HALLOWEEN - Creating the Modern Bogeyman 

Nothing is scarier than Michael Myers in broad daylight. Need less jumpscares in modern horror movies and more tension building.

1:26 Thats a truly masterful shot, where he just slowly comes out of the darkness and you can just see the mask.

Proof that less is more. There's so many tense scenes that happen with practically no blood.

"I watched him for 15 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."

Like a disappearing act, the Shape acts as a ghost as well. I remember seeing that scene for the first time as a kid. The one where Myers is outside in broad daylight and Laurie spots him (it) again in Mr. Riddle's back yard. Poof! White masked creature disappears in a clear as day scene. And before the Shape totally kills Linda, Michael dressed in a white sheet, imitating Bob's ghost with his glasses on. Myers definitely shapes up as a ghost.

0:39 I don't know why but I just like it shows Michael switching hands for the knife - makes him feel more calm and calculating, while possibly showing that he still has human tendancies, like the right hand being more accurate for tasks, for example.

That full head mask they improvised in the late 1970s was a masterpiece that could not be made up at will. The face, it's expression, the way this moulded latex creation perfectly represents the shape's persona was a gift to cinema.

A common characterization is that Michael Myers is evil. John Carpenter described the character as "almost a supernatural force - a force of nature. An evil force that's loose," a force that is "unkillable". Nicholas Rogers elaborates, "Myers is depicted as a mythic, elusive boogeyman, one of superhuman strength who cannot be killed by bullets, stab wounds, or fire."

I think you're right, Myers does work best as a blank canvas because then we the audience get to paint that canvas. Like the boggart in Harry Potter; what makes it scary is that it takes the shape of whatever someone fears the most. If Michael Meyers is meant to be a blank canvas for us to paint, then we're going to paint whatever scares us the most.

"And here it is, kids. That's why Halloween would always be one of the greatest of the horror genre. Because the omnipresence of The Shape is what creeps the shit out of you. The fact that he is pure evil and no emotions haunt you. And that evil as its purest for cannot be killed. So remember, beware of the boogeyman. Beware of the Shape. " Amazing analysis mate! Really lookin forward for your month of Halloween.

I always hated how the sequel's tried giving "The Shape " a backstory. What made it the scariest was the fact that the shape was so ambiguous. We couldn't tell what he was thinking or it's motivation. Carpenter is such a genius. I was seen John in an interview where he talked about how there are only 2 types of "Evil Monsters " 1: is the mysterious unknown strangers who are different from us. 2nd : is the evil within ourselves .

I would recommend the documentary “History of Horror” with Mark Gatiss. The third episode focuses on 70s/80s era of horror including Halloween.

Michael’s childhood backstory, or lack thereof, is what makes him creepy. Unlike the Rob Zombie versions, Michael didn’t have a troubled upbringing. No abuse. No neglect. That’s typical. He tried to give humanity to the personification of being inhumane. Epic fail. Middle class, midwestern family... Unassuming, little town... And a child who killed his sister unprovoked. The intrigue comes from his mystery. Killing without remorse or motive is what makes him inhumane. He simply wanted to kill Laurie because she and Tommy approached his door. Imagine someone, or something, wanting to kill you because you’ve crossed their path. Now that’s scary.

So many nightmares with Michael Myers...

Another great video. Just remember when you go to a costume store looking for a Michael Myers mask, don’t get an Austin Powers mask. It’ll ruin the heist. (Had to get that Baby Driver reference out there before anyone else)

This movie is in in my top 5. The simplicity of it. The way Carpenter made it on a small budget. The way how the lighting used, like when Michael first appeared behind Laurie. And there's really no blood. Simple, yet awesome

Michael works best when he has no reason, no backstory, no explanation as to why he does what he does. There's a reason Loomis refers to him as an "it" in the original film. The sequels ruin the mystery of Myers introducing shoehorned sister plotlines and ridiculous cult origins, it's the original (and the recent 2018 installment) that truly capture the feeling and essence of Michael Myers.

iidol T-Finally someone who actually gets why John Carpenter made Myers appear unkillable at the end of Halloween, so many people think Carpenter meant for him to be literally supernatural and completely miss what he was actually trying to say with the character. I read somwhere that Carpenter once said he ended Halloween the way he did not because he wanted to leave it open for sequels but as a metaphor for how in real life evil could show up anywhere at anytime & even if real life serial killers are caught or killed the effect of their actions on the community around them will be felt forever, that's actually pretty terrifying if you really think about it.

