Tag Archives: Halloween

10 Characters from the “Halloween” Franchise Who Definitely Deserved It

The HALLOWEEN franchise is, without a doubt, a favorite topic of discussion here on NN and if you’ve ever looked at my list of pieces whether here on this blog, or elsewhere I’ve written for the past 10 years, you’ll come to the very correct conclusion that yes, I’m a superfan and could probably write about the subject forever without repeating myself once. However, there’s one thing that hasn’t been discussed by me, or really much anywhere, and that’s a hot take on who in the entire series of films actually deserved to die in these movies. Sure, there’s been talks here and there in forums; perhaps an article by some dopey website that aren’t even catered to horror fans. So, as a superfan myself, I’m obliged to take on the task, throw my rage at the keyboard and say “FUCK THESE GUYS, THEY HAD IT COMING.”

And no, as annoying as Tina can be in HALLOWEEN 5, she didn’t make the cut.

So let’s start slashing our way into these insufferable sons of bitches.

10. Bob (HALLOWEEN 1978)

If you’re wondering why I think Bob deserved to be strung up in the Wallace’s kitchen, the guy DID joke about ripping an eight-year-old girl’s clothes off. Plus because of his death, we wouldn’t have gotten one of the coolest shots of the entire franchise right here:

9. Kelly Meeker (HALLOWEEN 4)

The Haddonfield homewrecker, Kelly Meeker, the sheriff’s daughter, is just a total bitch. When Rachel confronted this hoe about sleeping with her boyfriend Brady (another fucking hoe) Kelly basically told Rachel that it was her fault that her man looked away and decided to spend Halloween with her instead. Ugh. She had it coming when Myers cleverly used a shotgun on her without pulling the trigger. Also, thanks for the Halloween costume inspiration!

But seriously, much love to the sweetheart that is Kathleen Kinmont. Only a fantastic actress can make us hate like that.

8. Mikey (HALLOWEEN 5)

An obvious choice if there ever was one. This prick had zero redeeming qualities. The guy only cared about his car and his dick. Tina, honey. You almost made the list because of your “electric connection” to toxic men.

Al least when you were riding with Mikey 2.0, you weren’t being verbally abused.

7. Pretty Much Everyone in HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION

I’m just going to make a bold statement and say that every single person who died in HALLOWEEN RESURRECTION, had it coming and I felt not a bit of sorry for any of them-including Laurie Strode. Everybody was just so dumb – downed and straight up intolerable. Be it their lack of common sense (Laurie with her wanting to “make sure” and that cameraman who just stood there waiting for Michael to slash his ass), or the entitlement of the entire cast of the “Internet reality show”. I literally cheered for every single one of them to go down. And let’s face it- the one guy who isn’t even really an actor per se, Busta Rhymes, is the only watchable thing in this movie at all.

Shout out Horror Net for putting together this kill count for RESURRECTION.

6. John Strode (HALLOWEEN 6)

Another no brainer is the abusive piece of shit John Strode. The uncle of Laurie Strode is one we were all very happy to see go down when it fianlly happened- and the fact it was extra violent was even more bittersweet. Smacking around your wife and kids in a horror movie gets your head blown up. Those are the rules!

5. Dr. Ranbir Sartain (HALLOWEEN 2018)

The idea of an anti-Loomis running around Haddonfield is entertaining. But I think Micheal was just as tired of hearing him talk as the audience was. Totally deserved that curb stomp. We can all only hope that we possess the superhuman strength, endurance, and durability in our 60s that Michael Myers has in this movie.

4. The Coroner Paramedics (Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN 2)

As much as I despise this movie and quite frankly, think pretty much everyone in Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN flicks deserve what they get, this scene in particular in RZ’s H2 is fairly satisfying and brutal enough to win a Golden Chainsaw award in 2010. The pair of nasty jackasses “joking” about necrophilia with dead women was enough for me to give this film a shout-out when Michael did his thing. And it was a beautiful service for the rest of us.

3. Ronnie (Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN 2007)

I don’t even need to explain this one-just roll that beautiful bean footage. I do think he got off way too easy though.

