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THE VIOLENCE OF GENDER (MIS)REPRESENTATION A COMPARISON BETWEEN HALLOWEEN (1978) AND HALLOWEEN (2018)

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Academiejaar: 2018 – 2019

Table of Content Introduction...... 3 Plot Summaries ...... 5 Methodology ...... 8 Quantitative Approach ...... 9 A Story of Stereotypes ...... 12 The Male Monster, the Hero, and Horny Boyfriends ...... 13 Michael Myers ...... 13 Dr. Samuel Loomis ...... 17 The Boyfriends ...... 20 The Blonde, the Bold and the Virgin...... 23 Lynda Van der Klok ...... 24 Annie Brackett ...... 25 Laurie Strode ...... 28 The Final Girl...... 30 The Other Girls ...... 32 The Eye of the Hunter ...... 34 The Eye of the Hunted ...... 38 Quantitative approach ...... 39 A New Story ...... 42 Male Monsters and Chatty Husbands ...... 42 Michael Myers ...... 42 Dr. Ranbir Sartain ...... 45 Ray Nelson ...... 47 Cameron Elam ...... 48 Three generations of Strode women ...... 49 The Final Women ...... 52 The Eyes of the Hunted Becoming the Hunter ...... 55 Conclusion ...... 57 Works Cited ...... 62 Appendix ...... 66 Script Halloween (1978) ...... 66 Script Halloween (2018) ...... 101

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THE VIOLENCE OF GENDER (MIS)REPRESENTATION: A COMPARISON BETWEEN HALLOWEEN (1978) AND HALLOWEEN (2018)

Introduction The Halloween movies have continued to constitute a leading cinema franchise for nearly four decades now. The first movie, released in 1978, left a huge impression on the horror film scene and is even said to have redefined the genre (Stone 3). More specifically, Halloween (1978) has indicated the birth of the “slasher film”, a new subgenre of horror movies that is particularly geared towards teenagers (Gill 16). The basic plotline of slashers has been described as follows: “Take a certain number of attractive high school or college age men and women and put them into a dark or shadowy place, then intrude into that erotic setting the presence of a maniac with a knife, an axe or a cleaver. Let the camera caress every shadow for as long as possible, while the young people caress each other until the killer kills – brutally, ingeniously, swiftly, spilling as much blood as possible” (Wolf 89).

Slasher movies both build on the horror tradition and distinguish themselves from it. On the one hand, they subscribe to many of the typical characteristics of the gothic. They feature “defenseless heroines; suppressed passions; unspeakable desires; […] and jarring juxtapositions of the moral and the monstrous, the sexual and the grotesque, the virtuous and the violent” (Gill 16). Yet the values that slasher films portray are opposite to those of traditional horror movies. The key point of the traditional horror film, according to Robin Wood, was that the monster threatened bourgeois normality. The monster, as “a creature of the id”, could be seen as a protest against repression, and to quote Wood: “the threatened heroine was invariably associated with the values of monogamous marriage and the nuclear family” (82). In slasher movies, however, the opposite is true. “The women who are terrorized and slaughtered tend to be those who resist definition within the virgin-wife-mother framework” (Wood 82). Because of this, Wood explains that slasher movies have generally been understood as a reaction against 1960s and 1970s feminism (81). This interpretation of slashers presupposes a male audience which would enjoy a sadistic indulgence

in the violence against women who refuse to conform to the patriarchal idea of how women should behave (Wood 81).

As a result, slashers have become the subject of a broad scholarly discussion on the alleged misogyny of the genre. Some critics go as far as to argue that violence against women is a defining factor of slashers, which they even nickname “violence-against-women movies”. Edward Donnerstein et al. is an example of a study that concluded that the violence of slasher films is “overwhelmingly directed at women” (The Question of Pornography, 113). Moreover, Donnerstein et al. believe slashers to be “sexually violent films”, claiming that the attacks that the women suffer often occur during or following scenes in which they were shown erotically (“Effects of Long-Term Exposure”, 759). Gloria Cowan and Margaret O’Brien, however, argue that this correlation between sex and violence is overestimated. Such scenes would simply be more noticeable, as viewers are more likely to remember women being killed in a sexualized context than men being murdered in a non-eroticized way (187). According to Janet Maslin, the slasher killer would even victimize men and women equally, noting that “murdering pretty young women excites him most, but he’s really not particular. He’ll gladly butcher anyone who gets in his way” (B-1). James Weaver, similarly, refers to Dickstein to argue that the alteration between male and female victims is necessary for the aesthetic of slasher films (Weaver 386).

Richard Nowell, then, shed a new light on the discussion by looking at the non-violent content of slashers. Rather than focusing on the presupposed misogynistic fantasies of young men, he pinpoints the marketing techniques that are used to make slashers attractive to a female audience (117). One way in which this is done is, for example, the use of promotional posters that depict “female-friendly” imagery associated with courtship or sisterhood (Nowell 123). According to Nowell, Halloween (1978) should in that regard appeal to young women because it centers around the figures of Laurie, Lynda, and Annie: their female friendship, love-lives and minor personal problems revolving around school, prom dates and babysitting (129).

The question, however, remains in how far a focus on the non-violent content is convincing in the consideration of misogyny in slasher movies, when, for example, Logas (quoted in Weaver) argues that slashers are “filled with scene after scene of terrified, half-dressed women, screaming with pain and horror as they are raped, stabbed, chopped at, and strangled” (Weaver 386). This is the first issue that this thesis wants to rectify. Rather than looking at either the violent or the non- violent content of slashers, this thesis aims for an integral understanding of the full slasher movie

experience. The Halloween franchise will serve as the case study that is taken to be representative of the genre: on the one hand because Halloween (1978) is said to be the first slasher movie, and on the other because it allows for a diachronic approach to gender in slasher movies. With the birth of slasher movies, the trend to generate a series of spin-offs, sequels and imitations of slashers was namely born as well (Wee 44). A comparison between Halloween (1978) and the franchise’s most recent instalment, Halloween (2018) will therefore offer an interesting opportunity to find out whether or not slasher movies’ representation of gender has changed over the years. A potential evolution of Hollywood’s presumed most misogynistic genre might respectively be indicative of a broader attitude change of society in its whole. To quote Richard Bischoff and Annette Debolt Reiter: “not only do movies (and television) influence society, but they also reflect society and the common perceptions (e.g., stereotypes, myths) that exist in society at large” (181). This thesis should therefore be understood in relation to the recent #metoo movement, because “a vital conversation about sexual violence has been thrust into the national dialogue” (“about metoo”). The question arises in how far slasher movies have responded to this conversation.

Plot Summaries To answer this, we first look at the plot summaries of the movies. Halloween (1978) starts on Halloween night, 1963, when the six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murders his sister Judith with a butcher knife. The boy is locked up in Smith’s Grove Sanatorium for fifteen years and is then called to stand trial for his crime. However, when his psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, and nurse Marion, come to transfer him, Michael attacks Marion and manages to escape. He kills a man to steal his overalls and heads back to his hometown: Haddonfield. Here, he encounters the young Laurie Strode and her friends: Lynda van der Klok and Annie Brackett. Dr. Loomis, in the meantime, sets out on a personal hunt for Michael. He is convinced the psychopath will return home. But while Dr. Loomis keeps watch over Myers’ parental house, Michael is stalking and planning to kill the three teenage girls.

The killer first lays in ambush for Annie. She is on her way to meet up with her boyfriend, Paul, but is surprised and strangled by Michael as she steps into her car. The next victims are Lynda and her boyfriend, Bob. Michael spies on them as they are having sex and waits for Bob to leave the room. When he does, to get a beer for Lynda and himself, he is strangled and stabbed by Michael. The killer subsequently disguises himself as Bob to get to Lynda. When Lynda turns her back on him to call Laurie, Michael quickly seizes and chokes her with the telephone wire.

Laurie is listening the whole time as Lynda is squealing for her life, but mistakes it for one of Annie’s prank calls. Though when she dials back and nobody answers, she decides to go check on her friends. She first finds Annie’s dead body, sprawled out on a bed with the stolen tombstone of Judith Myers by her head. Staggering backwards in shock, Laurie then stumbles into the closet behind her: setting in motion a boobytrap created by Michael. Bob’s corpse comes swinging down a rope, and Lynda’s body is revealed to be stuffed inside the next closet.

Laurie breaks down in tears, and Michael appears behind her. He swings at her with his knife but misses, causing her to fall down the stairs in her panic. A cat and mouse game then ensues: Michael keeps coming after her, but Laurie manages to escape or fight back multiple times. When the psychopath finally catches up to her – surprising her from the back after he had been presumed dead – Dr. Loomis arrives just in time to save Laurie. He shoots Michael repeatedly, and the murderer falls off the balcony. His body is shown lying on the ground. But when the camera returns a moment later, after switching to Laurie and Loomis, Michael is gone.

In the following sequels (Halloween (2018) is the eleventh instalment), Laurie is revealed to be Michael’s lost sister who was adopted by the Strode family following Judith’s murder. The Laurie- and-Michael storyline is once abandoned completely to focus on witchcraft. Michael is brought back in Halloween III, but Laurie is said to have died in a car crash, though she left a daughter who becomes Michael’s new objective in the following three movies. Halloween VII is then the first movie to upset the timeline: dismissing the events that happened in the third to sixth sequel and bringing back Laurie Strode. Instead of having died in a car crash, Laurie is now said to have faked her death to hide from Michael, and instead of a daughter, she now has a son. She manages to kill Michael at the end of this movie, but at the beginning of the next sequel, we learn that Laurie has not killed Michael but a paramedic with whom he had swapped clothes. Because she is afraid to make the same mistake again, she now tries to remove Michael’s mask before killing him, giving Michael the opportunity to murder her. Rob Zombie in the meantime made two remakes of the first two Halloween movies as well wherein he revisits the original story. But Halloween (2018) again ignores the developments of all sequels and follows directly on the events of the 1978 version.

Halloween (2018) takes place exactly forty years after the events of Halloween (1978). Michael Myers has spent this time back at Smith’s Grove Sanatorium but is now scheduled for transfer to

another facility. Two journalists, Dana Haines and Aaron Joseph-Korey, set out to interview Michael before his transfer, but fail to evoke a response from him, even after showing him his trademark mask. They therefore try to get hold of Laurie Strode for new insights in his case. It is revealed, however, that Laurie’s life has completely derailed after the events of Halloween (1978). Trauma has left her unable to cope with life. She has become a hermit, suffered two failed marriages, and had her daughter taken away from her at the age of twelve. For the past forty years, she has been preparing for Michael’s return.

Her family, however, is trying to live a normal existence. Karen has shut her mother out of her life, married her partner Ray, and had a daughter, Allyson, who is in the meantime already a teenager. Allyson has a boyfriend, Cameron, whom she introduces to her family over dinner. Behind her mother’s back, Allyson also invited her grandmother to this event. Laurie shows up but is a nervous wreck because Michael is due to be transferred the same evening.

Her fears are confirmed, when Michael indeed manages to escape the bus and goes on a murderous rampage in the streets. Laurie first sets out on a personal hunt for Michael but is then met by officer Hawkins. Together, they convince Karen and Ray that they need to take shelter in Laurie’s fortified cabin-house. However, Allyson is at the moment at a Halloween dance with Cameron, whom she catches cheating on her. Upset, Allyson leaves the dance and is followed by Cameron’s friend, Oscar. Oscar walks Allyson home but then takes advantage of the situation by trying to kiss her. Aggravated by this, Allyson leaves him behind in Mr. Elrod’s garden. Here, Oscar is killed by Michael. Allyson comes running back when she hears Oscar screaming, but by the time she gets to him, he is already dead. She runs down the road, shouting for help, and the police are called.

Officer Hawkins comes to escort Allyson to her grandmother’s house. He is, however, accompanied by Dr. Ranbir Sartain: Michael’s new psychiatrist, and student of Dr. Loomis (who in the meantime has passed away). Dr. Sartain was also on the bus the night Michael caused it to crash, and has only just awakened from the hospital. The three get into a police car together and are on their way to Laurie’s house when Allyson spots Michael on the street. Officer Hawkins proceeds to run him down with his car. But as he gets out to finish Michael off, he is attacked by Dr. Sartain, who is revealed to have developed an unhealthy obsession with his patient. Dr. Sartain kills officer Hawkins and drags Michael’s unconscious body into the car with Allyson, planning to reunite Michael with Laurie. When Michael awakens, however, he immediately kicks in Dr. Sartain’s car

seat from the back and kills him. Allyson manages to escape into the woods, but Michael kills two more police officers and uses their car to drive to Laurie’s house. Ray, who sees the police car coming up the driveway, promptly goes outside to ask if there is any news from Allyson, and is subsequently killed by Michael. A cat and mouse-game then again ensues between Michael and Laurie. While Karen is hiding in the basement, Laurie combs through the house looking for Michael. They fight, and Laurie falls out of the first floor window, but a moment later she is gone.

Allyson in the meantime reaches the house too, and is ushered into the basement by her mother. Here, they wait for Michael. Karen pretends to break down and cries that she cannot shoot him, but when he appears in the stair frame, she does. Laurie then attacks Michael from the back, causing him to fall down the stairs. Allyson and Karen get out, and it is revealed that the basement was a trap all along. Laurie pushes a button, and bars pop up, preventing Michael to leave. Laurie then sets fire to her house with Michael in it. The three women hitchhike along with a pickup truck, but when the camera returns to the burning basement a moment later, Michael is not in it.

Methodology At first sight, it is already clear that the storyline of the Halloween saga not only becomes more and more intricate as time goes by, but varying degrees of agency have become attributed to the female characters as well. As announced above: this thesis will dig deeper into the representation of gender by means of a comparative analysis of Halloween (1978) and Halloween (2018). To determine whether these slashers are indeed as misogynist as is often claimed, this thesis will work in three ways. A first analysis will be concerned with the quantitative distribution of violence per gender. The second will look at character representation. And the third will, finally, consider the cinematographic representation of gender.

To answer the question of which gender is treated more violently, this thesis will not only look at what the ratio of male to female victims is, but also consider how often and how long each victim is targeted. The analysis of character representation will subsequently be divided into two parts: namely, one that deals with the violent and one that deals with the non-violent content of the movie. The non-violent content analysis will be conducted in the spirit of “Images of Women Criticism”, which, as Marion Gymnich states, played a significant role in feminist literary criticism of the 1970’s and 1980’s (507). Images of Women Criticism specifically focusses on matters of content: looking at how the characters function in the plot and how this is influenced by their gender identity. Special interest is here paid to the use of stereotypes in fictional character-

building (Gymnich 507). On Nowell’s incentive, this thesis will subsequently consider the dynamics of the intimate relationships and friendships of the characters as well.

The close-reading of the violent content of the movie will then make a distinction between the treatment of the surviving and the non-surviving characters. This analysis will adopt the psychoanalytic framework of feminist film studies, meaning that it will be concerned with uncovering the symbolic layers of gender representation (Freeland 195-196). “The final girl”, firstly, is a typical slasher trope that describes the behavior of the only surviving victim, which, as the name says, is always female. To understand this figure’s symbolical meaning, the analysis will focus on the phallic nature of the weapons that she yields as well as the (dis)continuation of her previously developed gender identity. A related analysis will then look into the correlation between sex and non-survival for the other victims, and how this influences the way their bodies are handled after their death.

Finally, this thesis will also investigate how both movies visualize the differences in gender cinematographically through the camera-technique of “the (male) gaze”. The questions that are dealt with here, are: what the gaze signifies, who controls it, and who is controlled by it.

HALLOWEEN 1978

Quantitative Approach A first important step in analyzing Halloween (1978)’s gender representation, is determining whether or not the violence of the slasher is indeed primarily aimed towards women, as is often claimed. To answer this question, I will first approach the movie from a quantitative perspective. As is typical for early slasher movies (Sapolsky et al. 34), there is a relatively low number of victims in Halloween (1978). There are only five murders in the movie. The first victim is the sister of the killer: Judith Myers, the next victim is a nameless man who is found by the side of the road. Then follow Annie, Lynda’s boyfriend Bob and finally Lynda herself. This makes up a total of three female victims, versus two male victims. While there is one more murdered woman, this does not make for a significant gender imbalance.

At first sight, these findings therefore seem consistent with Cowan and O’Brien (194), Weaver (390), and Sapolsky et al. (35); quantitative studies of slasher movies which also determined that there was no meaningful difference in the number of male and female victims. Andrew Welsh, however, points out the limits of their research (5). In the first place, Welsh argues in favor of a larger sample size – an advice which I will not follow in this thesis, as my primary goal is a qualitative research, and the quantitative analysis of the victims will only serve as part of a broader understanding of Halloween’s gender representation – but in the second place, Welsh also critiqued the prior researchers’ selected unit of analysis. Cowan and O’Brien namely based their analysis on the film character – as I did above – and Weaver used the scene as unit of analysis, which Welsh also deems an unsuitable working method because the action in slasher films can rapidly change within scenes, and a measurement of violence at the level of the scene would therefore fail to capture the frequency of the violent act. Sapolsky et al. furthermore used the violent act or interaction as the unit of analysis, but only coded one act per character regardless of how many violent acts were committed against them (Welsh 5).

Because of this, Welsh claims that all four studies underestimate the frequency of the violent acts, particularly with respect to women: because the character that survives in the end, is most often a woman, or “final girl”, who has suffered multiple assaults (5). Following Welsh’s example, I will therefore also analyze the number of violent acts that each victim suffers. Here, we do quickly discern a considerable gender difference. Michael Myers first stabs his sister multiple times until she is dead. When clinical psychiatrist, Doctor Loomis and nurse Marion drive up to Smith’s Grove Sanatorium to transfer Michael to Hardin County, Doctor Loomis conveniently gets out of the car right before the escaped Michael attacks: it is only Marion who is pulled by the hair and forced to flee. Michael then murders a nameless man to steal his overalls, but it is noteworthy that this murder is not actually visualized on screen: we only see the body lying by the side of the road.

When he returns to Haddonfield, Michael starts by terrorizing Laurie psychologically: he stalks her multiple times, making sure he is seen in the majority of instances. This is a form of implicit threat also recognized as an act of violence in Welsh’s research (6). When Laurie catches Michael lurking at her for the fourth time, she has to lay down on her bed to calm her nerves: muttering “calm down, this is ridiculous” to herself as she does. This visible psychological impact of Michael’s stalking supports this thesis’ decision to include it as an act of violence.

Michael is also shown to stalk Annie. However, I will not include this as an act of violence, as his intention is not to terrify her, but to satisfy his own voyeuristic nature: he makes sure she never actually notices him. However, Myers continues to trap Annie inside the laundry shed. Although Annie does not detect her stalker and blames herself for locking her in, confinement is recognized as an act of violence by Welsh (6), and subsequently in this thesis too. Annie is hereafter also physically attacked: she is first strangled as she gets into her car to pick up her boyfriend, and then Michael slashes her throat too.

The next act of violence is directed towards Lynda’s boyfriend, Bob: as he goes to the kitchen to get a beer for Lynda and himself, Myers surprises him from inside a closet. He chokes Bob, and stabs him in the stomach, leaving him pinned to the wall. Myers then moves upstairs for Lynda: disguised as Bob, wearing a white sheet with Bob’s glasses on top. He waits until Lynda gets out of the bed to call Laurie, and when she has her back turned to him, he strangles her with the phone wire.

Laurie is then psychologically terrorized again: Myers has set up a boobytrap for her, arranging for Bob’s dead body to come swing down a closet when Laurie stumbles into it. When Laurie cries in shock, Michael then physically attacks her with a knife, cutting her arm, and causing Laurie to fall down the stairs in her panic (but I will interpret the falling as a result of the first act of violence, the cutting, and not a separate act in itself).

Laurie tries to flee but is followed by Michael, who deliberately keeps a slow pace to allow her to get away and stretch out her terror. Laurie manages to get inside the Doyle’s house, but as she cowers in front of a couch, Myers appears behind it and stabs at her, though misses. Laurie then grabs a knitting needle and stabs Myers in the back. His heavy breathing stops, and he is presumed dead, but resurrects again, forcing Laurie to hide inside a closet. Myers punches a hole in the closet door, and Laurie bends a wire coat hanger into a makeshift weapon which she uses to stab Myers in the eye. She then picks up the knife he drops and stabs him in the chest. With Myers, again, presumed dead, Laurie turns her back on him, and takes a moment to recover from her shock. Myers resurrects once more and uses the opportunity to grab Laurie by the neck and attempt to choke her. But Dr. Loomis has been alarmed by the children who are running out of the house, screaming, and arrives just in time to save Laurie: shooting Michael once, and then multiple times consecutively when he seems unharmed by the first shot.

When we take all of these instances into account: the gender imbalance is plain. There is in fact an overwhelming majority of violent acts aimed towards women. There are sixteen instances of Michael either stalking, assaulting, or physically intimidating women, and only half as many instances of violence aimed towards men. Furthermore, one of them is not even shown on-screen, and only two of the visualized violent acts are inflicted on an innocent man: namely the strangling and stabbing of Bob. The other acts of violence involve Laurie’s self-defense, and Dr. Loomis ultimately shooting Michael to save Laurie. In contrast, all acts of violence against women are performed on innocent victims.

To add to the discussion, I will furthermore also consider the duration of the violence aimed towards both genders. Michael’s attack on Marion lasts thirty-four seconds. The first instances of Laurie being threatened: the explicit stalking, takes up a total of one minute and twenty-seven seconds. However, Laurie is shown to be mentally affected by this for three minutes and twenty- five seconds. The murders of Judith, Annie and Lynda together make up for one minute and thirteen seconds. And Laurie is subsequently psychologically terrorized again and physically attacked for another ten minutes and twenty-three seconds. The only visualized attack on a male victim lasts twenty-six seconds. And Bob is never shown to be afraid prior to this moment. In other words, the movie spends a total of fifteen minutes and thirty-five seconds portraying women either in a state of terror or direct physical assault. By contrast, only twenty-six seconds are spent on male suffering. This again makes for a compelling gender imbalance.

Additionally, it is also noteworthy that all female characters are victimized at one moment or another, while only two out of eight male characters become a victim. (For obvious reasons, I do not include Myers as an actual victim here.)

A Story of Stereotypes If the quantitative analysis of Halloween (1978) reveals that all female characters are staged as victims in the plot, but this is not the case for the majority of the men, this raises the question: what other roles are set out for these characters? To answer this, I will first look into the characterization of the men of the movie and then deal with the characterization of the women.

Since the representation of gender is the primary concern of this thesis, the analysis of character development will pay particular attention to stereotype theory. Stereotyping needs to be understood as a specific practice separate from more general social typing. Social typing is an

essential part of how we make sense of the world around us. Mary Talbot explains that, specifically when trying to understand other people, we inevitably impose schemes of classification on them. We categorize people according to their gender, their social position, their personality traits, and so on. The resulting image that we create of a person is then built up from the accumulation of these factors. Social typing thus allows room for classificatory detail. Stereotyping, on the other hand, reduces and simplifies complex personalities to the pre-defined boundaries of the specific category one chooses to stereotype another person with (470-471). In this thesis, the focus will of course lay on gender as the defining category for stereotyping.

An important note that needs to be made, however, is that this thesis deals with fictional characters. They are not actual people who naturally display gendered behavior on the basis of which they are stereotyped, but being fictional creations, they are intentionally constructed the way they are in order to represent certain values. To quote Gymnich: “fictional texts may be significantly more radical in their assessment of gender roles and gender concepts than non- fictional ones” (522). Specifically with regards to female characters written by male writers, Images of Women Criticism therefore points to the possibility of these characters being formed by male wishes and anxieties (Gymnich 506).

To engage with the fictional characters’ representation, this thesis will take on a cognitive approach: regarding the characters as text-based constructs of the human mind, who need to be examined both through models of text analysis, and models of the human psyche (Eder et al. 5).

The Male Monster, the Hero, and Horny Boyfriends In order of importance, the male figures whom I will discuss are: Michael Myers, Dr. Samuel Loomis, and the victims’ boyfriends – one of which is also a victim himself -: Danny, Paul and Bob. For the latter three, the focus will lay on the dynamics of their relationships with their girlfriends.

Michael Myers Michael Myers is the only character in the movie who is represented at two different stages in his life. For the largest part of the movie, we know Michael as a twenty-one-year-old man. But in the opening scenes, which take place fifteen years earlier than the rest of the events, he is introduced as a six-year-old child.

In the opening scenes, the little Michael Myers is spying on his sister, Judith, as she is having a rendezvous with her boyfriend, Danny. However, as the child constitutes the point of view through which the spectators view the scene, the audience is not aware of his identity yet. We only move around with the camera as he unsteadily paces around the house to follow the couple’s movements. The narrative speeds up when we see the lights go out on the first floor: the implication is that the couple has initiated sex. A suspenseful music plays, and Michael’s movements become faster and more nervous as the point of view takes us to the back of the house and enters. Then a small hand grabs a butcher’s knife, and we understand that the soon-to-be killer is a child. With the knife in hand, Michael creeps up to the stairs slowly and composedly. He waits until Judith’s boyfriend has left the house and then moves in for the kill.

On his way to Judith’s room, he comes across a Halloween mask that is thrown on the floor by Judith’s boyfriend. Michael picks it up and puts it on, thereby restricting the point of view to the two eyeholes of the mask. This allows us to clearly identify what exactly Michael is looking at. As he enters Judith’s room, and he finds his sister, naked, in front of a mirror: he is not looking at her face, but his eyes are focused on her breasts. Michael then examines the tousled bed, another confirmation that the couple has had sex, and starts stabbing his sister.

When he subsequently walks out of the house after the murder, he is met by his father, who rips off his mask. The next shot then reveals Michael’s full identity for the first time: he is a young, blonde, boy in a clown’s costume, who continues to stare blankly in front of him for thirty seconds until we move to the next scene.

The opening scene with six-year-old Michael, in other words, achieves Figure 1: Michael Myers as a six- year-old child. three things for his characterization. Firstly, it is established that Michael was always a psychopath – or at least has been since a very young age – which adds to the unredeemable nature of his character. Even after being confronted by his parents, right after the murder of his sister, the boy remained emotionless: as is underscored by the prolonged (thirty seconds) shot in which he never even moves a muscle. Then secondly, his sexual aberrant nature is revealed through his obsession with his sister’s sexuality, manifested in the voyeuristic way he spies on the couple as they are making out, and then later how he stares at his sister’s naked breast. Furthermore, Michael examining the tousled bed right before he turns to stabbing Judith, is a strong implication of his carnal motive to kill. And thirdly, the opening scene introduces

Michael’s common attributes: the butcher knife and the mask (albeit a different one than he will use later on), as well as determine his most prominent characteristic: in the opening scene as in the rest of the movie, Michael never speaks a word, but can only be heard breathing heavily. In the opening scene, we learn that this habit originates from Judith’s murder: the moment Michael starts repeatedly stabbing Judith is also the moment we hear him breathing heavily for the first time.

The movie then fasts forward fifteen years. Michael, now a young man of twenty-one, escapes the mental hospital in which he has been detained all these years, and returns to Haddonfield. No longer in a clown’s suit, he quickly trades his hospital gowns for blue overalls, which are revealed to have been stolen from one of his victims in scene fourteen (where we can see Michael’s white hospital gowns thrown around an abandoned car, and the upper part of the man’s naked dead body is shown lying in the grass). His other attributes: his Halloween mask and knife, are explained to have been stolen from a hardware store in scene twenty-four.

In the first scene with Michael after his escape, he has returned to his parental house. This is where he first encounters Laurie Strode. She is ordered to drop off a key at the door, and Michael is standing behind it. Here, as for the rest of the movie, his typical heavy breathing serves as a signal of Michael’s presence. It also helps us to identify the killer, as most of the time, we do not get a full shot of him. Where he does not constitute the point of view, Michael is mostly shot from behind, or only his lower body is shown. This makes the murderer appear more mysterious, and it poses him as a constant threat. Because he is almost continually present in the background as he stalks his victims lengthily, the viewer is kept in suspense as to when Michael will move in for the kill. Figure 2: Michael stalking Annie. His psychotherapist, Dr. Loomis is finally the only one to characterize Michael directly. He refers to him as “it” in scene six, and calls him “the evil” in scene seven, following his escape: “the evil has gone!”. He does not consider Michael to be human, as he reveals in scene twenty-nine. In this scene, Mr. Brackett and Dr. Loomis discover a dog that has been eaten by a creature, presumed by Loomis to be Michael himself. Mr. Brackett objects that “a man wouldn’t do that”, yet Loomis retorts that “this isn’t a man”. In scene thirty, Loomis subsequently describes Michael more elaborately:

“Yes. Yeah, I, I, uhm, I met him fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, nowhere, conscious, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life and death, of good or evil, of 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 years trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes ware purely and simply evil.”

Throughout the movie, Michael is presented as evil incarnate, and the final scenes of the movie only confirm this idea. Michael is here elevated from a mere mortal psychopath to a super-human monster who proves to be indestructible. As Laurie is fighting for her life, she manages to stab Michael in the neck with a knitting needle, then she stabs him in the face with a wire coat hanger and in the chest with a knife. Dr. Loomis arrives and shoots Michael in the chest multiple times, causing him to falter back and fall down a balcony. However, a moment later, Michael has disappeared again. It is established that Michael cannot be killed as little Tommy Doyle notes in scene sixty-six: “You can’t kill the bogeyman!”, and the final lines of the movie consist of Laurie asking Loomis “Was that the bogeyman?”, and Loomis confirming to her “as a matter of fact… it was…”

Adam Rockoff points out that it is a general feature of slasher movies that the killer epitomizes masculinity to ludicrous extremes (6). To quote Rockoff: “He is not only tough, he is immortal. He is not only strong, but powerful enough to string his victims up as human booby traps for their horrified friends to find. He is not only aggressive, he is psychotic” (6). Michael Myers is, in other words, a text-book example of a slasher movie murderer. He never faces any real resistance while murdering Judith, Annie, Bob or Lynda. Their deaths take an average of twenty-five seconds. Judith may hold out her hands, screaming; even as a six-year-old, Michael is able to overpower his young adult sister. While choking Bob, Michael lifts the young man in the air by his neck, and he subsequently has his corpse swinging down the closet when Laurie leans into it. Laurie is the only victim who truly fights back. I will later expand upon this as part of the final girl trope, but it is already noteworthy to mention here that no matter which blows Michael endures, no matter how often he is stabbed or shot, he is not affected by his wounds. He may seem to be vanquished temporarily, but he resurrects every time and presses on, unimpaired.

These macho conventions, however, are not merely made up for the fictional genre of the slasher movie. David Sadker expands on male stereotypes in general. He explains how boys are expected

to be strong and unemotional, and how, already by five or six years of age, boys are supposed to show neither fear nor tears. “The ‘strong, silent’ type has become the model” (5-6). We can quickly see how Michael is an exaggeration of this idea. Moreover, especially Sadker’s pinpointing the age of five to six sheds an interesting new light on the opening scene. Apart from showing us that Michael has developed his taste for killing at a young age, we also learn that he has internalized and intensified the gender roles that society has imposed on him. No matter how traumatic the circumstances, Michael seems conditioned not to show any emotional response. The emphasis is not only on the violence but also on the emptiness that follows it. This is overstated again in Halloween (1978) by declaring that Michael spent the following fifteen years incarcerated in a catatonic state.

In this regard, we could even see the slasher murderer as a parody of the Western hero. This genre, too, bases its character-building on existing male stereotypes. For the cowboy, the ideal is that of the taciturn hero (Cohen 57). Jane Tompkins even calls his silence and willfully controlled emotions the most salient manifestation of his manhood (56-57). They register no pain, even when suffering. In order to be a man, they distance themselves from all feminine and emotional qualities, even to the extent that they become awkward around actual women (Cohen 57).

