? Why go through all the trouble to do this when he can just walk over to Laurie and fuck with her then and there? Halloween 1 Michael is one of the most interesting horror movie villains of all time.

[@henryharmon3656]

I've never seen Annie's death addressed until now. If he was in there the first time she tried the door, then he must have unlocked it with the keys, returned the keys, gone back to the car, locked the doors from inside so she wouldn't be suspicious in finding it unlocked, and finally waited. But then why did she not have to use the keys once she had them? If an open car door would have aroused suspicion the first time she tried it, it certainly would have aroused even more suspicion upon a second try only moments later. On the other hand, if he wasn't in there the first time she tried the door, then he wouldn't have been able to get in and wait for her. What am I missing?

[@justin3415]

I agree for most part.but part two is up there, it is a solid film and a perfect ending.And as a kid who spent many nights in a hospital almost passing away,it still freaks me out.Also part 4 was pretty solid too.

[@btnhstillfire]

Are we just ignoring all the smart things he does in all of them up to Resurrection? Lol. I mean in H20 he cuts a guys tongue out and switches places w him to fool Laurie. Besides that, he hides in the rafters and lowers himself down silently behind ppl. Hes smart in all of them…

[@JagGentlemann]

The stalking from the first movie is what makes my love it so much. I find it very funny. You take that out and you end up with just a decent slasher.

[@jaymz010]

I keep telling people. MICHAEL DIDN’T BREAK INTO THE HARDWARE STORE. Watch the movie again. He had his mask before that scene even took place. He was driving wearing it

[@baddworld]

He needs a video game and the Fuckin jason one needs an offline mode smh 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@retrostudios894]

i think he’s intelligent in all of them with the exception of films like halloween 5, the new films, rob zombie films, and resurrection.

[@The_Platinum_Realist]

I felt that Halloween 2018 captured this aspect of Michael pretty well.

[@tobymattana5320]

H2, H4, H18, H20 yes, in order. H2 and H4, especially H4 captured the best suspense as Michael. I've been studying all movies closely because i'm making a Halloween movie myself which is a sequel to 78. The plan is to answer all the questions of the original. All of the questions of Michael other than his backstory, and the franchise itself. Essentially combining all the movies in one except H3; wouldn't make sense. Nonetheless, doing things appropriate. Thinking about having the movie be 3 hrs. This should tell you somewhat of the path i'm going.

[@mrunderhill40]

@@tobymattana5320 For the love of god no! No more remakes, just let the franchise die.

[@geneanthony3421]

@@tobymattana5320 unless you’re getting paid to do a sequel why not just make a Michael Myers inspired franchise with a new killer and backstory. There’s really not too many of these made oddly with Terrifier being one (but is far more of a gore movie).

[@MrRobjs83]

Yes

[@mrskinszszs]

Eh not really. He's still just Jason in a myers mask

[@jimmy999x9]

You have to remember after Halloween and H2, everyone knows his routine. So he has to modify his approach. You can't do the same gag twice!!

[@TheKillerEmcee]

Gag? You totally missed the point

[@princemtm91]

4:02 - 4:04 I've seen halloween countless times since I was a kid and this is the first time i noticed Michael's in the window to the left of Annie's head. I remember watching this so many times on VHS when I was in 5th and 6th grade, maybe that's why I could never see him.

[@GrainofZand]

Not even the first Michael Myers works, 15 years after being put in a mental facility at age 6, he was 23

[@kimmichaud7741]

No.he would be 21

[@GrainofZand]

@kimmichaud7741 Yes, but in the credits, it says, "Michael age 23... Tony Moran"

[@kimmichaud7741]

@@GrainofZand oh didn't catch that thanks

[@RayLukard78]

This movie works because of the suspense. Michael is an ambush killer, like a mountain lion waiting in the bushes.

[@COCO-MADRID]

The original original opening credits always give me chills

[@greenlong1987]

The people who think Michael stalking and planning is boring can go watch something else lol. It’s so perfect. It builds tension while you get to know and care for the characters. I’m so glad someone made a video really nailing who the first Halloween is so perfect. Thank you!

[@billy1673]

And the fact that none of the sequels used the original “Shatner” mask sealed their fate. Another example of why you don’t let lawyers decide who can use what property in a given franchise. When will these Hollywood executives learn to listen to their fans?

[@diosoth]

Michael only works in the extended series if you acknowledge the supernatural explanation from 6. He can only be shot, stabbed, gouged & set on fire so many times before you accept he's not human & is kept going by something. Weren't his eyes stabbed out at one point? Viewers can accept it for Freddy, Jason, Chucky, etc but somehow when it comes to Michael they get upset by part 6. Remember that he was intended to be in the fist story & die at the end, with part 3 developing the series into an anthology. 3's failure brought Michael back defying is initial plans.

[@StalkyBoi]

Great video! I highly enjoyed. Despite not a lot of people liking the film, I would argue Halloween Kills does show a lot of Michael's intelligence. He uses misdirection several times throughout the film in order to gain the upper hand. Knocking on the front door and then entering through the back, using music to misdirect where he is and then having Lonnie's body above where he'll come out from, and imo the greatest display of his intelligence towards the end when pit against the mob. He knows the only real threat to him is the gun, so he ensures he takes care of that before going for killing blows. While not as methodical as the original, Kills showcases how fast Myers can come up with things on the go which is pretty terrifying in its own way. I know the film isn't for everyone, but it's interpretation of Myers is fantastic.

[@youngjordyn55]

This is going to perform well. Wonderfully edited good job

[@Luncea28]

In Halloween II Michael kills the security guard early on so he can kill the staff more freely and slashes the tires of all the cars so no one can escape.