2. The Entire Halloween Kills Mob That Made Lance Tivoli Commit Suicide

EVIL DIES TONIGHT. And you know what, it sort of does when this asshole mob out of pure fear, drive a man, Lance Tivoli, to his own death in a case of mistaken identity as the mob believes him to be Myers unmasked. To make it worse, the man suffered from severe mental illness. It’s a terrible tragedy to have someone who cries out for help, actively seeking medical assistance, and suffers a deathly fate for simply existing.  So yes; I’m gonna let Joker take this one for Tommy Doyle and the mob of Haddonfield:

1. Michael Myers (Halloween Ends)

If you’re shocked to see Myers at number one, you just might be a sociopath. Listen, he did humanity a couple of favors by ridding a few insufferable twats from the Earth. But he also killed a lot of innocent people too, and plenty who didn’t deserve it. Danny Trejo anyone? I think the way he died was a bit weak and sort of a cop out, but then again there’s a lot I don’t agree with HALLOWEEN ENDS, and it has nothing to do with Corey. I actually thought him being the new Myers was a cool direction to go- until they killed him and fucked up their own potential. But eh, take what we can get for now, I guess. Let’s just hope the next set of reboot films gets things right this time.

Before anyone asks me why I didn’t place Conal Cochran on here, it’s because he knows his Halloween folklore, so he gets a pass from me. I respect that kind of knowledge.

Here’s The Story Behind Those Opening Credits In “HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS”

In case you’re new here, I hold HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS on a ridiculously high pedestal. It’s the ultimate 80s horror slasher sequel where a lot of nostalgia resides. It brings back characters from a horror franchise in the CORRECT way while giving us new characters to the plot who are actually likable. And it’s the only entry in the series where we get a glimpse as Michael Myers in a very KEN form.

Fun in the Sun Myers is not to be trifled with.

Ok so maybe those are just my biased opinions, but there’s one thing that we can all collectively agree on making it a fact: the opening to RETURN is regarded as one of the greatest things about the movie, and stands as possibly, one of the most atmospheric intros for the Halloween holiday of all damn time. Something so simple as a few eerie scenes of a basic farm shot on the dusk of Halloween Eve in the middle of fuckwhere America, with no context, set the tone and the mood for the whole film. As light slowly fades into dusk throughout the secular shots of the farm in Autumn along with a sinister soundtrack that crescendos into your very spine, the message to the audience is clear: Evil is coming, and it is angry.

Back in October, celebrating HALLOWEEN 4‘ 35th anniversary, I spoke with director Dwight Little about his experiences and memories of the film. Of course, one of the questions I asked was about that marvelous intro and how the inspiration for such a departure from the previous two Myers films’ i.e. pumpkin credit intros, came to be. My instincts on the answer to this being something much deeper than just a few shots on a farm that were taken for budgetary reasons that just happened to strike gold, turned out to be correct.

You know, we put a LOT of energy into that, and I had asked the writer on set, ya know, how much do we actually KNOW about the origins of Halloween? I looked up some references on it and found out there’s some old Scottish agricultural tradition where the fields have gone bare and everyone has to do their last harvest to get ready for the Winter. And so there’s all this iconic imagery of scarecrows and pumpkin men, and looking back into the roots of it all is how we came up with that title sequence that seems so beloved. I just didn’t want to do the pumpkin [intro sequence again] and wanted to try something else.

So when people say, “It ain’t that deep.” Yeah. Yeah, it is. The fact that the opening sequence provides hidden context into old harvest culture and using imagery that we all associate with the Fall and Halloween seasons in a much deeper way was a clever move. To a superstitious agrarian society, not only would scarecrows keep birds away from crops, but they could also scare children away from the fields where there might be strange things hiding. The hanging ghost on the farm, representing Myers returning from the dead, is another, with Danielle Harris’ name (who plays Jamie Lloyd-Myers’ niece) splashed on the screen next to it as if to say he’s coming back just for you, babydoll. Although that in itself is MY OWN speculation, let me just have that theory, fellas.

You can read the entire interview with Dwight Little here.