John Carpenter: "[...] So we put him in a mask so he wouldn't have human features." William Shatner: "Hey...!"

If the original Halloween had been a one off film its ending would have been similar to the original Black Christmas. Black Christmas ends with the police thinking Peter was the killer only for Billy to still be lurking about. And the original Halloween ending with Michael still on the loose would still have been creepy even without the sequels.

For the first time in my life, I dressed up as Michael Myers for Halloween this year. Even though everyone knows it's just a horror movie character, almost everyone was still freaked out by it. Hell, even scared one girl so bad she cried... and all I did was stand still in a dark corner holding a big rubber butcher knife in a very non-threatening way as she walked passed. My god it was hilarious. 😂

Michael Myers and Darth Vader are the 2 most iconic heavy breathing characters in fiction.

“Michael Myers is the most dangerous patient I have ever observed. [...] He’s covering up. This catatonia is a conscious act. There is an instinctive force within him. He’s waiting.” - Dr. Samuel Loomis

There’s a reason why Halloween is my favorite slasher. Great analysis!

It’s the inexplicability of something that makes it so scary. Watching a new horror series/movie with no context. Hearing the bump in the night or the flash of darkness in the corner of your eye that you will never go investigate because you feel it’s not important enough, yet are still afraid of. The uncertainty of afterlife, and the mystery of death. Fear of the unknown is one of the biggest driving factors in horror, and we instinctively ruin the fear by trying to give it explanation, weather we realize it or not. That’s why the first is the scariest of the Halloween franchise, there is no hidden meaning, no explanation, no interpretation, just pure fear.

Carpenter tried to keep Halloween his own. The fact that so many sequel’s have spawned,he should be appreciative of the creative process fans of his work brought about. When you can continue to throw layers upon someone else’s idea it keeps the memory alive.

Years can go by, and still is a horror classic. What's done is done.

I love the suspense and tension. As so many say, too many jump scares and not enough story in today’s horror.

Would watch this 1000 times over any paranormal activity.

I saw this movie at the age of 10 and even though it scared the heck out of me, I became a fan of horror movies instantly. My bedroom closet had the same kind of doors that Laurie found herself hiding behind and for many nights, I wondered if he might pop out of my closet. As an adult, I really became a bigger fan of this movie as it is so simplistic in execution and lack of gore. I did like Halloween 2018, although it was a lot gorier than the first 2. I am highly interested in seeing the next 2 sequels to this legendary film.

Also, the film both starts and ends with the frame of the Myers house.

Thanks for this video Matt! Don’t forget the influence of Italian horror like Bay of Blood on the genre- it supplied the template for Friday the 13th.

The new movie didn’t really get it either. They approached him from the angle as just being a very human psychopath. The supernatural, unkillable aspect is one of the most important and defining about him.

Amazing anaylsis of my all time favourite horror movie franchise. Nothing of today comes close to H-1978 H2-1981 and H4-1988. I enjoyed H-2018 but felt like should've never changed the timeline.

Oh I was expecting a video from this channel for a long time (actually it was just a week, but it feels like longer time). And it's always great to see videos about Halloween.

The darkest souls are not those which choose to exist within the hell of the abyss, but those which choose to move silently among us.

I feel that the best "origin" or Micheal Myers souless desire to kill comes from the novelization of the first film.

People misinterpreted many of these ideas. The concept is that the force that controls Michael is immortal, because even when he dies there will be other evil people to take his place. But people think that Michael's body is immortal, which isn't true. It's just a empty husk filled with a unknown force, but the body ages and takes damage. This idea was built up by the sequels, because Michael kept surviving to make more money. They turned him into a zombie and made him predictable, we know he's not going to die so there is mystery to him. Michael was never immortal. If he was, then why should we care about his victims, because they can never kill him, so what's the point of struggling against him.

I first saw Halloween when I was around ten years old. It scared the living shit out of me, but even as a ten year old boy, I got what John Carpenter was trying to accomplish with it. I understood the whole premise to the story, and quite frankly, all of the sequel's were just total crap. I always watched them, hoping to recapture the magic of the first film, but none of the sequel's, including the 2018 one, in my opinion, FAILED MISERABLY. The original Halloween was a masterpiece, and all of the sequel's proved to me that lightning DOES NOT strike twice. Halloween is by far one of, if not my favorite horror movie. I watch it every year on October 31st.

Micheal is assimilated by The Thing, that's the half supernatural Carpenter is talking about.

