"I encountered him 15 years ago. I was informed there was nothing remaining; no grounds, no conscience, no comprehension even in the simplest sense of existence or its opposite, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this... six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and... the blackest eyes—the Devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil".—Dr. Samuel Loomis, Halloween (1978).
1978’s Halloween introduced one of the big screen’s most iconic horror villains, preceding other icons like Jason and Freddy Krueger. With a new Halloween film coming out later this year, complete with the return of its original protagonist, we wanted to delve a litter deeper into the origin story and mind of the silent killer. Here are 42 disturbed facts about Michael Myers.
1. This Is A Mike Myers Mask
Remember the scene in Baby Driver where one of the robbers accidentally buys Austin Powers’ masks instead of Halloween ones? As in, the character played by Canadian comedian Mike Myers, not the creepy villain Michael Myers? The scene was actually originally supposed to use two Halloween masks, but the plan/wish was shut down by the makers of the new Halloween film.
2. Set Phasers To Stun
Michael Myers’ iconic mask is actually a William Shatner mask that is painted white and changed to blur the resemblance to Shatner. The Halloween mask is painted white, the hair is spray-painted brown, and the eyes are enlarged.
3. Beneath The Mask
Myers was portrayed by Nick Castle in the original film, while James Jude Courtney will handle most of the bodywork for the upcoming sequel. Courtney will be handling most of the kill scenes, while Castle will help in a “limited capacity".
4. Icebreaker
The 2018 Halloween film ignores all of the previous sequels, serving as a direct sequel to the 1978 original. As a result, the characterization and added backstory that Myers had over nine films is removed. Director David Gordon Green remains adamant that Myers is “the essence of evil… He has no personality. "He has no interests." I don't know, Dave, he seems pretty fascinated with causing harm to people!
5. No Staring Contests
Throughout the original film, Myers’ eyes are rarely visible. They are usually obscured by shadow or the mask. John Carpenter did this deliberately since this small feature makes it harder to connect with someone.
6. Bad Influence
Halloween 4 ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, depicting Myers’ niece holding a bloody pair of scissors. The implication is that she eliminated her family, similar to what Myers did. The crew behind Halloween 4 wanted to explore the idea of a victim turning into a protégé, but the sequel then revealed that Jamie Lloyd didn’t actually kill her family.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Trancas International
7. Merry Christmas
Designer Rick Sternbach revealed that while working on Halloween II the crew only had one mask left. Sternbach got around to finding the phone number molded into the mask’s neck, and got a hold of Don Post Studios. The employee verified the mask was a Captain Kirk one and graciously offered to give the crew a box of them, as long as they were credited.
Halloween II, Universal Pictures
8. Pennywise
Myers nearly wore an Emmett Kelly clown mask instead. During production, the crew contemplated the use of a clown mask as a tribute to Myers, who annihilated his family while donning one. However, after seeing the William Shatner mask, the crew decided to go with their second choice, since the mask was emotionless and therefore creepier. People who are scared of clowns might disagree.
9. Thanks?
The name “Michael Myers” comes from one of John Carpenter’s former co-workers. Myers was the European distributor of Carpenter’s previous film, Assault on Precinct 13. Since Carpenter was pleased with the film’s overseas success, he gave a shout out the only way he knew how.
10. Pass Or Fail
Myers was sent to an insane asylum when he was six years old, so some fans were understandably confused when he could drive in the first Halloween film. The Halloween novelization explains that Myers would watch Dr. Sam Loomis closely when he was being driven to court hearings.
Halloween (1978), Compass International Pictures
11. Vegetarian Zombie
The 2007 remake delves into Myers' backstory far more heavily than the original, unveiling that Myers caused numerous animals to cease to exist during his childhood. One of the initial scenes features Myers harming a mouse, and PETA actually lauded director Rob Zombie for illustrating a connection between mistreatment of animals and aggressive behavior towards humans.
12. Big League
Tyler Mane, best known as Sabretooth in X-Men (2000) portrayed Myers in the 2007 Rob Zombie-helmed remake and remains the tallest actor to do so, clocking in at 6’8” tall.
