Is Michael Myers Able to Speak? [Halloween Movie Facts]
The stalking shape from the Halloween movies who moves through the shadows and wields a giant kitchen knife never seems to want to talk. Is it because the famed slasher has nothing to say? Perhaps he is a little disgusted with society and flat out repulsed? What is the real story on why Michael Myers can never be found sharing his thoughts? Can Michael Myers even speak at all? Horror Enthusiast combs the alleyways of Haddonfield and Halloween movie history to find an answer to the age old question: Can Michael Myers talk?
A Little About Michael’s Linguistic History
Michael is able to talk. He understands English and has been listening to it in the mental hospital for quite some time. Still, he has refrained from speaking any words at all for years. In fact, presumably since he’s been 6 years old, he has been silent. Regardless of the fact that the last two movies were ‘remakes’, the original Halloween came out in 1978…and thus Michael Myers had not muttered a single word for literally more than 3 decades. He is one of the most deadly of the horror movie slashers, despite having a super low IQ and serious mental issues.
And then Rob Zombie released Halloween II (2009). In Zombie’s sequel, Michael Myers says “DIE” as he slaughters Loomis in severe anger.
Michael’s Overall Social Skills
Michael can obviously talk as evident in the 2009 movie where he…talks. However, Michael is simply not the kind of guy you want hanging around and you will not see him engaging in long conversation. You do not want him on your street, you do not want him in your city’s hospital, and you sure as hell do not want him in your house! Whether Michael Myers decides he has something to say to you or not, steer clear of inviting him over!
In Conclusion Michael Meyers can in fact speak, he just chooses not or simply has nothing to say. You might even say he just lets his knife do the talking for him.
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Friday the 13th vs Halloween: Which Movie Copied Which?
A lot of people believe that Halloween copied Friday the 13th. While it is probably true that both horror movie franchise giants have ‘borrowed’ a little from one another…the truth is, Halloween actually came first. John Carpenter’s original Halloween was filmed in 1978 and featured the ruthless killer Michael Myers in a nearly polished fashion right away. And while we are big fans of both slashers, Jason Voorhees seems a little under-developed in Sean Cunningham’s original Friday the 13th, released 2 years later in 1980. There are a few crossovers, however, that cannot be ignored and hint that the creators shared an interest in viewing each others films!
Slasher Similarities
The Case of a Properly Masked Killer
Although the first Michael Myers comes complete with a very attractive ‘killer mask’, Jason Voorhees is forced to resort to wearing a sack over his head for the first two films. Jason did not receive his shiny new hockey mask until Friday the 13th: Part 3, in 1982. Horror Enthusiast speculates, however, that the Friday the 13th franchise realized the reason Halloween movies were grossing more in the USA was probably because Michael Myers had a mask. Having a mask makes a killer more identifiable, and more interesting. A quick look at the gross records of the movies backs up this theory:
Halloween (1978) grossed approximately $47,000,000 in the USA [masked killer Michael Myers].
Friday the 13th (1980) grossed $39,754,601 in the USA [unmasked killer].
Halloween II (1981) grossed $25,533,818 in the USA [masked killer Michael Myers].
Friday the 13th: Part II grossed $21,722,776 in the USA [unmasked killer Jason Voorhees]
And then something interesting happened. The Halloween franchise distanced itself from Michael Myers entirely for Halloween Part III: Season of the Witch (1982) and totally bombed at the box office. It is interesting to note Halloween Part III did not feature any single masked killer that could be identified in promotional material. In other words, there was no “single greatest villain” at all! That year, Friday the 13th Part III was released featuring the new, masked Jason Voorhees and it more than DOUBLED Halloween’s domestic gross that year! Check it out:
Halloween Part III: Season of the Witch (1982) grossed an estimated $14,400,000 in the USA [no Michael Myers killer at all].
Friday the 13th: Part III (1982) grossed $36,690,067 in the USA [new masked Jason Voorhees killer].
Unfortunately for the Halloween franchise, it would be much harder to get back on the horse. In fact, Friday the 13th would go on to release 3 more movies (part 4, 5 and 6) before having any competition from Halloween again. Halloween part 4 would be released in 1988, attempting to out-gross Friday the 13th Part 7. Still, Friday the 13th Part 7 would out-gross Halloween part 4. Have a look:
Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984) grossed an estimated $32,980,000 in the USA [masked Jason, with no competition from Michael Myers that year].