Nice to see another horror movie analysis, I love the content on this channel

What a fantastic analysis on Michael Myers, i couldn't have said it better. He is a man but displays no human characteristics, he is consumed by evil since the age of 6. And you are correct not only does he not display human behaviour like not speaking and inhuman patience and eating dogs but the fact he just keeps on getting up is just more non human behaviour, the ultimate definition of the bogeyman.

Part 4 actually brought things back closer to original. It was 6 that completely went off the rails. It's a shame 4 constantly gets lumped in with that garbage when it had nothing to do with any of thar Thorn/cult nonsense.

classic flick

Fantastic analysis, as always! Nothing is more terrifying than knowing that the scariest monsters are the most human! By the way, since October's just around the corner, are you by any chance creating Horror or Halloween-related analysis videos by any chance? Anyways, keep up the excellent work!

Halloween is one of the best things to ever grace the world

The thing about the first two that's hard to capture unless you were living that time. Is how sparse and desolate and very unpopulated it was. Back then a small town really felt like a small town. And the other thing about the first Halloween that it captures very well is what it was like to watch TV in the late 70s and early 80s. I remember me and my friends watching creature from the Black lagoon with the glasses like in 1980 81. I wish I could go back to those times they were fun

He’s back! The man behind the mask and he’s out of control.

When I was 9 years old, I saw Halloween 4 for the first time. The fact that Michael Myers was chasing a little girl made me think that Michael could also come after ME. He quite literally was my boogeyman! I had nightmares for weeks!

So many times, explaining the horror just destroys it. It's why in the Romero Dead films, the origin of the Zombies isn't revealed. The anime, Higurashi was transformed over time by taking it's supernatural elements and throwing them away by explaining it.

Oh hey another great video. Guess I’m not sleeping anytime soon

It would have been cool if they let John make Halloween into an anthology series, similar to how Ryan Murphy did with AHS. And later sequels could connect back to the original. Truth be told, Mr Akkad got to greedy with the story, stretching the story of Michael Myers into complete chaos. But thank God David Gordon green got the Halloween back on track. Even tho it doesn't got the the same feel as Carpenter's. It does hold up to it with interesting story and characters.

The boogie man wasn't first brought up by Tommy Doyle. He actually mentions who said it first to him when he mentions it to Laurie.

Lots of fun man! Thanks! Happy Halloween 🎃

Dear God I love Halloween III. It's my favorite sequel.

"Black Annis...phbt.'" I don't think a joke has ever caught me off guard like that before. Well done, Sir!

4:24 OMFG what is that thing on the right? That'll live in my nightmares from this day forward...

This is amazing content. Good job. :)

I’ve always interpreted this movie like this: evil can be everywhere, it can be anyone, anything. Micheal kills just because, with rhyme or reason. People get murder and the people it affects never get a reason for it, that is one of any embodiments of evil, and that is the version of evil Michael is embodying.

it was the bogeyman. It was the bogeyman? Was it the bogeyman? Was that the bogeyman? What's the bogeyman? As a matter of fact, it was.

They released a new teaser for a sequel today!!!

“Freakin’ bats, I love Halloween”

This is great, man. Good material

It will FOREVER *iss me off one of the greatest directors of all time will never ever ever get his just due while he is alive..... I will stack up Escape from N.Y, The Thing, Halloween, Christine, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, and Starman and In the Mouth of Madness against anyone....... Personally I view him as the greatest horror.thriller director (in totality) of all time........and keep in mind I also loved Vampires, Escape from La (tho far less a good film then escape from n.y) and Price of Darkness which I adored but did not include as they are all niche fandoms. Thanks Matt for going in on this. Question: @Matt Draper any chance in 2019 or 2020 we see you dig in to Halloween 2018 which I personally feel is or will go down as one of the best modern remasters of a classic? Just hoping so would love to hear your thoughts on what you loved liked and hated if you did some :) Thanks for the quality and endless amounts of time these quality takes these need to edit script write and upload.

It Would be Awesome if You did a Video on the Discussion of The ''Child's Play'' Saga.

Carpenter was right here shouldn't have been any more. and back in 2009 when i met Rob Zombie I lambasted him fir his remake. he told me that he'd wanted to explore Michael's childhood and explain why he became evil I told him that Carpenter hinted on this in the original film then I told him "That's the mystery of the character who cares?" if that was important to carpenter he would've mentioned it in his original film.

Nice...

