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Why Are We So Enthralled By The HALLOWEEN Franchise?

By all accounts, we should probably be about as tired of the Halloween franchise as say, red lights and inflated taxes. The original feature spawned seven sequels, a reboot, a sequel to the reboot, and as just about every genre fan on the planet knows, another planned sequel; the second “part three” of the franchise.

After 30 plus years and 10 films, the concept of a masked madman with a kitchen knife should have probably lost a hint of luster. That however is not the case, as is evidenced by the absurd amount of attention all things Halloween related receives.



So, precisely what is it that still commands such attention? It’s certainly not the story: of ten films, only four are legitimately impresve, and one of those four could have ealy donned a completely different moniker and served as a stellar stand-alone picture. It’s unlikely that Michael Myers himself serves as the major selling point, as there truthfully isn’t a whole lot that separates Mike from the rest of the pack. The only major difference between guys like Myers and guys like Jason Voorhees is the facial accessory they opt to don. It cannot posbly be the continuity of the overall tale, as that quality is virtually dead post-Halloween II (1981). I’m hard pressed to chalk it up to gore fans appeased, as the series has never leaned on the blood-and-guts angle solely, and when compared to other franchises of milar nature, the Halloween films can even pass for tame (save for some of Zombie’s work). So, what is it about Michael Myers and the Halloween films that keep viewers so transfixed?I have trouble calculating the whole equation myself, and I, like you, am a longtime, hardcore fan of the Halloween films. I’ll be the first to remind you that the series has been plagued by inconstencies, uninspired efforts and convoluted storylines. I’ll be the first to point out the fact that many an FX man has fucked up the famous mask we all seem to crave come pumpkin time. And I’ll certainly be the first to arrive in line upon the release of a new Halloween film.

But… why?Is it the mask? Is it the seasonal angle that many of us love so much? Is it mple nostalgia that absolutely refuses to die? Just why, is Michael Myers and the long running Halloween franchise so immensely popular, and what drives you to continue returning for the latest installment to surface?

I can't speak for everyone, but I can offer my input as to why I love Halloween so much. Michael Myers - Myers is the boogeyman, the monster in the closet, the man behind the mask, and so on and so forth, but when it gets down to it, Michael is just a man. He's not a zombie or a mutant freak or anything like that, he's just a guy with a screw (or two) loose. There's no reason for his murderous ways and that's part of the appeal. I think with each movie we look to get more inght as to why Myers is really the way he is. Story/Characters - There may not be much of a story to each movie, but as a whole story arc I think Halloween is very compelling. Sure there are throw away characters just there to be killed, but there's also the steadfast heroes that show up in most of the movies. Dr. Loomis is there to hunt down Michael and we get to see him, throughout the movies, become just about as crazy and obsessed as Michael himself. Then there's the Myers/Strode family that Michael is hunting. He has a reason behind his targets whereas most killers just kill whoever gets in their way. Setting - I love the Halloween movies for the same reason I love the Scream movies; they're in a setting that's famaliar and more "real". They're set in the middle of the suburbs. Kids aren't stumbling into the woods and getting killed or we're not being thrown into some weird dream dimenon or is some hillbilly Hell - we're in the same town we live in. Michael is just next door butchering the babytter as you t and read this.

Anywho, these are my thoughts on the subject.

some good points, especially in regards to the location and atmosphere (elements that all the films save for Resurrection and H2 really nailed), but it's hard to say Michael is just a man. In Halloween he was just a man, but that went out the window real quick. the guy eats bullets for breakfast and knives for dinner, and rarely comes away the worse for wear. I suppose we still have the memory of Carpenters vion and the idea that at some point, he was just a human who snapped for no apparent reason.

I have

a lot of reason for myself.1) my mother passed in 95 her b-day was on Halloween so I loved the holiday just because of that and when I seen my 1st Halloween movie it just stuck with me. My mother lover horror she was a candyman fan, Halloween stuck with me and i get this feeling I'm with my moms when I watch my guy myers do his thing.

2) I loved that myers was one of the few slahers that seem to have an objective. At least in the 1st few parts 1,2,4 are by far my favs. But what I mean is he didn't kill everyone he saw just who he felt needed to. Not just some killing machine like voorhees or nut job killer like leather face. He had an objective and when I seen h6 and we learned of the curse it made my point of his objective clear. Had to off his family because of the thorn curse.

3)im not comparing myers to any of the other slashers but one other big thing that draws me is that he is one of few if not the last man standing from the slasher films who has not died yet. Jason has died more than once Freddy was killed and given power to be brought back my guy Matt cordell who is in my eyes the most underrated slasher ever was killed in maniac cop 2 and resurrected in part 3. Even the new up and coming icon victor crowley was killed and he is a ghost that takes phycal form. I go to see if my guy myers keeps the streak going and stays alive to kill another day or will he join the rest of the flock and be killed off only to be resurrected .

Last) I get a huge rush from seeing the myers mask in action that white blank face is just what I picture when I think of a stone cold killer I even went and got a 3500$ collection of my own.