Again, Myers’ curious characterization can be understood as an attempt to underscore his exaggerated masculinity. If it is masculine to be strong, Michael will embody super-human power. If it is masculine to be quiet, Michael’s silence will be absolute. And if men should experience impediments in their relationships with women, Michael will only stalk them from a distance. His only interaction with them is in the moment of their murder, which connects back to Michael’s familiar realm of experience: the toxic masculine ideal of violence.

Dr. Samuel Loomis As explained, Dr. Samuel Loomis is the psychotherapist who treated Michael during his fifteen-year detention at Smith’s Grove mental hospital. He also sets out to hunt for Michael following his escape. While Michael’s hyper-masculine characterization can be justified by his function in the plot – he is, after all, a psychopathic maniac: so it is expected of him to be emotionless – delving further into Dr. Loomis’ portrayal will more accurately illustrate just how deeply rooted male stereotypes in Halloween (1978) are. Figure 3: Dr. Samuel Loomis.

Dr. Loomis is a balding man in his fifties, who wears a brown suit during the whole movie, occasionally with a beige trench coat on top. He comes across as a stoical man. He uses little facial expression as he talks, and has a rather monotonous voice.

If Michael, with his absolute silence, can be understood as the hyperbolic embodiment of the “strong, silent” model for men, Dr. Loomis curious speech pattern represents his more realistic, though equally stereotypical counterpart. Throughout the movie, Loomis mostly utters short phrases in a simple question-answer format. He is clearly not a conversational type. Scene twenty- two emphasizes this notion: here, Taylor the graveyard owner is trying to tell Loomis a story, but Loomis interrupts him mid-sentence: Taylor: You know, every town has something like this happen. I remember over in Russellville: Charley Bowles. About fifteen years ago. One night, he finished dinner, excused himself from the table, went out into the garage. He got himself a hacksaw, then he went back inside the house and kissed his wife and two children goodbye, and then proceeded- Loomis: Where are we?

His lack of sociability is furthermore symptomatic of a general absence of emotion-display. He only raises his voice once, in scene ten, where he blames the administrator of Smith’s Grove’s facility for allowing Michael to escape. Yet with the exception of this bout of anger, he remains predominantly emotionless throughout the movie. Anger is thereby stereotypically considered to be a masculine emotion (Fabes and Martin 533). It is also an understandable reaction given the plot: Dr. Loomis told everyone how dangerous Michael is, but nobody would listen to him. In scene ten, he tries to convince Smith’s Grove Sanatorium’s director, Dr. Wynn, to inform the authorities of Haddonfield that Michael is on his way, and he is ignored again. His frustration is, in other words, more than understandable.

Less logical in the course of events, however, is Dr. Loomis absence of explicit fear display. When he is standing in Michael’s parental house, in Judith’s former room, Dr. Loomis is relating how the crime unfolded fifteen years ago. Then something hits the window that Loomis is standing in front of, and shatters it. The doctor staggers backwards a few steps but immediately composes himself again. He laughs nervously, saying to Mr. Brackett that he “must think [him] a sinister doctor”, and then goes on to inform the sheriff that he does have a permit. Mr. Brackett sardonically replies

“seems to me you’re just plain scared”, which Loomis drily admits: “yes”, but he also immediately continues with his characterization of Michael, as already quoted above: “Yes. Yeah, I, I, uhm, I met him fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, nowhere, conscious, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life and death, of good or evil, of 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 years trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes ware purely and simply evil.”

While explaining this, he manages to keep his voice steady: talking in the same slow and monotonous voice as he does throughout the movie. This is noteworthy because we should realize that at this moment of speaking, Dr. Loomis finds himself in the exact scene of a murder in the parental house of the killer, whom he expects to return any minute. Even though Loomis thus admits to being afraid, his nervous laughter and stoic composition are clearly attempts to mask the extent of his true feelings. According to Sadker, concealing fear counts as a mark of being a ‘real’, meaning stereotypical, man (4).

He also acts detached when it comes to Michael. This is emphasized in scene six, Loomis’ first appearance, where he is in a car with nurse Marion. She asks him: Marion: Are there any special instructions? Loomis: Just try to understand what we’re dealing with here. Don’t underestimate it. Marion: Don’t you think we could refer to “it” as “him”? Loomis: If you say so. Marion: Your compassion is overwhelming, doctor. (Pause) Marion: What do I give him when we take him in front of the judge? Loomis: Thorazine. Marion: He’ll barely be able to sit up! Loomis: That’s the idea. Marion: You’re serious about it, aren’t you? Loomis: Yeah. Marion: You actually never want him to get out? Loomis: Never, never, never.

Marion: Then why are you taking him to Hardin County, if he’s just gonna walk- Loomis: Because that’s the law.

Even though Loomis was Michael’s therapist, he is not compassionate towards his patient, even denying his humanity by calling him an “it”. Furthermore, he plans to drug him at his court hearing so he won’t be able to defend himself. He “never, never, never” wants Michael to become a free man, which is understandable considering the plot development of the movie, but at this point in the narrative, we should realize that Michael has only committed one crime, as a child, and has spent the following fifteen years in a catatonic state, refusing to talk to anybody. Loomis is supposed to have been treating him all these years, and in this regard, it is remarkable how little empathy he has for his patient.

Because of this, I want to argue that Dr. Loomis falls under a particular subcategory of male stereotypes that is specific for the media’s representation of psychotherapists. Bischoff and Reiter delineate how male psychotherapists are often presented as incompetent in movies because they adhere to the common gender stereotype that men are not equipped to handle psychological and emotional issues (180). In Halloween (1978), Dr. Loomis’ conduct towards Michael raises questions considering his professionality as a psychotherapist. He consistently negates his patient’s humanity. He calls him an “it” (scene six), and claims that “this isn’t a man” (scene twenty-nine). He completely misses even the basics of empathy for his patient, which is something one would naturally expect from a psychotherapist. In scene thirty Dr. Loomis also explains that he “spent eight years trying to reach [Michael], and then another seven years trying to keep him locked up”. In other words, he has failed his job and has given up on his patient: adhering to the general media stereotype that male psychotherapists are incompetent.

The Boyfriends Even though “the boyfriends” are only minor characters of the movie, it is nonetheless relevant to take a brief look at their characterization, as it will help us understand the full extent to which male stereotypes are employed. The behavior of the boyfriends can namely be categorized as transparently stereotypical adolescent male behavior. They affirm the old idea that ‘boys only want one thing’ (Tolman et al. n. pag.).

The first boyfriend that will be characterized is Judith’s. He remains unnamed in the movie, but in character descriptions we learn that his name is Danny (“Daniel Hodges”). Danny is introduced to

us from six-year-old Michael’s point of view, who is staring through the glass in the front door. Already from the first moment the couple appears on screen, they are making out in the hallway, and then they move on to the couch.

Judith is the one to speak first. Her first line is “my parents won’t be home until ten”, signaling that the couple can have sex undisturbedly. The only things Danny proceeds to ask, are: “are you sure?”, and “we are alone, aren’t we?”. And when it is confirmed that it is safe for the young man to make his move, he takes on the initiative to say “let’s go upstairs”. From the moment we can see the lights go out on the first floor, it takes precisely one minute and six seconds for Danny to come downstairs again. He is still putting on his shirt when he moves into view. His previous affection has seemingly subdued. He no longer hugs or kisses Judith, but very matter-of-factly states “Look, Judith, it’s very late. I gotta go.” Judith asks “Will you call me tomorrow?”, to which he just replies “yeah, sure”. Judith insists “promise?”. But is only met by a “Yeah”. And then Danny leaves the house without saying another word, and that is the last we see of him.

The next boyfriend that is introduced to us, is Annie’s Paul. She tells us about him in scene fifteen. However, he is never shown on screen. We only learn about him through Annie’s descriptions and a phone call in scene thirty-nine. In scene fifteen, Annie tells her friends that Paul was grounded because he got caught throwing eggs and soaping windows. She calls him “old jerko”. But in scene thirty-nine, Paul calls to say that his parents have left the house anyway, and he asks Annie to come pick him up. Annie replies that she can’t, because her clothes are in the wash (she had spilt melted butter on her clothes while making popcorn). Paul’s reply to this is unintelligible, but we understand it to be a sexual innuendo due to Annie answering “oh shut up, jerk! God, I’ve got a shirt on. That’s all you ever think about.”

Paul insists “I think it’s all you ever think about”, but Annie shuts down the conversation by saying “that’s not true, I think about lots of things. Now, why don’t we not stand here and talk about them and get down to doing them?” With the intention of their date clearly stated, Annie drops off Lindsey, the girl she is babysitting, with Laurie in the next scene, and prepares herself to go pick up Paul. But the girl is killed by Michael as she gets into her car, and remarkably, Paul is never shown to be looking for his girlfriend when she does not arrive.

The last boyfriend to then consider, is Lynda’s Bob. The couple has arranged a rendezvous at the Wallace’s house, where Annie is babysitting Lindsey. In scene sixteen, Lynda confesses that “Bob

and I’ve been planning on it all week”. In scene forty-eight, the full extent of their plans is revealed. Lynda has created a step-by-step scenario, but Bob just makes a joke out of it. To quote their conversation: Lynda: Ok. So what we’re gonna do. First, we’ll go inside, right? Then we’ll just talk a little. Then Annie will distract Lindsey, that’s when we’ll go upstairs to the first bedroom on the left. You got it? Bob: Ok. First I rip your clothes off. Lynda: Don’t rip, my blouse is expensive, idiot. Bob: Then we rip my clothes off, then we rip Lindsey’s clothes off. Yeah, I think I got it. Lynda: Totally. (giggles)

When they get into the house, however, it is dark, and Annie has already gone. Lynda suggests “let’s look for a note”. But Bob quickly cuts this off by saying “let’s don’t”, and the couple embraces and starts kissing. Lynda then calls Laurie to ask about Annie’s whereabouts and learns that Lindsey is gone for the night. Bob replies “hey, now that’s wonderful!” and turns out the lights. The couple immediately heads upstairs.

In the next scene, they are in bed together. Bob is on top of Lynda, and she is moaning heavily. They are momentarily interrupted by the phone ringing, but Bob takes it off the hook and they continue having sex. When they finish, Lynda keeps moaning “oh, fantastic, totally”. But Bob just dryly says “yeah”, and puts on his glasses. Lynda then offers him a cigarette and asks if he wants a beer, to which Bob again only replies “yeah”. As with Danny, there is again a large contrast between his behavior pre- and post-sex. In Bob’s case, this is even underlined, because Lynda directly asks him “Is that all you can say?”, and Bob again just replies “yeah”. Though when Lynda then orders him to get her a beer, Bob complies. He is subsequently killed by Myers, making Bob the only boyfriend not to survive Halloween (1978).

All three boyfriends, in other words, only feature in the movie to have sex, or express an intent to have it, and all lines they utter revolve around the topic as well: Danny only needs to know that he and Judith are alone so they can go upstairs undisturbedly. Even though Paul’s actual line is unintelligible, Annie’s answer implies that he was fantasizing about her being naked. (“Oh shut up Jerk, God, I’ve got a shirt on. That’s all you ever think about.”) And Bob has already planned how he will rip Lynda’s clothes off.

There are no meaningful conversations on any other topic. The couples are not shown to have an emotional bond. Their relationships seem to be based solely on sex. This is underscored by both Danny and Bob explicitly losing interest in their girlfriend right after the deed. Danny immediately leaves. As already quoted, he simply matter-of-factly states: “Look, Judith, it’s very late. I gotta go.” And then his answers are reduced to single word utterances. When Judith asks him the cliché question “will you call me tomorrow?”, Danny just mutters an unconvincing “yeah. sure”.

Bob’s behavior echoes Danny’s. But the contrast between the couple’s pre-sex and post-sex interaction is even bigger because Bob is actually shown to be an affectionate boyfriend at first. He jokes with Lynda, saying that he will rip little Lindsey’s clothes off too, making her laugh. He also opens the car door for her, which in itself is a stereotypical kind of courtesy. But after sex, suddenly all he can say is “yeah”.

His affection is revealed to be a façade that falls away after he has reached his goal. Or, to paraphrase and quote Tolman et al.: the boy’s interest in his relationship evaporates. All three boyfriends thus represent the stereotypical idea that boys become hormone-possessed teenagers, “eager only to find ways to get as much sex as they can, without regard for the […] girls whom they manage to persuade to meet their persistent sexual urges (n. pag.).

The Blonde, the Bold and the Virgin The leading women, or more accurately, teenage girls, whom I will discuss are Lynda Van der Klok, Annie Brackett, and Laurie Strode. As already mentioned, all of these girls are victimized by Michael in some way throughout the movie (Lynda and Annie being murdered, Laurie being psychologically terrorized and physically attacked). However, in this chapter, I will only look at how their personalities develop before their encounter with Michael. How they react to being victimized will be part of my analysis of the final girl trope and the chapter on the other girls.

Lynda Van der Klok The depth of Lynda’s personality is already revealed in scene fifteen, the first scene in which she appears. Everything she does and says, in this introductory scene as well as in the rest of the movie, is meant to emphasize her shallowness. She is walking through the long school corridors with Laurie, and as she moves into view from the distance, we are introduced to her as a young, blonde, teenage girl who is combing her hair and is staring into a little pocket mirror to apply lip-gloss. Her first lines are a comment Figure 4: Lynda Van der Klok. on Laurie’s books: “Oh look at you and all the books you have! You need a shopping cart to get home!” She then giggles at her own joke. To note: Laurie is holding exactly four books, and does not seem to do so with particular difficulty. Neither does the fact that she is holding these books strike as uncommon, given that they are literally just walking out of their school. But Lynda continues to ramble, elaborating her priorities: “You know, it’s totally insane. We have three new cheers to learn in the morning, the game is in the afternoon, I have to get my hair done at five, and the dance is at eight. I’ll be totally wiped out!”

Her cheerleading practice and preparations for a dance already seem exhausting to her. And if her disinterest in studying wasn’t already sufficiently clear from her previous lines, she emphasizes it once again when Laurie notices that she has forgotten a book. Lynda: “So, who cares? I always forget my chemistry book and my math book and my English book, and my.. and, let’s see, my French book, and.. Who needs books anyway? I don’t need books. I always forget all of my books. I mean it doesn’t really matter if you got your books or not.”

Lynda even seems to have difficulties remembering which books she forgets. Overall, she comes across as rather simple-minded and superficial. Her world revolves around her looks, cheerleading, and boys. The latter is ironically rendered when a car slowly passes the three friends. In reality, the driver is Michael Myers, stalking the girls. Lynda, however, mistakes her future murderer for Devon Graham, and says “I think he’s cute”.

In less than two minutes, Lynda has, in other words, already manifested the three stereotypes that define her. Firstly, David Gradol and Joan Swann point out that women in media are consistently portrayed as chatterboxes (2). The citation above illustrates how this is the case for Lynda. She

uses a lot of words to say very little: endlessly rambling on about why books don’t matter to her. This immediately brings us to the second stereotype that she adheres to: Lynda is a textbook example of the Dumb Blonde trope as we often encounter in jokes. As Jeannie Thomas notes, the recurrent characteristics of Dumb Blondes are stupidity, vanity and pronounced sexual availability (281). Her emphasized disinterest for books and portrayal with a pocket-mirror are strong indicators of the first two typical Dumb Blonde traits, and how important sex is to Lynda, is addressed in scene sixteen. When talking about her date with her boyfriend, she says that “Bob and I’ve been planning on it all week”. In scene forty-eight the exact nature of this “it” is revealed. Lynda has thought out a detailed game-plan of how their date should go: Lynda (instructing Bob): “Ok. So what we’re gonna do. First, we’ll go inside, right? Then we’ll just talk a little. Then Annie will distract Lindsey, that’s when we’ll go upstairs to the first bedroom on the left. You got it?”

The way in which she coaches Bob how to go to bed with her furthermore invites us to take a closer look at the stereotypes of the sport-branch in which Lynda is involved: namely her cheerleading. Emma Tom lays out the long tradition of fetishizing female cheerleaders in media (52-65), but La’Tonya Miles also delves further into the ambiguous nature of the cheerleader. On the one hand, she “epitomizes both success and female achievement”, but on the other “she symbolizes vapidity and mindlessness” (228). “In almost all instances, she represents idealized white femininity” (Miles 228). Lynda is, in other words, extremely one-dimensional. Her character-building is based exclusively on stereotypes, and this goes at the expense of more profound personality traits. Her portrayal does not reach beyond the surface.

Annie Brackett Annie is then, in multiple ways, Lynda’s opposite. Instead of long, blonde hair, she has a short brown cut. She is less giggly, and more assertive. Though she is just as obsessed with her boyfriend as Lynda is, she expresses it in a different way. In her first mention of him, Annie says that she is “never smiling again”, because Paul, whom she calls “Old Jerko”, told her that he is grounded, so they cannot meet up that night.

Figure 5: Annie Brackett.

The scene in which the car drives by is also exemplary of Annie’s characterization. Whereas Lynda’s first thought is about cute guys, Annie has a more aggressive approach. She sarcastically yells at the driver “Hey jerk! Speed kills!”. Though she immediately gets nervous when he actually brakes too, hesitantly saying “God.. Can’t he take a joke?”, this does not stop her from continuing to react in the same impulsive way afterwards. It does not matter to her either that her friends are concerned that “someday [she’s] gonna get [them] all in deep trouble” (as Laurie says in scene sixteen). The comment only angers her, leading to a tense silence, and when Lynda tries to pick up the conversation again by asking “well, are we still on for tonight?”, Annie snaps at her “I wouldn’t want to get you in deep trouble, Lynda”, making explicitly clear that she did not appreciate the criticism.

When a few moments later, Laurie then spots Michael standing behind a bush, Annie immediately reacts again: resolutely marching towards him, while Laurie stays behind. “Hey creep”, she calls out. And then, when it is revealed that no one is there anymore, Annie starts making fun of her friend: “poor Laurie, scared another one away”. She also calls her a “wacko” because she’s “seeing men behind bushes”.

She is a “bad girl” in every component of her behavior: not shying away from confrontation, insulting friends as well as strangers, and she is later also shown smoking a joint while driving her mother’s car. In the following scene, we moreover learn that her father is the police sheriff. However, his authority seems to have no impact on her. Annie just shouts at Laurie to hide the joint, but shows no signs of guilt in defying her father. As he is talking to her, Annie even boldly turns to Laurie to comment “it’s hard growing up with a cynical father”, while still in her father’s hearing range.

Annie is also assertive when it comes to boys. When Laurie confides her that she feels like she “couldn’t” ask a guy out (scene twenty-six), Annie tells her: “Sure you could! All you have to do is go up to somebody and say: do you want to go to the dance?” Annie then proves the ease with which she interacts with guys by arranging a date for Laurie as well. In scene thirty-two, Annie calls Laurie to tell her “I just talked with Ben Tramer, and he got real excited when I told him how attracted you were to him.” It should be noted too how Annie uses the sexually connotated “attracted”, while Laurie only admitted that she would like to go out with him, and even shushed Annie when she said he was “cute”. She also takes on an active role in her relationship. When Bob calls her and jokes about sex, saying “I think it’s all you ever think about”, Annie quickly retorts:

“That’s not true, I think about lots of things. Now, why don’t we not stand here and talk about them, and get down to doing them?” She is the one to take the initiative, turning words into actions.

Though she is less overtly feminine in her behavior, Annie’s characterization is not less based on stereotypes. Only rather than the traditional “girly girl”, Annie can be seen in the light of the “angry feminist” trope. Like Lynda, Annie subverts the conventional idea that women should be the passive recipients of sexual advances, but instead actively seeks out her partner (and one for her friend) herself. But Annie’s subverting of traditional gender roles is more radical than Lynda’s. This is most obvious in her aggressive verbal behavior, where she repeatedly attacks men: yelling “hey Jerk” after Michael, nicknaming her boyfriend “Old Jerko”, and calling her father “cynical”. On top of rejecting the authority of her father, it is interesting that Annie furthermore also rejects traditional motherhood herself: this is symbolically illustrated in her babysitting duty. She does not see it as her calling to take care of a child, but rather Lynda indicates that “the only reason she babysits is to have a place to-“ (her sentence is interrupted, but “to meet up with Paul” is implied). Though Annie objects “I have a place for that”, she does not rebuke that she actually likes babysitting, and as soon as the opportunity arises, and Paul asks her to come over to him instead, Annie quickly gets rid of the little Lindsey and leaves her with Laurie.

If, with the explanation of how Annie subverts traditional femininity, I can consider it established that she is in fact a feminist figure, it is then clear that she belongs to the negative portrayal of the angry feminist, who is described to be, among other things, as “angry, unreasoning, […] manhating, perverse, and peculiar (Tomlinson 1). Though Annie’s perversity needs to be nuanced: she is only sexually assertive, which can be seen as atypical for young girls from the perspective of stereotypes, but is not actually aberrant, and she is also not an absolute “manhater”: she may verbally attack men, she is still in a relationship with one (although she does also call him “Old Jerko”). Yet she is definitely peculiar in her rebellion, angry in her general attitude and unreasoning in her direct confrontations with danger; refusing to consider the safety of her friends.

If Barbara Tomlinson mentions that “this ‘trope of the angry feminist’ is designed to delegitimize feminist arguments even before the argument begins, to undermine feminist politics by making its cost personal” (1), and this thesis’ introduction explained how slasher movies have been understood as a reaction against feminism, it is then no wonder that Annie is the first of the girls to be killed.

Laurie Strode Laurie, finally, is very different from her friends. This is also signaled by her clothes. While both Annie and Lynda are wearing jeans, Laurie is the only one to wear a skirt, and she has white socks underneath. Though like Lynda, she is a blonde, Laurie is not a dumb blonde. On the contrary, Laurie even remarks that “guys think [she]’s too smart” (scene seventeen). She is also the most responsible friend, and is eager to please. In scene nine, she is walking through the streets of her neighborhood to get to school, and is met by Tommy Doyle, the child she is babysitting. The Figure 6 : Laurie Strode (left) and her following dialogue unfolds: friend Lynda (right). Tommy: Laurie! Laurie: Hi Tommy. Tommy: Coming over tonight? Laurie: Same time, same place. Tommy: Can we make Jack-O-Lanterns? Laurie: Sure. Tommy: And watch the monster movies? Laurie: Sure. Tommy: Will you read to me? Can we make popcorn? Laurie: Sure, sure, sure!

Laurie is willing to do everything Tommy asks of her, which is comically rendered in the empathic way she says “Sure, sure, sure!” to the child. Her friends even make fun of her for this. When she gets into Annie’s car in scene twenty-three with a pumpkin for Tommy to carve a Jack-O-Lantern, Annie sneeringly remarks “I always said you’d make a fabulous girl scout”. Laurie also sees herself in the same way. While her friends are out having a good time, she is stuck inside, babysitting. Annie even drops off little Lindsey Wallace with Laurie too, so Annie herself can meet up with Paul. When she heads out, leaving Laurie alone with the children, Laurie whispers to herself “the old girl scout comes through again” (scene forty-two).

We later see Laurie longingly looking into the streets as well. In scene fifty, she sees Bob’s van parked in front of the Wallace’s house, and notes to herself “Everybody is having a good time

tonight…”, but then she herself turns around to ask the kids what they will do next. She never seems to be part of the fun. In scene twenty-six, when Laurie asks Annie what she will be wearing to the dance, Annie is even surprised that Laurie thinks about “things like that”. We realize that Laurie’s seriousness might not be a choice, but that she is suffering from her self-imposed restraints. She couldn’t abandon the children to go out, but also when she isn’t restricted by this responsibility, she seems unable to indulge in the carefreeness her friends are enjoying. When Annie suggests her: “You know, you could ask somebody”, Laurie resolutely decides “No, I couldn’t”. Annie still tries to persuade her by saying: “Sure you could!”, and spelling it out for her: “All you have to do is go up to somebody and say: do you want to go to the dance?”, but for Laurie this isn’t a possibility. She replies with: “You could do that, I couldn’t.” When Annie subsequently takes matters into her own hands and arranges a date for Laurie, Laurie begs her “Oh Annie, oh you didn’t! Please tell me you didn’t!” (scene thirty-two). In scene forty-two Laurie even insists “I’d like you to call Ben Tramer and tell him you were just fooling around”. Even though Laurie clearly stated in scene twenty-six that she would like to go out with Ben Tramer, she feels inhibited to turn her fantasy into a reality.

Though in scene twenty-three, Laurie shares a joint with Annie, this shared experience only serves to emphasize the difference between the girls even more. Whereas Annie is smoking with ease, Laurie keeps coughing and grimacing. Her inexperience with the joint can be seen as paralleling her inexperience with guys, and her fear of being caught by an authority, Annie’s father, the Sheriff, further sets her apart from Annie.

According to Kyle Christensen, Laurie often reflects the core characteristics of “true womanhood”, an oppressive belief system which restricted the actions of women during the nineteenth century. Its four cardinal virtues were: purity, piety, submissiveness and domesticity (29). Her virginal qualities, emphasized in Laurie’s above-cited conversation with Annie, distinguish her as a pure girl compared to her promiscuous friends. Christensen admits that Laurie’s piety is not defined by religion, but argues that it lies in her concern to be seen as a moral character by male authority figures. This is illustrated by the guilt she feels after having smoked marijuana with Annie, which Annie’s father, Sheriff Brackett, possibly could have smelt. According to Christensen, Sheriff Brackett, as a man of the law, becomes a substitute for the man of God to Laurie (29).

Christensen sees Laurie’s submissiveness in her relation with her friends, who are often rude and obnoxious to her, and in her obeyance of her father: who only appears in one scene to shout orders

at Laurie as she is leaving for school (29). The above-cited encounter with Tommy is an important addition which emphasizes her submissiveness even more. She completely lets the child she is babysitting decide the course of the evening and is willing to fulfil all his requests, as if it is self- evident: “sure, sure, sure!”. Her babysitting job is furthermore highlighted by Christensen as an example of Laurie being domesticated, as it is a form of surrogate motherhood which provides her main source of disposable income (29).

This makes Laurie the opposite of her friends in every way. Though Annie and Lynda’s characterizations are firmly based on stereotypes as well, theirs serve to set them apart as “modern women”. Laurie, however, embodies all values of traditional femininity. She readily accepts male dominance in her ordinary life. The following chapter on The final girl will consequently explore how this aspect of her personality is – or is not – challenged when Michael threatens her, and Laurie is forced to fight back against a man.

The Final Girl Now we have looked at how the characters’ personalities are portrayed in their ordinary lives; the next step is to consider how their characterizations change in their encounter with Michael. In this analysis, a special place is reserved for Laurie as she is the only victim to survive the ordeal. This makes her Halloween (1978)’s final girl.

The term “final girl” was originally coined by Carol J. Clover in her Men, Women and Chainsaws, but it has since gained a life of its own. The final girl is, as Clover states, “the character whose story we follow from beginning to end” (Preface X). Because the final girl is, of course, as the name says it itself, always a girl, the figure has attracted a lot of attention from feminist film studies. Yet the critical opinion on the final girl diverges greatly: she has both been praised as a feminist character, as well as being accused of being its opposite. As Christensen states, at least on the surface, the final girl could be seen as a figure of female empowerment and determination (25). However, Christensen sees it as a misconception that this trope is meant to embody feminist politics (27). Klaus Rieser sees her as “a female figure in a male mould rather than a heroine pursuing a feminine subjective trajectory” (378). And Clover agrees that the final girl is “boyish” (40), or even “wholly masculine” (53). Clover sees the final girl as “a congenial double for the adolescent male”, “feminine enough to act out in a gratifying way, a way unapproved for adult males, […] but not so feminine as to disturb the structures of male competence and sexuality” (Preface XII).

I would argue against Rieser and Clover in the case of Laurie Strode, however, as she does not renounce her femininity in her encounter with Michael. On the contrary, her actions and concerns all reflect and build on her already established stereotypical feminine characterization. Even in the midst of the assault, Laurie retains her surrogate motherhood and prioritizes the safety of the children she is babysitting over her own. She namely ushers them to hide in a locked bedroom, and rather than hiding with them, she herself runs on to a different room to draw Michael away from the children. I also do not see her act particularly manly in her actual fight against Michael. It is said that the weapons used by the killers of slasher movies are phallic symbols (Christensen 26). According to Christensen, this shows “how the one who thrusts the phallus is the one who is superior” (26). Rieser adds to this discussion that, by participating in “the phallic struggle”, the final girl accepts the “hierarchy of [gender] hegemony”, and the privileging of (phallic) masculinity (377 – 379). By picking up weapons that can be seen as phallic symbols to fight back against their male aggressors, the final girl would, in other words, lose her femininity.

However, Laurie chooses a very peculiar set of weapons in her fight against Michael. The first two times she stabs him, she namely uses a knitting needle and a bent wire coat hanger. Due to their oblong shape, and the way she uses them to penetrate the murderer’s flesh, these can be seen as phallic symbols in their own right. However, I believe the above-cited critics have so far failed to acknowledge the feminine nature of these attributes. Rather than abandoning her femininity in favor of typically masculine weapons, Laurie’s choice of weapons demonstrates that her power comes from within her own femininity.

The third time, she does appropriate Michael’s knife to stab her assailer. However, this weapon does not prove to be more powerful than Laurie’s knitting needles or coat hanger, as Michael simply resurrects yet again after this attack. The gender hegemony is not confirmed. And Laurie immediately throws the knife back onto the ground after having stabbed Michael as well, so she cannot be said to internalize male dominance either. She distances herself from it as soon as she believes it is safe to do so.

I see this is as an important nuance of Laurie’s alleged anti-feminist portrayal. However, the possibility to see her as a true figure of female empowerment is undermined by the movie’s focus on her weakness. As Clover, too, says: it is a highly significant moment when the final girl defeats the killer in the final moments, but we shouldn’t neglect “how she spent a good hour of the film up to then: being chased, hiding, running, falling, rising in pain and fleeing again, seeing her friends

mangled and killed by weapon-wielding killers, and so on” (Preface X). She warns us that to reduce the experience of the film to that last-minute reversal “is truly to miss the point” (Preface X-XI). To Clover, the slasher movie revolves around the pleasure that comes from the final girl’s misery (Preface X).

In the case of Laurie Strode, it should additionally be noted that she is not even granted a full “last- minute reversal” of power. Whereas the emblematic final girl that Clover describes is granted the satisfaction of defeating her attacker herself (Preface X), Laurie’s survival is the result of sheer last- minute luck and the dependence on a male hero. After having temporarily stopped Michael three times, the murder has namely caught up with her and would have presumably succeeded in killing her, if it hadn’t been for Dr. Loomis who came rushing in at the last minute to save the day. The closing scene, in other words, makes for a final undermining of Laurie’s own agency and female empowerment.

The Other Girls Above, I have discussed Laurie with regard to her feminine status as a final girl. Here, however, I would also like to compare her to her peers. Since she is the only girl to survive the encounter with Michael, it is interesting to see which characteristics distinct her from the others. In Halloween (1978), this is not difficult to determine: she is very explicitly identified as the only virgin of the group. On Laurie’s part, this is done by having her verbally state “Guys think I’m too smart” (scene seventeen): establishing at once that Laurie is smart, as well as that guys are not interested in her. And a dialogue with Annie further reveals Laurie’s inhibitions: Laurie: what are you going to wear to the dance tomorrow night? Annie: I didn’t know you thought about things like that Laurie. Laurie: (silence) Annie: you know, you could ask somebody. Laurie: no I couldn’t. Annie: sure you could! All you have to do is go up to somebody and say: do you want to go to the dance? Laurie: you could do that, I couldn’t.

For Laurie having a date simply seems impossible. But the sexuality of the other victims whose death is visualized on screen is unambiguous1. Both Judith and Danny as Lynda and Bob are shown to make-out, and it is either implied or as in the case of the latter also explicitly shown, that they have sex. And Annie wants to meet up with her boyfriend, and has previously obviously hinted at the intentions of their rendezvous as well: “I think about lots of things. Now, why don’t we not stand here and talk about them and get down to doing them?”