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) grossed $21,930,418 in the USA [masked Jason, with no competition from Michael Myers that year].
Jason Lives, Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) grossed $19,472,057 in the USA [masked Jason, with no competition from Michael Myers that year].
Halloween 4: Return of Michael Myers (1988) grossed $17,768,757 in the USA [masked Michael Myers].
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) grossed $19,170,001 in the USA [masked Jason Voorhees].
The entire point of comparing the history of earnings from these films is to highlight the fact the Friday the 13th films did not earn more than Halloween movies until after Jason was properly masked. Clearly, a properly outfitted villain is everything!
In the case of an identifiable, masked killer, Horror Enthusiast speculates Friday the 13th copied Halloween!*
*There is a even a scene in Halloween Part 4, where Michael Myers can be briefly seen stalking Dr Loomis, wearing a Jason hockey mask!
The Case of Gender Discrimination in Killing
One argument could be that the Friday the 13th franchise chose the gender death count based upon the success of the Halloween. While this argument would not be very valid from the initial history of the two franchises and their horror starts…it could be the case later on in the struggle throughout their rivalry. Breaking down the history reveals an interesting pattern change between the 1988 and 1989 movies. Here is how both franchises began…
Michael Myers and Halloween claim 5 female victims and 4 male victims in 1978.
The Voorhees’ and Friday the 13th claim 5 female and 6 male victims in 1980.
Michael Myers and Halloween claim 5 female victims and 7 male victims in 1981.
Jason Voorhees and Friday the 13th claim 4 female and 6 male victims in 1981.
A little time passes before the two franchises go head to head again. However, in 1988, Halloween part 4 is released to compete with Friday the 13th Part 7.
Michael Myers and Halloween claim 3 female victims and 17 male victims in 1988.
Jason Voorhees and Friday the 13th claim 8 female and 8 male victims in 1988.
It is interesting to note that a previous bias to avoid too many female kills had been heavily retained in the Halloween franchise, while Friday the 13th decided to even it up. However, Friday the 13th must have decided that did not work out very well, as the two giants competed in 1989 again, only Friday the 13th had re-limited their female death count. Have a look…
Michael Myers and Halloween claim 4 female victims and 15 male victims in 1989.
Jason Voorhees and Friday the 13th claim 5 female and 15 male victims in 1989.
Although previous patterns for the first two may have indicated their own trial and error…and in the case of gender discrimination in killing, Horror Enthusiast speculates that Friday the 13th may have copied Halloween’s gender death count ratio. Please be aware, this speculation must have been to avoid media scrutiny, not based upon profit…as Jason had been raking in the dough!
The Case of an Edged Blade
One could speculate that Friday the 13th chose to give Jason Voorhees a giant machete to outdo Halloween’s choice to outfit Michael Myers with a kitchen knife. While the machete is admittedly much larger, a quick recap of the history of kills in the start of the two franchises reveals otherwise.
In Halloween (1978), Michael Myers claims 4 knife-based deaths. And in Halloween II (1981), that number drops to only 1 knife-based death.
In both Friday the 13th (1980) and Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), the Voorhees’ claims a total of 4 machete-based deaths.
Skipping ahead to the next relevant years of competition between Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, 1988 and 1989…
In Halloween Part 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Michael Myers claimed 2 deaths by knife. And in Halloween 5 the following year, again only 2 victims are killed by knife.
In Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) only one person is claimed by machete. And in Friday the 13th Part VIII the following year, again only one person is killed by machete.
In the end, the two slashers are creative enough in their death scenes to not always require their primary weapon of choice; Thus Horror Enthusiast speculates that in the case of an edged blade, neither horror franchise copied the other.
The Case of Franchise Name and Film Titles
Halloween’s first film being released 2 years earlier than the first Friday the 13th, creates some natural insinuations about the rivalry. The most obvious comparison: the names of the films. “Halloween” was most likely chosen because of it’s stigma…or the ‘already-encouraged celebration of all things scary.’ This is a common tactic used in Hollywood, as a surplus of horror movies are always available during the Halloween season. Surely, naming an entire movie after the holiday is a great way to rake in the real dough! And they were right, Halloween did tremendously well it’s first year, being released a few days before Halloween on October 27, 1978.