Last) it is that all white blank face mask I have a very nice collection of my own there is something about it that gives me a rush when I see it on film or even when I'm scaring people seeing the myers mask in action there's nothing like it.

For me its the old Carpenter mucal score for the first two movies.

I love the Halloween setting.

And Donald Pleasance.

Pleasance as Loomis was, for me, the best part of the movies.

So when he died while they filmed part 6, I was a bit depressed.In contrast, Rob Zombie turning Loomis into an absolute douche bag was the ultimate insult to my memory of a clasc horror hero.

I love the setting (I live in Illinois), I love the characters, I love the way the movies make me feel, and I love that it's set in the fall. There is just something about Michael Myers that puts him above other masked slashers. I love the idea of Loomis's life long obseson with Michael Myers (especially if you throw out 4,5,6 and assume that Michael disappeared in 78, and didn't surface until the events in H20 transpired). I especially love the atmosphere of the Halloween movies. (Watch the first 10 minutes of H20, and you'll see what I'm talking about).

I love the overall appeal of the films, and the fact that you can tell that good people worked really hard to make all of them posble. BUT, I'd have to say that my overall favorite aspect of the series is the continuity. It's not the greatest, and not perfect by far, but I'd rather see a film that tied up loose ends left from previous installments than some campy shit storm that adds absolutely nothing to the overall story.

Plus the fact that Michael can remove his mask and look no diferent than most people, therefore, he could be ANYONE.

I love the overall appeal of the films, and the fact that you can tell that good people worked really hard to make all of them posble. BUT, I'd have to say that my overall favorite aspect of the series is the continuity. It's not the greatest, and not perfect by far, but I'd rather see a film that tied up loose ends left from previous installments than some campy shit storm that adds absolutely nothing to the overall story.

Plus the fact that Michael can remove his mask and look no diferent than most people, therefore, he could be ANYONE.

definitely a plus for the franchise imo.

I love the overall appeal of the films, and the fact that you can tell that good people worked really hard to make all of them posble. BUT, I'd have to say that my overall favorite aspect of the series is the continuity. It's not the greatest, and not perfect by far, but I'd rather see a film that tied up loose ends left from previous installments than some campy shit storm that adds absolutely nothing to the overall story.

Plus the fact that Michael can remove his mask and look no diferent than most people, therefore, he could be ANYONE.

definitely a plus for the franchise imo.

I would be very cool to see this actually played upon in one of the movies. Bedes in Halloween when Tommy runs into him after having his pumpkin smashed. I'd like to see him tting in the background of a restaurant or in a store or something stalking his victims with no one suspecting a thing.

I love the overall appeal of the films, and the fact that you can tell that good people worked really hard to make all of them posble. BUT, I'd have to say that my overall favorite aspect of the series is the continuity. It's not the greatest, and not perfect by far, but I'd rather see a film that tied up loose ends left from previous installments than some campy shit storm that adds absolutely nothing to the overall story.

Plus the fact that Michael can remove his mask and look no diferent than most people, therefore, he could be ANYONE.

definitely a plus for the franchise imo.

I would be very cool to see this actually played upon in one of the movies. Bedes in Halloween when Tommy runs into him after having his pumpkin smashed. I'd like to see him tting in the background of a restaurant or in a store or something stalking his victims with no one suspecting a thing.

whats really interesting is, when you put it in words like that, it actually sounds really comical. I read that and had a flash of Myers popping up in a new Scary Movie flick, ppin a smoothie lmao

Plus the fact that Michael can remove his mask and look no diferent than most people, therefore, he could be ANYONE.

I always imagined him to be horribly disfigured under the mask. If Michael Myers moved in next door, I think I'd be able to spot him pretty quick; With, or without a mask.

Great topic Matt and one I find myself asking every year. When I was a youngster in the late 80's and early 90's I hadn't even seen the original Halloween when a friend of mine took me to the theater to see Halloween 6. The theater was so packed I remember them having to bring in metal folding chairs just to seat everyone, a fire hazard that I am sure would not be allowed these days.

I hadn't even really been a huge fan of the franchise when I became obsessed with collecting the masks in the late 90's. I don't know what it is about that mask but I was enthralled and had to own as many as posble. Years went by and I finally dug into the franchise from beginning to end and really started to appreciate what would turn into more than a hobby collecting masks.

I still have no idea why the films get the buzz they do to this day. Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street still rake in more money than the Halloween franchise yet it is a topic that fans want to hear about. There is just something about that muc and that mask that are hypnotizing to horror fans and slasher fans alike. I am not sure I will ever understand it but it's undeniable that much I know.

Again great topic and one that I hope we can really dive into here....

The general story, characters and overall feel of the HALLOWEEN films trump any other slasher franchise by far. Sure you got some cheap scares, despensable characters and some film making flaws that occur in most entry, but I argue with anyone that the Halloween films have more quality than a lot of the slashers you find. I would say Halloween, 2, 3, 4 and H20 are all prime examples of quality films they are. 5 and 6 are far from perfect and Resurrection is a horrible film; but when you take the core films at hand, you got a great horror franchise.