The murders also directly correlate to these eroticized events. Judith, Lynda and Bob are all killed directly after having sex, and Annie is caught on her way to Paul. A first important remark that should be made here, however, is that Danny - despite also having engaged in sexual acts - is not punished for this. For men, impurity does not seem to deserve blame. This theory is supported by the fact that Michael is never shown to look for Paul either: Annie had to be killed for her intention to have sex, yet Paul, the partner whom she wanted to have it with, is of no interest to Michael. It therefore seems that Bob was not so much punished for sleeping with Lynda, as he was for not immediately leaving her after the act. In contrast to Danny, whom Michael simply allowed to walk away, Bob was namely planning to reunite with Lynda after getting a beer. If Michael thus wanted to have his way with Lynda undisturbedly, he had to dispose of Bob first. Bob was, in other words, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. This makes sexually active girls the primary victims of Halloween (1978). The moral of the movie, as was announced in the introduction, is that the monster “aveng[es] itself on liberated female sexuality” (Wood 80).

We should subsequently also consider how the victims’ bodies are treated after the murders. A first observation is that Bob’s body is given a function: he is turned into a boobytrap to terrify Laurie and drive her into the killer’s arms. The reason for the different treatment of Annie’s and Lynda’s bodies, however, is less straightforward. Annie’s body is namely put onto display: she is sprawled out on the bed, and Michael has placed Judith’s tombstone by her headboard. Lynda on the other hand is simply stowed away in a closet. This is remarkable, because using Annie as a proxy for Judith is the less obvious choice. Visually, Lynda resembles Michael’s sister much closer: both girls have long blonde hair, and are bare-chested at the moment of their murder. Choosing

1 I leave out the murder of the nameless man by the side of the road here because, as it was carried out off-screen, it has less of an impact on the audience. In addition, this death is the only one that has a clear practical purpose: Michael needed his overalls. Since the other murders have no such purpose, they are more open to moral interpretation.

the dark-haired and fully-clothed Annie can therefore be seen as a statement that Michael is deliberately seeking to embody his sister in a different way. Whereas all female victims are namely sexualized in the movie – Judith and Lynda being shown in the action, and Annie expressing the intent to “get down to doing [it]”– it is not clear whether or not Annie has actually has had sex before.

As Annie is preparing herself for her date with Paul she is singing a song. The line: “my Paul… I give you all” leaves little to the imagination. She has already made clear why she is heading over to her boyfriend’s house. However, the song continues: “Oh Paul, I can no longer stall”. Annie also repeats this part twice, and extra emphasis is placed as these are her last words before being murdered. If Annie had indeed been “stalling” before, that means Michael caught up with her at a for him crucial moment. By killing her before she reached her boyfriend’s house, he could prevent her from losing her virginity. This is an opportunity he was not given in the case of Judith and Lynda, as the movie never shows Michael to be alone with them before their boyfriends appear.

This would also explain why Lynda is stuffed inside a closet with disdain while Annie is put on display. As Lynda was already befouled to Michael, there was no more use to her for him. He wanted to punish Lynda, but he didn’t want to have her. But by murdering Annie, he could redeem her purity, and, by using her as a proxy for Judith, he could in a way restore his sister’s virginity as well. Annie became the fantasy that he wanted Judith to be. The message is clear that girls lose their value to Michael when they lose their virginity. Promiscuous girls not only deserve to die, but their bodies are degraded after death as well.

The Eye of the Hunter This chapter subsequently deals with the cinematic techniques that are used to represent gender visually. The most prominent concept is that of “the male gaze”. “The male gaze” entails the idea that women are meant to be looked at by men. The conception of the male gaze can be traced back to Simone de Beauvoir, who used it to detail her understanding of the oppression of women. According to her, women have to accept the objectifying gaze of men while they are unable to return a similar gaze themselves. This theory has since been adopted in visual culture and has specifically been developed in relation to film studies. The cinematic structure of the male gaze combines the camera, the male character and the viewer (Smelik 1). Anneke Smelik namely explains that, in traditional Hollywood films, the camera often aligns with a male character’s perspective when he is looking at a woman. Because of this, both male and female viewers are

forced to adopt this male view. The visual pleasure is thereby often enhanced by “cutting up” the woman’s body into close-ups through framing and editing (1). As a result, the cinematic technique of the male gaze doubles as a vehicle for the sexual objectification of women. As Dawn Szymanski et al. explain: sexual objectification occurs when a woman’s body or body parts are singled out and separated from her as a person. Said woman is then viewed primarily as a physical object of male sexual desire (7-8).

It is unmistakable that the male gaze is indeed employed in Halloween (1978). It is established as early as the introductory scene, where six-year-old Michael spies on his sister and soon-to-be first victim, Judith Myers. The camera here not only briefly aligns with Michael’s perspective to reveal what he is looking at it, but the boy also continues to constitute the point of view through which the spectators view the scene. He takes us with him as he is stalking around the house. An additional cinematographic technique is furthermore used, namely that of the “shaky camera”. This is a hand-held camera, or camera that is meant to give the pretense of a hand-held camera, which evokes a feeling of nervousness (Bordwell and Thompson). In the case of young Michael Myers, this technique moreover intensifies the audience’s involvement with the psychopathic boy. We not only see what he sees but, jerkily pacing around the house with him, we also feel his agitation.

Having established that we are indeed dealing with the male gaze, it is then important to look at the implications of this camera technique. Laura Mulvey identifies the male gaze as a two-fold system that involves both voyeurism and narcissism. First, she explains the pleasure of voyeurism by referring to Freud’s notion of scopophilia. By taking someone as an object to look at, that person becomes subjected to a controlling and curious gaze. To Freud, scopophilia was one of the component instincts of sexuality, which focusses on looking at the private and forbidden (Mulvey 344).

The voyeuristic nature of Michael’s gaze is illustrated early on, as the young child spies on his sister who is making out with her boyfriend. It is made clear that this is not an incident of Michael accidentally catching a glimpse of the couple, because the camera first picks up on movement and kissing noises from behind the glass front door, and the point of view then deliberately walks up to the window, and pauses there, to see the unfolding more clearly.

Michael then waits until Judith’s boyfriend, Danny, has cleared the scene to move closer to his sister. A tiny hand is shown to grab a large kitchen knife, revealing for the first time that the point of view is that of a child, as well as indicating his intent for murder. Then, on his way to Judith’s room, the boy picks up a Halloween mask that is thrown on the floor by Danny. When Michael puts it on, the eyeholes of the mask restrict his view as well as that of the camera. Because of this, the precise focus of his gaze is identified. When he sneaks up on Judith as she is sitting, naked, in front of a mirror, we clearly see that the boy is staring at her breasts. This qualifies as an instance of Michael sexually objectifying his sister in analogy to Szymanski et al.’s definition: by singling out her naked breasts, Michael reduces his sister to just a body.

The voyeurism that is developed in the movie should furthermore not only be regarded from the perspective of the movie’s characters, but also from that of its viewers. At first glance, the film, in the metafictional realm, does not seem to meet Freud’s requirement of “private and forbidden”, as what is shown on screen is deliberately shown (Mulvey 344). Yet, as Mulvey explains, the cinema provides “a hermetically sealed world which unwinds magically, indifferent to the presence of the audience, producing for them a sense of separation and playing on their voyeuristic phantasy”. The contrast between the circumstances of watching a movie: sitting in a dark auditorium which isolates the spectators from one another, and the brightness of the images on the screen, furthermore helps to promote the illusion of voyeuristic separation. The viewers get a sense that they are looking into a private world. The movie, in other words, satisfies the voyeuristic desire of the spectators (344-345).

Mulvey then continues by discussing the narcissistic aspect of scopophilia. Instinctively, voyeurism and narcissism might be felt to be opposites: one being the desire to look at other people, the other being the desire to look at oneself. Mulvey, however, relates narcissism to Lacan’s theory of the mirror phase. According to Lacan, a crucial stage in the development of the ego is when a child starts recognizing himself in the mirror. The first moments of recognition are namely overlaid with misrecognition. The child recognizes in the mirror an image of itself but envisions this mirror image to be more perfect than he experiences his own body. The mirror image then constitutes an ideal ego, which later becomes internalized as an ego ideal, and lays the foundation for the child’s future identification with others (345).

According to Mulvey, this idea can also be applied to cinema, as the experience of watching a movie entails a sense of forgetting the world around you, which allows for your ego to temporarily

be lost. Cinema then plays into this through the production of ego ideals on the screen (345). To quote Smelik: “In cinema, the identification with the larger-than-life figures on the white screen revitalizes the early mirror phase for the spectator. The powerful and attractive heroes in the film function as ideal mirror images for the viewer, who can narcissistically identify with them” (1). In my analysis of Michael Myer’s characterization, I have already discussed how the figure can be interpreted as a sort of super-human macho-man. As the alignment of the male gaze with the view of the murderer forces us to identify with Michael, he therefore becomes the ego ideal of the spectators as well. His perspective is the one we experience while watching the movie.

Feminist film theorists take issue with this principle because the male gaze is exclusively geared towards male viewers. The image of the passive woman entices no visual pleasure for the female audience. Women movie spectators, in other words, have no other option but to adopt the masculine experience of the male gaze (Smelik 2).This then becomes even more problematic, given that Halloween (1978) persists its camera alignment with Michael’s gaze even as he starts stabbing his sister. Through the identification with the murderer, the audience becomes closely involved in the crime. Critics have condemned slasher movies because they argue that the exposure to this film violence would lead to a desensitization of viewers’ reaction to violence in real-life settings (Sapolsky et al. 28-29). The use of the male gaze in such violent situations is then particularly harmful because the identification with the murderer’s viewpoint is said to be an invitation to sadistic indulgence of the viewers (Wood 83).

Wood, however, also offers an alternative purpose for the technique: that is that by aligning the camera with the view of the killer, the killer’s identity can remain a secret (83). The use of the male gaze arguably does contribute to the shock-effect at the end of the first scenes. Though the tiny hand grabbing a large kitchen knife already indicated that the killer was a child, using the first- person camera throughout the scene did still hide his face. This revelation is postponed until after the murder, so the sudden realization that such a brutal crime was performed by a little blonde boy in a clown’s costume adds an extra dimension of horror to the scene.

However, Wood’s observation that the first-person camera use hides the murderer’s identity does not detract from the above-mentioned effects of voyeurism and narcissism. Yet it is interesting to see that the technique does indeed evolve in Halloween (1978) after Michael’s face has been revealed. In the scenes where a now twenty-one-year-old Michael stalks his victims, the camera

no longer adopts his perspective but films the occurrence from behind. Instead of seeing through the murderer’s eyes, the audience is now glancing over his shoulder.

This could be seen as an affirmation of Wood’s theory: once the killer’s identity is revealed, there is no longer a need for the audience to see through his eyes. Yet an alternative explanation could be offered here as well: the altered camera technique is needed not to detract from the male gaze, but to implement it more explicitly. Since after the first scenes the movie no longer works with a shaky camera, it might otherwise be unclear that it is indeed Michael looking at the girls rather than the movie just generally showing shots of them. By looking over Michael’s shoulder, the emphasis is placed on the fact that he is stalking them. The voyeuristic nature of Michael’s gaze is, in other words, deepened. The audience is constantly made aware that he is looking at the girls, as we look at him looking at them, and his stalking is accompanied by a continuous heavy breathing which emphasizes his presence. Yet at the same time, the voyeuristic effect on the audience diminishes. Since we no longer see the scene through Michael’s eyes, we feel less involved in his actions. There is no more direct identification with the killer.

On a final note of the significance of the male gaze in Halloween (1978)’s representation of gender, it is interesting to look at which characters’ the gaze is directed at. When Michael stalks the girls, he is namely singling them out as future victims. He is shown to stare at Judith, Laurie, Annie and Lynda at length before moving in to attack them. However, no such preliminary scene is shown to signify his interest in Bob before he is murdered. This underwrites the hypothesis that I set out in the chapter on The Other Girls, that Bob was never an intended victim of Michael, but that he merely became collateral damage in his pursuit of Lynda.

The Eye of the Hunted If, above, the focus has been on a male use of the gaze, Clover states that by the end of the slasher movie, there is a moment of empowerment wherein the final girl assumes the gaze for herself (Preface X). Or as Kelly Conelly says: “It is through the adoption of the gaze of the male monster, in addition to his other masculine characteristics, that the female is able to both empower herself and to survive” (14).

I have already expressed my disagreement on Laurie’s adoption of male characteristics in the chapter on the final girl, and would now also like to look critically at Laurie’s assumed empowering adoption of the gaze. A first important nuance that has to be made, is that Laurie’s so-called use

of the male gaze has a very different effect from Michael’s. Michael namely experiences his male gaze from a position of power. When he looks at his female victims, he actively objectifies them, exciting voyeuristic pleasure for both himself and the audience when he does so. When Laurie assumes the gaze, however, she is still in a position of vulnerability. She does not seek Michael out herself. She merely registers that he is coming for her. The sexual connotation is also completely absent. Whereas Michael sees his three female victims in a state of undress, Laurie only sees Michael in his blue overalls. His image is clearly not meant to evoke arousal. Yielding his knife, he only inspires fear. Laurie may be the subject of the gaze, she still remains the object of Michael’s violence.

Even in the most empowering moment where Laurie does succeed in defeating Michael temporarily, she is moreover not able to keep the gaze under her control. The camera is aligned with Laurie’s view as she stabs her attacker with his own knife: a moment that could be seen as echoing the camera’s alignment with Michael when he stabs his sister. But immediately after the act, Laurie abandons both the gaze and the knife. The camera overviews the scene in a full shot, and Laurie throws the knife to the ground. She subsequently looks away from Michael’s body as well, allowing the psychopath to resurrect behind her back and sneak up on her. It is Dr. Loomis who comes barging in at the final moment, assumes the gaze, and disposes of Michael. The only thing Laurie’s female use of the gaze demonstrated, is that it is not as powerful as the males’ equivalent of it.

HALLOWEEN 2018

Quantitative approach A first obvious observation is that there are in general much more victims in Halloween (2018) than there were in Halloween (1978). The pace of the recent movie is also much quicker. Whereas in the first Halloween movie, Myers may start with killing his sister in the opening scene to set the tone, the next on-screen murder does not take place until forty-seven minutes and forty-six seconds later. Then it takes an additional eleven minutes and thirty-nine seconds to get to the third murder, and the fourth follows two minutes and twenty-five seconds later. In the second Halloween, we have to wait thirty-one minutes and five seconds for the first murder, but the eight following on-screen killings follow each other in quick succession. On average, there is only an in-between time of six minutes and forty-five seconds. There is a total of eighteen victims

in Halloween (2018): nine are murdered on-screen, eleven off-screen. This stands in stark contrast to the mere five victims of the first film, four of which were murdered on-screen, and one off- screen.

In order of execution, the victims of Halloween (2018) are: a prison guard and bus driver, a young boy named Kevin and Kevin’s dad, a store clerk and a car mechanic, Dana and Aaron, a nameless mother and Sally, Vicky and her boyfriend Dave, Oscar, officer Hawkins, Dr. Ranbir Sartain, officer Phillips and Francis, and Ray. In addition to the augmented number of victims, it is also noteworthy that one of these victims does not die by the hand of Myers: it is Dr. Ranbir Sartain who kills officer Hawkins, only to be killed by Michael himself shortly after.

Moreover, the overwhelming majority of male victims is striking. Fourteen men are killed, compared to only four women. This gender imbalance remains if we take into account the number of violent acts, as well as the number of victims. However, the disparity here is less disproportionate. There are twenty-one acts of violence aimed at innocent men (eighteen of which committed by Michael, one of which committed by Kevin by accident, and two of which committed by Dr. Sartain), and sixteen acts of violence are aimed at innocent women (all of which committed by Michael).

On the part of the men: Myers kills a guard and a bus driver off-screen. Kevin is then shown (accidentally, but nonetheless) shooting Dr. Ranbir Sartain. Kevin’s head is subsequently banged in by Michael Myers. Off-screen, Myers kills Kevin’s dad, and later a store clerk and a car mechanic. On-screen, Michael knocks Aaron’s head against a sink. He then drags him to a wall and beats him against it, and after that, he knocks in a toilet door with Aaron’s head. Aaron is finally thrown back against the wall and left to die there. Off-screen, Michael then kills Dave, and on-screen he is shown to intimidate Oscar, swing at Oscar with a knife, and ultimately stab him to death. Dr. Ranbir Sartain in the meantime attacks and stabs officer Philips with a hidden knife-pen, and continues to run over him with his car. Later, Myers kicks in Sartain’s car seat, drags him out of his car, and stomps in his skull. He also kills officer Philips and Francis, off-screen, and strangles Ray on-screen.

On the part of the women: Dana is first terrorized by Michael: he scatters one of his previous victims’ bloody teeth on the ground of the toilet cubicle she is it. He then grabs her by the leg, and after his struggle with Aaron, chokes Dana. He sets out on a murderous rampage in a residential neighborhood and beats to death a nameless mother. This is carried out semi-off-screen: we do

not see the actual murder as it takes place, but we can hear the thumping of Myers’ hammer. The scene is not omitted, as with full off-screen murders. After the nameless mother, Myers beats in Sally’s head and stabs her in the throat. He then slashes Vicky with a knife, grabs her by the foot, and stabs her. He intimidates Allyson by stepping in front of her as she is looking at the murdered body of her friend, Oscar. Myers grabs Laurie’s head and bangs it into a door. He then chokes Laurie and throws her out of a window. He smashes Laurie into a wall and hits her with a blow poke. And lastly, he grabs Karen’s leg, and tries to drag her down a staircase.

There are also remarkably more acts of violence aimed towards Michael himself: Aaron attacks him with a crowbar, Vicky throws a chair at him, Hawkins runs him over with his car, Laurie shoots him in the hand, bites him. Karen shoots him. Then Laurie stabs Michael in the back, and hits him with a frying pan. Allyson stabs Myers’ arm as he is holding onto Karen’s leg. And finally, Laurie sets fire to her whole whose with Michael locked inside of it.

To subsequently also consider the duration of the violence: it is remarkable that although there are more male victims, it takes the movie slightly longer to process the deaths of the women. It takes two minutes and twenty-eight seconds for all the female victims to die, while the death struggle of the men only lasts two minutes and twenty-two seconds. Dana has to suffer for one minute and thirty-four seconds, while a nameless grandmother and Sally are both quickly disposed of in respectively seven and three seconds, and Vicky finally dies after fighting Michael for forty- for seconds. On the part of the men: the boy Kevin is killed in six seconds, while Aaron struggles for forty-two seconds. Oscar is shown to be terrified and killed in twenty-eight seconds. The murder on Sartain is led up to for fifty-three seconds, and it takes Ray thirteen seconds to die. The death of the other men is not shown on screen.

I then also add the amount of time that the surviving women are shown either cowering from or fighting against Michael. Allyson is shown to be screaming or crying on three occasions: the first time, she is running around for thirty-two seconds, screaming for help after she discovered that Oscar was murdered. She is then crying in Sartain’s car for a minute after being locked in with Michael, and spends another thirty-nine seconds running through the woods crying and screaming after escaping Michael. Karen, in the meantime, spends multiple sequences cowering in the basement, making up a total of two minutes and sixteen seconds. And Laurie is shown physically fighting with Michael for thirty-eight seconds.

Halloween (2018), in other words, shows the surviving women to fear or fight for their lives for five minutes and five seconds. The movie thus spends more time on the suffering of women than that of men: seven minutes and thirty-three seconds in total versus two minutes and twenty-two seconds. However, it should be noted that this prolonged amount of suffering is compensated by a higher survival rate for the women. While all innocent men that are attacked by Michael die, and Michael himself is the only surviving male character out of fifteen, three out of seven female figures survive their fight with Michael. All in all, the female characters thus suffer less violent acts and are more likely to survive an encounter with Michael than their male counterparts.

A New Story If the quantitative analysis of Halloween (2018) has revealed that a new gender balance has been founded with regards to the victims of violence, the following chapters will consider the non- violent treatment of the characters to come to a full understanding of the movie’s gender representation. In analogy to our approach of Halloween (1978), we again specifically look at the use – or this time also reversal – of gender stereotypes.

Male Monsters and Chatty Husbands The male characters that this thesis will consider are Michael Myers, Dr. Ranbir Sartain and Ray Nelson. The choice to include Michael is an obvious one. Since the same figure appears in both movies we are naturally interested in his development. Dr. Sartain’s characterization should subsequently be understood in dialogue to Dr. Loomis’. The former psychiatrist is namely the successor of the latter. Ray Nelson is finally selected because he is the third male protagonist of the movie, and Karen Strode’s husband. The characterization of a husband could thereby be seen as an maturation of Halloween (1978)’s boyfriends. However, Allyson’s boyfriend, Cameron, will also provide a direct point for comparison.

Michael Myers Building on his characterization as was already established in Halloween (1978), Michael returns in his role of psychopathic serial killer. He is now forty years older than in the first film, but just as elusive. In the introductory scene, he is visited by the true-crime journalists Aaron and Dana. Aaron comments: Aaron: “We’re here today to interview a patient that’s spent the last 40 years in captivity, and, by all accounts, has not uttered a word. This monster –“

He is then cut off by a buzzing noise, and a door opening. But the essential factors of Michael’s characterization have already been established: he does not talk, and he is a monster.

Then an extra nuance is made that was not yet present in the first movie. Whereas in Halloween (1978), we only learn that Michael has spent fifteen years in Smith’s Grove Sanatorium in a catatonic state: unable to be reached by his Dr. Loomis, it is now made explicit that this is Michael’s personal choice. Dr. Ranbir Sartain: “He can speak, he just chooses not to.” Aaron: “I’d love to stand closer to him, if I may. Get a sense of awareness, or lack or awareness. Dr. Ranbir Sartain: “Oh, make no mistake. He’s aware. He was watching you as you arrived.”

In Michael’s first visual appearance then, he is tethered to the ground on a square. In familiar fashion, he is never fully exposed. The camera only shows him from behind, or as a blurry figure in the corner. Yet we note signs of age: Michael is now a grey-haired man of sixty-one.

Aaron tries to ask him whether Michael ever thinks Figure 7: Michael, 40 years later. about his victims, “Feel guilt about their fate?”. But as could be predicted, Michael refuses to respond. The tension builds, however, when Aaron introduces Michael’s mask. The psychopath slightly twitches, and Aaron notes “you feel it, don’t you, Michael? You feel the mask.” The patients around them become nervous as well. They start rattling their chains, one is laughing hysterically, another one screams. A guard dog is whining. But then the movie cuts to the main title sequence.

Michael is subsequently brought on a bus to be transferred to another facility, but of course manages to escape. As Dr. Ranbir Sartain later explains in scene fifty-eight: “The bus lost control after Michael overtook the first guard and the driver. He’s no longer dormant. He only knows how to keep moving and to keep killing. And he will kill again unless he’s captured.”

Dr. Ranbir Sartain has only just awakened from his injuries sustained during and following the crash when he says this, and his prophecy has already come true. Michael’s first murder is already visualized in scene fourteen: here, he kills a young boy to steal his father’s car. In scene twenty-

two, Aaron also discovers the body of two other men: a store clerk, and a car mechanic, whose overalls are stolen. In the following scene, a struggle ensues between Michael, Dana and Aaron himself. After they have been killed, Michael can retrieve his mask. His brand look has been restored.

Michael Myers thus of course remains a figure of toxic masculinity, as was to be expected: he is still a violent, silent, masculine monster, but this is also legitimized by the plot. Without a murderer, there is no Halloween. And building on this first observation, a comparison between his characterization of the first movie and the second also reveals that he has actually become less hyper-masculine.

For one, his obsession with women has lessened. An important difference with the first Halloween movie is that he is no longer shown to be stalking young girls, and he does not display an obvious connection between his motive to kill and sexual arousal anymore either. Michael simply goes on a murderous rampage through the streets: just walking from one house into the next and killing whomever he encounters.

He first surprises and kills a nameless woman by beating in her head with a hammer, and then takes a knife from her kitchen counter and moves onto the next victim: a woman whose name is Sally. After this, Michael appears in the closet of a young boy named Julian. His babysitter, Vicky, - the only teenage girl to fall victim to Michael in Halloween (2018) - checks the room for the bogeyman, and is attacked by the murderer. It is remarkable that there is again a struggle before she is killed: Vicky first manages to throw a chair at Myers and runs out of the room, but she slips and falls. When Michael grabs her leg and starts dragging her backwards, she first holds onto the stair railing as well before having to give in.

In other words, even if Michael is not a humane character, he has in fact become more human- like. He doesn’t seem to possess his former super-human strength anymore: when it comes to a fight, he now actually needs to struggle to get the upper hand. This is an important nuance of his hyperbolic masculinity as it is no longer taken for granted that he can overpower all women. Even if just temporarily, it is already a step forwards from Halloween (1978) that there are now moments in which female victims fight back to Michael with seemingly equal force.

He still proves invincible in the end, but as Rockoff points out, this also serves a practical purpose: since the success of the franchise hinges on the killer, he has to survive to guarantee the possibility of sequels (6). Rockoff therefore believes that, to make Michael indestructible is then less of a thematic choice, but more of an economic consideration (6). Yet as we see in this movie, the need for Michael to be indestructible does not have to be equated to him being invulnerable. In contrast to Halloween (1978), Michael has become a man of flesh and blood, or more accurately: he is shown to lose flesh and spill blood. When Laurie shoots Michael’s hand in scene eighty-four, Michael suffers actual damage. One of his fingers is blown off. In the original Halloween movie, none of Michael’s injuries are shown to have actual consequences: he is stabbed and shot multiple times, but never even bleeds. Scene eighty-five of Halloween (2018), however, shows Michael’s four-finger hand dripping blood.

The injuries that he sustains are never actual mortal wounds either, which makes it more convincible that Michael survives in the end as well. He is again stabbed and shot, but only superficially. The bullet, for example, only brushes his neck. In scene ninety, Laurie manages to lock Michael in the basement and set fire to her whole house, but the final shots reveal that he has once again gotten away. This time Michael’s survival is, however, not caused by his supposed immortality and insusceptibility to wounds, but by his ingenuity to escape.

Moreover, in Halloween (2018), Michael is not defeated by a man who comes rushing in at the last minute to save the crying final girl and shoot the murderer. But he is overcome – at least for this movie – due to the doings of three generations of strong women who work together to overpower their assailer themselves. Even if Michael thus remains a figure of toxic masculinity, his male dominance has in each case been overthrown.

Dr. Ranbir Sartain As the intertitles already indicated, Halloween (2018) does not feature a “male monster and hero”, rather than two monsters and no hero. The heroic, stoic, Dr. Loomis has namely been replaced by his complete anti-thesis, Dr. Ranbir Sartain. Not only does this new psychiatrist have a reversed role in the plot, he is also Dr. Loomis’ opposite personality-wise. Figure 8: Dr. Ranbir Sartain.

In the first half of this thesis, I have elaborated how Dr. Loomis reflects the stereotypical idea that men are not sufficiently empathic for a therapeutic profession, as Dr. Loomis lacks all compassion for his patient and has given up trying to reach him. This legacy of Dr. Loomis is carried over into Halloween (2018). The doctor himself may in the meantime have passed away, but one of the journalists studying Michael’s case is shown to listen to tapes where the man is being asked to give a statement regarding his former patient. Loomis answers with hard words: “My suggestion is termination. Death is the only option for Michael.” He continues his statement with a detailed description of how his life should be extinguished, and ends by repeating over and over again: “It needs to die. It needs to die. It needs to die”, again reducing Michael to a non-human “it”.

Dr. Ranbir Sartain, however, possesses excessive empathy for Michael. This is first signaled in scene sixty, where Dr. Sartain states: Sartain: You see, this is what has intrigued me through my studies. How does a crime like Michael’s affect him? Hmm? What’s that feeling? Is he on a random path, or is he emotionally driven? Triggered by something? Perhaps some unheard marching order imprinted on his very being. I want to know what he’s feeling. I want to know what pleasure he gets out of killing.

This excerpt realizes two things for Dr. Sartain’s characterization. It first explains how Sartain views Michael as a human whose feelings he wants to fathom, defying the stereotype that men are unequipped to deal with emotions. And secondly, it illustrates how Dr. Sartain is much more eloquent than Dr. Loomis, as throughout the movie, he often voluntarily voices his thoughts rather than subscribe to the ideal of the silent masculine hero.

What is more, Dr. Ranbir Sartain will even come to represent a form of empathy that is taken to the extreme: to the point where he even kills a man to stop him from harming Michael Myers. In scene seventy-one, officer Hawkins runs the psychopath down with his car, and then proceeds to walk towards his unmoving body to shoot him, and make sure he is dead. Dr. Ranbir Sartain, however, gets in between the two. He runs up to Michael to feel his heartbeat, and then lies: “You killed him! He’s dead!”. When officer Hawkins insists that he he’s “still gonna blow this motherfucker’s brains out”, Dr. Ranbir Sartain first starts screaming “get away! Leave my patient alone!”, and when this proves ineffective, he takes a small knife out of his pocket and attacks

Hawkins with it. Afterwards, Sartain puts on the unconscious Michael’s mask himself in order to understand “so this is what it feels like”.

In this regard, Dr. Ranbir Sartain also offers an intriguing counter-part for Michael Myers, as he proves that villainy does not have to be the result of toxic masculinity, but could also stem from less stereotypical male – or even stereotypically female – empathic qualities.

Ray Nelson Another remarkable gender reversal manifests itself in Ray Nelson. He perfectly fits into the female stereotype of the “mindless chatterbox”, as was already mentioned above. For Karen’s middle-aged husband, it is not so much a matter of how many lines he has – only fifty-four - , but the way in which his dialogues are developed. He is namely interrupted or asked to stop talking ten times, as he would otherwise Figure 9: Ray Nelson. endlessly ramble on, and “massively overshare”, as said by his wife.

An interesting example of this can be found in scene eleven, when Ray is first introduced to his daughter’s boyfriend, Cameron. Ray informs the young man that he knows his father and that his father furthermore used to sell him peyote, a hallucinogenic cactus. After Allyson and her mother try to stop Ray, he apologizes, but then proves that he still doesn’t “get it” and continues in an equally inappropriate way for his encounter with Cameron. Ray: I know Lonnie. I went to high school with him. He used to sell me peyote. Allyson: Dad! Karen: Everyone knows Lonnie. Ray: Yeah. Allyson: Dad. Ray: I’m sorry. Karen: Alright, uhm, this is a massive overshare for our new friend. Ray: No, he did. I learned a lot about myself with his dad. Tripped balls out in the woods, me and his dad.

Halloween (2018), in other words, has a whole new approach towards gender stereotypes, subverting them in multiple ways, and in Ray’s characterization a new attitude towards gender roles is brought to the fore as well. Namely, the idea of the father as the head of the household is

undermined in the plot. This is, for example, illustrated in scene twenty-eight, when Laurie breaks into the house to draw Karen’s attention to their security risks. Karen: You scared me! What are you doing in our house? Laurie: You mean, how did I get into your house? You have no security system, Karen. Your side window was wide open. Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between your stupidity and your ignorance. Ray: Hey, Laurie, this is my home, and I can take care of my own family, alright? I know jujitsu, I have studied… Karen: Ray.. Laurie: The bus crashed.

In this scene, Ray tries to call upon his male authority with the line: “this is my home, and I can take care of my own family”, but he already undermines his own credibility by continuing with “I know jujitsu”. Anyone who has been paying attention to Michael Myers would of course immediately understand why this is a naïve statement. Ray is clearly unequipped to deal with the severity of the situation. This is further emphasized by the dismissive way Karen reacts to him. Rather than trying to support her husband, or confirm his ability as a protector, she tries to stop him from continuing to talk, implying that he is rambling again. Laurie subsequently disregards him as well, only directing the conversation to her daughter.