13. Meow
Director David Gordon Green has stated Myers will exhibit more “cat-like” movements in the 2018 Halloween.
Nick Castle set the tone for movement in the original film, but Green will be bringing something new to the silent stalker.
14. Strong, Silent Type
The 2007 remake marked the first time that Myers says a word onscreen since the movie gives young Myers a lot of screen time.
Halloween (2007), Dimension Films
15. All Hallow’s Eve
Myers is known for shrugging off a lot of damage, such as gunshots. Writer Debra Hill said the simple idea behind Myers and the script as a whole is that you can’t kill evil. Hill and Carpenter drew inspiration from Samhain, the Gaelic festival. Samhain viewed Halloween as a time when spirits attack the living. So, in a sense, Myers is a furious spirit who cannot be vanquished.
16. No Pun Intended
Myers was influenced heavily by Carpenter’s own experience with mentally ill patients. During a college trip, he visited a mental institution in Kentucky and came across a patient “12 to 13 years old". Carpenter remembers being unsettled by the patient’s “schizophrenic stare,” which he described as “unsettling,” “creepy,” and “completely insane".
Getty Images
17. Six Degrees
Six different people played Myers in the original film. There was Nick Castle and Debra Hill doing the handiwork for the POV shot. Tommy Lee Wallace portrayed Myers in the closet scene. Stuntman Jim Winburn filmed certain dangerous scenes, Tony Moran played adult Myers for the unmasking scene, while Will Sandin played young Myers.
18. Vow Of Silence
The novelization of the original film reveals that Dr. Loomis realizes Myers can talk. Myers pretended to be catatonic while at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, apparently never speaking to the doctor.
Halloween (1978), Compass International Pictures
19. Woah
In a way, there are four different versions of Michael Myers.
The Halloween franchise isn’t a coherent whole, with some sequels being ignored for certain timelines.
The upcoming film follows the original, ignoring all other sequels.
Another timeline starts with the original two films and then skips the third. This timeline continues with the fourth, fifth and sixth films.
The third timeline starts with the original two films and then continues with 1998’s Rewrite this without the word [X]: H20.
The last timeline starts with the 2007 Rob Zombie remake.
20. Bang For Your Buck
The original Halloween mask now belongs to Mark Roberts, the owner of a few haunted houses.
Roberts was planning to have Warlock, who played Myers in Halloween II, do an appearance at his haunted house. Warlock showed up but also sold him the mask and the scalpel used in the first two Halloween films.
21. Voila
Myers is unmasked twice in the series. The first reveal in Halloween comes during Myer’s fight with Laurie Strode. The second unmasking comes in Halloween 5, where Myers unmasks for his niece (Laurie Strode’s daughter), Jamie Lloyd.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), Compass International Pictures
22. Lannisters
Myer’s niece, Jamie Lloyd, becomes pregnant during the series and a “producer’s cut” of the sixth film reveals her baby is Michael’s. According to this extended version of the film, the administrator of Smith’s Grove Sanitarium arranged a get-together for Myers and his niece, with Lloyd being an unwilling participant.
23. Perfect Score
The third Halloween film, Season of the Witch, is known for not featuring Myers in the main role. However, he is technically still in the film, since one scene shows a clip from the first Halloween, where Michael is chasing Laurie Strode.
24. Soft Spot
Myers is apparently a cat guy. Myers is depicted harming dogs in Halloween 1, 4, and 5. Equally, Halloween 5 presents Myers as causing harm to two individuals in a cabin, yet he goes on to spare the box of kittens in the same space.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), Compass International Pictures
25. M&A&M
An extended version of Halloween aired on TV in 1979. One of the scenes shows Myers’ medical records, revealing that his middle name is Aubrey. Some sources also say it is Audrey.
26. Brainwashed
Some sources say Myer’s face is disfigured when it’s revealed in the original film. However, the only actual disfigurement is a small cut sustained from the fight. John Carpenter saw this as an example of the power of suggestion: Audiences were supposed to see Myers as a monster, so they still saw him as one when the mask came off.