Continuity was always the series' flaw for me. The fact that 4, 5 and 6's story cannon is ignored; 1, 2 and H20 were ruined (in my opinion) by the utterly pointless Resurrection, which then created the new RZ's 1 and 2; really has made a big problem for this series and keeping fans interested.

If I had my way, I'd make this next entry the final entry - and have it close off the clasc series' cannon set up by John Carpenter and Debra Hill with Michael vs Laurie. That way at least you have Rob Zombie's Halloween films start with 1 and end with 2 and the original series not conclude with Resurrection.

for me, I love the halloween franchise because it has one of the greatest ( in my opinion) horror movie scores and character development. and with great minds like rob zombie to add to the franchise, the character just gets deeper and darker. plus not many of the franchise's were as cheesey as far as all the underage drinking, sex drug use. it was just straight up horror ( I know there are some drinking and sex) - but not as in your face as friday the 13th franchise.. Plus on top of it.. Myers is just a Bad Mother Fucker! they should really make the freddy vs jason sequel, they had an aweasome script incorporating Myers and Ash and having an all out brawl.. I really wish one day they conscider another sequel, maybe they can make it more darker so it dont feel to cheesey with all these great horror titians fighting each other..

The general story, characters and overall feel of the HALLOWEEN films trump any other slasher franchise by far. Sure you got some cheap scares, despensable characters and some film making flaws that occur in most entry, but I argue with anyone that the Halloween films have more quality than a lot of the slashers you find. I would say Halloween, 2, 3, 4 and H20 are all prime examples of quality films they are. 5 and 6 are far from perfect and Resurrection is a horrible film; but when you take the core films at hand, you got a great horror franchise.

Continuity was always the series' flaw for me. The fact that 4, 5 and 6's story cannon is ignored; 1, 2 and H20 were ruined (in my opinion) by the utterly pointless Resurrection, which then created the new RZ's 1 and 2; really has made a big problem for this series and keeping fans interested.

If I had my way, I'd make this next entry the final entry - and have it close off the clasc series' cannon set up by John Carpenter and Debra Hill with Michael vs Laurie. That way at least you have Rob Zombie's Halloween films start with 1 and end with 2 and the original series not conclude with Resurrection.

some good points, but Laurie is now dead, so how do they close what's been closed? If they bring Laurie back, in relation to the original story (excluding RZ's work), it only further fucks up the continuity. Believe me, I'd LOVE to pretend Resurrection never happened, but we can't rightfully do that...

Franchise is in a tough spot. I'm starting to feel like the only real hope they have is to cmoe up with a REMARKABLE story that follows RZ's 2 flicks. I don't know how you go about doing that, but to pull the plug on what RZ started, and then pick up somewhere completely different will be EXTREMELY strange. I think that type of approach would mply feel like ANOTHER reboot, which surely wouldn't work.... Yeah, Halloween as a whole is definitely in a strange potion.

Eventhough friday the 13th is in the warm summer season, I just get this warm, home like feel with Halloween. Like others have said, the suburban atmosphere with halloween decor is something we can relate to.

Honestly, what made me start to love the Halloween franchise was because Michael Myers was the first horror character to scare the nonsense out of me. Admittedly the first Halloween movie I saw was H20, but Myers scared me so bad that I stopped it about 15-20 minutes in, and (literally) had nightmares about him every night for the rest of that week. Friday the 13th bored me because it seemed way too predictable to me (let me run into the dark basement where the light switch doesn't work, knowing I'm going to get cornered.) Nightmare on Elmstreet has always been awesome, but never scary to me.

Myers ability to terrify me mixed with the eerie movie score... yup, fan for life. And while I hated Halloween 3, found Resurrection a disappointment, and disliked the psychadelic twist Zombie put in H2 (didn't hate his movies though), I am still hankering for another installment in what is the best clasc horror franchise IMO.

I've been a fan of of the Halloween Franchise nce i was 8 years old and I'm now 27. SO I've watching the franchise for 19

years and i still enjoy them very much to this. For me I guess it's both the character and the stories. The movies are broken up into little sets, 1&2 are one story and gives us a look into how it all began. 4&5 are another little story set that takes it even further by tracking down Laurie Strodes daughter, his niece. However The Curse Of Michael Myers was just kinda of it's own story and it took a little bit further than it needed to go but i guess kinda opened up the door fro Rob Zombies re-make. H20 & Resurrection again are one story but could have used some more back story and linking to parts 4&5 with here daughter. But there's still good and H20 was kinda made just to mark the 20th anniversary of the first film. Resurrection was also good but kinda stole some thunder from nightmare on elm street by bringing Michaels house into the picture like they did with nightmare on elm street. Now onto Rob Zombie's Halloweens, why there were good they weren't great they were more gore and action than a horror film. They kinda strayed to far from the original origin in my opinion but i guess that's what makes a good re-make do something different .