Ray’s authority is then undermined a final time in scene sixty-seven. Karen and Ray have been ordered to hide inside Laurie’s house until Michael has been caught. Karen, however, becomes hysterical because the police have not yet been able to find Allyson. Ray tries to get through to his wife multiple times, saying “Come on, Karen, let’s go inside”, then “Let them take care of it”. Yet Karen continues raving on about her daughter. Ray then tries a final time: “Honey, if you let ‘em do their job, they’re gonna-“, but he is interrupted by Laurie who shouts “Karen!”. This time, everyone falls silent at once, and in her next scene, Karen is shown inside the house. Laurie is thus established as a higher authority than Ray.

Cameron Elam The description of Cameron Elam’s characterization will finally be the shortest of the male characters as the least is known about him. However, to compare him to the boyfriends that are featured in Halloween (1978), it is significant to note that his relationship with Allyson seems to be more substantial. They kiss each other in scene six, and Allyson mentions in a phone call with her

friend Vicky in scene thirty-two that she thinks “he is… so sexy, it’s a little too much to take.” However, the emphasis of their relationship does not lay on the physical side. In contrast to the boyfriends of Halloween (1978), Cameron and Allyson are shown to be talking for a longer period of time than they are shown to be touching. The most convincing evidence of the foundation of their relationship is furthermore the fact that a full scene is dedicated to introducing Cameron to Allyson’s family over dinner. The couple moreover wears matching costumes to the school’s Figure 10: Cameron and Allyson wearing Halloween dance. matching costumes.

The strength of their relationship is, however, undermined when Allyson temporarily steps outside of the dance room to take the above-mentioned phone call with Vicky. The phone call only caused a short interruption, but during that time Cameron already admits that he “got [himself] fucked up”. When Allyson comes back, she namely sees him kissing another girl. Cameron first tries to deny this, claiming: “I don’t know what you thought you saw, but, like, I… Kim… literally was talking to me.” Allyson of course doesn’t believe this, but Cameron persists: “She came up to me and, like, whispered in my ear, ok? You don’t have to cry about it. It’s not that big a deal.” His final lines illustrate that Cameron not only lies to Allyson, but he disregards her feelings as well. His frustration when Allyson turns to walk away from him then quickly evolves into anger. When Allyson’s phone rings again, Cameron even grabs it out of her hand and throws it in a bowl of pudding. He asks her “you gonna get that? Or you want me to get it?”, trying to force Allyson to pay attention to him. She, however, wants nothing to do with him anymore and simply walks away, even leaving her phone in the pudding. His attempt to establish dominance over her has failed. Their relationship only thrived in equality.

Three generations of Strode women We subsequently turn our attention to the female characters of the movie. As the title of this section already explains: the three female protagonists of Halloween (2018) all belong to the same family. They are Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen, and grand-daughter Allyson. Due to the close connection of these three Figure 11: Laurie, Karen and Allyson.

women and the fact that their characterizations are often interwoven, they will be discussed together in one chapter.

We start with Laurie. Laurie is directly characterized by an interview in her first appearance in scene three. She is now a grey-haired woman of fifty-eight. Aaron and Dana are interested in “[her] story”, which the former bluntly summarizes as “Two failed marriages. Rocky relationship with your daughter and granddaughter”. Laurie agrees with him, “I’m twice divorced”, and informs us about her mental state: “and I’m a basket case”. On top of that, Dana claims: “They said you were an unfit mother.” The state came to take her daughter away when she was twelve years old.

A dense amount of information is packed in this interview which lasts less than three minutes. The audience is informed about the most important developments of Laurie’s life in the past forty years following the events of Halloween 1978. We learn that her life has fallen apart after her encounter with Michael. Trauma has gotten the better hand of her. She has spent every day in preparation of Michael’s return: fortifying her home with locks and camera’s, she has turned the basement into a bunker, and learnt how to fight and shoot guns. The latter is a skill which she also meant to pass onto her daughter, Karen. In scene thirteen, Karen has flashbacks about her childhood, and tells us “I learned how to shoot a gun when I was eight. I learned how to fight. I had nightmares about the basement”.

As a result, Karen has tried to block her mother out of her life as much as she can. In scene four, we are introduced to her family. Karen has a husband, Ray, and a teenage daughter, Allyson. Allyson wants her parents to meet her boyfriend, Cameron, over dinner, and asks her mother if she invited grandmother? Karen replies that she did, but that Laurie can’t make it. She is lying. As Allyson says in scene five, “she never even contacted her”.

When Laurie does show up to the dinner, on Allyson’s invitation, we understand why Karen tried to prevent this. Laurie is completely incompetent in social situations. She first refuses to sit down in the restaurant, and then takes Ray’s glass of wine and drinks it in one sip. Karen snaps at her mother: “You know, this is exactly why we don’t reach out”, causing Laurie to start crying. She then starts rambling about Michael again: how she saw him, and tried to kill him but couldn’t. Even when Laurie is with her family, Michael proves to be her biggest obsession. She cannot let the past go.

Karen, in contrast, is trying her best to leave the past behind her. In scene thirteen, she explains to Allyson: “I’ve spent my entire life trying to get over the paranoia and neuroses that she has projected on me.” And she has done a decent job in doing so. Even when Laurie barges into Karen’s home in scene twenty-eight, swinging a gun and telling Karen: “I have tried to protect you and prepare you, now we have to hunt him down”, Karen replies very down-to-earthly: “Yeah, and I am trying to prepare dinner for my family. The world is not a dark and evil place. It is full of love and understanding, and I’m not letting your psychotic rants confuse me or convince me otherwise.” In other words, despite her possibly traumatic youth, Karen has managed to grow into a stable adult and loving wife and mother.

Allyson, lastly, is about the age Laurie was when she encountered Michael in the original Halloween movie. Like her grandmother, she is presented as a smart and responsible girl. When Laurie meets up with her in scene eight, Laurie wants to give her an envelope with money, she tells her to “use it for whatever your heart desires”, to which Allyson replies “I’ll save it for college, then”. In contrast to her grandmother, however, Allyson is less inexperienced with guys, and as already mentioned, she has a serious relationship with Cameron, whom she introduces to her family. But despite their founded emotional connection, when she catches him cheating on her on the Halloween dance, Allyson tells him “I’m done” and immediately walks away.

Overall, Halloween (2018)’s women are more difficult to fit into stereotypes. Laurie, certainly, has become a hardened woman. She has long since left the qualities of the cult of true womanhood behind her. Two failed marriages and a drinking problem have undone her purity. She is no longer concerned with domesticity. Rather than teaching her daughter to love, she trained her to fight. And Laurie has not created a family home, but made a bunker out of her house. Her authority- centered piety has also dissolved. She now swears directly at the police, screaming “what the fuck” in officer Hawkins’s face when he surprises her, and even using the Lord’s name in vain, “Jesus Christ!”. Moreover, she has spent her whole life preparing for Michael’s return. There is no submissiveness left in her. She has trained to conquer.

Karen and Allyson provide less radical breakaways from conventional womanhood. Karen could be seen as a traditional housewife: she is concerned with cooking and caring for her family. But this is only stated once in scene twenty-eight and is not emphasized further. Allyson might moreover have some stereotypically girly priorities (introducing her boyfriend to her family, thinking about what they’ll wear to the dance), but she proves that she isn’t emotionally dependent on her man

by her ability to leave him as soon as she finds out that he has cheated on her. Additionally, the costume that they end up wearing to the Halloween dance is a gender-bend take on Bonnie and Clyde, with Cameron as Bonnie and Allyson as Clyde. This can be seen as a symbolical statement that the characters of Halloween (2018) are not to be assimilated into gender stereotypes.

The Final Women An important innovation of Halloween (2018) is that this time there is not just one final girl, but three final women. The choice of representing three generations of Strode women furthermore diversifies the slasher trope even more. The spotlight is no longer solely reserved for a youthful teenager; a daughter, mother and grandmother with an eventful life now stand side by side. The final girl’s virginity is thereby also removed as a condition for her survival. This is obvious in the case of Laurie and Karen, both having a daughter. But it is significant that Allyson is also given a boyfriend with whom she is serious enough to introduce him to her family. As a result, the murder of the other victims can no longer be seen as a moral punishment either. The only difference between the final women and the other victims is that the Strodes were prepared to fight.

As opposed to Halloween (1978), this fight has become less effeminate as well. Laurie no longer uses knitting needles or coat hangers as attributes of her womanhood, but instead, she brings out the big guns. In her basement, she has collected a full weapon arsenal. She invites her family members to “pick [their] poison”, and demonstrates her knowledge of them by describing each gun’s advantages. Laurie hands a revolver to Ray, because “they never jam”. She gives a shotgun a Karen for “accuracy and stopping power”, and takes a different kind of shotgun herself because “this is tactical”. If we accept the common interpretation of the gun as a phallic symbol, it is significant that Laurie chooses large shotguns for her daughter and herself, while she only has a small revolver reserved for Ray. Laurie has “manned herself”, to put it in Clover’s words (49). And at the same time, she has symbolically castrated Ray. His emasculation enables Laurie’s and Karen’s empowerment.

Throughout the movie, Laurie furthermore demonstrates that she is also prepared to match Michael in violence. Forty years she has trained to fight him, and she doesn’t back down when the opportunity arises. A direct one-on-one confrontation takes place in scene eighty-eight. When Michael smacks Laurie’s gun out of her hands, Laurie swings at him with a knife. Michael grabs her hand and forces the knife down on her. But when he subsequently tries to choke Laurie, she bites

him in the fingers. Michael responds by pushing her off the balcony: winning the fight, but also recreating the iconic final scene of Halloween (1978), where it is Michael himself who takes the fall.

This is not the only cinematic parallel in which the roles between Michael and Laurie are swapped. In scene seven, too, we find an echo of Halloween (1978), more precisely of scene eleven. In the original movie, it is Michael who is standing outside Laurie’s classroom, watching her. Forty years later, Laurie stands where Michael stood before to look at her own granddaughter. These cinematic parallels with inverted roles at once establish a sense of equality between the two opponents. Laurie is now able to fill Michael’s shoes. And like Michael was able to resurrect after being thrown off the balcony in Halloween (1978), Laurie has not been defeated by it in Halloween (2018) either.

In part, this could be seen as a confirmation of Rieser’s idea of the final girl as “a female figure in a male mould” (378). In stepping up to Michael, Laurie indeed adopts a stereotypically masculine force. However, this does not change the fact that Laurie is still a woman at her core. And it is remarkable that exactly in her masculine fight with Michael, Laurie also rediscovers aspects of her own femininity. The aspect of motherhood has namely played an important role in Laurie’s feminine characterization ever since Halloween (1978). Babysitting, as a form of surrogate motherhood, was imperial to Laurie here. Her social life – or lack of social life – revolved around it, and the children remained her priority even as her life was being threatened by Michael. In Halloween (2018), however, we get a different story. Already in her first appearance, Laurie reveals that she has become disconnected from her motherhood. Her daughter has been taken away from her at the age of twelve, and the fact that Karen refused to invite her mother to the dinner party, despite Allyson explicitly asking for her grandmother, proves that she remained disconnected from her family all these years.

In scene eight, Allyson is furthermore lecturing her grandmother: “The bogeyman, all this hiding, all this preparation… It was for nothing. I mean, it took priority over your family. It cost you your family.” Laurie responds with: “If the way I raised your mother means that she hates me, but that she’s prepared for the horrors of this world, then… I can live with that.” To which Allyson begs her grandmother again: “Say goodbye to Michael, and get over it”. But Laurie says “goodbye” to Allyson instead, and is shown to be practicing shooting again in the next scene. She chose a masculine obsession with violence over her feminine calling as a mother.

Yet when the moment she had been waiting for all these years finally arrives, Laurie changes her mind. As she and Karen are hiding inside the basement, Laurie grabs her daughter by the shoulders and tells her: “I was wrong to raise you the way I did, but at least I can protect you. Nothing will happen to you.” Next, before heading off to fight Michael, Laurie turns around one last time, and Karen tells her: “Mom, I love you”, to which Laurie replies “I love you, baby”. Even if Laurie has adopted phallic weaponry and will equal Michael’s masculine violence in their battle, this moment reminds the audience that Laurie is first and foremost a woman, who is fighting to protect another woman.

In addition, the other final women, Karen and Allyson, prove that masculine violence is not that only way to obtain victory. They also use cunning to get the upper hand from the men, for example, in scene seventy-three. Dr. Ranbir Sartain has just murdered officer Hawkins and has dragged the unconscious body of Michael Myers into the backseat of the police car with Allyson. She cannot escape, and it clear that Sartain has gone delusional. He is raving on about Michael, but when he finally mentions: “I worked with Michaels for years, but I’ve never seen him in an uncontrolled environment. I’ve never heard him speak, you see”, Allyson concocts a plan. “He spoke to me”: she says. Sartain is immediately caught off-guard. “He spoke to you?” “Yeah. Uhm, uh, when he murdered my friend, he saw me, and-and he spoke to me.” We know she is lying as we saw the scene in which Michael murdered Oscar, but Sartain believes her. Since Michael is his life’s obsession, he needs to know what he said, and Allyson tries to use this as a leverage. “Let me go and I will tell you what he said”: she offers. Sartain stops the car, and while he is arguing with Allyson, Michael awakes and continues to kick in the doctor’s seat in the back. Allyson’s following escape might be facilitated by Michael attacking Sartain, it should still be granted to Allyson that she provided the distraction needed for the doctor not to notice Michael’s awakening.

Karen, too, demonstrates that to win a fight, you don’t necessarily have to be physically stronger than your opponent. Throughout the movie, she has seemed to play a traditional female horror victim role. Whereas Laurie is immediately ready to engage in battle herself, Karen would rather wait it out. Her plan is to hide inside the house and let the police take care of the situation. When the moment of confrontation arises, and Michael breaks into the house, she responds by crying, hiding inside the basement, and cowering. But, like Laurie, she seems to regain strength when her maternal instincts are incited. When Allyson arrives at Laurie’s house, Karen’s attitude completely changes. She ushers her daughter into the basement with her. And, whereas before Karen

admitted to being afraid herself, she now focusses on reassuring her daughter, repeating: “sshh, shhh, shhht, It’s gonna be ok”, over and over again. She then takes a new gun from the rack. This is significant because it signals that Karen herself has become ready for the fight. It is not Laurie who imposes the gun on her, but Karen who finally mans herself. The gun she chooses is moreover the gun with which Karen learned to shoot as a child; it has her initials carved into it, with a little heart underneath. This personal detail emphasizes Karen’s unification with the weapon. She is thoroughly familiar with this gun, yet, when Michael forces the entrance of the basement open, Karen pretends to be unable to shoot. She breaks down in tears, crying: “Mom? Help us! I can’t do it. I’m sorry, I can’t do it!” But in reality, she only wanted to lure the murderer out in the open. As soon as Michael steps into view, Karen steadies her voice, saying “gotcha”, and shoots. Her weakness only served as a decoy for her opponent to underestimate her and give her the advantage of surprise.

When Michael is shot, Laurie appears from a dark hallway behind him and attacks him. A struggle ensues, but Laurie manages to hit Michael in the face and cause him to fall down the basement staircase. Karen and Allyson come running out, but Michael catches onto Karen’s leg. As Laurie tries to pull her daughter up, both women urge Allyson to flee and save herself. But she uses the moment to emancipate herself symbolically instead. She grabs a knife from the kitchen counter and stabs Michael in the arm, thereby also contributing to his final defeat. Michael is forced to let Karen go, and Laurie subsequently locks him up in the basement, which turns out to have been a trap all along. The three women stand together as Laurie lights a flamethrower and drops it with Michael. They leave the murderer in the burning house and flee themselves.

The final scene provides the perfect conclusion for both the movie as the analysis of the final girl’s trope, as the three Strode women are pictured riding in the back of a truck together. Though Laurie is bleeding, she, Karen and Allyson are holding onto each other. And to contrast Laurie in Halloween (1978), who almost caused her own demise by throwing away Michael’s knife immediately after having stabbed him, the camera now zooms in on Allyson. She is still holding the knife. The female appropriation of the phallic symbol is complete.

The Eyes of the Hunted Becoming the Hunter In Halloween (2018) the male gaze has completely subsided in favor of a new, female gaze. It should be noted that this is not an exact equivalent of the male gaze: as in Halloween (1978) the female gaze is not used to sexually objectify men or excite voyeuristic pleasure in the looking at

men. However, I will argue how the female use of the gaze contributes to the objectification of Michael in a different sense. The major difference with the cinematographic technique of Halloween (1978) and that of Halloween (2018) is, namely, that the women who assume the gaze are now placed in a position of power over the man that they are looking at.

Since Michael no longer stalks his victims in advance, there is no need for the camera to align with his view in his killing process. There does not appear to be a clear selection principle for his victims. Instead, the camera simply follows Michael as he walks around, entering houses seemingly arbitrarily. How he murders victims is then primarily shot from a third-person perspective. However, there is one instance in which the camera briefly aligns with the view of one of his victims, and this, interestingly, is when said victim is male. That is: the audience is looking through Oscar’s eyes as Michael swings at him with a knife. This clearly indicates that the dominance of the male gaze has ended. Instead, we shall see how it has been transferred to the women of the movie.

When Michael seeks out Laurie at her cabin-house, it is namely Laurie who takes on the active role in the cat-and-mouse game that ensues. This time Michael is hiding somewhere and Laurie combs through the house, looking for him. The use of Laurie’s gaze can here be argued to be objectifying. Though not sexually objectifying, her gaze coincides with the scope of her gun. Trying to direct her look at Michael thus means trying to signal him out as a possible victim. Contrary to Laurie merely registering Michael’s actions in Halloween (1978), this time, her use of the gaze symbolizes that she is in control of the situation.

When she finally finds him, a fight ensues, and Laurie’s gaze is temporarily replaced by that of Michael. Though here, again, the male gaze will prove to be less powerful than his female opponent. When Michael namely succeeds in throwing Laurie off the balcony, he looks away for a moment, allowing Laurie to escape. This can be seen as an echo of Laurie diverting her gaze from Michael after temporarily defeating him in Halloween (1978). Michael’s male gaze cannot contain Laurie.

The next person to assume the gaze is then Karen. As described in the chapter on the final women above, Karen has played a more stereotypical victim role up to this point. The moment she adopts the gaze, however, is also the moment Karen empowers herself. She has spent the duration of Michael’s and Laurie’s fight cowering in the basement-bunker but is now about to be confronted by the murderer herself. He has forced the basement open, but has not appeared at the entrance

yet. Karen, and the camera which is filming through Karen’s eyes, is looking up, waiting for Michael. Then, Karen initiates her deceive. She sobs: “I can’t do it. I’m sorry. I can’t do it”, only to shoot Michael the moment he steps into view. As soon as Michael becomes an object to Karen’s gaze, he is dominated by her.

He falls down the staircase and after another swift fight, it is clear that Michael has become overpowered. In a final exchange of gaze, the Strode women - who now also physically have the high ground over Michael - look down at their rival. And Michael casts a meaningful last look up at his defeaters. He has become fully emasculated2.

Conclusion To conclude, this thesis sees it as established that Halloween (1978) is in fact a misogynist film. A quantitative analysis confirmed Donnerstein et al.’s idea that the slasher’s violence is “overwhelmingly directed at women” (The Question of Pornography, 113). The movie may only feature five murder victims (three of which are female, two of which are male), which makes it impossible to discern a convincing gender imbalance; a consideration of the number of violent acts each sex suffers quickly verifies that women are indeed the primary victims of Halloween (1978). There are namely sixteen instances of innocent women being targeted by Michael, while he is only shown to harm a man two times. Furthermore there are but six additional instances of violence against men if we include the victims’ acts of self-defense against Michael. He is furthermore never shown to be really affected by any of these attacks. As a result, only twenty-six seconds of the movie are spend visualizing male suffering, while the camera dwells on women’s misery for fifteen minutes and thirty-five seconds.

The cinematic technique of the male gaze furthermore relishes in this violence against women as well. The murder on Judith is the clearest example of this. Here, the camera aligns with the eyes of the killer as he approaches his sister’s naked body and stabs her in the chest. The pleasure lies in scopophilia and voyeurism. The women are singled out as objects to look at and subordinates to overpower. By insisting on filming Michael from the back and in the background as we are watching Annie, Laurie and Lynda, the audience is constantly made aware that he is intruding in

2 It should be noted that the end credits do reveal that Michael has managed to escape once again. However, this thesis regards Michael to be defeated with regards to Halloween (2018) since he is not able to revenge himself on the women after they have locked him up. The end credits may imply the possibility that Michael could redeem his power and masculinity in a sequel, but this is not accomplished in Halloween (2018) itself. The conclusion that the movie ends with Michael’s emasculation therefore stands.

their private lives. This clearly puts Michael in the dominant position as he controls the situation while his soon-to-be victims remain painfully unaware. By zooming in on their naked body parts, the women are subsequently sexually objectified as well. It is in this regard significant that no preliminary gaze is shown to objectify Michael’s male victims.

The camera alignment, as well as Michael’s super-human characterization, invite an identification with the killer as an ego ideal. The spectators, whether male or female, are therefore forced to adopt his perspective. The close involvement in the fictional violence against women has furthermore been theorized as desensitizing the reactions to violence against women in real life. This makes Halloween (1978) a problematic film not only in the fictional but also in the physical realm.

The moment in which the final girl assumes the gaze for herself furthermore fails to live up to Clover’s expectations of female empowerment. Seeing the scene through Laurie’s eyes only emphasizes her defenselessness. When Michael gazes at Laurie, he namely actively selects her as a victim. Though when Laurie gazes at Michael, she is in no such position of power. She can only passively register that he is coming for her, and is forced to react to the circumstances that he created. Her female gaze is ineffective compared to the male gaze of Michael and Dr. Loomis. This is why the camera alignment favors the perspective of the latter to depict the final defeat of Michael as well.

Despite Nowell’s argument that Halloween (1978) catered towards women due to its themes of courtship and sisterhood, this thesis finds that the slasher’s misogyny continues into its non-violent content. Especially Annie and Lynda are shaped as one-dimensional characters. There is no real depth in their conversations, and the movie does not explore meaningful friendships or relationships between the protagonists. What is more, both Annie and Lynda are only shown to make fun of Laurie. And the teenage boys are only interested in their girlfriends for sex. If the 1978 Halloween’s promotional posters indeed promised to thematise female bonding and romance, the movie failed to deliver. While Laurie is given a personality that is slightly more complex (though no less stereotypical than the other girls), this is only meant to contrast her to her friends and enable the movie to blame them for their own demise. Laurie is submissive because Annie is assertive. She is smart because Lynda is dumb. And she is a virgin because promiscuous girls deserve to die.

As a final girl, Laurie does not relinquish her femininity as is often the case in slasher movies. Instead she proves that she can fight with traditional female values and attributes. However, when it comes to it, her femininity cannot outbalance the masculine dominance of Michael. In Halloween (1978), it takes a man to defeat a man. And all of Laurie’s efforts to empower herself are undone when in the end she needs to be saved by Dr. Loomis.

For a complete understanding of Halloween (1978)’s gender representation, this thesis subsequently also considered the slasher’s treatment of its male characters; a dimension that is often neglected in the academic debate. This thesis found out that, with respect to the violent content of the movie, men dominate. Michael is established as a super-human killer who is able to overpower anyone he encounters without suffering repercussions himself. And even Loomis is positioned as a higher authority over Laurie as he is able to save her when she is not able to fend for herself. The men monopolize violence. But the non-violent content of the movie shows them to be victims of their own success as well. Their characterization is just as influenced by stereotypes as the women’s, and they too suffer the consequences of this. Their physical power goes at the expense of emotional expression. In Michael’s case, it is clear that he is a catatonic psychopath, but even Dr. Loomis is represented as a neurotic psychiatrist who seems unable to bond with his fellow humans. He is unable to hold a conversation, and even in a situation where fear would be more than justified, he tries to suppress his emotions through nervous laughter. This shows that the issue of gender stereotypes is a double-edged swords that affects both men and women.

In Halloween (2018), subsequently, a new gender (im)balance is achieved in both the violent as the non-violent content. First of all, there is a clear majority of male murder victims over female ones: namely fourteen to four. This difference also persists if the number of violent acts are considered as well. Men are attacked twenty-one times while women are only attacked sixteen times. Al tough the suffering of the women is shown for a longer period of time, this goes hand in hand with the fact that they are more likely to survive the ordeal. All victims are shown to engage in twice as many acts of self-defense against Michael. In the 1978’s edition only Laurie and Loomis fight back five times. But this time, Michael is shot, run over, stabbed and bitten ten times and not just by the final girl or final hero either. Multiple victims are shown to, at least temporarily, stand their ground against the psychopath. This is tied together to a nuance of his hyper-masculine characterization. While Michael’s personality remains based on toxic masculinity, his strength is decreased to a more realistic level. Moreover, he is no longer invulnerable. He has become a human of flesh and blood, which makes him less of an ego ideal.

The camera, additionally, no longer forces the viewer in the killer’s perspective. Michael has lost the power of the male gaze. Instead, he is made the object of a new female gaze. The final women now hunt him down and assign him as a victim through their look. When the male gaze is used, it only confirms the superiority of the female view. The emancipation of the final women makes them capable of dealing with the psychopath on their own. No man is needed to come save them in the end. Even more, they symbolically confirm their dominance over the men around them by adopting larger phallic symbols. The stereotypically masculine violence becomes appropriated but not blindly adopted. The final women retain – or regain – their femininity during the fight. The main source of their strength derives from maternal love.

The link between sex and non-survival as overemphasized in Halloween (1978) has disappeared altogether. The final women are either obvious non-virgins, as is the case with Laurie and Karen, or the question of their maidenhood is left unresolved, as with Allyson. Because of this, the other victims can no longer be blamed for their own murders either. The aspect of moral retribution is absent. A new power balance has moreover manifested in the depicted relationships as well. Sex is no longer the driving force. The relationship between Allyson and Cameron is given a clear emotional foundation. Their matching costumes emphasize their unity, yet the fact that they are gender-bend symbolically illustrates that the characters do not follow traditional rules. When Cameron tries to establish dominance over Allyson, forcing her to listen to him after being caught cheating, Allyson simply walks away from him.

A reversal of gender roles can also be found in the relationship between Karen and Ray, and the characterization of Ray and Dr. Ranbir Sartain. Although Karen still takes on the role of housewife, and she is the one concerned with cooking for her family; the stereotype is challenged that only women are overly talkative. Ray is often portrayed as endlessly rambling on, and it is up to his wife and daughter to cut him short. Dr. Ranbir Sartain subsequently overturns Dr. Loomis’ lack of emotions and instead presents us with an exaggerated level of empathy. He ironically uses this stereotypical feminine quality in his attempt to understand Michael Myer’s hypermasculine violence. Femininity and masculinity are again posed as each other’s opposites, on the one hand, and shown to go hand in hand on the other, as it is exactly Sartain’s empathy that will incite him to adopt his own form of violence as well. To protect and imitate Michael, Sartain namely kills a man himself.

Overall, the comparison between Halloween (1978) and Halloween (2018) reveals that there has indeed been an evolution in the representation of gender in, at least these two, slashers. The most recent instalment is significantly less misogynistic than its predecessor. However, it should be noted that the movie’s new treatment of women has not led to an actual balance of gender roles in general. Men and women are not respected as equals. Instead, the emancipation of women is consistently linked to the emasculation of men. Even Ray, the man that is supposed to be standing side by side with the final women, is belittled by them to enable their own empowerment. Misogyny has only been replaced by misandry.

To, finally, revisit Wood’s assertion, discussed in the introduction, that movies influence and reflect on society’s perceptions at large, it would be overstated to conclude that society has undergone an actual powershift similar to that the movie. The patriarchy has not been replaced by a matriarchy. However, a tentative conclusion would be that Halloween (2018) at least demonstrates a new gender awareness, and an attempt to reverse gender stereotypes. The widespread of the #metoo movement can be presumed to have brought a new sensitivity in visualizing women as victims of violence for entertainment. To understand in how far these new ideas on gender have really become incorporated amongst the public, further attitude studies would be necessary.

Works Cited Formatted using MLA, eight edition.

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Halloween. Directed by David Gordon Green, 2018.

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Appendix Script Halloween (1978) Main Title Sequence

Scene 1 Black screen. The words “Haddonfield, Illinois” and then “Halloween, 1963” are superimposed. Children can be heard singing in the background.

Children: Black cats and goblins and broomsticks and ghosts. Pumpkins of witches are there to roast. You may think, they scare me. You're probably right. Black cats and goblins on Halloween night. Trick-or-treat!

Scene 2 It’s dark. We move towards a white house through someone’s POV. Through the glass front door we can see a couple making out.

Judith (voice only): My parents won't be home until ten. Boyfriend (voice only): Are you sure? Judith: Uhu

The POV walks around the house. The couple is now on the couch.

Boyfriend: We are alone, aren’t we? Judith: Michael’s around, someplace…

The boyfriend takes a clown mask and starts kissing the girl again. She giggles.

Judith: Take off that thing.

He does.

Boyfriend: Let’s go upstairs. Judith: Ok.

They run upstairs, Judith is giggling. The boyfriend touches her butt.

Judith: Your hands are cold.

The POV starts walking again. He looks at the girl’s bedroom window. We see the lights turn off, and a suspenseful music plays. The POV continues circling around the house, and then walks in

through the backdoor. In the kitchen, a small hand grabs a butcher’s knife. The POV moves towards the stairs. We hear the boyfriend’s voice saying:

Boyfriend: Look, Judith, it’s very late. I gotta go. Judith: Will you call me tomorrow?

The boyfriend moves into view. He is putting on his shirt. Boyfriend: Yeah, sure. Judith: Promise? Boyfriend: Yeah.

He leaves the house.

Scene 3 The POV slowly walks up the stairs. Judith can be heard humming in the background. The POV sees the boyfriend’s mask thrown on the ground. He picks it up and puts it on. We now only see through the narrow eye-holes in the mask. We then enter Judith’s bedroom. She is sitting at her night- table, brushing her hair. She is only wearing panties. The POV looks at the ruffled bedsheets, then back to Judith. She turns around, covering her breasts.

Judith: Michael!

The POV starts stabbing her. She screams / moans, and then falls to the ground. Her breasts are covered in blood. The POV turns around and goes outside. A car stops in front of the house, and two people get out, the parents. The father walks towards the POV.

We now get a shot of Michael Myers, a young child in a clowns costume. His father rips off his mask. The boy continues to stare in front of him with a blank expression on his face. The camera starts zooming out, bringing the parents into view alongside the unmoving boy.

Scene 4 A black screen. The words “Smith’s Grove, Illinois” and then “30. October 1978” are superimposed.

Scene 5 We see a dark road, and it’s raining. A car approaches in the distance, and then drives by.

Scene 6 Inside the car. A close shot of the passenger. Sam Loomis, a middle-aged, greying man. He is a clinical psychiatrist. The driver, Marion, is a woman dressed in a nurse’s uniform. She is holding a cigarette between her finger tips.

Loomis: Have you ever done anything like this before? Marion: Only minimum security.

Loomis: I see.

POV through the windshield. We see a chain fence and a blurry sign Loomis (voice): The driveway is a few hundred metres up to the right.

Marion (voice): The only thing that ever bothers me is their gibberish.

Close shot of Marion, then including Loomis. Marion: When they start raving on an on. Loomis: You don’t have anything to worry about. He hasn’t spoken a word in 15 years.

POV through the windshield. They are still driving alongside the fence. Marion (voice) : Are there any special instructions? Loomis (voice): Just try to understand what we’re dealing with here.

Close shot of Loomis, then including Marion. Loomis: Don’t underestimate it. Marion: Don’t you think we could refer to “it” as “him”? Loomis: If you say so. Marion: Your compassion is overwhelming, doctor.

She lights a new cigarette.

Marion: what do I give him when we take him in front of the judge? Loomis: Thorazine. Marion: he’ll barely be able to sit up. Loomis: that’s the idea.

There is a close shot of her cigarette pack. “The Rabbit in Red Lounge”, and then Loomis, watching the pack.