This needs more views

I wouldn't consider spring heeled Jack as a boggie man because of the strange role he played in history especially since many historians consider the first penny dredfull incarnation of the character is considered by many to be the first modern superhero

Holy hell when I saw the big head under the bed I in that moment new I was not going to sleep

Just an FYI to everyone Spring Heeled Jack was actually a real person. His identity is unknown but he was real. He's also fascinating.

Awesome Surname Matt!

5:19 bruhhh, come on with that lil chuckle hahaha 😂

Great video!!! How do you explain kids about serial kilker pedophiles? You have to invent the Boogeyman... Myers truly channels the worst fears of family in society...

In saudi arabia our version of the boogeyman really resembles michael : a shadowy shape like creature with no human features who lurks in the dark waiting for their pray to mischief then appear from the dark and take his soul

For my experience phones have ruined films that deserve to be recognised. My sister was too invested in her phone than the films small moments that fill the suspense....like uhh. Halloween was and is the best.

I got a chance to watch Halloween for the first time in a retro theater ( seen the movie mulitple times) I was so mad how everyone was laughing like it was a comedy...then the guys behind me I over heard them saying it was ok I guess I understand how people like this movie...if your 100 years old...I wanted to tell them there dumb. Worst movie experience in a long time

Great video really enjoyed that

why didn't michael breath heavily in the sequels? the heavy breathing was a huge part of his character yet he didn't do it at all in the sequels

If only this video existed in 2006 and had been seen by Rob Zombie.

This is very interesting

Good job man. Your review is better than the actual movie

OH I LOVE THESE MOVIES! Can't wait for the new one

Much has been made of “immoral behavior, namely sex, leads to death” in horror movies is cleared up by Carpenter. What got the victims in trouble in Halloween isn’t the sex. It’s the fact they aren’t paying attention to their surroundings. That’s why Laurie survives. She’s in charge of young children. Of course she needs to be alert.

I could never understand Laurie's Boogeyman line near the end-- but using context clues from Loomis I always surmised that she had to have said, "Was that the Boogeyman?" But IMDb lists it as: Laurie: It was the Boogeyman. Loomis: As a matter of fact it was. Maybe it's just me, but it doesn't seem to make as much sense as if she was asking if it was the Boogeyman.

I always thought. Why the jumpsuit. Then I realized it’s because there is no sense of fashion. Just evil

11:16 “WHAT IS the boogeyman?” Not “It was the boogeymen.”

You send John Wick to kill the Boogeyman

5:19 funny little nudge

You didn’t need to create me, I have always been there.

So there are like... Two O's in Boogeyman.

I thought Baba Yaga was the one you send to kill the boogeyman

4:55 John Wick

I’m sure many are unaware, this Bogeyman is the largely ignored delinquent, addict stepbrother of the ever elusive “Boogeyman”. They call him “Bogeyman” due to his insatiable craving for cigarettes and nicotine. Perhaps we will never know who truly is more dangerous. These are dark times. Beware.

Love this movie 🍿👍🇬🇧

I love how people always over explain Myers. He's an escaped mental patiënt that targets the first people he meets, mothing more, nothing less. But there's nothing more real and scary than that cause it happens in real life almost every day. He's not the bogeyman, the last line in the movie from Loomis just means something like "Sure, you could call him that." He doesn't wear the jumpsuit cause of humanity but because he needs clothes and again, takes it from the 1st person he meets. (Great choice by Carpenter, I admit) He wears the mask out of some crazy mental stage like when he was a kid, he doesn't want to be seen. Sure, they went for the Kirk mask cause it's a blank and as far as Halloween masks go it makes no sense but it's just something he grabbed from a store. And finally, we've all heard about people getting shot up and walk away, hell, 50 cent got shot 9 times and it's just a great ending cause there was only supposed to be the one film. Is he still alive? Did he drop dead 30 minutes later? Where is he? You hear him breathing, see all the different locations, roll credits, end of story et voila: a beautiful elegant very simple realistic and thus very scary masterpiece. Trying to explain Myers has never worked since, should've just stayed just the 1 film like the people who created the character intended. Michael would've been absolutely legendary. More than he is now.

The original is still the best, and the only one which still holds up.

Can we get a Halloween 3 film to close out the trilogy

300k budget nowadays thats like paying for one actor thats still to this day the most impressive made what like 70 million i think first we sheesh what a flip

Thorn wasn’t introduced until 5, thats y i still seriously enjoy 4 however original is obviously best