Similarly, Friday the 13th seems to take advantage of the only other “horror-driven” day of the year: Friday the thirteenth. Friday the 13th (1980) would be released on May 9th, 1980, one month ahead of that year’s Friday the 13th, June 13th, 1980.
Regardless of it’s release date, it is clear Friday the 13th chose to capitalize on the naming scheme piloted by the Halloween franchise, thus, Horror Enthusiast speculates that in the case of franchise name and film titles, Friday the 13th may have copied Halloween’s naming scheme.
Final Notes About the Horror Franchise Rivalry
Friday the 13th obviously came after Halloween, and thus it is reasonable to assume John Carpenter’s cult hit had at least lightly influenced the Friday the 13th creators and crew; However, both franchises deserve respect for their individual contributions to the slasher genre. For horror alone would not be what it is had it not been for so many victims spanning across these 21 movies (there are 10 Halloween films and 11 Friday the 13th films). Both franchises deserve a tip of the hat.
The Halloween versus Friday the 13th rivalry is one for horror history books no doubt, however, it is one that lives on to this very day. Each day, a new fan is born and as long as the franchises see interest in the audience, Michael and Jason will remain prominent slashers. And when one slasher is slashing, it usually wakes other killers up from their slumber as well…as the profits these killers rake in make it worth it to slash and slash again they will! Who knows, maybe we’ll even see a “Michael vs Jason” movie someday soon. After all, there couldn’t possibly be a better matched fight and horror fans from both franchises would be thrilled to see it happen (hint hint)!
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Some pretty great minds went into creating Halloween’s third film, Halloween Part III: Season of the Witch (1982). Tommy Lee Wallace wrote and directed the film with contributions from Debra Hill and John Carpenter himself! While this film was supposed to be the start of what they all hoped would become a Halloween anthology series (that would never be), it is most certainly a hidden gem of a horror movie altogether! The movie took a lot of risks to create a masterpiece that has developed a definite cult following some 30-some years later! And the worst part is the more time that goes by, the creepier the movie gets…almost in a predictive sort of way!
Behind the Scenes: Halloween Part III
The creators of the Season of the Witch found a hidden fear in the fabric of society. The movie successfully showcases horror by way of brainwashing and mind-control, conspiracy and full-on hopelessness. Here are some of the most interesting facts in the making of Halloween Part 3: Season of the Witch…
Cameo Pharmaceutical
In Halloween (1978), Dr Loomis suggests a drug called “Thorazine” to Nurse Chambers. Thorazine is supposed to suggested to suppress Michael Myers’ mental and psychiatric disorders. In Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), this same drug is prescribed by Dr Challis to Harry Grimbridge during his stint in the hospital!
Truly Hypnotizing
The creators were insistent upon the Silver Shamrock theme song and commercial playing as much as possible throughout the film. Branding the film with the Silver Shamrock Novelties company logos, stickers, and themes was imperative in creating the fear that is experienced throughout the film. Ultimately, the Silver Shamrock theme song plays a total of 14 times throughout the movie!
Where Was Halloween Season of the Witch Filmed?
The film was produced in California. The gas stations are located off the Sierra Highway, and also in Loleta (both are still there). The hospital was in Sylmar, however, no longer remains. And the Silver Shamrock commercials were filmed in Sierra Madre. The movie also uses the Rose of Shannon Motel and a manufacturing factory in Loleta. Random scenes are shot all over L.A. As well.
Voicing Cameo
Halloween’s previous films starred Jamie Lee Curtis. She is also the phone operator in the third installment, Season of the Witch. The role is uncredited, but she sounds absolutely convincing! She is also the voice reciting the curfew.
Coining Witchcraft in the Computer Age
Several people, including the film’s director (Tommy Lee Wallace), credit Debra hill with the concept of introducing witchcraft to the computer age. Witchcraft had not previously been used to fuse with or take over technology in the way it is used throughout the Silver Shamrock story.
The Masks Were Real
The three Silver Shamrock masks present throughout the film were mass produced as a part of a merchandising campaign. Don Post was selected for the job, as he had previously done similar merchandising for E.T. (1982), Star Wars (1977), and Planet of the Apes (1968). The producers felt that if the masks were released early enough, fans would purchase them prior to the film’s release and wear them to the actual movie theater.