Marion: you’re serious about it, aren’t you? Loomis: yeah. Marion: you actually never want him to get out? Loomis: Never. Never. Never. Marion: then why are we taking him up to Hardin County, if he’s just gonna walk- Loomis: because that is the law. Here we are.

Scene 7 POV through the windshield. We see four patients, dressed in white gowns wandering around in a field.

Marion: since when do they let them wander around? Loomis: pull up to the main gate. Marion: shouldn’t we- Loomis: go on, move!

(suspenseful music plays)

Loomis: stop here. Marion: shouldn’t we go on up to the hospital? Loomis: wait!

Loomis gets out of the car and runs to the gate. In the meantime, one of the patients, Michael Myers, climbs on the roof of Marion’s car. He reaches down and grabs at her hair through the open window. She presses the gas pedal, and then crawls to the passenger side of the car. Myers hits this window, breaking the glass, and Marion flees out of the car. Myers then gets in and takes off. Loomis starts running after him, but he’s too late. He runs back to check on Marion, who is lying on the ground.

Loomis: are you alright? Marion: yes, I’m ok! Loomis: he’s gone! He’s gone! The evil is gone! I’ve got to-

Loomis runs off screen, leaving Marion panting in the grass.

Scene 8 We see the streets of a residential neighbourhood. The words “Haddonfield” and “Halloween” are superimposed.

The camera moves slowly through the streets. Then we see a young lady, Laurie Strodes, exiting one of the houses. She is carrying books under her arm. Her father leaves the house after her.

Laurie’s father: don’t forget to drop the key off at the Myers’ place. Laurie: I won’t. Laurie’s father: they’re coming by to look at the house at 10.30. Be sure you leave it under the mat. Laurie: promise.

Scene 9 Laurie is walking around the neighbourhood. After about 30 seconds, a child runs up to her.

Tommy: Laurie! Laurie: Hi Tommy. Tommy: coming over tonight?

Laurie: Same time, same place. Tommy: can we make Jack-O-Lanterns? Laurie: sure. Tommy: and watch the monster movies? Laurie: sure. Tommy: will you read to me? Can we make popcorn? Laurie: sure, sure, sure!

She pats his head.

Laurie: you better hurry up. Tommy: how can you walk in the school this way? Laurie: my dad asked me to. Tommy: why? Laurie: I have to drop off the key. Tommy: why? Laurie: because he’s gonna sell a house. Tommy: why? Laurie: because that’s his job. Tommy: where? Laurie: the Myers’ house. Tommy: the Myers’ house!

They’re approaching the abandoned Myers’ house. Tommy stops in his tracks and Laurie continues up the steps to drop off the key.

Tommy: You’re not supposed to go up there! Laurie: yes I am. Tommy: that’s a spook house. Laurie: just watch.

As Laurie turns to walk back to Tommy, we see a dark figure behind the door. He stands watching Laurie and Tommy.

Tommy: Lonnie Elam said never to go up there. Lonnie Elam said that’s a haunted house. He said awful stuff happened there once. Laurie: Lonnie Elam probably won’t get out of the sixth grade. Tommy: I gotta go. Laurie: see you tonight. Laurie: bye. Tommy: bye.

Tommy crosses the street and leaves. Laurie walks on by herself and starts singing:

Laurie: I wish I had you all alone ... Just the two of us… I would hold you close to me ... So close to me ... Just the two ...

As we see Laurie walk down the street, the dark figure appears in front of the camera too. We only see his shoulder as he stands and watches Laurie, breathing heavily.

Scene 10 Loomis and another man, Dr. Wynn, are exiting the sanatorium. They walk towards the parking together.

Dr. Wynn: I’m not responsible Sam! Loomis: oh nooo! Dr. Wynn: I told them how dangerous he was! Loomis: you couldn’t have two roadblocks, and an all-points bulletin wouldn’t stop a five-year old! Dr. Wynn: well he was your patient, doctor! If the precautions weren’t strong enough, you should have told somebody. Loomis: (shouting) I’ve told everybody! Nobody listened. Dr. Wynn: there’s nothing else I can do. Loomis: you can get back on the telephone and tell them exactly who walked out of here last night. And tell them exactly where he’s going. Dr. Wynn: probably going. Loomis: I’m wasting my time. Dr. Wynn: Sam, Haddonfield is a hundred and fifty miles from here. Now, now, for God’s sake, he can’t drive a car! Loomis: (shouting again) he was doing very well last night! Maybe somebody around here gave him lessons!

Loomis gets into his car.

Scene 11 Laurie is sitting in class.

Teacher (voice): and the book ends. But what Samuels is really talking about here ...is fate. You see ... fate caught up with several lives here. No matter what course of action Collins took ... he was destined to his own fate, his own day of reckoning with himself.

The voice becomes more quiet, blurred by suspenseful music, as we zoom in on Laurie who is staring out of the window. She sees a man in blue overalls and wearing a Halloween mask standing behind a car, staring back at her.

Teacher (voice): The idea ... is ...that destiny ... is a very real, concrete thing that every person has to deal with. How does Samuels' view of fate differ from that of Costaine's? Laurie?

Laurie: m’am? Teacher (voice): answer the question. Laurie: oh, uhm. Costaine wrote that fate was somehow related only to religion or where Samuels felt that ... well, fate was like a natural element, like earth, air, fire, and water. Teacher (voice): that’s right. Samuels definitely personified fate. In Samuels' writing, fate is a moveable like a mountain. It stands, where man passes a way. Fate never changes.

Laurie looks back outside, but now the car and Myers are gone.

Scene 12 Outside an elementary school. The bell rings and the pupils run outside. A group of boys (among which Lonnie Elam) is following Tommy, who is carrying a pumpkin.

Group of boys: you, with the pumpkin! Tommy: leave me alone! Group of boys: he’s gonna get you! He’s gonna get you! He’s gonna get you! The bogeyman is coming! Tommy: leave me alone! Group of boys: he doesn’t believe us! Don’t you know what happens on Halloween? Tommy: yeah, we get candy. Group of boys: oooohh the bogeyman! The bogeyman, the boogeyman!

They make Tommy trip and he falls and lands on the pumpkin. The group of boys start laughing and run off.

Scene 13 One of the boys run into Myers. They stare at each other for a few seconds, and then the boy flees. Myers stays to watch Tommy. He follows him as Tommy paces around the playground. Myers then gets into a car that has a label “for official use only”. It’s Marion’s and Loomis’ car. He keeps driving alongside of Tommy for a while, and then passes him.

Scene 14 Loomis is in a phonebooth by the side of the road of Haddonfield.

Loomis: He’s on his way. You gotta believe me officer, he is coming to Haddonfield. (Pause) Because I know him: I'm his doctor. You must be ready for him.

If you don't, it's your funeral.

He hangs up and spots an abandoned car. White hospital gowns are thrown around it. Suspenseful music begins playing, and Loomis picks up a pack of Rabbit in Red cigarettes. Loomis turns around and runs away. As he does, the camera moves to the side, revealing a corpse that is dumped in the bushes. We see part of his bare chest, covered in blood.

Scene 15 In a high school hallway. Cheerleaders can be heard on the background: Cheerleaders (voices): We're from Haddonfield, couldn't be prouder. Can't hear us now, we’ll yell a little louder. We're from Haddonfield, couldn't be prouder! Can't hear us now ...

Laurie and a friend, Lynda, are emerging from the dark hallway.

Lynda: oh look at you and all the books you have! You need a shopping cart to get home. (Giggles) Laurie: yeah, not for me. Lynda: you know it’s totally insane. We have three new cheers to learn in the morning, the game in the afternoon, I have to get my hair done at five and the dance is at eight. I’ll be totally wiped out! Laurie: I don’t think you have enough to do tomorrow. Lynda: totally!

Laurie: as usual, I have nothing to do. Lynda: it’s your own fault, and I don’t feel a bit sorry for you.

Lynda lights a cigarette. A third girl comes running from behind them.

Annie: Hey Lynda, Laurie! Why didn’t you wait for me? Lynda: We did, fifteen minutes. You totally never showed. Annie: That’s not true. Here I am.

Laurie: What’s wrong, Annie? You’re not smiling. Annie: I’m never smiling again. Paul dragged me into the boys' locker room to tell- Laurie: exploring uncharted territory? Lynda: it’s totally been charted. Annie: we just talked. Laurie and Lynda: sure, sure. Annie : Old jerko got caught throwing eggs and soaping windows. His parents grounded him. He can't come over tonight. Laurie: I thought you were babysitting tonight. Lynda: The only reason she babysits is to have a place to-

Laurie: oh shit! Annie: I have a place for thàt. Laurie: I forgot my chemistry book. Lynda: so, who cares? I always forget my chemistry book and my math book and my English book and my ... and, let's see, my French book and ... Who needs books anyway? I don't need books. I always forget all of my books. I mean it doesn't really matter if I you got your books or not.

Scene 16 While Lynda is going on about books, we switch to Laurie’s POV. The car she saw through her classroom window is coming up the street. Laurie seems alarmed by it. The passenger, Myers, is staring at the girls as he drives by.

Lynda: Hey, isn’t that Devon Graham? Laurie: I don’t think so. Lynda: I think he’s cute.

Annie: (to the car): Hey jerk! Speed kills!

The car suddenly stops. The girls look at it hesitatingly.

Annie: God.. can’t he take a joke?

The car then slowly drives on again.

Laurie: you know, Annie, some day you’re gonna get us all in deep trouble. Lynda: totally. Annie: I hate a guy with a car and no sense of humour.

Lynda: well, are we still on for tonight? Annie: I wouldn’t want to get you in deep trouble, Lynda. Lynda: oh come on, Annie! Bob and I’ve been planning on it all week. Annie: all right. The Wallaces leave at seven. Laurie: I’m babysitting the Doyles! It’s only three houses down. We can keep each other company. Annie: oh, terrific. I’ve got three choices. Watch the kid sleep, listen to Lynda screw around or talk to you.

Suspenseful music starts playing. The girls continue walking around the neighbourhood. Then the music stops again without anything happening.

Annie: what time tonight? Lynda: I don’t know yet. I have to get out of taking my little brother trick-or-

treating. Annie: saving the treats for Bob? Lynda: Fun-ny. See you. Laurie: bye.

Lynda leaves her friends.

Scene 17 Through Laurie’s POV, we see Myers standing in the road in front of them. Suspenseful music plays. We then get a closeup of Laurie and Annie, and Myers hides into the bushes.

Laurie: Annie, look! Annie: look where? Laurie: behind the bush. Annie: I don’t see anything. Laurie: that guy who drove by so fast, the one you yelled at. Annie: oh subtle, isn’t he?

Annie walks towards the bush. Laurie stays where she is.

Annie: Hey creep! (pause) Laurie, dear, he wants to talk to you. He wants to take you out tonight.

Laurie comes closer, and sees that there’s no one there.

Laurie: he was standing right there. Annie: poor Laurie, scared another one away. It’s tragic you never go out. You must have a small fortune stashed from babysitting so much. Laurie: guys think I’m too smart. Annie: I don’t. I think you’re a wacko. Now you’re seeing men behind bushes. Well, home sweet home. See you later. Laurie: bye. Annie: bye.

Scene 18

Laurie looks to the bushes behind her, and then bumps into Mr. Brackett. She screams, startled. Mr. Brackett: excuse me, Laurie. Laurie: oh, Mr. Brackett. I’m sorry, Mr. Brackett. Mr. Brackett: oh, I don’t mean to startle ya. Laurie: I’m sorry. Mr. Brackett: You know, it's Halloween. I guess everybody's entitled to one good

scare, huh? Laurie: yes, sir. Nice evening, sir.

Laurie walks on.

Some kids are cry-laughing. Laurie goes to check it out. But they are just trick-or-treating.

Laurie (to herself): well, kiddo. I thought you outgrew superstition.

She goes inside her house.

Scene 19 From her bedroom window, she sees Myers again. Standing in her neighbour’s garden, behind laundry hanging on a clothing line. When she looks again, he is gone. Then the phone rings.

Laurie: hello?

We hear a chewing noise.

Laurie: hello? Who is this?!

She slams down the phone. It immediately rings again.

Laurie: hello? Annie: why did you hang up on me? Laurie: Annie? Was that you? Annie: of course. Laurie: why didn’t you say anything? You scared me to death. Annie: I had my mouth full. Couldn’t you hear me? Laurie: I thought it was an obscene call. Annie: now you hear obscene chewing. You’re losing it, Laurie. Laurie: I’ve already lost it. Annie: I doubt that. Listen, my mother is letting me use her car. I’ll pick you up: 6.30. Laurie: ok, bye. Annie: bye.

Laurie hangs up more hesitantly this time. She is visibly upset. She goes to lay on her bed.

Laurie (murmuring to herself): calm down. This is ridiculous.

Scene 20 Shot from outside. Laurie leaves the house. Suspenseful music plays. She is carrying a heavy pumpkin. She stops at the corner of the street and sit down. She watches some children trick-or- treating while she is waiting. Then Annie’s car arrives and the music stops. Laurie steps inside.

Scene 21 Annie: hurry up! Laurie: Hi.

Laurie throws her coat on the backseat and closes the door. Annie starts driving, and hands Laurie a joint.

Annie: we just have time.

Scene 22 A car is driving up a cemetery. Loomis and another man get out. The other man is Taylor, the graveyard owner.

Taylor: yeah, Judith Myers… (He glances down at a notepad) Row 18, plot 20. Over this way. You Know, every town has something like this happen. I remember over in Russellville: Charley Bowles. About fifteen years ago. One night, he finished diner, excused himself from the table, went out into the garage.. he got himself a hacksaw. Then he went back inside the house and kissed his wife and two children goodbye, and then proceeded- Loomis: where are we? Taylor: uh? Oh, uh, it’s right over here. Yeah, Myers, Judith Myers. I remember her. couldn’t believe it. Such a young boy…

Taylor stops walking.

Loomis: what, are you lost?

Taylor, throwing up his arms in anger while staring at a hole in the ground where a headstone was taken out.

Taylor: why do they do it? Goddamn kids. They’ll do anything for Halloween. Loomis: whose grave is it? Taylor: Oh, I don’t know…18, 19, 20… Judith Myers… Loomis: he came home…

Scene 23 Laurie and Annie inside the car. Laurie pulls an ugly face and hands back the joint to Annie. She smokes it.

Annie: still spooked? Laurie: I wasn’t spooked. Annie: lies. Laurie: I wasn’t!

Annie hands her the joint again.

Laurie: I saw someone standing in Mr. Riddle’s backyard. Annie: probably mister Riddle. Laurie: he was watching me.

Laurie takes a puff from the joint. We see Loomis’ car driving behind them through the rear-view window.

Annie: mister Riddle was watching you? Laurie, mister Riddle is eighty-seven. Laurie: he can still watch. Annie: that’s probably all he can do.

Annie takes back the joint.

Annie: what’s the pumpkin for? Laurie: I brought it for Tommy. I figured carving a Jack-O-Lantern would keep him occupied. Annie: I always said you’d make a fabulous girl scout. Laurie: thanks. Annie: for that matter, I might as well be a girl scout myself tonight. I plan on making popcorn and watching Doctor Dementia. Six straight hours of horror movies. Little Lindsey Wallace won’t know what hit her.

Annie passes the joint back to Laurie. She takes a puff and pulls an ugly face again. She starts coughing. Annie takes it over and smokes with ease.

Annie: my dad! Get rid of this!

Scene 24 Shot from outside. Loomis’ car stops. Annie’s drives by and approaches a police car.

Annie: stop coughing! What’s the matter with you?!

Laurie continues coughing.

Annie: just be natural. There he is, just be natural.

Annie’s dad, Mr. Brackett walks up to their car. He is wearing a police uniform.

Mr. Brackett: hi Annie, Laurie. Annie: hi dad. What happened?

Mr. Brackett can’t hear her over the sound of an alarm going off behind him. Mr. Brackett: what? Annie (louder): what happened? Mr. Brackett: oh, uh, somebody broke into the hardware store. Probably kids. Annie: you blame everything on kids. Brackett: well all they took was some Halloween masks, rope, and a set of knives. Who do you think it was?

Annie turns to Laurie.

Annie: it’s hard growing up with a cynical father. Mr. Brackett: aren’t you going to be late-

Annie can’t hear him over the alarm.

Annie: huh?

The alarm suddenly stops as Mr. Brackett is about to answer.

Mr. Brackett (shouting): I said, aren’t you going to be late?

Annie turns to Laurie. Annie: he shouts too. Mr. Brackett: bye girls. Annie: bye dad! Laurie: bye.

Scene 25

The girls drive off. Just then, Loomis walks up to Mr. Brackett.

Loomis: sheriff! Pardon me, I’m Loomis. Doctor Sam Loomis. Mr. Brackett: Lee Brackett. Loomis: I’d like to have a word with you, if I could. Mr. Brackett: well maybe a few minutes, I got to take care of- Loomis: it is important. Mr. Brackett: ten minutes.

Loomis: I’ll be here.

Mr. Brackett moves out of view, back to the hardware store. The camera stays on Loomis, as he is waiting. We see Myers’ car drive by in the background.

Scene 26 Annie and Laurie in the car. They’re passing the joint again.

Annie: what’s the matter with you? Laurie: I think he knew, I’m sure he could smell it. Annie: no he didn’t. Laurie: he did. Did you see the look on his face? Annie: (scoffs) He always looks like that.

Laurie: what are you going to wear to the dance tomorrow night? Annie: I didn’t know you thought about things like that Laurie. Laurie: (silence) Annie: you know, you could ask somebody. Laurie: no I couldn’t. Annie: sure you could! All you have to do is go up to somebody and say: do you want to go to the dance? Laurie: you could do that, I couldn’t. Annie: well you could ask Dick Baxter, he’d go out with you (giggles) Laurie: I’d rather go out with Ben Tramer. Annie: Ben Tramer? I knew it ! (giggles) See you do think about things like that huh! Oh Laurie! (giggles) Laurie: shut up. Annie: he’s cute! (pause) Ben Tramer ! Laurie : shhh!

Scene 27 Suspenseful music plays. We see Annie’s car from the outside, driving by. Myers’ car is following them. Then we see Annie’s car from Myers’ POV. It’s dark now. We hear heavy breathing.

Laurie gets out of Annie’s car. Laurie: ok, later. Annie: goodbye. Laurie: see ya.

She walks up the driveway to her house. The POV moves his gaze along with her, then turns back to watch Annie’s car drive off to the Wallace’s house across the street.

Scene 28 Myers gets out of the car. We only see his legs. In the background, kids are singing.

Kids: Trick or treat, trick or treat. give me something good to eat. Trick or treat, trick or treat. give me something good to eat. Trick or treat, trick or treat. give me something good to eat.

The camera now follows Myers from behind. He walks up to the Wallaces’ house. We see Annie get out of her car and walk up the door. She knocks and waits. Myers stops to stare at her. Suspenseful music plays.

Annie: hi. Mr. Wallace: hi Annie, come on in. Annie: how are you doing today? Mr. Wallace: fine, how are you? Annie: what time are you in bed? Mrs. Wallace: I’m being in bed by nine, ok. Have a good night, dear. Mr. Wallace: be a good girl. Annie: bye, bye. Annie: (to the kids): it’s just you and me!

Scene 29 Outside the abandoned Myers’ house. We see the sheriff’s car pull up. Suspenseful music plays. Loomis and Mr. Brackett get out of the car and walk to the house.

Loomis: does anybody live here? Mr. Brackett: no, not since 1963 when it happened. Every kid in Haddonfield thinks this place is haunted. Loomis: they may be right.

They go inside the house. It’s dark. Mr. Brackett is carrying a flashlight. Loomis is about to walk up the stairs when Mr. Brackett stops him.

Mr. Brackett: look. Loomis: what is that? Mr. Brackett: it’s a dog.

They move closer to the dog, but we don’t get to see it.

Mr. Brackett: it’s still warm. Loomis: he got hungry. Mr. Brackett: C’mon, could have been a skunk. Loomis: could have.

Mr. Brackett: a man wouldn’t do that. Loomis: (almost whispering): this isn’t a man.

Scene 30 Loomis starts walking up the stairs. He leads Mr. Brackett to Judith Myers’ room.

Loomis: it happened in here. She, she was sitting right here.. He could have seen her through this window. Standing on the lawn, he could have seen inside.

Suddenly something hits the window, and it shatters loudly. Loomis is startled.

Loomis: you must think me… a very sinister doctor (laughs quietly) Oh, I do have a permit.

He reaches into his pocket and gets out the permit, then puts it back.

Mr. Brackett: seems to me you’re just plain scared. Loomis: Yes. Yeah, I, I, uhm, I met him fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, nowhere, conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense, of life or death, of good or evil, of 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. Loomis: what do we do? He’s been here once tonight. I think he’ll come back. I’m gonna wait for him. Mr. Brackett: I still think I should notify the radio and television. Loomis: No. If you do that, they’ll see him on every street corner. They’ll look for him in every house. Just tell your men to keep their mouth shut and their eyes open. Mr. Brackett: I’ll check back in an hour.

Mr. Brackett leaves Loomis in the house.

Scene 31 Laurie is sitting on a couch with Tommy. She is reading to him.

Laurie: ‘how now’, cried Arthur. ‘Let no one pass this way without a fight’. ‘That’ so,’ said the knight, in a bold and haughty manner. Tommy: I don’t like that story. Laurie: I thought king Arthur was your favourite.

Tommy: not anymore.

Laurie closes the book, and Tommy pulls a pile of magazines from under the couch and hands them to Laurie.

Laurie: why do you keep them under there? Tommy: Mom doesn’t like me to have them. Laurie: ‘Laser man’, ‘Neutron man‘, I can understand why. ‘Tarantula man’ Tommy: Laurie, what’s the Bogeyman?

The phone rings. Laurie stands up and goes to pick it up.

Scene 32 Laurie and Annie start talking on the phone. The screen switches between Shots of Laurie and shots of Annie.

Laurie: Doyle’s residence. Annie: it’s me. Laurie: hi Annie, what are you doing? Annie: making popcorn, having fun. Never mind, I’m sure you are. I have big, big news for you.

A dog walks in the kitchen Annie’s in. He starts barking and growling. Annie: oops, hold on a minute. (to the dog) Hi Lester.

The dog continues growling and barking.

Annie: (to Laurie) I’m about to be ripped apart by the family dog. Laurie: (giggles, and turns her hair around her finger)

We then get a shot from outside the house. Behind bushes, we see Myers spying on the Wallace’s house. We hear the dog in the background. We then get another shot of Annie, from inside.

Annie: Lindsey, get this dog out of the kitchen right now!

Lindsey is sitting on the couch, watching tv, not moving. Back to Annie, we see the dog leaving the room by itself. Then another shot of Myers’ behind the bushes, he starts walking around the house, and we switch back to Annie.

Annie: I hate that dog. I’m the only person in the world he doesn’t like.

Laurie: so, what is this big, big news?

Annie: what would you say if I told you that you were going to the Homecoming Dance tomorrow night? Laurie: (scoffs) I would probably say you’ve got the wrong number. Annie: hm, well… I just talked with Ben Tramer and he got real excited when I told him how attracted you were to him. Laurie: oh Annie! Oh you didn’t ! Please tell me you didn’t. How could you do that? How could you just call him and- Annie: (giggles) Laurie: I can’t believe it. I can’t tell you anything!

Scene 33 Shot from the Doyle’s dining room. Tommy walks through the house and then looks through the window blinds. He sees Myers standing in front of the Wallace’s house. He runs to Laurie.

Tommy: Laurie! Laurie: (continues talking on the phone) Oh I’m so embarrassed, I couldn’t even face him. Tommy: the bogeyman is outside. Laurie, he is out there! Laurie: (to Annie) Hold on. Tommy: Laurie the bogeyman is outside, look!

They look through the window blinds together. There is no one there.

Laurie: Tommy, there is nobody outside. Go watch TV. (back to Annie): it’s just Tommy. Oh please, Annie, how could you do that?

Scene 34 Shot of Annie in the kitchen. We look at her from the outside. We can hear Myers breathing heavily. Then he moves into view. We only see his back.

Annie: look it’s simple. You like him, he likes you. All you need is a little push! For God’s sake! Shit! No, no, I just made a mess on myself. I gotta call you back.

She slams down the phone. Annie: oh, yuck! Lindsey! I need a robe!

She takes off her T-shirt. Lindsey is still sitting on the couch, not moving. We then switch back to Myers’ watching Annie. Annie is taking off her pants too. She puts on a white men’s shirt. When Myers’ moves closer to watch her, a planter falls down, making noise and attracting Annie’s attention. Myers has to move away from the window. When he does, Lester spots him, and starts growling and barking at him.

Annie: Lindsey! Lester’s barking again and getting on my nerves again!

Suddenly the dog yelps and becomes quiet.

Annie: never mind. I guess he found a hot date.

Scene 35 We only see Myers’ legs. He is dangling the dog in mid-air. The dogs limbs go limp.

Scene 36 TV screen showing the opening scene of “The Thing”. Laurie and Tommy are watching it together.

Tommy: what about the Jack-O-Lantern? Laurie: (focussed on the movie) After the movie. Tommy: what about the rest of my comic books? Laurie: after the Jack-O-Lantern. Tommy: what about the bogeyman? Laurie: (now looking at Tommy) there is no such thing. Tommy: Richie said he was coming after me tonight. Laurie: do you believe everything Richie tells you? Tommy: no… Laurie: Tommy, Halloween nights, it’s when people play tricks on each other. It’s all make-belief. I think Richie was just trying to scare you. Tommy: I saw the bogeyman. I saw him outside. Laurie: There was nobody outside. Tommy: there was! Laurie: what did he look like? Tommy: (pause) the bogeyman. Laurie: we’re not getting anywhere. Alright. The bogeyman can only come out on Halloween night, right? Tommy: right. Laurie: well, I’m here tonight. I’m not about to let anything happen to you. Tommy: promise? Laurie: promise. Tommy: can we make the Jack-O-Lantern now? Laurie: let’s go.

Scene 37 Annie is walking to the laundry room, still in the white men’s shirt. She can’t put on the electricity.

Annie: hm, terrific.

The door falls shut behind her. Then suspenseful music begins to play, and we see Myers standing behind the glass panels in the door.

Annie: hello? Who’s there? Paul, is this one of your cheap pranks?

She goes to look outside. There is no one there. She leaves the door open.

Annie: guess not. No tricks for Annie tonight.

The door falls shut again. Annie tries to open it, but can’t.

Annie: Lindsey! Lindsey! Come out here! Lindsey, I’m in the laundry room, the door won’t open!

We switch to a shot of Lindsey, still sitting on the couch, watching her movie. The phone rings. She ignores it. Then we go back to Annie in the laundry room.

Annie: Lindsey get the phone! It’s Paul!!

We see Myers through the window behind Annie.

Annie: Lindsey!! LINDSEY!!

She walks towards the window where Myers was just standing a moment ago. She opens it, and tries to climb out.

Then Lindsey picks up the phone. Paul: Hi Lindsey, this is Paul, is Annie there? Lindsey: yes she is. Paul: get her for me, will ya? Lindsey: she’s washing her clothes. Paul: look, just tell her it’s me, ok? Lindsey: ok.

Scene 38 Lindsey runs to the laundry room to fetch Annie. She calls to her from outside.

Lindsey: Annie! Paul called! Annie (voice): auw!

Lindsey runs further to the door and opens it.

Lindsey: you locked yourself in.

Annie: I know!

Annie is hanging outside the window. We only see her backside. She is wearing white lace underpants, and has her foot caught in a storage rack.

Annie: pull my foot, I’m stuck!

Lindsey does, and Annie pulls herself back inside.

Annie: now promise me you won’t tell anybody about this…

Scene 39 Annie and Lindsey walk out of the washing room. Then the phone rings again, and Lindsey starts running back to the house and picks up the phone.

Lindsey: she got stuck in the window, she’ll be right here. Annie: hello? Paul: hi Annie. Annie: oh Hi Paul. Paul: stuck, huh? Annie: alright, cut it out. It could happen to anyone. Paul: sure, stuck in the window. Annie: yeah, but I’ve seen you stuck in plenty of other positions!

Suspenseful music begins to play. We see Myers in the window behind Annie.

Paul: my parents are gone. Annie: oh that’s fabulous. When did they leave? Paul: about a half hour ago. Annie: oh, utterly fantastic (giggles). So why don’t you just walk over? Paul: you come and pick me up. Annie: well I can’t come now, my clothes are in the wash. Paul: (unintelligible) Annie: oh shut up Jerk! God, I’ve got a shirt on. That’s all you ever think about. Paul: I think it’s all you ever think about. Annie: that’s not true, I think about lots of things. Now why don’t we not stand here and talk about them and get down to doing them?

Scene 40 Lindsey is sitting in front of the TV again, watching a scary movie.

Lindsey: I’m scared. Annie: then why are you sitting here with all the lights off?

Lindsey: I don’t know. Annie: well, come on, get your coat. We’re going to pick up Paul. Lindsey: I don’t want to. Annie: look Lindsey, I thought we understood each other. Lindsey: I want to stay here and watch this. Annie: okay, if I can fix it so you can watch TV with Tommy Doyle, would you like that? Lindsey: yeah. Annie: well, come with me!

Scene 41 Outside the house.

Annie: come on, hurry up!

Annie and Lindsey cross the street to the Doyle’s house. Myers pops up from behind a car, accompanied by dramatic music, and watches them. Annie rings the bell.

Scene 42 Shot from inside: Tommy goes to open the door.

Annie: hi Tommy. Tommy : hi. Come on in. We’re making a Jack-O-Lantern. Lindsey: I wanna watch TV.

Laurie: Annie, come in here.

Annie walks to the kitchen. Laurie is there cutting a pumpkin. She looks at Annie.

Laurie: oh, fancy. Annie: this has not been my night. I spilled butter all over. My clothes are in the wash. I got stuck in a window. Laurie: Let me tell you something, I’d like you to call Ben Tramer and tell him you were just fooling around. Annie: I can’t. Laurie: Yes you can. Annie: No, he went drinking with Mike Godfrey and he won’t be back till late. you’ll have to call him tomorrow. Besides, I’m on my way to pick up Paul. Laurie: wait a minute. Annie: if you watch her, I’ll consider talking to Ben Tramer in the morning. Laurie: deal. I thought Paul was grounded? Annie: he was. Old Jerko found a way to sneak out. Listen, I’ll call you in an hour or so, ok?

Laurie: yeah. Annie: bye. Laurie: bye.

Annie leaves.

Laurie (to herself): the old girl scout comes through again.

Scene 43 Shot from outside: Annie walks to the garage to pick up her car. She is singing to herself:

Annie: My Paul… I give you all.

Then inside the garage: she tries the door of the car, but it’s locked.

Annie: no keys, but please, my Paul.

She walks back to the Wallaces’ house, whistling.

Scene 44 Shot from inside the house: Annie rummages through her purse and takes her keys.

Annie (still singing): Oh Paul, I can no longer stall. Oh Paul, oh Paul. I can no longer stall.

While passing a mirror, she stops to comb her hair.

Scene 45 Back in the garage. Annie gets in the car. She suddenly stops singing and whistling. She can’t see through the front window anymore. She tries to wipe it, but suddenly Myers jumps up from the backseat and starts strangling her. She cries out in pain, and honks the car horn. Then Myers’ slashes her throat.

Scene 46 Outside, and then inside the Doyle’s house. Tommy and Lindsey are watching TV. Then Tommy slowly walks away from the couch, and hides behind the curtains.

Tommy (whispering): Lindsey… Lindsey! Lindsey: where are you?

Tommy turns around and sees Myers through the window blinds. He is carrying Annie’s body in his arms. He brings her inside the Wallace’s house.

Tommy slowly steps back, and bumps into Lindsey. She starts screaming.

Tommy (screaming): The bogeyman! He is outside! The bogeyman is outside! I saw the bogeyman, I know that! Laurie: oh Tommy, stop it! Tommy: but at Lindsey’s! Laurie: you’re scaring Lindsey. Tommy: he’s over there! Laurie: Tommy, stop it! there’s nobody out there! There’s no bogeyman, and if you don’t stop all this, I’m gonna have to turn off the TV and send you to bed. Tommy: nobody believes me. Lindsey: I believe you, Tommy. The children start watching TV again.