It’s just a beautiful new way to look at those banger opening credits. Don’t you think? So with that in mind, let’s just bask in all its malevolent glory, eh?

The Coolest Video Store Horror Movie Promos You Can Buy On eBay!

Just in case you’re new here, video store promos and displays are something I search far and wide for, hoping to add to my collection that will probably never be completed, (especially in today’s economy). But even if my sad-looking bank account won’t allow it, merely gazing at what is now a lost art, is enough to soothe my soul more so than listening to some Pure Moods from the 90s.

And let me tell yah, “Return to Innocence” and “Tubular Bells” are pretty high up there.

If ye’ old video store promos and movie displays are something that brings a little bit of joy into your soul, or collection, then forget about browsing eBay because I got you covered as I have compiled a sweet stack of some pretty attainable and AWESOME items from the original auction/buy it now site that may or may not have you reaching deep into your pockets to fulfill all your mom-and-pop video store fantasies. So let’s dive right in it!

1985 “THE STUFF” COUNTER STANDEE DISPLAY

Larry Cohen’s THE STUFF had some pretty cool merch and displays during its promotional run and this is one of them. Per the description:

“This is a rare and original standee display for the 1985 horror movie “The Stuff”. The perfect addition to any horror movie memorabilia collection. It has never been used so I did not bend the back folding part in the picture to put it together. This came directly from a video store that shut down in the 90’s.

THE STUFF (1985) Video Store VHS Promo Inflatable Beach Ball 

Another really cool promo item from THE STUFF, is this inflatable beach ball probably given exclusively to video store owners. Measuring about 12-16 inches in diameter featuring the colors known for the packaging in the film, The Stuff logo is prominently displayed on three sides of the ball. 

TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE (1990) Horror Video Store VHS Promo Paper Masks

These are probably some of my favorite items on this list, and the most affordable at $25 a pop! Both sold from eBay seller Video Sanctum, the Gargoyle and Mummy paper mask from the TALES FROM DARKSIDE MOVIE are something I’ve never personally seen and in pretty great condition for being almost 35 years old!

FRIDAY THE 13th Video Store PROMO Inflatable Pumpkin

This 1988 giant inflatable pumpkin, that stands nearly 4 feet, was a video store promo for Halloween and the release of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD. And it’s very much so, one of my favorites here as it combines two of my favorite things: Jason and Halloween.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood Jason Lights Display

Another cool video store promo for THE NEW BLOOD was this light-up display usually hung around the counters. Bold move considering I’d be the first person trying to steal that.

1987 Vestron Video Store Evil Dead 2 VHS display

For the ultimate screwhead! This MEGA RARE EVIL DEAD 2 display is pretty damn cool, regardless of the wear on it. That’s history right there folks. $350 worth.

1986 Vestron Video Halloween Movie Celebration Poster

Oh how I love thee video store promo poster, let me count the ways: TROLL, THE NIGHT DRACULA SAVES THE WORLD, AND RE-ANIMATOR. This is an original vintage release placed in someone’s mom and pop video store, probably around 1987-1988. I’m insanely jealous of whoever ends up with this.

Reproduction of 1985 Ghoulies Inflatable Video Store Display Promo

This little bastard has been sitting on eBay, and my radar, for a while. Note, this isn’t an original GHOULIES inflatable, but rather a reproduction made by Faint of Heart Creations of the toilet display that was seen in several video stores promoting the movie in 1985. Regardless, I would love one of these to stick in my guest bathroom for when my parents come over.

THE FLY II 2 Vintage 1989 Video Store Hanging VHS Promo

In promotion with the VHS of THE FLY II, video stores had this little bugger usually hanging from the ceilings. Now you can have a little Son of Brundlefly of your very own to display your home! Screw the plants, make room for MartinFly.

1986 House Movie Promo Light up VHS Store Display 

Absolutely the coolest thing here is this 1986 light-up HOUSE video store counter display that STILL works. DING DONG, MY WALLET IS DEAD.

If one of you ends up the lucky owners of some of these beauts, please remember me in your will. Thanks in advance.