A Masked Plot
Tommy Lee Wallace, writer and director of Season of the Witch, explained that he had an intricate plan for the three masked sold by the Silver Shamrock Novelties company. Each mask was going to represent another film in the series…thus connecting Season of the Witch (loosely) with the other movies in the franchise. Unfortunately, after this third movie in the franchise totally bombed at the box office, Halloween would have to return to their cash cow, famed slasher Michael Myers, instead of merely leaving behind his mask.
Mostly Acting Newbies
Almost all of the cast of the third Halloween film were total newbies…only having previous credits as extras or cameo types of appearances. There were a couple bigger names, but ultimately the film relied upon newer, green talent. Amazingly, the acting itself is pretty alright and the movie maintains a fairly strong level of suspense.
Halloween Cameo Appearance
Halloween (1978) itself receives a cameo appearance roughly 1:17 to 1:19 minutes into the movie. The movie can be seen played on a small TV as a Silver Shamrock victim sits strapped to a chair and locked in a room with a mask over his head.
The Silver Shamrock Theme Song
The Silver Shamrock theme song is based on the popular “London Bridge” song. London Bridge was in the public domain, so it became a clear choice as a catchy, modifiable tune that people would recognize, remember, and be able to follow along with.
Robot Guts
Robot guts was seemingly new territory as the staff ended up using orange juice. The high-in-vitamin-c citrus drink can be seen pouring from the robots’ mouths throughout the films.
Got Milk?
Although the crew used orange juice for robot blood, the Silver Shamrock factory was actually producing something much different before being cast in Season of the Witch. A milk factory was used as the Silver Shamrock headquarters due to its availability, location ambiance and size.
Inspirations for Making the Film
There are obvious tips of the hat to both Don Siegel (Invasion of the Body Snatchers general concept) and George A Romero (Season of the Witch film title). Halloween itself (the holiday, not the movie franchise), deserves an applause, for without Halloween, none of Season of the Witch would be possible! The movie focuses on the sale of Halloween masks to would-be trick-or-treaters, days before…you guessed it! Halloween!
An Under appreciated 80s Horror Movie
Season of the Witch is one of the most original horror movies to come out of the 80s, despite drawing a lot of inspiration from even very popular pieces such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and Season of the Witch (1972). The acting is pretty decent, believable. The characters are drawn perfectly. The film style and natural fear is excellent, in traditional Carpenter-Hill fashion. And Tommy Lee Wallace totally knocks the ball out of the park when it comes to directing the movie. Regardless of its amazing feats, the brilliant attempt at reinventing the Halloween franchise came a little too early; Thus, Season of the Witch joins the ranks of underappreciated 80s horror movies.
And if it were still possible to actually buy Silver Shamrock masks, every fan absolutely would!
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
How Did They Bring Laurie Strode Back for the Halloween Movies?
Laurie Strode’s character (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) was a long running heroine in the Halloween franchise. She is one of the most successful protagonists out of all the horror movie franchises…and thus, her death came as a shock to Halloween fans. The producers of Halloween: Resurrection (2002) decided they were going to kill off Laurie’s character. So how is it that she is back and starring in the 2018 Halloween movie, released on October 19th, 2018 and the new 2021 Halloween Kills movie?
Horror Enthusiast has probed the Halloween rumors and creator interviews to determine the truth behind Jamie Lee Curtis’ reemergence as heroine Laurie Strode.
Why is Laurie Strode in the New Halloween movies?
The creators of this new Halloween movies are laying down some pretty good ground work and they all seem to be on the same page. Danny McBride has been interviewed about the 2018 movie (he was co-writing it, so his opinion is of sincere value) and has claimed it is not a remake. He explains that they are not picking up after Rob Zombie’s remakes. In fact, it ignores them, and many other movies in the franchise as well.
The real reason Laurie Strode has been allowed back into the franchise, is because the new movie ignores all previous films besides the first two movies. This means, all Michael Myers history after 1981 never happened for this new film.* As far as script writing goes for Halloween (2018), Laurie Strode never died to begin with.
Additionally, McBride has offered some more insight to the inspiration behind the new Halloween movie, and it all starts with his own likes. McBride states that he has always loved the Halloween franchise, and that the first movie has been on of his all time favorites. He says the simplicity behind the original movie led to efficiency probably meant to describe the entire movie] and that he wants to create a “straight-up” kind of horror in these new Halloween movies.
