40 Years since masked killer Michael Myers terrorised Laurie Strode, giving us Jamie Lee Curtis at her screaming best, Myers is back in the franchise’s 11th instalment- Halloween, to deliver scares. The first Halloween in 1978 created a horror slasher genre that still stands popular today. This makes the newest Halloween movie as relevant as its first.
Here’s a guide to the Halloween franchise.
Halloween (1978)
Who knew this low-budget horror movie with an unknown Jamie Lee Curtis would become such a cult classic? In this first movie, Myers was a child who murdered his older sister and was locked away. 15 years later, he’s released and has a hunger to kill again. Strode is a teenager babysitting on Halloween night when her brother- Myers turn up with a murderous rage. That’s right, Laura Strode’s real name is Cynthia Myers.
The movie’s budget is so low that the director just bought Myers mask from a magic shop since there weren’t enough funds to allow for a custom-made one. The mask is actually a Captain Kirk mask from Star Trek and bears William Shatner’s face.
Halloween II (1981)
This Halloween sequel is released three years later, with a traumatised Strode in a mental institution. While she is trying to recover from her horrifying experience, Myers has other plans. He makes his way to the mental hospital and slashes his way to find the one that got away- his sister Strode.
Halloween III: The Season of the Witch (1982)
This sequel is a departure from the first two movies. Although it was written and produced by the same team behind the first two movies, it did not feature Myers or Strode. It also has an unrelated plotline with different characters. Needless to say, the movie bombed. It follows a doctor on his quest to solve the mysterious murder of a patient in his hospital, only to find that things are not what they seemed.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Myers returns! The next two movies dive deeper into the twisted Myers family and his victims. This time around, Strode is apparently killed, leaving her daughter Jamie in the care of a foster home, and Myers wants her blood.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
In Halloween 5, Jamie is also severely traumatised and in a children’s hospital. Somehow, she has a telepathic link to her uncle, which doesn’t help her situation because Myers is out for her blood.
Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Six years have passed since Myers terrorised his hometown of Haddonfield, where after his previous failed attempts, is out for Jamie’s blood again. This time, Jamie gets pregnant and upon giving birth, escapes with her newborn from Myers.
This movie marks the film debut of Paul Rudd, who plays a boy that Strode used to babysit, and teams up with Dr Loomis, the doctor who studied Myers, to hunt for Myers.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
By this time, 20 years have passed, and Curtis is back for its two-decade anniversary. The movie also features Michelle Williams, Josh Hartnett, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, plus rapper LL Cool J.
The story here picks up after the events of Halloween II. Strode had faked her own death to go into hiding from Myers. Hartnett plays her son (not daughter) who goes to a private school where Myers eventually discovers and, you’ve guessed it, goes on a killing spree, leading to another brother-sister showdown.
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
This is the 8th instalment and more stars are added to the cast, including Tyra Banks. It follows the story of the previous film, where Strode finds out that she didn’t kill Myers. Naturally, Myers returns to his hometown of Haddonfield once again to wreak havoc on a bunch of young people.
Halloween (2007) & Halloween II (2009)
The 9th and 10th film were helmed by horror maestro Rob Zombie, which pretty much follows the same plot of Myers hell-bent on finding Strode, whom he can’t seem to kill.
Except this time around, Zombie explores the obsession of why Myers can’t seem to stop wanting to kill Strode, delving more into the psychological aspects of his motivations, beyond endless slashing.
Halloween (2018)
Finally, we are all caught up! This 40th anniversary offering is back to basic, reuniting Myers and Strode. The movie picks up directly after the first Halloween movie. Now, Strode is a butt-kicking grandmother set on protecting her daughter (Judy Greer) and granddaughter (Andi Matichak) from Myers after he escaped from the mental institution he was locked up in during a transfer.
Myers knows where to look, and Strode knows how to hide. Their epic confrontation, this time, along with Strode’s daughter will set your heart racing. The biggest question is, will Michael Myers finally be dead after 40 years?