27. Original
Rumors suggest that Myers is inspired by a dangerous murderer named Stanley Stiers. Stiers was 11 years old when he allegedly caused the demise of his family on Halloween in 1923. Online searches don’t bring up many reputable results for Stiers, so it appears this may be an example of a rumor that got picked up by too many people.
28. Second Wave
Halloween helped to usher in a new wave of horror, inspiring other slasher films like the Friday the 13th series. Myers is sometimes viewed as an example of a “somnambulist” killer. The name comes from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which is considered one of the first horror films. The somnambulist killer is human-like (as opposed to a vampire, werewolf etc.), but is a mute and emotionless killer.
29. Different
John Carpenter created Myers with the goal that the audience would not be able to relate to him.
30. Continuity
Tyler Mane is the only actor to portray Myers in consecutive films, with roles in the 2007 remake and its 2009 sequel.
31. Resurrection
George Wilbur became the first person to portray Myers twice when he played the baddie in the fourth Halloween film, and then the sixth. Tyler Mane would later become the second.
32. Worlds Collide
Myers dons the iconic mask of horror movie counterpart Jason in the fourth Halloween film, briefly walking around in a hockey mask instead of his usually formless white mask.
33. Attention To Detail
A horror villain’s name is an important part of the identity, so it was pretty unfortunate that Halloween H20: 20 Years Later actually features a misspelled version of Myers’ name. A newspaper headline talked about “Michael Meyers".
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Nightfall Productions
34. LeBron
Michael is typically portrayed as being around seven feet tall. Camera tricks were used to make him appear this height in most of the films, but Tyler Mane’s 6’8” tall frame came closest to capturing the height in 2007’s remake.
35. Man Of Mystery
The only time Myers’ name is mentioned in the original film is when his mother says it in the opening sequence.
Halloween (1978), Compass International Pictures
36. Noob
Myers was available as DLC (downloadable content) in 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts. The “Fog” map allowed players to get Myers’ good looks and wield an axe, which could be used to harvest souls. The Halloween soundtrack also played in the background.
Myers also featured as a DLC in the survival horror video game, Day by Daylight, showcasing his capability to eliminate victims with a single hit.
37. Freddy’s Coming For You
In the extended TV version of Halloween, a scene at Laurie Strode’s house is filmed at 1428 North Genesee Avenue. This house was also Nancy Thompson’s in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Although the house was used for one scene, it is meant to be the same location we see in the others. So technically, Myers was a nightmare on Elm Street.
38. Time To Shine
The original film showcases a POV shot of Myers taking the lives of his family. Production couldn’t afford more time with the child actor, so writer Debra Hill filled in.
39. Primary Source
James Jude Courtney, who plays Michael in the upcoming film, learned how to kill from a former Mafia hitman. The hitman began living with Courtney after being released from incarceration. The hitman later went to see a film Courtney directed, The Hit List, and advised that the kills weren’t realistic. Courtney then learned from the best and put the knowledge to use to play Myers.
40. The Dude
Myers is simply referred to as “The Shape” in the closing credits of the original Halloween film. The Shape is also what Myers is referred to in the original script. The term comes from Minister Cotton Mather, a famous figure from the Salem Witch Trials. Mather used the term to describe spirits who caused harm.
41. Retcon
Halloween II revealed that Laurie Strode, the series’ main protagonist, is Michael’s sister. Director John Carpenter has stated that he regrets the revelation. Jamie Lee Curtis also expresses her disapproval towards the change, stating that "there is nothing more chilling than a random act of brutality." The upcoming film will not be introducing that plot point, making Myers a killer who won’t go soft on Strode because they’re family.
Halloween II (1981), Universal Pictures
42. In The Blood
The Halloween novelization unveils that Michael's great-grandfather caused the demise of a couple at a harvest dance on Halloween. Great-grandpa Myers then identified his victims by name before he was hanged, even though he’d never met them, saying he heard the names in his dreams.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