*It has been suggested that McBride and team may also choose to completely ignore the second movie in the franchise as well, Halloween II (1981). This would mean picking up after Michael Myers falls out of the second story window in the first film, gets up, and walks off.
Halloween (2018)
It is important to remember that Halloween (2018) is not meant to be a remake of anything. It is a continuation of a story. So much of the telephone game has created rumors that this is a remake of the original Halloween movie, even incorrectly listed on IMDB as a “reboot of the original film” (at the time of writing this article anyway).
Released in October 2018 release, Halloween 2018 became an instant classic. A team of true Halloween movie lovers like Carpenter, McBride and Green all working together, along with bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis, means creating a masterpiece that has horror fans everywhere more than excited!
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
Halloween’s Michael Myers is infamous for returning over and over again on Halloween to slay his family and a variety of other victims in his path. Sometimes, he sustains injuries that no human being could ever sustain at the end of one movie, only to reappear in another film a few years down the road. So what is the deal? Is Michael Myers an immortal? Horror Enthusiast analyzes some of the most key points in revealed throughout the Halloween franchise which explain Michael’s never-ending killing cycle!
Can Michael Myers Live Forever?
Dr Loomis describes the first time he saw Michael Myers as essentially meeting the devil himself. He admits that he felt Michael was savable, however, after 8 years of trying to mentally repair Michael, he gave up and began trying to keep him locked up. Loomis describes Michael Myers as pure evil. Being made of ‘pure evil’ would most certainly explain Michael’s incredible survival skills. Here is a list of the ways he has ‘died’ throughout the Halloween films…
Michael Meyers Defeats Timeline
In Halloween (1978), Michael gets a full revolver of bullets in the chest and falls from a second story window.
In Halloween II (1981), Michael gets shot 8 times, including once in each eyeball, and then blown to smithereens via oxygen and ether tanks in Haddonfield Memorial Hospital.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) features a practical firing squad as Michael receives a barrage of bullets, from both rifles and shotguns, and falls into a mine shaft. Law enforcement toss some dynamite into the shaft along with him in an attempt to finish him.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) presents Michael’s elaborate survival of the previous film’s ‘dynamite ending’ (pun intended), and showcases Michael’s building strength strength.
In Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), Michael is injected with a solution that is revealed to be a tranquilizer and then beat with a pipe. He still escapes.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) brings back Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, who crushes her brother against a tree with an ambulance and decapitates him with an axe. However, this was apparently not Michael (as revealed in Resurrection, 2002).
In Halloween: Resurrection (2002), Michael suffers an electrocution. He is also lit on fire.
Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007), the slasher gets shot multiple times, stabbed in the chest, falls from a second story window (like the first film) and then gets shot in the face. He survives.
And Rob Zombie’s sequel, Halloween II (2009), Michael was stabbed many times with a butcher knife, wounds both in the chest and face. Despite this film depicting him dead, he always seems to escape somehow.
Will Michael Myers Ever Die?
Michael always seems to surprise fans. No matter how many ways they have tried to kill him, he appears to have infinite strength and infinite lives. Still, the Danny McBride 2018 rewrite frames a mortal, much more human slasher. McBride has explained that the Halloween franchise has gotten too corny and that it deserves to reboot, back to the original Carpenter-style horror it was in 1978. Carpenter must agree, as he is listed as the lead producer on the 2018 Halloween remake. In fact, Michael Myers has been made out to be much more vulnerable than ever before in the upcoming film.
Halloween (2018) After Michael is trapped in a fortified basement and the house explodes the camera cuts back to the smoldering ruins. Alas these is not real evidence that he was destroyed.
After many attempts it seems clear he cannot be killed by any conventional methods. Is he immortal is still TBD, but he sure is not easy to kill. Can you really kill True Evil though?
Tritone’s love of horror and mystery began at a young age. Growing up in the 80’s he got to see some of the greatest horror movies play out in the best of venues, the drive-in theater. That’s when his obsession with the genre really began—but it wasn’t just the movies, it was the games, the books, the comics, and the lore behind it all that really ignited his obsession. Tritone is a published author and continues to write and write about horror whenever possible.
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