When one thinks of theHalloweenfranchise, they typically picture two iconic characters: Michael Myers and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). While Michael is the franchise’s boogeyman and Laurie is his final girl nemesis that always slips away,there exists another major character in the series mythology. After Michael murders his sister as a child, he is placed inside an institution under the care ofpsychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis(Donald Pleasence), who spends years trying to understand Michael’s mind and the evil that lurks within, to no avail. When Michael finally breaks free of his prison and descends on Haddonfield to commit another massacre, Loomis is the one who races to stop him.
Appearing in almost as manyHalloweenmovies as Curtis, Pleasence is recognized as the series' hero behind only legendary final girl Laurie. Pleasence brings an assured presence to the screen, as he remains steadfast in his belief that Michael is pure evil even as those around him claim he is merely a mortal man. Even as the franchise dipped in quality with each new sequel, they remained watchable thanks to Pleasence, who helped keep them connected to the greater storyline of the series. At a time when most male heroes were chiseled muscle men with rock-hard abs, Loomis proved to be a believable hero who wanted to protect the innocent from harm, resulting in one of thegreatest slasher characters of all time.
5’Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers' (1995)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 8%
The sixth entry in theHalloweenfranchise decided to drop the number from its title, as if to charta new path forward for the slasher series. When Kara Strode (Marianne Hagan), a relative of Laurie’s, finds herself caught in Michael’s deadly web, she teams up with reclusive neighbor Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd) to survive. Having recently rescued the baby of Michael’s murdered niece, Jamie Lloyd (J.C. Brandy), Tommy relies on Kara’s help to keep the baby safe from Michael. As the pair, plus Kara’s six-year-old son Danny (Devin Gardner), try to escape their masked pursuer and the cult that empowers him, they eventually cross paths with Dr. Loomis, who continues his crusade against Michael.
If that plot synopsis sounded muddled, it’s becauseHalloween: The Curse of Michael Myersis a mess. The Cult of Thorn storyline has always been controversial in theHalloweenfandom, andCurseembraces this angle to its detriment. The result is a horror movie that introduces too many convoluted plot elements and forgets what made the franchise great in the first place: simple slasher goodness.Cursemarked the final time Pleasence played his signature character, and he tries to bring excitement to this maligned entry. Despite its confusing plot and questionable decisions,Cursestill features some of thebest kills in theHalloweenfranchise. It is also one of the first films Rudd performed in, making it an entertaining throwback for fans of the actor, who is now famous for his comedic roles.
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4’Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers' (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 12%
Picking up directly after the fourth entry,Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myerssees Michael once again trying to murder his young niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris). Traumatized by her near-death encounter with her murderous uncle, Jamie resides in a children’s clinic where she is rendered mute. Now sharing a telepathic connection with Michael, Jamie can sense when her loved ones are in danger, and Dr. Loomis attempts to use this new power totrack and kill Michael once and for all. Of course, this plan goes awry as Michael continues killing the residents of Haddonfield without mercy, resulting in a final showdown with his niece and former doctor.
Before the arrival ofCurse,Revengewas considered the weakestHalloweenfilm up to that point. It takes the goodwill established with Part 4 and creates a confusing storyline that even the filmmakers do not seem to understand.Revengemarks the arrival of the Cult of Thorn thatCursewould focus on, but it does not fully commit to the plot point and instead treats it as a bizarre side story that leaves most viewers feeling perplexed. The chemistry between Jamie and her foster sister Rachel (Ellie Cornell) from Part 4 is also wasted, as Rachel is relegated to early victim status. Even Pleasence seems to be bored this time, delivering perhaps his weakest take on Loomis, as he regularly puts a child in harm’s way to achieve his goals. WhileRevengeis a staple for complete viewings of the franchise, one could be forgiven for skippingone of the series' most boring and meandering entries.
3’Halloween II' (1981)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 33%
Set on the same night as the first film,Halloween IIsees Laurie transported to a local hospital to recover from her fateful encounter with Michael. With Michael still alive and killing, Loomis and Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) scour the streets of Haddonfield to put a stop to Michael’s rampage once and for all. Soon learning that Laurie is more than just a random would-be victim, Loomis and Brackett race to the hospital as Michael carves a crimson path there. Aware that she is not safe even within the hospital, Laurie is forced back into survival mode as the nurses and orderlys assigned to help her become bodies forMichael to slice through on his way to his ultimate victim.
Franchise creatorsJohn CarpenterandDebra Hillnever intended forHalloweento have a sequel, envisioning the original as being a standalone movie. Its massive success, of course, meant a sequel was soon ordered. SinceHalloween IIbegins so soon after the original, most of the cast and crew reunited for the production, helping it to feel like an extension of the original. Loomis, for his part, continues his chase of Michael, always seemingly one step behind as each new victim is claimed. WhileHalloween IIis inferior to the original, it is still an entertaining slasher sequel and features Curtis and Pleasence together on-screen for the final time in the franchise.Halloween IIalso made the fateful decision to make Laurie and Michael siblings, which proved a poor decision, as subsequent sequels focused too much on this family connection and convoluted the overall storyline.Halloweenhas always been at its best whenMichael is a cold, remorseless killer with seemingly no motive for his reprehensible crimes.
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2’Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers' (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 39%
AfterHalloween IIIdiverted into a Michael-less story,Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myersbrings thefranchise back to its slasher roots. Having been in a coma for 10 years since the conclusion of the second movie, Michael wakes up to continue his rampage. Learning that he still has relatives left to kill, Michael stalks his way back to Haddonfield to wipe his clan off the face of the earth. Loomis is once again in hot pursuit, joining forces with the new sheriff to save young Jamie Lloyd from her murderous uncle on Halloween night in Haddonfield.
While it received negative reviews on release, appreciation forHalloween 4has grown over the years, to the extent that some claim it isthe best sequel in the franchise. Even without its connections to the original,Halloween 4is a thrilling 80s slasher and works as a standalone entry. Free from the cult storyline that bulks down its two direct sequels,Halloween 4smartly keeps the focus on Michael and his victims as they engage in a cat and mouse chase through the craziness of Halloween night. Loomis once again plays the role of the pursuer as he chases Michael through his latest rampage, attempting to help Jamie like he did her late mother Laurie.
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1’Halloween' (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
The one that started it all,Halloweenbegins with six-year-old Michael Myers savagely slaying his older sister before being institutionalized. Fifteen years later, Michael breaks free and heads back to his hometown of Haddonfield to continue killing. His psychiatrist, Dr. Samuel Loomis, recognizes the pure evil that Michael represents, and races behind to end his former patient’s reign of terror before any more lives are lost. Teenage babysitter Laurie Strode finds herself pulled into the chaos as Michael slaughters her friends and marks her for death, creating one of thegreatest final girls of all timein the process.
Not only thebestHalloweenmovie,Halloweenis also one of thebest horror movies, period. Although not the first slasher movie, it did help popularize the concept of a masked madman slicing his way through countless victims before facing off with the final girl. WhereHalloweendiffers from similar slashers is through the presence of Loomis, who acts as something of a hero character that the audience is cheering for to reach Laurie in time to save her from Michael.Pleasence absolutely nails this role, creating one of the genre’s best characters in thegreatest movie he starred in.
For decades, the citizens of Haddonfield have feared Halloween because they know that it is on that night that the Boogeyman comes to haunt them. Created by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, the Halloween series is often credited for birthing the slasher genre and giving a new life to horror in the late 1970s.