Scene 47 The abandoned Myers’ house. Loomis is standing outside. The group of boys that bullied Tommy approaches.

Lonnie: I’m not afraid. Other boy: bull. Lonnie: I’m not. Other boy: then go in!

Lonnie Elam starts walking towards the door.

Other boy: chicken! (Yet) another boy: go ahead, Lonnie. Go in!

Loomis (clasping his hands to his mouth and whispering in a distorted voice): hey! Hey Lonnie, get your ass away from there!

The boys run away. Loomis looks pleased. Then the sheriff sneaks up to him and puts his hand on his shoulder. Loomis is startled.

Loomis: sshhh- Jesus. Mr. Brackett: are you alright here? Loomis: Yeah. Mr. Brackett: nothing’s going on except kids playing pranks, trick-or-treating, partying, getting high. I have the feeling that you’re way off on this. Loomis: You have the wrong feeling. Mr. Brackett: you’re not doing very much to prove me wrong. Loomis: what more do you need? Mr. Brackett: well it’s going to take more than fancy talk to keep me up all night

Crawling around these bushes. Loomis: I, I, I watched him, for fifteen years, sitting in a room, staring at a wall, Not seeing the wall, looking past the wall. Looking at… this night, Inhumanly patient. Waiting for some secret, silent alarm to trigger him off. Death has come to your little town, sheriff. You can either ignore it, or you can help me to stop it. Mr. Brackett: more fancy talk. Doctor, do you know what Haddonfield is? Families, Children, all lined up in rows, up and down these streets. You’re telling me they’re lined up for a slaughterhouse. Loomis: they could be. Mr. Brackett: alright, I’ll stay with you tonight. Just on the chance that you’re right. And if you are right, damn you for letting him go.

Scene 48 Lynda and Bob are sitting in a car together. They’re drinking beer. Linda is giggling.

Lynda: Ok, so what we’re gonna do. First, we’ll go inside, right? Then we’ll just talk a little. Then Annie will distract Lindsey. That’s when we’ll go upstairs to the first bedroom on the left. You got it? Bob: ok. First I rip your clothes off. Lynda: don’t rip, my blouse is expensive, idiot. Bob: then we rip my clothes off, then we rip Lyndsey’s clothes off. Yeah, I think I got it. Lynda: totally. (giggles)

Bob gets out of the car, and opens the door for Lynda. She giggles some more. Then Bob picks her up.

Lynda (laughing): no, no! Bob! Put me down! Put me down! This is totally silly! Put me down (laughing)

Scene 49 The couple enters the house. They suddenly stop laughing.

Lynda: hey, it’s totally dark. Bob: yeah. Lynda: hey Annie! Annie, we’re here! Bob: I wonder where they went. Lynda: oh, Annie probably took Lindsey out or something.

They turn on the lights.

Lynda: hey, let’s look for a note.

Bob: let’s don’t.

They embrace and kiss. Then start to make out on the couch. Lyndsey moans. Suspenseful music starts playing. The camera starts zooming out, and Myers appears. He is standing in the living room with Lynda and Bob. Scene 50 Laurie is walking around with a large pumpkin in her arms, Tommy and Lyndsey are behind her.

Tommy: oooh, he’s gonna get you! Lyndsey: no he’s not. Laurie: hey! Nobody’s getting anybody. Stop scaring each other.

Laurie puts the pumpkin on the table, and looks out of the window. She sees Bob’s van parked in front of the Wallace’s house. Laurie (to herself): Everybody is having a good time tonight. (to the kids): Alright guys, what’s next? Lyndsey: let’s make more popcorn. Laurie: no, we’ve had enough. Why don’t we watch the rest of the movie? Lyndsey: yeah.

Then the phone rings.

Laurie: Doyle house. Lynda: Hi Laurie, what’s up? Laurie: I’m just sitting down for the first time tonight. Lynda: (Giggles) Hey, is Annie around? Laurie: No, I thought she’d be home by now. She went to pick up Paul. Lynda: well, she’s totally not here. Laurie: She probably stopped off some place. Have her call me when she gets home. I have Lyndsey here and I want to know what time to put her to bed. Lynda: Okay, later. Laurie: have a good time. Lynda: we definitely will. Laurie: bye.

Scene 51 Lynda and Bob are still hanging around on the couch.

Lynda: Lyndsey is gone for the night. Bob: hey, now that’s wonderful!

He turns off the light. Then a shot from outside: we see all the lights turn off.

Scene 52 The Doyle’s house. Laurie is standing at the window. Watching the Wallace’s house. Then she walks towards the living room.

Scene 53 Lynda and Bob are in bed together, we see them move underneath the covers. Lynda is moaning. Then the phone rings. Bobs rolls off of Lynda.

Lynda: oh shit, not again. Bob: I can’t help it. the phone keeps ringing. Lynda: oh, I can’t keep you interested, huh? Bob: just answer the damn phone. Lynda: why, I can’t. What if it’s the Wallaces? We’d get Annie in trouble now. Bob: just take it off the hook.

He takes the phone off the hook. They start having sex again, Lynda moaning loudly. Then suspenseful music starts playing. We see Myers’ shadow on the wall. Then the shadow disappears and the music stops. The couple doesn’t notice anything and finish having sex.

Lynda: oh, fantastic. Totally. Bob: yeah.

Lynda is still moaning. Bob puts on his glasses. Lynda lights two cigarettes and gives one to Bob.

Lynda: wanna beer? Bob: yeah. Lynda: is that all you can say? Bob: yeah. Lynda: go get me a beer. Bob: I thought you were gonna get me one. Lynda: yeaah.

He laughs. She giggles.

Bob: I’ll be right back. Don’t get dressed.

Bob gets up to go get a beer. The camera stays on Lynda, she has the covers pulled over her now. She is still moaning.

Scene 54 Bob is in the kitchen, getting a beer. It’s dark. The door behind him creeks open. Bob slowly walks towards it.

Bob: Annie? Paul?

He closes the door.

Bob: Lynda, you asshole! Ok Linda, come on out.

He opens a closet door, and Myers jumps out. He immediately grabs Bob by the throat. Bob gasps for air. He tries to push Myers’ arms away, but Myers lifts him off the ground and stabs him. Bob goes limp. When Myers releases him, he’s still pinned on the wall with the knife. Myers continues to stare at him for a couple of seconds.

Scene 55 Lynda is still lying in bed. She’s filing her nails. The door opens. A figure is standing in front of her, wrapped in bedsheets like a ghost, but with Bob’s glasses on top.

Lynda: well, did you get my beer?

The figure doesn’t move.

Lynda (giggles): cute, Bob. Real cute.

She stops filing her nails, and sits upright, showing her bare breasts.

Lynda: See anything you like?

The figure still doesn’t move.

Lynda: what’s the matter? Can’t I get your ghost, Bob?

She giggles, but when the figure still doesn’t move, Lynda grows impatient.

Lynda: alright, alright. Come on, where’s my beer? (pause) Well can’t you answer me? (pause) Ok, don’t answer me. (now angry) Oh, you’re weird.

Scene 56 Lynda gets up from the bed.

Lynda: well, I’m gonna call Laurie. I wanna know where Paul and Annie are. This is going nowhere.

She picks up the phone and starts dialling the number. Now the figure starts slowly moving towards her.

We get a shot from Laurie whose phone starts ringing. She is on the couch, knitting.

Laurie (to herself): pfft, finally. (to the phone) Hello?

But as soon as Laurie picks up, the figure has caught up with Lynda, and starts strangling her with the wire. Lynda moans loudly.

Laurie: hello? (pause) Alright Annie, first I get your famous chewing, now I get your famous squealing?

Lynda is struggling with the ghost, but keeps moaning.

Laurie: Annie, are you alright?

Then Lynda starts sinking to the ground. As she does, she pulls the sheet from the figure, revealing Myers, still in his mask. He groans too now.

Laurie: are you fooling around again? I’ll kill you if this is a joke. Annie? Annie?

Myers picks up the phone and breathes into it. Laurie hangs up. She looks out of the window, and sees the lights in the Wallaces’ house go on and then off again. She dials back. The phone goes off, but nobody answers.

Scene 57

Laurie walks upstairs to go check on the kids. They are sleeping.

Laurie: sleep tight, kids.

Scene 58 Outside the abandoned Myers’ house. Loomis is still waiting. Then he turns around and sees Myers’ car. Suspenseful music starts playing. Loomis runs towards the car. He sees the sticker “for official use only”. He looks around, and runs off screen.

Scene 59 Laurie goes back downstairs and grabs her keys. She goes outside. She looks at the Wallace’s house across the street and slowly starts walking towards it. Suspenseful music starts playing. Laurie goes to the front door and rings the bell. When nobody responds, she knocks.

Laurie: Bob? (pause) Lynda?

Laurie starts walking back a bit to look at the window on the first floor.

Laurie: Lynda?

She starts walking around the house.

Laurie: Annie?

She enters through the backdoor.

Laurie: Annie? (pause) Lynda? Bob?

She closes the door behind her.

Laurie: alright, Annie.

She starts walking through the house. Then she hears a noise.

Laurie: alright meatheads, the joke’s over. Come on Annie, it’s enough. This is most definitely stopping funny, now cut it out! (pause) You’ll be sorry.

Suspenseful music starts playing again.

Scene 60

Laurie goes inside the bedroom. There she finds Annie, dead on the bed. Judith’s tombstone is standing at her headboard.

Laurie (voice trembling): no.

She stumbles and falls against the closet behind her. When she does, Bob’s corps comes swinging down a rope. Laurie starts screaming, and falls against another closet. The door opens, revealing that Lynda is stuffed inside.

Scene 61

Laurie screams and runs out of the room. She is frantic, not knowing what to do. She clasps her hands to her head, and then backs against a wall and starts crying. While she is standing there, Myers appears in the open doorframe. Laurie slowly starts moving away from the wall. She has her back turned to Myers. He steps forward and stabs her with his butcher knife, but only brushes her arm. Laurie screams in panic, and falls down the stairs.

Scene 62 Laurie sobs and moans in pain at the base of the stairs. Myers starts coming towards her. Laurie tries to run away, but the door is locked. She limps towards the back door, but the knob is blocked by a garden fork. Laurie desperately keeps pulling the door, while Myers punches a hole through the kitchen door that is separating them. He gets in, and walks towards Laurie, pointing his knife at her. She moans in fear, then punches through the glass panels in the wall and frees herself.

Scene 63 Laurie runs out of the house, and into the streets.

Laurie (screaming loudly): help, somebody! Somebody help me please!! Somebody help!!! Oh god help me! Please!! Please help me! Help!! Oh god help me please!

She stumbles and falls, then runs up to a neighbour’s door and starts knocking frantically.

Laurie (still screaming): hello? (pause) hello help me! Please help me! Please! Can’t you hear me?? Oh god, HELP!!!

She runs, limping, across the streets to the Doyle’s house.

Laurie (while searching her pockets, panicking): the keys! Ohhh, the keys!

As she looks back at the Wallace’s house, she sees Myers now leaving the kitchen too. He is slowly coming towards her. She starts banging the door.

Laurie (screaming): Tommy!! Tommy it’s me!!!

She throws a flowerpot against Tommy’s bedroom window. The light goes on. Myers is starting to cross the street.

Tommy: who is it? Laurie: Tommy open up, it’s me!! Tommy: yeah, one sec. Laurie: Tommy please!!

Myers is getting closer.

Laurie: Tommy hurry up!!! Tommy please!

Scene 64 Tommy sleepily walks towards the door, rubbing his eyes, and then opens the door. Laurie immediately slams it shut behind her.

Laurie: Tommy, go upstairs! Tommy: what is it, Laurie? Laurie (speaking very quickly): Tommy, go back upstairs! Grab Lindsey and lock the bedroom door! Tommy: I’m scared. Laurie: do what I say! Tommy: the bogeym-? Laurie: HURRY!

She picks up the phone, but it’s dead.

Laurie: oh no…

We can hear Myers’ breathing. Tears are running down Laurie’s face. She cowers next to the couch.

Laurie: please stop.. please..

She grabs a knitting needle out of her bag. Myers appears from behind the couch. He stabs at her, but hits a cushion. Laurie stabs him in the neck with the knitting needle. Myers stumbles back, pulls the needle out, and drops to the floor. Laurie slowly pulls herself up the couch, moaning in pain and in fear. She is now holding his knife. Myers is still lying on the floor. The heavy breathing has stopped. Laurie sniffs and stays on the couch. She keeps holding the knife for a moment, then throws it on the floor .

Scene 65 Loomis is walking down a dark street. The sheriff’s car pulls up next to him.

Loomis: oh. Mr. Brackett: where were you? I went to the Meyers’ house. Loomis: I have found the car. He is here! Mr. Brackett: where? Loomis: He’s three blocks down. You go around the back of the house, I’ll watch the front. (pause, then screaming): Go on!! Mr. Brackett: alright..

The sheriff’s car takes off. Loomis continues walking on his own.

Scene 66 Laurie crawls up the stairs. She limps towards Tommy’s room and knocks at the door.

Laurie: Tommy, Lyndsey …

They open the door. Laurie stretches out her arms and hugs them.

Laurie: babies! We’re going to take a little walk. Tommy: was it the bogeyman? Lindsey: I’m scared. Laurie: there is nothing to be scared of. Lindsey: are you sure?

Laurie nods.

Tommy: how? Laurie: I killed him.

We hear Myers walk up the stairs.

Tommy: you can’t kill the bogeyman.

The children start screaming. Myers is now standing behind Laurie. He is holding the knife again.

Laurie: get in there! Come on, Tommy!

The children run into the room. Laurie: Now lock the door!

Scene 67 Laurie herself runs to the next room. She hides in a closet, and ties the doorknobs together from the inside. Myers slowly walks towards her. He starts pulling the closet doors. Laurie sits cowering. Myers punches a hole in the closet, turning on the light as he does so. Laurie now sees a wire coat hanger and grabs it. As Myers is forcing himself into the closet, she bends it to make a makeshift weapon. Myers steps into the closet, and the light turns off again. Laurie stabs Myers in the face with the coat hanger. He grunts and drops the knife. Laurie picks it up and stabs him in the chest. He falls back. Laurie keeps panting in the closet for a while.

Scene 68 Laurie steps out of the closet, holding out the knife in front of her as she does. She slowly steps around Myers’ body, then drops the knife, and limps out of the room.

Scene 69 Laurie knocks at Tommy’s room.

Laurie: Tommy? Unlock the door..

The children come out of the room.

Laurie: come here. Listen to me. When you go down the stairs, and out the front door, I want you to go down the streets to the McKenzie’s house, I want you to tell them to call the police and tell them to send them over here. Now do you understand me? Tommy: yes.. Laurie: good, do as I say!

The children leave. Laurie sits on the ground. We see Myers get up behind her. He slowly turns his head towards her.

Scene 70 The children run out of the door, screaming.

Tommy: get help! Come on!

Loomis across the street hears them. He looks at the house, bewildered.

Scene 71 Laurie gets up. She still has her back turned to Myers. He slowly starts walking towards her. He grabs her by the neck, grunting loudly. Laurie is squealing. At that moment, Loomis runs up the stairs. Laurie pulls up Myers’ mask, and he lets her go. As he pulls down his mask again, Loomis shoots him. Laurie covers her ears with her hands, she is still squealing. Loomis runs to the room Myers retreated into. He is still standing. Loomis shoots him again. Myers walks backwards. Loomis continues shooting, and Myers falls off the balcony. We get a shot of Myers laying on the grass.

Then Laurie looks to Loomis.

Laurie: was that the bogeyman? Loomis: as a matter of fact… it was..

Loomis walks by Laurie to look out of the window. We get a shot of the same spot Myers was laying on a moment before. But now he’s gone. We shift to Loomis’ face, then Laurie’s, back to Loomis, followed by multiple shots of different rooms of the house, then the different houses: the Doyle’s house, the Wallace’s’, the abandoned Myers’ house. Myers is nowhere to be seen, but we hear his heavy breathing. Then the end credits start.

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Script Halloween (2018) Introductory Scene

Close-up of a clock ticking. There is indistinct chatter in the background. We find ourselves inside a sanatorium. A doctor is walking with a patient.

Doctor: You’re not cold or anything, are you? Everything all right? Are you taking any medication? Hm?

A close-up shows a woman watching the patients. A man laughs in the background. Then we see the doctor sign a form.

Doctor: Thank you. How are you doing this morning?

We switch to different shots of the inside of the sanatorium. We see patients inside their cells. The doctor is still talking in the background.

Doctor: Did you have a restful sleep last night? Patient: Oh, yeah. Doctor: You did? Patient: I did. Doctor: Any dreams? Patient: Nope. Doctor: Sometimes we don’t remember our dreams, you know? Patient: that’s right. Doctor: We do dream, but we don’t remember when we wake up. Patient: no.

Another close-up of the woman’s eye.

Doctor: But if we are dreaming some just before we wake up, we remember those. Patient: That’s right. Doctor: Did you know – a little, uh, useful information.

As the doctor and the patient are still speaking, we switch to shots of police badges and men in uniform.

Patient: yeah. Doctor: when we wake up, and say, “the whole night, I was dreaming this and that And everything,” it’s only 45 minutes maximum. Did you know that? Patient: Yeah, no, I did not. Yeah. Doctor: So the ordinary dream is 10 or 15 minutes.

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Music starts playing.

Doctor: I’ll see you all later. Patient: Where are you going? Doctor: I’m going to see my patients.

We switch to a shot of the woman, Dana: the same music keeps playing in the background.

Dana (in a microphone): testing, testing. Check, check, check. One, two, three. Testing, one, two, three. We are now at Smith’s Grove, uh, rehabilitation facility.

She sees the doctor through a window.

Aaron: We’re here today to interview a patient that’s spent the last 40 years in captivity, and, by all accounts, has not uttered a word. This monster –

He is cut off by a buzzing noise, and a door opens. The doctor enters the room with a warder.

Doctor: Good afternoon. Aaron: Good afternoon. Doctor: I’m Ranbir Sartain. Dana: Great to finally meet you. Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us today. We were hoping to have this opportunity before he’s transferred to the new facility. Glass Hill is far less accommodating. Doctor: Glass Hill is the pit of hell. For years, he’s been kept here to be studied. I suppose the state has lost interest in discovering anything further. Aaron: Well, that’s why we’re here. Doctor: Michael has been my life’s obsession. I’ve examined every single case file written on him. I was a student of Dr. Loomis before he passed away, and then I lobbied the University of Illinois to be assigned to Michael myself. Dana: Any progress? Doctor: Well, he’s been seen by over 50 clinical psychiatrists, and with each, many different opinions. Dr. Loomis was the only one to see him in the wild, and he concluded he was nothing more than pure evil.

They move to a square outside. We see them walking past walls that are guarded by barbed wire and cameras.

Doctor: Our patients get fresh air, sunshine, a view, proper exercise, healthy diet. It pains me to see him transferred to that less than desirable facility. And there he is.

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Shot of the square itself. We now see the patients, dressed in all white, tethered to the ground with chains.

Doctor: He can speak, he just chooses not to. Aaron: I’d love to stand closer to him, if I may. Get a sense of awareness, or lack of awareness. Doctor: Oh, make no mistake, he’s aware. He was watching you as you arrived. Perhaps you’d like to tie your left shoelace? Mr. Tovoli here, the gentleman with the umbrella, has a fixation for such things. Underestimate no one. Aaron: of course.

He ties his shoelaces.

Doctor: And now step up to the yellow line… and no further. Do not cross the line under any circumstances.

They walk closer to Michael Myers, who is standing with his back turned to the camera.

Doctor: Michael? Michael, I’ve got some people who’d like to meet you. Aaron: Hello Michael, my name is Aaron Korey. I’ve been following your case for years and still know very little about you… I’d like to know more… About that night, about those involved.. Do you ever think about them, Michael? Feel guilt about their fate?

Aaron starts walking closer to the yellow lines on the floor, until the tips of his shoe touch it. Michael does not respond. Aaron looks back at Dr. Ranbir Sartain, who nods encouragingly. Aaron then reaches for his bag. Aaron: I borrowed something from a friend at the attorney general’s office, Michael.

Suspenseful music starts playing. Aaron grabs Michael’s mask and holds it out to him. Michael does not turn around, but twitches slightly.

Aaron: You feel it, don’t you, Michael? You feel the mask.

We move to shots of the other patients. They are getting nervous, start whimpering. One yells “figaro, figaro!” A police dog barks.

Aaron: Say something, Michael. Say something!

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The other patients become increasingly nervous. They start grunting loudly, rattling their chains. One laughs hysterically. The dog continues barking.

Aaron: You can feel it, can’t you? It’s a part of you, Michael. It’s a part of you. Say something. Say something, Michael.

The background noises keep getting louder. A buzzer goes off.

Aaron: (shouting) Say something!

Main Title Sequence

Scene 1 Black screen. The words “Haddonfield, Illinois” are superimposed. Dana is whispering in the background.

Dana: What is it we’re after? Aaron, okay, well..

The screen moves to Aaron and Dana inside a car. They are driving in a wooded area. Aaron is talking into a recorder.

Aaron: Having witnessed the animal in its captive state, and failed to provoke any sort of response, we now track down its counterpart. Could it be that one monster has create another? And although the iron bars and barbed wire that separate them are both strong and sharp, the metaphysical lines are blurred and slight. Both exist in isolation, fettered by their own fear and hatred of one another.

They drive up to a gate.

Dana: This one. Aaron (to Dana): here? (in the recorder): Could it be that the only hope of rehabilitation – Dana: Spooky Aaron: - is through confrontation?

We see a sign on the fence, Dana reads the words.

Dana: Access has been denied. Private property. No trespassing… You might need this.

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She hands Aaron an orange envelope with money in it.

Aaron: Dana, journalists don’t pay for their interviews. Dana: Smile, we’re on camera.

Aaron rings the bell, it clicks. We hear Laurie’s voice from the security system.

Laurie (voice): Yes. Aaron (speaking into the security system): Hello, uhm, we’re looking for Laurie Strode. (Silence) We’re, uh, um, we’re, we’re making a podcast, and, uh, - Dana: We’re investigative journalists. Aaron: If you have a moment, we’ve travelled a very long way. (silence) Dana: How does 3000 dollar sound?

The gate opens. Dana looks at Aaron triumphantly. They drive up to the house.

Scene 2 Close-ups of Laurie’s house. There are camera’s and satellite dishes everywhere. Laurie opens 2 locks and unbolts the door. When she opens the door, there is still a metal fence in between her and the journalists.

Dana: Hello. Aaron: May we come in? And, and, sit down and talk?

Laurie opens another lock.

Scene 3 Inside the house. Laurie drags a kitchen chair to the living room and sits on it. Aaron and Dana are on the couch.

Dana: So, .. Aaron and I have made several award-winning public radio exposés. Our last project shed new light on a murder case from 20 years ago. We like to re-examine incidents with an unbiased lens. I believe they’re a lot to learn from the horrors you experienced. Laurie: There’s nothing to learn. There are no new insights or discoveries. Aaron: So, is he real? Laurie: Who? Aaron: The bogeyman, I read you quoted- Laurie: You don’t believe in the bogeyman? Aaron: I believe in Michael Myers, deranged serial killer, but.. the bogeyman, no. Laurie: Well you should. Aaron: Okay.

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Dana: Michael Myers is a human being who killed his sister when he was six years old, then he came after you. We just want to know why. We want a glimpse inside his mind. That’s why your story is so important. Laurie: My story? Aaron: Two failed marriages. Rocky relationships with your daughter and granddaughter. Laurie: Michael Myers murdered 5 people, and he’s a human being we need to understand? I’m twice divorced, and I’m a basket case.

Aaron: They’re transferring him. Laurie: Tomorrow, 7 o’clock. Dana: He’ll, he’ll be locked away until the end of his days. Laurie: That’s the idea.

Dana: Let’s talk about when the state came to take your daughter away. She was 12 years old. They said you were an unfit mother. How long until you regained custody? Laurie: (Silence) I didn’t. But you already knew that.

Laurie gets up and starts walking towards the door.

Aaron: Laurie, we saw him. We met with Michael. I showed him the mask. There was nothing. No response, nothing. He won’t talk to anyone. Never has, but, I think he might speak with you. So why don’t you sit down with him? And say all the things you must be longing to say. Come with us, and let us help you free yourself. Please.

Laurie opens the door.

Laurie: Time’s up.

She holds out her hand and looks away from them.

Laurie: I’ll accept my payment. Get out.

Scene 4 Ray Nelson puts a mouse trap under the cupboard.

Ray: You want to shit under my sink? I will murder you and your whole family. (chuckles)

His wife, Karen, is cooking. She burns her finger. Ray continues his rant about mice.

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Ray: I switched from marshmallow fluff to peanut butter. See if those little bastards eat that. That ought to kill them.

Their daughter, Allyson, walks into the kitchen, she is holding a binder under her arm. She goes to sit at the kitchen table and takes a notebook.

Allyson: Morning. Karen: I rescheduled my last session, so I can make it tonight. Allyson: You really didn’t have to do that, mom. It’s not a big deal. Ray: you made it into the National Honour Society! Allyson: Yeaah. Ray: That is a very big deal! I just made it to the top of my shop class, Making birdhouses and, uh, a checkerboard made of teak. Allyson (chuckles) Karen: We’re excited to meet Cameron. Ray: That whole family, though, they had a reputation. Karen: Ray, come on. Ray: But it’s true. It’s a relevant factor. Karen: Ray. Ray. Ray: Do you remember the one time Lonnie punched that cop in the face? Karen: Ray. Ray: That was a –

The mouse trap snaps in his hands.

Ray: Oh! Mother! D’aw man! I’ve got peanut butter on my penis. Allyson: Ew, dad. Karen: Instant karma. Allyson: Cameron is a good guy. He’s nothing like that. You’re gonna see when you meet him tonight. Ray: They’re all nice guys until they get you pregnant, and then you gotta drive in their pickup trucks and clean their guns, and you got children, and you clean guns, and you like to get high with them, and then y’all get fat. Allyson: Hey, dad? Ray: What? Allyson: Can you stop? Ray: I gotta clean this peanut butter off my hand.

Allyson is writing something, but then takes up her notebook, turns around and looks at her mother.

Allyson: Did you invite grandmother like you said you would? (Pause) About tonight.. You said that you’d-

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Karen: Oh.. Allyson: -invite her. Karen: Right. I did. Allyson: You did? Karen: Yeah. I talked to her yesterday. She’s not gonna be able to come honey, I’m sorry. Allyson: Really? Karen: Yeah. Baby, she’s agoraphobic. She needs cognitive behavioural therapy, So don’t take it personally.

Allyson puts her stuff in her schoolbag, then the doorbell rings.

Allyson: That’s Vicky, I gotta go. Karen: Hey, I love you. Have a good day. Allyson (to her dad, not on screen): Bye Dad, love you. Ray: Okay.

Scene 5 Allyson is walking outside with her two friends, Vicky and Dave.

Allyson: So, my mom’s a liar. Vicky: What happened? Allyson: She said that she invited by grandmother tonight, but she didn’t. I mean, she never even contacted her. Vicky: How do you know? Allyson: Because I called her myself. Dave: That’s bullshit. Allyson: Yeah. Vicky: Dude, what’s your mom’s deal? Why would she say that? Allyson: I don’t know, she just tries to keep me away from her. Anyone in my family, like, turns into a total nutcase this time of year. Vicky: If I were you guys I wouldn’t celebrate it either, I would just put up a Christmas tree instead. Just skip all over the creepy Halloween shit, right? Does your grandma ever talk about it? Allyson: Yeah, it’s pretty much all she talks about. It defines her life. She’s been traumatized ever since. Dave: Wasn’t it her brother who, like, cold-blooded murdilated all those teenagers? Allyson: No, that’s just a bit that some people made up to make them feel better, I think. Vicky: I mean, that is scary to have a bunch of your friends get butchered by some random crazy person. Dave: Is it, though? Because, all things considered, there’s a lot worse stuff that’s

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happening today. And, like, I mean, what, a couple of people getting killed by one guy with a knife is not that big of a deal. Vicky: Dude, her grandmother was almost fucking murdered. Dave: And she escaped, and they caught him, and now he’s incarcerated. I-I’m just saying, like, by today’s standards- Vicky: Just shut the fuck up, Dave. Shut up. Dave: Oh, I’m sorry. (To himself) Yeah, shut up, Dave.

Dave: Hey, is it cool with you guys if I explode one of these pumpkin heads? Vicky and Allyson (laughing): Yeah, yeah. Allyson: Go for it.

Dave takes a firecracker out of his backpack.

Vicky: Oh, is he serious? He’s serious. Oh God, he’s really blowing it up. Allyson: I know. He’s such a fucking moron.

Dave lights the firecracker.

Vicky: Oh god, oh god. Dave: Go, go, go, go, go! Happy Halloween!

The pumpkin explodes.

Scene 6 Allyson is taking something out of her locker, her boyfriend, Cameron, suddenly slams the door shut.

Cameron: Ah! Allyson: Cameron! Cameron: I got you. That was a good one. Allyson: Yes, that was very good. Cameron: Hey, do you have everything for your costume tomorrow night? Bonnie and Clyde must roll as one, after all. Allyson: Uhm, no, I mean, I, I’m more focused on tonight. Cameron: Tonight? I, I thought you were joking when you said your parents were old-fashioned. Allyson: Be nice, ok? Cameron: Ok. Allyson: It’ll be fun. Cameron: I’m excited for tonight. Allyson: I need to calm down. Cameron: I’m excited for tonight, ok?

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Allyson: Ok.

They start kissing, Allyson chuckles. One of Cameron’s friends, Oscar, walks in on them.

Oscar: Ugh. You guys are just barf, you know. You’re just.. you’re two yucky dumpsters, and I want to go diving. Come here, mwah! Right here, right here, right?

He kisses both of them on the head.

Oscar: Mwah, mwah. Cameron: Dude, you, you got your little chapped lip crusties all over me, man, So thanks. Oscar: I know, and you’re welcome. Cameron: It’s gross. Oscar: It’s a little part of me, for you. For the rest of your day. Alright? So, do you have everything ready for your costume tomorrow? Cameron: Uhm, about that… Oscar: What? Are we seriously not? You said we were gonna do this whole Halloween dance together. Now, now you just- you ditch me! I mean, you just, you, you, can’t walk all over town breaking hearts.

Oscar starts pushing Cameron, and then they roughhouse a bit.

Cameron: Ok, ok, ok. Hey, listen, listen. Oscar: Alright? Allyson: Ok, lovebirds, later.

Scene 7 The school bell rings, students are murmuring. We find ourselves inside a classroom with Allyson and unknown other students.

Teacher: Now, let’s open our books to.. Frankl’s interpretation. He said: ‘Fate took a different course. I understand how someone who has nothing left in this world may still know bliss.’ His message is totally hopeful. Even in the most disparaging of conditions, life can find its meaning, and conversely, so can one’s suffering.

When Allyson looks through the window, she sees her grandmother standing outside.

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Scene 8 Allyson is holding the orange envelope, she looks at the money inside.

Allyson: I.. can’t accept this.

She tries to give the envelope back, but Laurie won’t take it.

Laurie : Use it for whatever your heart desires. Allyson: I’ll save it for college, then. Laurie: Fuck college. Go somewhere, go to Mexico. Allyson: Can you imagine? Laurie: Yeah, I can. Look, don’t worry about your mom. She will freak, But she will get over it. Allyson: Why can’t you? The bogeyman? All this hiding, all this preparation, It was for nothing. I mean, it took priority over your family. It cost you your family. Laurie: If the way I raised your mother means that she hates me.. but that she’s prepared for the horrors of this world, then.. I can live with that. Allyson: Say goodbye to Michael, and get over it. Laurie: Goodbye.