[@catchcan221]

He’s pretty intelligent and plans his kills well in Halloween II as well.

[@BradyRamaker]

I think a killer that has very little ability to fade into society has a definite shelf life. Michael is a mute, maladjusted monster who can only really strike because his victims are unaware there is even danger to begin with. He chose them for that reason, because hes an outsider to their circles and society. Hes scary because hes methodical but also alien- he doesnt act very human despite simply being one. So you either have to retread the same ground with a new setting, which is boring. Or, you have to change the character to be more in line with irl serial killers (operating with just enough normalcy to hide in plain sight), which is risky. So you go the third route, and go with escalating the power scale of the story. Michael is now a big nearly invincible wolf, and the cast become stupider and stupider sheep for him to pick off. The original premise cant last that long. Even if hes really clever, what Myers does is so overtly transgressive, itll attract eventually someone smart, capable and eager to put him down. He's a monster with no redeeming qualities, and if hes still a human, society wont abide him long. And then it becomes a different movie, like a police procedural, or a chase flick, or something. So he either eventually gets plugged by someone stonger/better than him, or you change the DNA of the series.

[@sgillman16]

He does this in Halloween 4 as well. He plans that movie out even better imo

[@raddderz]

That's why halloween 4 is my 2nd favorite movie in the franchise with the original being #1

[@shotgunblues627]

The writers planned the movie out... not the fictional killer in it. Wowzers.

[@terminaldisfunction5306]

Great video man, very underrated and Phenomenal editing. Keep up the good work!

[@lutho7693]

But didn't Michael have also Planing in H20?

[@Shiirow]

yes the first movie plays out more like a psychological thriller than a slasher film for most of its run time.

[@freddieknapp9337]

The franchise missed a golden opportunity with Jamie Lloyd - she could have been the first real female slasher and they had it laid out perfectly. Michael still could have been in the movies.

[@chikitabowow]

That's something that's so captivating about Myers; He thoroughly enjoys killing but he's not a glutton and he's not completely reckless, the hunt *_really_* matters and speaks to him on an emotional and intellectual level. Which is also why he's so terrifying, because when you see him he's already collected enough information that he doesn't need to hide anymore and he's now entered a new "phase" of probing his prey's reactions and movements. It's too bad that not even the newest reboots could capture Michael like the original did, although at least the 2018 one *_tried_* to get it right imho

[@bigdude7761]

Yup 100% Correct. The 1st Shape was a smart killer...gave more credence to when Loomis was calling him pure evil. For a guy that was shut away for most of his live he sure knew how to stalk people efficiently ...also driving a car too which we are too assume was his first time. The entire supernatural aspect can also play into this as well.

[@tobymattana5320]

Yep and I don't see how his backstory; how he became supernatural could ever be explained. A once normal boy who eventually snaps and kills his sister. Goes into a mental asylum with this weird behavior and does nothing but stare into a wall. Months ago, I said it could've been him silently selling his soul to the devil however I think that's corny. Looking at everything, I think the best way to describe it is him becoming so focused on evil & malevolence that he just cannot die or giving him a supernatural edge which allows him by each kill to transcend. I'll go with the second part it's more interesting and likely the best logic as to why he's the way he is.

[@rudyrosasjl]

​@@tobymattana5320read the novelization for the first movie.....it has a backstory on Myers and gives a loose explanation.

[@tobymattana5320]

I already have, & my new take in Michael's backstory is now: 1 of his ancestors played a major part in Samhain. Which is why he's half-human, half-supernatural & transcends with each kill & happens to be 1 of the rare relatives in his family to have this condition. Do you have a better explanation? Maybe we can figure this shit out together in a logical way lol. At first I was thinking, hmm..maybe Michael could be the grandson of Samhain but then I thought "isn't Samhain a deity?" looked it up just in case & he indeed was/is lol. Then I was like maybe Samhain is a incubus & impregnated Mike's mother by possessing his father. I felt like that was corny tho as well.@@rudyrosasjl

[@tobymattana5320]

What's your take on my last msg?@@rudyrosasjl

[@noru_ego]

Thank you

[@q.h.s5051]

I’d argue the only time Michael wasn’t a smart hunter was in Halloween 5, H20, Resurrection, and the RZ films. Even in Halloween Ends he had his moment of stalking when Corey and he killed the doctors. Not saying you’re wrong but Michael being a smart killer has nearly always been his shtick and it’s why we love him

[@FredCracklin]

I'd say the only times he actually showed real on the fly smarts and planning were in 1, 2, 4, 6, and surprisingly Resurrection (with a few hiccups like getting caught in the snare in the opening segment).

[@indieblue8297]

I could never put my finger on it, but I think you just explained why we all love Michael Myers in that first movie especially. He’s a smart predator, which makes him the apex predator of most other slashers. Thank you for this essay. You earned a sub

[@chimpsfall75]

Fantastic point! Nail on the head! I feel incredibly obtuse for missing it myself, but his calculation on and selection of when to attack is what built all the suspense.

[@andrewwilson5104]

Michael Myers is superhumanly strong seemingly unkillable very very intelligent stealthy and is the literally the embodiment of evil

[@nicolewhite3157]

I'd argue Michael's stealth make some more similar to ghostface than Jason at least in the first movie by the time you get to the later sequels he's definitely more like Jason

[@Tony_Pesta]

I actually never noticed a few of the things you pointed out in the original (like the curtains blowing once Michael has entered the Doyle house) This was a great video. I didn't realize how little Michael prepares for his kills in the sequels. When he eventually returns to the big screen, I hope we get to see him spring a few more tricks

[@bujilou]

Makes me appreciate the first film a little more, thank you