Scene 9 Laurie is practising shooting at store mannequins in the woods. She then cleans and checks her guns.

Scene 10 Outside a motel, then inside. Dana is listening to tapes of Doctor Loomis being questioned.

Man’s voice: Dr. Samuel Loomis, January 22, 1979. Do you wish to give a statement regarding your former patient, Michael Myers? Loomis’ voice: My suggestion is termination. Death is the only solution for Michael.

While we hear the tapes, we switch to a shot inside the sanatorium, where they are moving Michael.

Warder: A2201. Myers, Michael.

He opens his cell door. Then we see a row of inmates.

Warder: Toes in line, keep in line.

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Loomis’ voice: There’s nothing to be gained from keeping evil alive.

Warder: Hands up! Hands up! Stand up! A22..

Loomis’ voice: A shot of sodium thiopental would render him unconscious.

Warder: A22..

Loomis’ voice: I’ll be with him to make sure his life is extinguished. My ear on his chest to hear for myself that his vitals no longer function, and immediately incinerate the body. It needs to die. (Distorted) It needs to die.

Outside the sanatorium, Laurie is waiting for Michael in her car. She is holding a gun. Then back inside we see the prisoners, chained together.

Loomis’ voice: It needs to die!

The prisoners are brought to a bus outside.

Warder: Keep moving. Let’s go. Sartain (to himself): Don’t worry, Michael. I’ll be by your side.

Laurie drinks from a small liquor bottle. She is shuddering.

Sartain (to a police officer) : Michael Myers is still my patient until he’s in somebody else’s care, so I’m seeing my duty through till the end.

Sartain goes inside the bus with the patients. Laurie drags her finger over the trigger. She hears a buzzer, and sees the bus ride through the gate. She starts screaming.

Scene 11 Cameron meeting Allyson’s family at a dinner in a restaurant.

Karen: Send my DNA away to a stranger! Cameron: Why not! You can find out some pretty interesting things. Karen: Don’t.. Cameron: I found out that I’m part Cherokee. I guess my dad’s, like, seven percent Cherokee. Ray: I know Lonnie. I went to high school with him. He used to sell me peyote. Allyson: Dad! Karen: Everyone knows Lonnie.

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Ray: Yeah. Allyson: Dad. Ray: I’m sorry. Karen: Alright, uhm, this is a massive overshare for our new friend. Ray: No, he did. I learned a lot about myself with his dad. Tripped balls out in the woods, me and his dad. Allyson: Dad! Cameron: Tripping balls.. Karen: Boy, Ray. Ray: (laughs) Karen: No, really, keep talking. So, you guys have big plans for tomorrow at the high school? Ray: What are you doing? Is it a dance or something? Cameron: Yeah, it’s a Halloween- Ray: Costumes? Cameron: Halloween dance. Yep. Karen: Hmm! Ray: What are you going as? Cameron: Uhm, well, I don’t know if I’m allowed to say.

Cameron looks at Allyson.

Ray: Please say. Karen: Oh, come on. Cameron: I can? Ok. Uhm, so, we’re going as Bonnie and Clyde. Karen: Oh that’s a great idea. Ray: (chuckles) Yeah. Cameron: Except- Allyson: Oh! Cameron: Oh, no? Ok, so just Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie and Clyde, that’s it. Ray: Bonnie and Clyde with a twist. Classic. Cameron: yeah!

Ray and Cameron high five.

Ray: Yeah. Karen: I love that. That’s so fun. Allyson: You’ll see. Ray: You know how it ended, right? Their story ended a little.. Cameron: Yes, hopefully- Ray: Yes, with the bullets and the bleeding. Karen: Yeah. Ray: You have a jalopy filled with bullet holes from the G-men?

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Cameron: I wish we had one of those. Ray: It was in Laughlin, like a Model A. Karen: I know.

Allyson sees something off-screen.

Allyson (to her mother): Did you talk to grandmother? Karen: (Sighs) Yeah. She said she was gonna come. She came to my office, we had a nice talk. Allyson: Did you? Really? Ray: That’s a first. Karen: It was nice. Ray: Oh. Allyson: Do you know where she is, then? Karen: That part-

Laurie walks up to the table.

Laurie: I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I – Karen: Oh. Great timing, mom. Hi. Laurie: Uh, I… Karen: You made it! Laurie: It ran late, I’m sorry. Allyson: Hi. I’m so happy you came. Karen: Hi mom. Ray: Hi Laurie. Laurie: Hi, hi. I’m, uh.. Cameron: Hi. Laurie: I’m the grandmother. Cameron: Nice to meet you, I’m Cameron Elam. Ray: And we’re here celebrating our daughter because of her- Laurie: Yes, I know. How did it go?

Allyson shows her ribbon.

Laurie: Yes. It looks good on you. You know, I was in the Honour Society too. Karen: That’s good. Why don’t you sit down, mom. Laurie: No, I’m good. Karen: Yeah, have a seat. Ray: Or we could go for a walk, if you’d like. Laurie: (ignoring them, to Allyson) Really? Did it go great? Yeah? Allyson: Yeah. It went really.. it went..

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Laurie takes a glass of wine from the table and drinks it.

Allyson: uhm… Karen: Hey, mom? Ray: That’s mine. Karen: I thought you quit drinking. Laurie: Mmm. Karen: Mom, what are you doing? What is this? You know, this is exactly why we don’t reach out. Allyson: Mom! Laurie: I’m sorry, I will sit down. Karen: Ok. Why don’t we press the reset button? Why don’t we just start over, ok? Laurie: Mmhm..

Laurie starts crying.

Karen: Alright, mom… Laurie: Sorry. Karen: Mom. Ray: Please stop this. Laurie (sobbing): Sorry. I saw him. The shape. Karen: Mom… Laurie: I wanted to kill him. Ray: Ok, that’s enough, Laurie. Laurie, that’s enough. Laurie: I didn’t know what to do. Ray: That’s enough, Laurie. Karen (putting her hand on her mother’s arm): Ok. I think maybe this is a little too much for you, huh? Why don’t we go for a walk, alright? You said you were gonna try to put the past behind you. Ray: Laurie. Karen: Ok? Are you gonna try to do that? That’s what you said you wanted to do. Laurie: I can’t. Karen: Mom, look at me. Look at me.

Laurie gets up and leaves.

Karen: I- Cameron: Should we, uh..? Karen: -really hate to say I told you so, but..

Allyson gets up and leaves too.

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Scene 12 Laurie outside the restaurant. She walks towards the road and halts before the traffic. She hears the buzzing again. She sobs. Allyson walks up to her and puts her arms around her.

Scene 13 Allyson and Karen are standing next to each other.

Karen: I’m glad you got to see that. I never told you how I spent my childhood.

She has a flashback of her as a child, running around the woods with a gun.

Karen (in the flashback, while pointing a gun): Gotcha. Karen: I learned how to shoot a gun when I was 8. I learned how to fight. I had nightmares about the basement.

In the flashback, she is working on the basement: sawing beams, pulling something up a pulley, connecting wires, then a trap door falls.

Karen: Social services came when I was 12 years old and took me away.

In the flashback, Karen is sitting on her bed when the door creaks open.

Karen: I’ve spent my entire life trying to get over the paranoia and neuroses that she has projected on me.

Cameron (in the background): Yeah, he kind of reminds me of, uh, Gary Hogeboom. Ray (louder): Yeah, that quarterback thing is all messed up.

Ray and Cameron walk over to Allyson and Karen.

Allyson: Good times, right? Karen (to Ray): What is she gonna do with herself? Ray: I know. It’s not your job to save her.

Ray kisses Karen’s head.

Ray: She’ll be alright.

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Scene 14 A man and his son, Kevin, inside a pick-up truck. The man is turning knobs on the radio.

Man: I can’t get reception on this thing. Ever since the antenna was bent at the car wash. Kevin: Why do we have to come out again? We do this all the time. Man: What? You don’t.. You don’t enjoy it? I, I like being out in the woods and… Kevin: No, I enjoy it, but I’m missing dance class for this, and sometimes I would rather do that than hunting. Man: I mean, is, is, is dance class that important to you? Kevin: Yeah, it is. Man: You need some more time in the woods to go hunting and fishing. Kevin: No, on weekends, I’ll do it with you, dad. Like, I really love spending time with you, but right now dancing is my thing, you know, and, it really hits me in the heart. I mean, I- Dad, look out!

We see the crashed prison bus in front of them. The patients are roaming on the street.

Man: Oh!

He breaks suddenly.

Man: What the hell happened to you, Hoss? Kevin: Oh, shit. Dad, look. Man: Lumpy, you stay here. I’m gonna make sure no one’s hurt? You call the police. Kevin: Ok. Dad, be careful, please.

The man gets out of the car, and speaks to the patients.

Man: Hey, you fellas ok?

On the radio, a song is playing: “I wish I had you all alone, just the two of us”.

Man: You all right?

A patient bangs on Kevin’s window. He’s startled, and starts panting. Then calls 911.

Voice on the telephone: 911, what is the emergency? Kevin: Yes, uhm, th-there’s been an accident. Uh, there’s a bus. People running around in the road. My dad went to look. I, I don’t know. Ok, hold on. I’ll go check.

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The song continues on the radio “I would hold you close to me”. The boy gets out of the car. He is holding a rifle.

Kevin: Dad?

He slowly walks up to a figure lying in the grass. It’s a wounded police officer. There is blood all over his face. He isn’t moving. Kevin pokes him with the back of his gun. The man stretches out his hand, startling the boy.

Officer: Run. Kevin: Wait here. I’ll go get my dad. Officer: N-no, run! Kevin (screaming): Dad! Daddy!

There is a banging noise inside the bus. Kevin goes to check it out. Dr. Sartain pops up from behind a seat. He has no blood on him.

Sartain: Don’t shoot.

Kevin shoots.

Sartain (is shot): Aah! Kevin: Oh, fuck! Fuck! Sartain (grunts)

Kevin runs back to the car. He gets behind the wheel and starts the engine. Myers rises from the backseat. He grabs the boy and starts banging his head against the window multiple times, then snaps his neck.

Scene 15 A police officer, Frank Hawkins, is playing a pinball game in a store, a guy is spurring him on.

Guy: Don’t need a credit card to ride this train. Yo, Hawk, listen, the ball come down loose, that’s where you’re gonna mess up at. (Female) Clerk : Yo, Hawkins, would you like a strawberry slushie or a blue raspberry slushie? Hawkins: Can you just bring me a coffee, will you? I’ll get you back later. Guy: Pull a slingshot, it’ll go straight down the middle. But you ain’t never gonna beat my score, so it makes no difference what you do. Hawkins: Say that again. Guy: You’re never gonna beat my score, so it doesn’t make no difference what you do.

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Voice over Hawkins’ transceiver: Dispatch to unit 601. We have a 10-50 on Marla Road. Hawkins: Copy that, dispatch. I’m on my way.

Scene 16 Outside, the police car drives by. The siren is wailing, then stops. Hawkins gets out of the car.

Voice over Hawkins’ transceiver: Attention all units. We got an officer that’s 10-23 and a possible 10-50 on Route 20. Will advise. Hawkins (calling out into the road): Sheriff’s Department. Voice over Hawkins’ transceiver: Possible 10-98. Over. Hawkins (calling out into the road): If you need assistance, let yourself be known. (to his transceiver): Signal 13, officer down.

We now see the bus, and the officer laying by the side of the road.

Hawkins (to his transceiver): I repeat: officer down. I need assistance, send backup right away.

Voice over Hawkins’ transceiver: Uh, roger that. 10-1, officer down. Sending EMT and all available units. Hawkins: Ohh. (Sighs)

Hawkins walks closer to the bus, and notices Kevin’s dad: his neck is snapped backwards. Then Hawkins opens the door of the bus, and finds Dr. Sartain.

Hawkins: Show your hands! Sartain: I’ve been shot. Hawkins: Alright, stay with me. Help’s on the way. What happened in here? Sartain: Did he escape? Hawkins: Who? Did who escape?

Scene 17 Black screen: the words “October 31” are superimposed.

Scene 18 On a graveyard. A woman is walking along the graves with Aaron and Dana. Dana is recording her.

Woman: Well, I got a cousin, works at a graveyard not too far from here. Dana : Hm. Woman: They got war generals, philanthropists, a beatnik poet. They got Muddy Waters. Oh, and they got Bernie Mac. People come from all over to pay respects. But this is Haddonfield, and this is our only claim to fame.

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Maybe you can explain to me what’s so special about Judith Myers.

They arrive at Judith’s tombstone, Dana kneels by it.

Dana: As she sat combing her hair, unaware, her 6 year old brother crept in quietly with a kitchen knife.

As Dana is telling this, we see flashbacks of the event. And then, a figure in white, Michael Myers, watching the journalists and the woman from behind a tree.

Aaron: He then proceeded to slice the base of her skull, scraping her spinal cord. When she turned, raising her hands in self-defence, he continued stabbing into the nerves and arteries of her palms. Three more stabs into her sternum, penetrating her heart.

The woman shakes her head, and as she does, sees Myers standing behind the tree. His face is hidden behind a branch.

Scene 19 Dr. Sartain in the hospital. His arm is bandaged and he has tubes in his nose. Hawkins is standing by his bed. A sheriff enters the room.

Sheriff Barker: Hawkins. Still checking I.D.’s of the patients we recovered to figure out who’s who. Almost all accounted for. Two of them were checking their e-mails at a local library. Just found three of ‘em holding hands, chasing butterflies at a flea market off the 220.

Hawkins: Butterflies? Sheriff Barker: Still no idea what really went down. Any word from Mr. Rip van Winkle over here? Hawkins: Nurses say he’s been in and out, lost a lot of blood. Somehow managed to fall on a bullet. I’m trying to get the whole story, because here’s my concern: take a look at the list. Most of ‘em minor offenders, mental patients. One stuck out: A2201. It’s Michael Myers, Babysitter Murders, 1978: 40 years to this day. Sheriff Barker: Michael Myers loose with a bunch of nutbags in Haddonfield on Halloween night? We're gonna have a fucking circus on our hands. But hey? What are we gonna do? Cancel Halloween? (laughs)

Voice in the background: Dr. Ray, please pick up line two.

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Scene 20 Close-up of a binder with newspaper clippings of Judith’s murder and autopsy pictures. Dana is flipping through them. She is sitting inside a car. Aaron is standing outside. They’re at a gas station.

Dana: I need to go do a number two almost immediately.

Voice in the background: Can I drive? Other voice: Come on, get in the car, move it.

Dana puts the binder in a box in the trunk of her car. Myers’ mask is lying next to it.

Dana: Want anything from the shop? Aaron: No, no. Thank you.

Dana walks away. Aaron stays beside the car. An older woman in a car is staring at him. Aaron flashes a peace sign, the woman does not respond.

Dana walks over to the cash register of the store.

Dana: Where’s the loo? Clerk: Excuse me? Dana: Bathroom. Clerk: It’s out that way, around the back.

Dana walks towards the outhouse.

Scene 21 Inside the bathroom.

Dana grabs a paper towel and opens the door of a toilet cubicle. She groans and pulls a disgusted face. She opens the next door and walks on again.

We get a brief shot of Aaron outside, and then find ourselves again in the bathroom. A man opens the door. We only see his legs. Dana is sitting on the toilet. We see the man’s legs move towards the first toilet cubicle. He opens the door and walks on. Then a close-up of Dana’s face, looking nervous. The man opens the second cubicle door. Dana gasps. The man then moves in front of Dana’s cubicle. We can see him peer inside through the split opening at the side of the door. He then starts rattling the door.

Dana: Excuse me! Sorry. Someone’s in here.

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Scene 22 Aaron knocks at the door of the shop.

Aaron: Hello?

The clerk is lying on the counter. From Aaron’s POV, we can only see the back of the man’s head. Aaron cups his hand to the window to look inside the shop. The camera shifts to an angle, opposite of Aaron’s view, it is now revealed that the man’s face is spilt open: his jaw fractured.

Aaron walks along the outside of the store. A machine starts making noise behind him, he turns around and sees another man lying on the ground in his underwear. Aaron walks towards him. The man is lying in a poodle of blood.

Scene 23 Inside the bathroom. The man is still standing in front of Dana’s cubicle. He holds his hand over the door, and slowly drops bloody teeth on the floor.

Dana (whispering): What the…?

She stares at the teeth on the ground. The bloody hand on the door starts rattling the door again. Dana starts gasping and whimpering, and crawls under the door to the cubicle next to her. The man, Myers, opens this door and grabs Dana by her legs.

Dana (screaming): Help me! Aah! Help me! Aaron! Aaron!

She bangs her head on the toilet bowl and cries out. Myers is still dragging her by her feet. Dana kicks him.

Dana: Aah! Get off me!

Myers lets go off her, and Dana gets up and locks the door.

Dana (screaming): Aaron! Stop! Help me!

Aaron enters the bathroom. He is holding a crowbar and looks at Myers, shocked.

Aaron: Michael…

Dana (screaming): Aaron! Aaron!

Aaron beats Myers in the face with the crowbar. Myers quickly overpowers him, knocking Aaron’s head on the sink, causing him to drop the crowbar. Myers then drags Aaron to the wall and starts banging his head against it.

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Dana reaches for the crowbar from under the toilet door. She grabs it. Aaron’s head is bleeding heavily.

Aaron: Dana!

Myers drags Aaron to Dana’s cubicle and bangs his head against the door. Dana turns her back to the door, and tries to stop it from caving in with her bodyweight as Myers continues banging Aaron’s head against it. The door flies open anyway, knocking Dana to the ground.

Aaron: Dana!

Myers throws Aaron against the wall, he collapses. Dana holds up the crowbar in self-defence as Myers walks towards her, she is sobbing loudly. Myers unarms her and starts choking her. He lifts her off the ground by her neck.

Dana (gasping): No! No!

We see Aaron leaning against the wall. Blood is dripping from his mouth. He closes his eyes. The next shot is of Dana’s feet dangling in the air. She keeps struggling for a moment, and then goes limp.

Scene 24 Myers opens the trunk of Aaron’s and Dana’s car. He slowly picks up his mask and puts it on. He starts breathing heavily now too and slams the trunk shot.

Scene 25 Close-up of a television screen. The bus accident is on the news.

Newsman: Police have not determined a cause of this accident. Uh, this scene’s still very active, of course. You can see the police tape set up behind me.

We now get a shot of Laurie, in her kitchen. She is stirring in a glass.

Newsman: That prison bus, firmly down in that ditch.

Laurie stops stirring.

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Newsman: You can see the tow truck, of course, that is trying to get that prison bus out. A source tells us that bus was transporting personnel from a local state hospital.

Scene 26 Laurie locks multiple locks, puts a knife in a leather sheath and packs cases with bullets.

Female dispatcher (over radio): 13 A-9.

Laurie presses a remote and her counter starts moving: revealing a hidden passageway to her basement. Indistinct chatter continues over the radio. Laurie stands at the top of the stairs and looks down at the basement.

Scene 27 Kids are running around the streets in costumes, they are shouting and squealing happily. A car drives up a driveway.

Scene 28 Karen walks inside the house, carrying a bag of groceries. She closes the door behind her, and then sees the backdoor is wide open. Karen looks around but doesn’t go near the door, she puts her groceries on the counter.

Karen: Ray? Allyson?

She starts walking around the house, uncertainly.

Karen: Allyson? Is anyone home?

Ray comes in through the backdoor.

Ray: Karen? Karen: Shh! Ray: What?

Laurie appears at the top of the stairs and points a gun at Karen.

Laurie: Gotcha! Karen: (gasps) Ray: Jesus! Laurie: You’re dead. Karen: You scared me! What are you doing in our house? Laurie: You mean, how did I get into your house? You have no security system,

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Karen. Your side window was wide open. Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between your stupidity and your ignorance. Ray: Hey, Laurie, this is my home, and I can take care of my own family, alright? I know jujitsu, I have studied… Karen: Ray.. Laurie: The bus crashed. Karen: What? Laurie: Look, I have a plan. Where’s Allyson? We need to get out of here now. Karen: What bus crashed? Ray: Put down that gun. Put down- Laurie: Hey, hey, back off! Ray: Put down that gun. You’re in my-, Put down the gun! Karen: Mom, you need help, and you are not welcome in this house until you get it. Laurie: I have tried to protect you and prepare you. Now we have to hunt him down. Karen: Yeah, and I am trying to prepare dinner for my family. The world is not a dark and evil place. It is full of love and understanding and I’m not letting your psychotic rants confuse me or convince me otherwise.

Karen pushes Laurie out the door. Laurie holds out the gun to her.

Laurie: Keep the gun. Karen: No! You need to go. Get out!

Karen slams the door shut.

Scene 29 Officer Hawkins opens the door of the toilet cubicle. Dana’s dead body is inside.

Hawkins (whispering): Son of a bitch.

The store clerk is zipped in a body bag. There are many people standing around the crime scene. Hawkins walks up to a fellow officer. We then see a shot of Laurie standing behind a yellow police lint. Hawkins looks at her.

Sheriff Barker: Hawkins.

Hawkins doesn’t react, he is still looking at Laurie.

Sheriff Barker: Frank! Hawkins: Yeah? Sheriff Barker: Look at this. It’s a hospital gown.

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Hawkins: State-issued. Sheriff Barker: Get on the phone to Smith’s Grove. Confirm the match. Hawkins: You know I was there that night. You know, I was there. We have one order of business. That’s to hunt this thing down.

He turns around to look at Laurie again.

Hawkins: There’s a reason we’re supposed to be afraid of this night. Scene 30 Children are going from house to house, yelling “trick or treat!”. Two young boys are talking.

Boy1: Which one should we go to? Boy2: They’re all spooky! Boy1: I’m gonna pick that one over, uhm, across the street.

They bump into Myers.

Boys: Oh, oh, oh, oh! Boy1: What the..? Sorry ‘bout that sir!

Suspenseful music begins to play. Children are chanting in the background.

Children: Black cats and goblins and broomsticks and ghosts, covens of witches with all of their hosts. You may think they scare me, you’re probably right. Black cats and goblins on Halloween night.

The camera follows Myers from behind, he is walking towards a tool shed. He grabs a hammer and goes inside the house next to the shed. A woman in a pink bathrobe is making a sandwich. Myers walks into the kitchen, but the camera stays behind. We hear the woman gasp, and the hammer thud as Myers murders her. Then a baby starts crying in the distance. Myers drops his hammer and picks up a knife from the kitchen counter. The camera now starts following Myers again, and the woman comes into view too: her head is lying on the table, surrounded by a pool of blood. Myers slowly starts walking through the house, and towards the baby. As he looks into the crib, the baby stops crying. Myers passes her, and goes outside.

The streets are full with people celebrating Halloween.

Children: trick or treat! Man: Hey, guys, stay together! (Pause) Very scary. Children: trick or treat! Woman: Wait your turn. Children: Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat.

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Next to Myers, a couple is about to leave their home.

Man: Wait, hang on, hang on. I don’t have my stethoscope. Woman: Come on! We’re gonna be late! Man: I need it, I’m gonna get it! I’ll be right back! Woman: Jeez!

The woman, in sexy nurse costume, gets in the car. Myers walks towards her. The man comes back.

Man: Look, you’re not gonna believe it, they were in my pocket the whole time. Woman: Did Rebecca give you directions? Man: Yeah, she did call me.

The man gets in the car too and they drive off. Myers turns to the house next to him. We see a woman through the glass door. Her phone rings.

Woman: Hey, Sally. How are you? (Pause) Really? That’s awful. Well, I’ll keep my doors locked. Thanks for telling me.

Myers is staring at her through the window as she is talking on the phone. He is breathing heavily.

Woman: Billy’s still out at a party. Let me know if you hear anything else. Goodnight Sally!

The camera stays at the front window as Myers walks past the house and enters via the backdoor. The woman is just about to close the blinds as Myers sneaks up behind her and kills her. He grabs her by the hair. She screams, but he stabs her in the neck before she can move.

Scene 31 A flash goes off. It’s Oscar taking pictures of Allyson and Cameron, they pose for him. Cameron is dressed as Bonnie, Allyson as Clyde.

Oscar: Bonnie and Clyde, you are lady-killers. You guys are seriously beautiful, you’re seriously beautify-, Give me a big smile. Give me a big smile. Just hold her tight. There we go. Do that. Do that with your ass.

At the Halloween dance, electronic dance music is playing. Oscar, Allyson and Cameron start dancing. Then Allyson’s phone rings.

Oscar: Ok, so, no, not- Allyson: It’s Vicky. One second, one sec. Cameron: Ok, you don’t- you don’t have to take it!

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Scene 32 Allyson goes into the hallway to take her phone call.

Allyson: Hi! Oh my gosh, I wish that you were here. It is so much fun.

Shot of Vicky inside a living room, babysitting a boy named Julian.

Vicky: God, I wish I was there. I’m so fucking bummed. Allyson: It’s just, like, so much easier to actually, like, talk to people when you have no idea who they are. Vicky: Yeah, dude, I told you you’d have fun. How’s Cameron, is he looking super fine in my grandma’s skirt? Allyson: He is… so sexy, it’s a little too much to take. But-

Allyson’s phone beeps. We see the screen: her grandmother is calling.

Vicky: Where’d you go?

Allyson declines her grandmother’s call. She continues talking to Vicky.

Allyson: No, he’s so sweet. I’m having the best time. Vicky: You know, you guys should just come here when it’s done. Dave’s already on his way, and he’s gonna bring the, uh, you know, the ‘Alakazam’, if you know what I mean. And Julian’s parents aren’t gonna be back until, like, super late. Allyson: Ok, well, it is a school night, so we’re not gonna.. ‘kazam’ too much. Vicky: Oh, come on, it’s a school night, don’t be a needy bitch. Get over here. Allyson: Ok, I’ll see you soon. We’ll come over as soon as it’s over. Vicky: Ok, bye, love you.

Scene 33

Julian: I heard you telling your friends to come over here and you’re gonna smoke some weed. Vicky: No, no! Julian: That ‘Alakazam’? Vicky: Julian, I’m talking about, like, uh, you know, like, a ma-magic trick, like ‘abracadabra’. Julian: I know you’re talking about smoking weed. Don’t lie to me, that’s against the rules. I’m telling my mom. Vicky: Well, I’m gonna tell your mom about your browser history. Julian: You better not. Vicky: You can get me in trouble, I can get you in trouble.

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Julian: I’m- Vicky: You used to be my favourite, but now you’re, like, my tenth favourite boy that I nanny. And I babysit some fucking loser kids. Julian: If I had some other kind of babysitter, she’d be reading me a story. I wouldn’t be up clipping my nasty-ass toenails. Vicky: Uh-huh, go to bed. Julian: You used to be cool. We used to be friends, but now.. Vicky: Ok, come on. Go to bed. Julian: Wait. Vicky: It’s way past your bedtime. You want to be a good kid? Julian: Mm-hmm. Vicky: Mm-hmm, go to bed. Go to bed! Julian: How much do you get paid?

Julian gets up from the couch and walks towards the stairs.

Vicky: Come on, let’s go, let’s go. I’ll get ya, come on.

She starts chasing Julian upstairs.

Scene 34 Julian is lying in bed. Vicky kisses her hand and pets him on the forehead.

Vicky: Goodnight, little dude. Julian: Hey, Vicky, can you leave the door open? Just a crack? Vicky: Yeah. Goodnight! By the way, you’re actually my favourite kid I babysit for. Julian: I like you too. Vicky: Goodnight.

Scene 35 The Halloween dance. Cameron and Oscar are drinking, people are dancing. When Allyson comes back, Cameron is talking to a girl in a slutty tiger costume. Then the girl pulls him closer and they kiss. Allyson sees it happening. She takes off her hat and holds her hand to her face, disgusted.

Cameron: That is not what….

Then he turns around and sees Allyson, she looks as if she is about to start crying.

Cameron: Fuck. Ok, that really… that fucked me up. Ok.

He takes off his high heels and goes after Allyson.

Cameron: Allyson! Allyson, come here!

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Scene 36 In the hallway. Allyson is visibly upset. Cameron walks up to her.

Cameron: Wait. Hey, Allyson! Allyson: No, what was that? Cameron: Ok, what? What? Allyson: What was that? Cameron: Hey, wh- what? Allyson: What’s this?

She grabs his flask.

Cameron: What? Dude, have some discretion, alright. I don’t know what you thought you saw, but, like, I… Kim… literally was talking to me. Allyson: Really? Cameron: She came up to me and, like, whispered in my ear, ok? You don’t have to cry about it. it’s not that big a deal. Allyson: So Oscar got you fucked up? Cameron: No, I got.. I got.. I mean, I got me fucked up, I… Allyson: Ok.

Her phone rings. Allyson turns to walk away, Cameron pulls her back.

Cameron: Hey, ok, can we just talk? Ok?

Allyson pushes him away.

Allyson: Don’t. Cameron: Ok, here, you know what? No.

He grabs her phone out of her hand.

Cameron: Your fucking precious phone?

He drops the phone in a bowl of pudding. It is still ringing.

Allyson: What the fuck? Cameron: You gonna get that? Or you want me to get it?

They stand in silence for a moment, then Allyson turns to walk away again.

Cameron: Hold.. Hold up, hold up. Wait, wait, wait! Allyson: I’m done.

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There is a close-up of Oscar watching them. Two scenes blur together:

Voice over transceiver: This is Unit 14. I’m out by Old Lady Miller’s house. Cameron: Oh, shit.

Scene 37 We see the wheels of a car.

Voice over transceiver: I don’t see anything suspicious out here. Over.

It is Laurie who is driving, she is listening in on the police’s conversation.

Voice over transceiver: Uh, 10-4, you want to go ahead and, uh, show yourself code 2 to officially cancel request for assistance? Second voice over transceiver: Uh, affirmative. Over.

Scene 38 We see the voice Vicky is in from the outside. We hear Myers’ heavy breathing. We are looking through his POV, then switch to a shot from inside. Vicky is washing a knife. Then she takes out the trash. Dave appears next to her with a hobby horse and a pumpkin. He startles Vicky.

Dave: (imitates neighing) Vicky: Oh, shit! Dave: Sorry. Vicky: Hi. Dave: I didn’t want to ring the doorbell and wake up the kid. Vicky: That’s ok. Dave (Showing her the pumpkin): Check it out, fresh from my patch. Vicky: Oh, my god. Dave: His eyes are hearts. Vicky: I love it. Dave: Yeah. This is Tate. (He holds up the hobby horse) Vicky: Hi, Tate! Dave: Hello! What’s up? Do we have the whole house to ourselves? Is that how this works?

They go inside.

Vicky: Yes. Dave: Sweet. Vicky: Until Allyson and Cameron get here. Dave: Ok. So, in the meantime, you want to make some popcorn and watch a

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spooky movie? Vicky: Mm, no. Dave: Alright, wait, check this out. You’re gonna like this. I went.. and got this tattoo. Because tonight is the night, the one we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. Vicky: You are so getting dry-fucked tonight. Dave: Oh, yeah? Vicky: Fucking come here!

They start kissing. In the next shot, they are on the couch, making out together. Then they hear a thump.

Vicky: What? What was that? Dave: What was what? Vicky: Did you hear something? Dave: No, what was it? Vicky: I don’t know, I thought.. I thought I heard, like, a noise or something. Dave: Yeah, it’s probably just Julian taking a dump. Vicky: Would you go look? Dave: Do I have to? Vicky: Yeah, would you please go look? Dave: Ok.. Vicky: It was weird. Dave: Alright.

Vicky gets off of him, Dave gets up from the couch.

Dave: Alright, little buddy.

Scene 39 Dave walks to the stairs, but Julian already jumps into view and runs down.

Dave: Oh, fuck me. Julian: I saw someone in the hallway, standing outside my door. Vicky: Oh. Dave: What’s up buddy? Julian: There was a fucked-up face watching me from the dark. Dave: Ghosts and goblins, little buddy? Julian: Shut up, Dave! I heard him breathing, and then I saw him. He’s in here! Bogeyman’s in this house! Vicky: Ok, alright. Come on, I got you. Let’s check it out.

Vicky walks towards Julian.

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Julian: Send Dave first!

Vicky looks back at Dave, but he looks reluctant.

Vicky: No, it’s fine. It’s fine. Julian: No, no, no, it’s not! Vicky: It’s ok, come on. Julian: No, it’s not! No, it’s not! Vicky: Come on, show me where you saw the Bogeyman, I’ll protect you, I’m strong, I got you.

She tries to push Julian forward.

Julian: No! No, Vicky, you go up there first. Vicky: I’ll fight him off. Come on, I promise. Julian: No. Can you call my mom? Vicky: Yeah, if there’s something in the room, I’ll call her. Julian: He was standing right there, in-in the door. Vicky: I’ll check it out.

She goes inside the room, but the camera stays on Julian.

Vicky: Excuse me, sir, what are you doing here? Please, you need to leave. Please leave. Julian: Vicky? Vicky: Get out now!

Then Vicky jumps in the door frame. Julian gasps.

Vicky: Gotcha! Julian: You fucking kidding me? Vicky: You’re safe. Nothing’s in here. Julian: You sure? Vicky: Mm-hmm. Julian: Y-you check behind the curtains? Vicky: I checked the whole place.

Scene 40 Shot of Dave outside. He lights a joints, then starts walking around, suspenseful music starts playing. Dave goes inside a garage, he is staring at something we can’t see.

Dave: Sick.

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Scene 41 Inside Julian’s bedroom.

Vicky: See? There’s nothing to be afraid of. There’s no bogeyman in here. Julian: What if it’s a doll? Vicky: Ooh, it could be, like, one of those weird, like, kid dolls, one of those weird babies, and they stare at you with those beady little eyes. Julian: Mm-hmm.

Scene 42 Dave is sitting on top of a motorcycle in the garage, he is revving the engine, pretending he’s driving. Then he gets off.

Dave (laughing): Oh, fuck, that was.. Oh!

The motorcycle falls as Dave tries to get off.

Dave: Ah, sharia.

Scene 43 Inside Julian’s bedroom.

Julian: Uh, c-could you close the closet door? Vicky: Yeah.

She gets up to close the door, but something blocks it. Vicky pushes against the door again, but when it still won’t close, she opens the door wide. Myers is standing in the closet. Vicky screams, Myers swings at her with his knife. Vicky falls to the floor.

Julian: Oh shit!

He gets out of the bed and runs away. Vicky picks up a chair and throws it at Myers.

Vicky: Oh god! No!

She tries to run out of the bedroom, but slips and falls.

Vicky: Oh!

Myers grabs her leg. Vicky holds on to the stair railing.

Vicky: Help! Dave! Help me!

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Shot of Dave backing away from the motorcycle, then back to Vicky. Julian runs back up the stairs.

Julian: Vicky! Vicky (screams) Julian: Whoa! Vicky: Julian, run!

Julian runs down the stairs again.

Julian: I’ll go get help! Dave! Dave!

Dave comes back inside.

Dave: Vicky? Julian: Dave! Vicky (in the background): Get out of here! Julian: You go up there, you’re gonna get killed, Dave! Vicky: Somebody help me! Dave! Dave: Vicky.

Shot of Vicky with Myers.

Vicky: No, no, no, no, no, no!

Myers starts stabbing her. Her screaming stops.

Dave: Fuck this.

He grabs a knife from the kitchen. Then we get a close shot from Myers’ mask. He slams the bedroom door shut.

Scene 44 A police car drives by.

Voice over transceiver: All units, we have reports of a domestic disturbance at 707 Meridian Avenue. Please respond. Over.

Laurie and officer Hawkins are both listening.

Hawkins: Copy that, dispatch.

Laurie brusquely turns her car around.

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Scene 45 People celebrating Halloween out on the streets.

Man: Ok guys, don’t forget to say ‘thank you’.

Hawkins drives past the streets.

Woman: Come on, that’s enough. No, come on. Man: No, they can have a little more, honey.

Hawkins gets out of his car.

Kids (in the distance): Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.

Hawkins walks to the back of a house. He slowly moves inside.

Hawkins: Haddonfield Sheriff’s Department! Responding to a domestic disturbance! I repeat. This is… Officer Hawkins. Please respond.

Scene 46 Laurie is still driving, then she stops. Her tires screech.

Woman (to her child): Honey, watch out! Laurie (screaming): Get out of here! Now! Man (to a group of children): Let’s go, guys, move! Laurie: Get inside!

She is holding a gun in front of her.

Scene 47 Officer Hawkins walks up the stairs. We see the bloody handprints on the railing.

Scene 48 Shot of Laurie walking around outside.

Scene 49 Officer Hawkins enters Julian’s bedroom. There is a figure underneath a white sheet sitting on a chair. Dave’s pumpkin is floating around in a fish tank. Hawkins slowly extends his hand to the figure, and then rips off the sheet. Vicky’s body is underneath.

Hawkins: Ah fuck!

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Scene 50 Shot of Laurie outside. She sees Hawkins in Julian’s bedroom, and then Myers standing 2 rooms further. He seems to be looking straight at Laurie, but when Laurie shoots at him, she only hits a mirror.

Scene 51 Myers walks past Julian’s open door. Hawkins sees him and shoots at him 2 times.

Hawkins: Michael!

Scene 52 Myers is already outside, Laurie is still running around with the gun held in front of her.

Scene 53 Hawkins inside the house. He walks past Dave’s body, he is pinned to the wall with a knife.

Hawkins (whispering): Oh shit.

Scene 54 Myers walking outside, Laurie follows him and shoots him. She hits his shoulder.

Scene 55 Hawkins hears the shot and runs outside. The camera lingers inside for a moment to reveal Dave’s tattoo: the numbers ‘10-31-18’.

Scene 56 Laurie is still trying to follow Myers. Hawkins appears behind her.

Hawkins (whispering): Laurie.

Laurie turns around and quickly punches him in the face.

Laurie (screaming): Jesus Christ, Frank! Hawkins: Fuck me! Laurie (screaming): What the fuck!

She turns around again, looking for Myers.

Laurie (quietly now): Frank, he’s here. Hawkins: I know.

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Scene 57 Police cars drive up to the camera. A helicopter can be heard in the background. A police dog gets out of a car. There is indistinct radio chatter. We see Vicky’s dead body again. People are gathering outside, the police tries to lead them away.

Police: This way, please.

Vicky is zipped in a body bag. Sheriff Barker and Dr. Sartain arrive.

Sheriff Barker: Look who’s up. Sartain: Where is he? Hawkins: You tell me.

Scene 58 Dr. Sartain is sitting down, telling his story. Officer Hawkins and Sheriff Barker are standing around him.

Sartain: The bus lost control after Michael overtook the first guard and the driver. He’s no longer dormant. He only knows how to keep moving and to keep killing. And he will kill again unless he’s captured.

Sheriff Barker (to Hawkins): Come with me for a minute. (to Sartain): You sit still. Sartain: Well I was sitting still anyway, what do you mean?

Sheriff Barker: He’s an asset. Hawkins: He’s not an asset, he’s a liability. Sheriff Barker: No, no, he’s on this hunt. Nobody knows Myers better than he does.

Sartain is listening to the conversation, then another officer offers him a coat. Sartain: Oh, thank you.

Hawkins: You want me to take this injured civilian to go look for a psychopathic serial killer? Laurie (coming into view): Sheriff. Frank. Wha-what are we doing? Hawkins: We don’t need your help right now, Laurie. Laurie: You’re just standing here! Please do something!

Sartain (whispering): Excuse me, officers. Laurie Strode.

He walks up to her, looking fascinated.

Sheriff Barker: Laurie Strode, meet Dr. Sartain.

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Sartain: I’m Michael’s doctor. Ranbir Sartain. Laurie : Oh, you’re the new Loomis. Sartain: (Shaking his head) I read everything about you and Michael. Everything. Did you know our friend Hawkins here was the first responding deputy when Michael was apprehended in 1978? He stopped Loomis from killing Michael that night. Laurie: Do you know that I pray every night that he would escape? Hawkins: What the hell do you do that for? Laurie: So I can kill him. Hawkins: Well that was a dumb thing to pray for.

Scene 59 Oscar and Allyson are walking an empty street together.

Oscar: I’m sure he’ll apologize. He just needs to sleep it off. Allyson: Cameron doesn’t want anyone to see him as a bad guy, but then he gets drunk and gets belligerent and looks like an idiot. (Laughs) And then I look like an idiot vouching for him. I’m really tired of everybody letting me down all the time. Oscar: You deserve better. I mean.. (sigh)

They stop walking.

Oscar: Allyson, you’re the coolest, you’re the prettiest, and you’re the nicest girl in school. And if anyone doesn’t appreciate that, they’re a crazy person. Allyson: Thank you. That’s very sweet. Oscar: Let’s get out of here. I know a shortcut.

Scene 60 Hawkins and Sartain inside a car.

Hawkins: From a clinical perspective, Doctor, would you say that Laurie Strode has lost her fucking marbles? Sartain: There are many ways for tragedy and violence to change a victim. They can grow accustomed to always being afraid, in constant fear. They can grow weak, they can grow strong. But there’s also the other side. Hawkins: What other side is that? Sartain: The effect on the victimizer. You see, this is what has intrigued me through my studies. How does a crime like Michael’s affect him? Hmm? What’s that feeling? Is he on a random path, or is he emotionally driven? Triggered by something? Perhaps some unheard marching order imprinted on his very being. I want to know what he’s feeling. I want to know what pleasure he gets out of killing.

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Hawkins: Where is this killer? We gotta find him. I’m not gonna stand in the way of justice this time. Sartain: Remember, he’s property of the state. He mustn’t be harmed. Hawkins: Oh, yeah? We’ll see about that.

Scene 61 Police cars driving up to Karen and Ray’s house. Karen and Ray look through the window. The door bell rings repeatedly. When they open the door, Laurie is standing there with 2 police officers.

Laurie: It’s not safe here. Where’s Allyson? Where is she? Where’s Allyson??

Scene 62 Karen is calling Allyson.

Karen: Honey, it’s mom. Can you please call me back the second that you get this, please? The police said that they evacuated the dance, and I can’t get in touch with you, and they’re making us to go your grandmother’s house, because it’s safe… Laurie (taking over the phone): Sweetheart, this is your grandmother. There is a police officer waiting at your house to bring you to us. We’re all gonna be together. Now, do as I say.

Scene 63 Allyson is climbing over a fence.

Oscar: Oh shit, it’s treacherous as hell here. Allyson: Ok. Oscar: You good? Take my hand. Allyson: Ok. Oscar: Right here. Allyson: This is the dumbest shortcut ever. Watch out for all the poison ivy, Don’t let me fall on that. Oscar: Alright, I got you. I got you. Ok, I got you.

Allyson jumps down.

Allyson: Oh! Oscar: Ok. You did it, yay! Good job. Allyson: Yay.

Oscar moves closer to Allyson.

Allyson: What are you doing?

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Oscar: I mean, you deserve better. Right? I mean..

He tries to kiss her.

Allyson: No-

She pushes him away.

Allyson: What the fuck? Oscar: I-I.. What? You’re not with Cameron anymore.. Allyson: That does not… That does not mean I want to be with you. Oscar: I thought.. I thought you were sending me signals. Allyson: Definitely no signals.

Allyson starts to walk away from him, Oscar runs after her.

Oscar: I’m so sorry. Please, you cannot tell Cameron about this. I-I didn’t feel anything either, I swear. I didn’t, wait, I didn’t-

Allyson turns around and Oscar falls to the ground.

Allyson: You’re so pathetic. I’m going home, you can figure your own shit out.

She walks away. As she does, she triggers a light sensor to go on. Oscar is still sitting on the ground.

Oscar: Shh.. Who’s there? Wh-What, hey! Allyson: Motion sensor, dumbass! Oscar: Allyson, I’m like, really drunk right now. Seriously. I got really horny at the party, and, like, all these girls were, like, dancing on me. Their beautiful bodies got me all chubbed out, Allyson. I…

Allyson climbs over another fence and holds up her middle finger to Oscar.

Oscar: Allyson, please! They, like.. They were feeding me guacamole in all these sexy ways.

Myers appears in a dark corner of the screen.

Oscar: It’s not my.. (sighs)

Scene 64 He picks up the cans he dropped and turns around, he sees Myers by a tree but mistakes him for someone else.

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Oscar: Happy Halloween, Mr. Elrod. I’m… I’m just… I don’t know, man, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to trespass on your yard and shit, man. I was just trying to take a shortcut with a really pretty girl, and I just.. I just really like her, man, and I-I thought that she liked me too, and I just.. it just.. Have you ever really liked a girl and you just couldn’t have her? I’m s-, I’m sorry, man. I’ll just.. I’ll peace out of your hair, man. Thank, thank you for..

The light goes off. Oscar gets up, and the light turns on again. He looks at the tree where Myers was standing just a moment before, but he’s gone.

Oscar: Hey, uh.. Where’d you go, man? You’re acting.. Dude, you’re acting, like, really sketchy right now. I don’t… Uh, … What’s up?

Myers is now standing closer to Oscar.

Oscar: I’m-I’m-I’m leaving right… I don’t… I’m…

The light goes off again. Myers is right in front of Oscar and swings at him with a knife. He hits him. Oscar starts running away. Myers slowly walks after him.

Oscar (screaming): Ow! Oh, my God! Aah! Aah! Help me! Help! Please! Somebody! Allyson hears him screaming and turns around, but continues walking.

Oscar (screaming) Somebody, help me, please! Please, somebody! Somebody, please help me! Please! Please, somebody help me! Aah! Aah!

He tries to climb the fence, but his costume cape gets stuck.

Allyson: Oscar, come on. Oscar: Anybody! Please, dear God! Please! Plea- Please! Help me! Help me! Help me! Please help me!

Myers stabs him in the back.

Scene 65 Allyson runs towards him.

Allyson: Oscar!

She sees his dead body hanging on the fence. She stands looking at him in shock. Then Myers appears from behind the fence.

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Allyson (screaming): Aaah!

Scene 66 Allyson runs up the street. She knocks at a house, but no one answers.

Allyson: Help! Let me in! let me in! help! Somebody! Help! Help! Somebody! Please! Help!

She knocks at a window.

Scene 67 Karen is standing outside, arguing with an officer.

Karen: ‘Cause my daughter is not calling, Officer: It’s safer for you… Karen: She’s not texting. Ray: Come on, Karen, let’s go inside. Officer: Everyone’s looking for your daughter. Ray: Let them take care of it. Karen: So whoever you had looking for her is obviously not able to identify her. Officer: We’re gonna find your daughter. Karen: It’s Halloween, there are kids everywhere. Laurie: Karen, come on. Karen: There is no way. Laurie: Karen. Karen: She had a costume, you know? Laurie: Karen, we need to go in the house. Officer: We have everybody available. Karen: In the last 40 years, ok! Ray: Honey, if you let ‘em do their job, they’re gonna- Laurie (screaming): Karen!

They all become quiet.

Scene 68 A police car is driving by with the siren wailing. Allyson is sitting on the porch of a house, surrounded by people.

Woman: Just breathe. And if you want, we can call-

She is interrupted by the police car arriving. Hawkins and Dr. Sartain get out of the car.

Hawkins (to Hawkins): Stay in the car, Doctor.

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(to Allyson): You alright? Take deep breaths, sweetheart. Allyson: He’s… He’s down the street. Hawkins: Ok, ok. Allyson: He’s back. He killed my friend. Hawkins: Everything’s gonna be alright. It’s ok.

Hawkins hugs Allyson .

Hawkins: Take a deep breath. We’re gonna take you back to your mom, ok? Sartain (to the bystanders): I’m a doctor, lock your doors. Hawkins (to the bystanders): Everybody, get back to your houses now and lock your doors. (to Allyson): We’re gonna take you to your mom. Don’t worry about him. Don’t worry about him. (to the bystanders): Back in your houses, now! Sartain: You heard the officer. Woman: What is going on? Hawkins: Back in your houses! Lock your goddamn doors.

Scene 69 Inside Laurie’s house. Laurie shuts the door, locks and bolts it. Karen grabs the remote to open the hidden basement.

Ray: What’s this? Karen: It’s my childhood.

Karen goes downstairs.

Laurie: Let’s go.

Ray goes downstairs too. Laurie stays at the top of the stairs and sighs.

Scene 70 Inside the basement. Laurie pushes a button and the basement closes again. Ray looks around at the shelves filled with canned food. Then Laurie reveals a rack with guns.

Laurie: Alright, pick your poison.

Laurie takes out a revolver.

Laurie: I like a revolver. They never jam.

She hands the revolver to Ray. Then she hands a shotgun to Karen.

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Laurie: This is accuracy and stopping power.

She takes a different kind of shotgun herself.

Laurie: This is tactical. He’s waited for this night. He’s waited for me. I’ve waited for him.

She cocks the gun.

Laurie: Come on, Michael.

Scene 71 Michael is walking the street with his bloody knife. Hawkins, Allyson and Dr. Sartain are in the police car.

Sartain: Allyson, keep your eyes open. He is out here somewhere. Voice over transceiver: 601, suspect reported on 11th near Saint Park. Hawkins: Copy that, Dispatch. I got eyes.

They drive by Myers.

Allyson (screaming): Look! It’s him! Hawkins: Here we go.

He speeds up the car.

Hawkins: Brace yourselves. Sartain: Don’t hit him! Allyson: Watch out! Sartain: Michael!

Hawkins hits Myers. He and Sartain get out of the car.

Sartain: Don’t shoot him! Hawkins: Doctor, get back in the car. Sartain: No!

Sartain kneels by Myers and feels for a heartbeat.

Sartain: You killed him! He’s dead! Hawkins: Stand back. Sartain: No! Hawkins: I’m still gonna blow this motherfucker’s brains out.

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Sartain: Get away! Leave my patient alone! Hawkins: Get away from the body! Stand back!

Dr. Sartain takes a pen from his pocket.

Hawkins: I’m not gonna say it again. Step away from the suspect. Step a-

Dr. Sartain clicks the pen, a small knife pops out. He attacks Hawkins with it.

Allyson: Fuck!

She can’t get out of the car. She starts banging the windows.

Allyson (screaming): Help! Help! Help!

Hawkins is down. Dr. Sartain walks over to Myers.

Sartain: So, this is what it feels like. Allyson: Help!

Dr. Sartain kneels by Myers and touches his face. Then when he gets up again, he is wearing his mask. He drags Myers’ body to the police car.

Sartain: Make room for my patient. Allyson: No! No!

He shoves Myers’ body next to Allyson.

Allyson: No!

Dr. Sartain takes off the mask and throws it on the backseat. He closes the door and gets in the front seat.

Sartain: These people want to kill this man for the crimes you observed. The most important opportunity to understand the mind of evil, you see. So, when he awakes, we’ll be ready. Allyson: Ready for what? Sartain: The reunion. Michael’s pursuit of Laurie Strode could be what keeps him alive. I would suspect the notion of being a predator or the fear of becoming prey keeps both of them alive.

Dr. Sartain takes off and drives over Hawkins’ body.

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Scene 72 Two officers are sitting in a car in the woods. Some of Laurie’s store mannequins are strewn around them.

Officer Phillips: You want a banh mi sandwich? Francis: A what? What is that? Officer Phillips: A banh mi sandwich. Francis: What’s a… Wh-what is that? I don’t even know what that is. Officer Philips: I love that about you, Francis. You’re so predictable. You’re like a PB and J every day kind of guy. Francis: Oh, here we go. Officer Phillips: No, a banh mi sandwich: ‘banh mi’ is essentially just the Vietnamese version of a French baguette. Francis: Mm-hmm. Officer Phillips: And the term actually refers to the bread and not so much the Contents therein. Francis: Mm. Officer Phillips: But your partner, the greatest partner in the world- Francis: Oh. Officer Phillips: - made an arrangement with the Vietnamese folks as the restaurant. Francis: Mm. Officer Philips: And had them make you your very own peanut butter and jelly banh mi sandwich. Francis: That sounds disgusting. I’m not gonna try that. I brought my own food. I’m very happy with my- Officer Phillips: What did you bring? Francis: You want to see what I brought? Officer Phillips: Yeah, I do want to see what you brought. Francis: Why don’t you look at this? Officer Phillips: Oh. Francis: Fresh brownie. Officer Phillips: Ok. Francis: Chocolaty homemade brownie. I made that myself. Officer Phillips: That’s… that’s, like, what a 5 year old would eat if they could make their own lunch.

Scene 73 Dr. Sartain, Allyson and Myers in the police car.

Sartain: I worked with Michaels for years, but I’ve never seen him in an uncontrolled environment. I’ve never heard him speak, you see. In spite of my encouragements, he remains unresponsive. But tonight, so many

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possibilities exist. Allyson: He spoke to me. Sartain: He spoke to you? Allyson: Yeah. Um, uh, when he murdered my friend, he saw me, and-and he spoke to me. Sartain: What did he say? Allyson: One word. Sartain: What? Allyson: Let me go, and I will tell you what he said. Sartain: You must tell me. I must know what- Allyson: Let me go, and I’ll tell you what he said. Just stop the car and I’ll tell you what he said.

He hits the breaks.

Scene 74 Officers Phillips and Francis see the police car stop in the middle of the road.

Francis: What is that? Officer Phillips: That’s weird, right? Francis: Is that Hawkins? Officer Phillips: I don’t know.

Scene 75 Inside the police car Sartain and Allyson are in.

Sartain: What was the word? Was it the sister’s name? Judith?

Myers starts breathing heavily and moves his hand. He gets up.

Sartain: What was the word? Allyson: Fuck.

Myers turns his head from Allyson to Sartain.

Sartain: Michael!

Myers kicks against the back of Sartain’s seat, he is pushed against the steering wheel. Myers kicks again, and again.

Allyson (screaming): Help!

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Scene 76 Officer Phillips and Francis are still looking at the police car.

Officer Phillips (talking into the transceiver): 606 to 601. Hawkins. Answer the Fucking radio, burnout.

Scene 77 Myers has gotten out of the car. He hears Officer Phillips talking on the radio.

Officer Phillips: Hawkins? 606, 601. Hawkins, please respond. Hawkins.

Myers drags Sartain’s body out of the car. Allyson gets out of the car and runs into the woods. Myers looks back at her.

Scene 78 Officer Phillips and Francis still inside the car.

Francis: Let’s go check it out. Officer Phillips: Alright.

They drive towards the other car.

Scene 79 Myers is standing over Sartain. Sartain looks up to him.

Sartain: Say something.

Myers stomps his foot down on his face. Allyson is watching from the woods, then runs on.

Scene 80 Officer Phillips and Francis are driving towards the car.

Francis: Can you see him? Officer Philips (into a loudspeaker): Hawkins, please respond. Hawkins, please respond. Francis: Let’s go and check it out. Officer Philips: Alright.

They get out of the car and find Sartain.

Officer Philips (into a transceiver): Dispatch, be advised, we got a man down. He’s 10-7, no sign of 601.

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Myers is standing behind them.

Scene 81 Inside Laurie’s house. Laurie is turning off all the lights. Karen is in her bedroom, looking at a photograph. Laurie walks in.

Laurie: Karen, the lights!

Laurie turns the lights off.

Karen: What are you doing? I thought you said we were safer here. Laurie: You never wanted to listen when I spoke of that night, and this is why. I’ve been preparing for this for a long time. Karen: You want him to come here. Laurie: I’m so sorry, Karen. I’m so sorry, baby.

Laurie hugs Karen.

Scene 82 Allyson is running in the woods.

Scene 83 Ray is playing with a yo-yo. He sees a police car arrive on the security camera. He takes the revolver and goes outside. He calls out from the porch.

Ray: Any word?

There is no response. Ray walks closer to the car.

Ray: Hey, any word on Allyson? Hey, guys?

He knocks on the window of the car. He opens the door and finds Officer Phillip’s dead body inside. His throat has been cut and Sartain’s knife-pen is sticking out of his head. He has the severed head of Francis laying on his lap: a flashlight is shining into it as if it were a Halloween pumpkin.

Ray: Wha-?

Myers appears behind Ray and starts choking him with a chain. Ray fires a shot into the air.

Scene 84 Inside, Karen and Laurie hear the shot.

Myers finishes Ray off.

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Laurie walks downstairs with her gun.

Laurie: Ray?

Outside, Myers hears Laurie’s voice. He slowly turns to the house.

Laurie walks to the door. She sees Myers through the glass panel. She locks the door and bolts it again.

Laurie: Karen!

Karen comes down the stairs.

Karen: Where’s Ray? Laurie: Michael’s here, get downstairs!

Karen hesitates.

Laurie: Go, baby, go!

Karen opens the hidden basement and goes inside, then closes it again.

Laurie leans against the door. She looks for Myers, but can’t see him. Then his hands burst through the glass panel and grab her head, he slams her into the door. He wraps his arms around her neck and pulls her up.

Karen hears the noise from downstairs.

Karen: Mom? Mom!

Laurie raises the gun to shoot Myers, but he grabs it. He has his hand around the barrel, and then Laurie pulls the trigger, ruining Myers’ hand. He lets go off her. Laurie falls to the ground.

Scene 85 Karen is panting in the basement. The entrance opens, Karen raises her gun to it, but it’s Laurie at the top of the stairs. She comes inside and closes the basement again, then turns on searchlights outside. They can hear footsteps outside. Laurie holds Karen’s hand. We then see Myers remove the bolt from the door and step inside. Laurie grabs Karen by the shoulders.

Laurie: I was wrong to raise you the way I did, but at least I can protect you. Nothing will happen to you.

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She lets go off Karen and grabs her gun.

Laurie: I know you thought this was my cage.

She raises her gun to the ceiling. They hear footsteps upstairs.

Karen: I’m scared.

Laurie shoots through the ceiling of the basement.

Laurie: I have to finish this. Karen: Mom, I love you. Laurie: I love you, baby.

Laurie pushes the button to open the basement’s entrance. She walks upstairs. We get a shot of Karen, still in the basement, and hear the entrance closing again.

Scene 86 Laurie is walking around the house. Karen hears her footsteps. Laurie points her gun at the closet. Laurie: Come out, Michael.

She takes a flashlights out of her pocket and shines it at the closet. She opens it, but Myers is not there.

We hear footsteps in another room, Laurie follows the noise. She looks inside the room, but Myers is not there. Laurie pushes a button, and a trap door falls down, closing off the room. Karen startles at the noise. Laurie continues on to the next room. She looks around, then closes it off too.

Scene 87 Allyson is running in the woods, then she bumps into a mannequin and falls. There are mannequins with bullet holes all around her. Allyson screams.

Scene 88 Laurie continues looking for Myers. She sees spatters of blood on the stairs and follows the trail. She closes off Karen’s bedroom, then heads to the room at the end of the hall. It’s full of mannequins. There are blood spatters on some of them. A trail of blood leads to the closet. Laurie slowly walks towards it. When she opens it, she finds Ray’s dead body inside. Laurie pants and looks around for Myers. He jumps at her from behind a mannequin and pushes her against the wall. He holds her gun against her throat and tries to choke her with it, but Laurie screams and fights him off of her. She swings at him with a knife, but Myers catches hold of her arm. He struggles with her and tries to choke her again, but Laurie bites him in the hand. He briefly lets go of her, then grabs her again and throws her out of the window. Myers steps on the balcony and sees Laurie lying on the ground.

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Scene 89 Allyson enters the house.

Allyson: Mom!

In the basement, Karen gasps. Myers turns around. Allyson sees the blood on the stairs.

Allyson: Grandmother? Grandmother?

Myers looks back at Laurie, but she’s gone. Karen opens the basement and climbs out.

Karen (whispers): Baby. Allyson: Mom!

Allyson runs towards her mother.

Karen (whispers): He’s coming, come on. Shhh, come on, come on. Allyson: Where’s grandmother?

They get into the basement.

Scene 90 Myers turns around and steps towards the stairs.

Allyson: I couldn’t.. I couldn’t find you guys. Where is everybody? Karen: It’s ok, it’s ok.

Karen pushes the button to close the basement again. Myers descends the stairs. The basement has closed before he gets down. He looks around. In the basement, Allyson and Karen hear his footsteps.

Karen: Sshh, shhh, shhht, It’s gonna be ok. Allyson: I’m locked in a cage. Karen: It’s gonna be ok, it’s gonna be ok. Everything going to be ok.

Myers grabs a blow poke from the fireplace and walks towards the kitchen counter.

Allyson: Mom, I’m so sorry, I tried to stop him from coming here. Karen: Sshh, sshh, sshhht.

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Myers tries to shove away the kitchen counter to open the basement entrance, but it won’t move.

Karen and Allyson listen to the noise.

Karen: Ok, ok.

Myers continues shoving and banging the kitchen counter. We can now see it slightly budge from downstairs, but the entrance doesn’t open (yet).

Karen looks at the guns in the rack. She grabs one that has her initials carved in it.

Karen: Stay back.

She points the gun up and waits at the base of the stairs. The entrance’s mechanism starts to cave in, a gear falls off.

Karen: Get back! Get back, get back!

Myers now succeeds in pushing over the counter. Karen gasps and screams. The entrance is open.

Karen: Stay back.

She waits for Myers, with her gun pointed up, but he doesn’t appear.

Karen: Mom? Help us! (Crying) I can’t do it. I’m sorry, I can’t do it!

Myers appears at the basement’s entrance. Karen immediately stops crying.

Karen: Gotcha.

She shoots him. Myers falls to the ground. Laurie appears from the darkness behind him.

Laurie: Happy Halloween, Michael.

She stabs him in the back. Myers swings around and smashes her into the wall. He hits her with the blow poke. Laurie falls on the stove and grabs a cooking pan. She hits him in the face with it, and he falls back, into the basement.

Laurie (screaming): Come on, Allyson! Come on, Allyson! Karen: Allyson, go! Laurie: Allyson, come on! Go.

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Allyson run up the stairs. Myers sits up. When Allyson is out of the basement, she and Laurie kneel to help Karen up.

Laurie: Karen, come on, baby! Come on!

Karen is almost out of the basement, but then Myers grabs her leg.

Karen: Oh, God! Aaahh!!

Laurie and Allyson try to pull her up, but Myers pulls her back.

Laurie: (To Karen) I got you! (to Allyson) Allyson, run! Go! Go now! (To Karen) Kick him! Karen: Allyson, Allyson go! Laurie: Go!

Allyson doesn’t go: she grabs a knife and stabs Myers in the arm, but he doesn’t let go of Karen. Allyson stabs him again in the hand. Now Karen can pull free. She screams and kicks him in the face. Myers falls down the stairs. He immediately starts climbing up again. But Karen pulls a lever, and blades pop through the entrance hole, sealing it off for Myers. Laurie then turns on the gas. We see pipes in every room.

Karen: Ok, it’s not a cage, baby. It’s a trap.

Karen looks down at Myers. Laurie grabs an emergency flare from the cupboard and lights it. She holds it above the basement’s entrance.

Laurie: Goodbye, Michael.

She drops the flare. The basement combusts with Myers in it. He keeps standing at the top of the stairs, staring at Laurie, Karen and Allyson. They keep looking at him too. Then we see fire spreading through all the gas pipes in the house. The hole house burns down.

Scene 91 Laurie is limping outside, supporting on Karen and Allyson. They’re heading towards a road.

Karen: Oh, God, someone’s coming. Someone’s coming!

Headlights approaches them.

Allyson: Hold her. Karen: I got her. Go! Go, baby, go!

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Allyson runs to the road.

Allyson: Hey!

A pick-up truck stops.

Allyson: Help us.

Scene 92 Shot from the outside: the whole house is in flames. Then looking down the basement entrance. We don’t see Myers among the flames. Another shot exploring the basement from inside. It is empty.

Scene 93 Laurie, Karen and Allyson in the back of the truck. Karen and Allyson hold their hand over the bloody wound in Laurie’s stomach. Allyson is still holding the knife she stabbed Myers with.

End Credits

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