Well, Cochran, I know this much: “HALLOWEEN ENDS” had the same kind of potential as SEASON OF THE WITCH, but it was all shot to shit in favor of a “deader than dead” ending that killed Michael Myers off for good. HALLOWEEN ENDS somewhat followed the formula of the now cult classic, HALLOWEEN III, with something new, fresh, and exciting. taking the franchise in a different direction felt like a breath of fresh air until they completely kicked themselves in the nuts by *SPOILER*, killing Corey and finishing that movie with the very appropriate “trash-bag” ending that we have.
It’s a damn shame, and in the new BLUMHOUSE behind-the-scenes book, “Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years Of Blumhouse” which was sent to me for a review and it is quite the masterful book, actress and Halloween franchise star, Jamie Lee Curtis opens up about the alternate ending that was considered for HALLOWEEN ENDS and quite frankly I’m severely pissed they didn’t go in this direction. It would have changed the tone of the movie entirely, and I feel would have been so much better received by fans and critics alike.
“The original ending of “Halloween Ends”, which was originally titled Halloween Dies, was a scene in a mask factory. You see a conveyor belt of masks being manufactured. They’re all Michael Myers masks, which was saying, “We’re all monsters if we put on the mask. It’s not just Michael, it’s all of us if we wear the mask.” And yet somehow it didn’t satiate. I think it was too intellectual for this finale/ It was a big swing, and I honor and support the big swing.
So basically, they wanted to dumb it down for everybody. Cool.
Here’s the entire passage from the book, including another alternate ending that was scrapped.
Now while that ending, which in my humble opinion, would have been the proper ending, never came to fruition, good ol’ HERE LIES made his own fan edit ending for HALLOWEEN ENDS a whole two years ago before any of this actually came to light via the book! And I’ll just say, they should have hired him as a consultant and I’ll take this ending and splice it into the movie just to satisfy my own bitterness over what could have been.
Sometimes, we just need a master VHS and digital video fan editor to step in and do the studio’s job and the holy horror Lord’s work.
When I say I’m a fan of STEPHEN KING’S SILVER BULLET, there’s my commitment status. I don’t fuck around like a virgin on prom night.
Anyway, let’s start with the obvious. I understand a lot of people disregard the Reverend Werewolf’s final reveal look; comparing it to something of a dog-bear (and honestly, you aren’t wrong about that). However, it is meant as an insult rather than a critique, and I think a lot of these people have An American Werewolf on London on the brain. I will argue till the day I die that THIS look (not transformation but LOOK) in particular, is far scarier and that is my personal, and firm opinion on the matter.
And I will fucking die on that hill.
Everyone has that horror comfort film, and for myself, SILVER BULLET is one of them. For what I can recall in a string of several months when I was about eight or nine years old, I went to sleep to this movie every. Single. Night, I’m not entirely sure to this day exactly why I find so much ease and relaxation with a film that gave me my first vivid nightmare that I can actually remember. I can’t say I have ever met someone who actually remembered dreams they had as a toddler; but when I was 3 years old, I had a nightmare about this movie that had me waking up screaming and crying for my father, as in my dream, Reverend Werewolf busted through our kitchen pantry from outside and mauled my dad, spilling his insides on the floor. Sort of like the ending of the film, but my father didn’t get to survive like the Busey.
Then approaching me, but not before waking up into hysterics. Now I never actually watched the film that young, however, I remember my parents and grandparents renting the film, and watching it in the living room, with me sneaking around the corner catching sneak peeks while I’m being screamed at to go play in my room. But I’m a rebel. I kept slithering around the corner and checking out what was keeping their interest piqued at the boob tube. I recall catching the bridge scene, and of course, the ending. Which would explain my nightmare fully.
You would think a memory and a dream that has stuck with me for 40 years would do the exact opposite. But what can I say, I’m a special kind of breed. Regardless of the hate people give the werewolf suit, it worked well enough to scare the shit out of me as a kid. As an adult, I don’t see too many issues with it either, because having read the novella, ”Cycle of the Werewolf”, I get what they were going for: A man that is truly a monster, hiding among everyone. Something we all know is a very real thing. And the practical effects of this movie need to be celebrated because if I have to read another AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON piece praising its special effects (which, by the wa,y I am not undermining- credit where it is due), I’m going to lose my shit. And maybe we should be giving a little more credit to Stephen King’s first attempt to screenplay his own vision from pages to the screen.
Special effects master Carlo Rambaldi, whose notable works include creating the works behind King Kong (1976), Alien, and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, was tasked as the special and make-up effects head to complete the werewolf looks in Stephen King’s novella turned featured film. The realistic style suit was one piece that was topped with a mask that was operated by a variety of mechanics operated by the crew. Twelve levers to be exact, like that of a bicycle, that could manipulate the wolf’s facial expressions. For long-distance shots, there was a simpler mask that didn’t require all the fancy tech wires.
However, Rambaldi was only given five executive weeks to pull of this sorcery. Hey, if the master of Queen Alien could do it, anyone can! Still, shooting had commenced even before the final suit and mask were ready. So those little snips of the werewolf, leading up to the big reveal, were done with another purpose behind them.
“Ultimately, it looked like a bear,” confesses Attias. “The werewolf was very late in being designed, and Carlo (Rambaldi) was given very little time or money to work on it. In fact, it was so late that we had already started filming before we had the suit, so we started shooting scenes without it. I tried to make sure the audience would see it as little as possible. – Excerpt from interview with the Master Cylinder.
Everett McGill wore the suit for most of the shooting and spent a considerable amount of time figuring out the perfect walk for something that was neither man nor beast. But a man that has been trapped inside an animal, who eventually accepted his fate and embraced this dark shadow within him. Resulting in the werewolf quenching his thirst for blood on the “sinners” of the town- as McGill puts it speaking to the Shadow Nation podcast. However, he wasn’t even the first choice! Attias had hired a dancer to wear the suit, but apparently, it didn’t work out, resulting in McGill going hairy balls deep in the role-playing of both the wolf and his not-so-holy counterpart. More demanding stunts in the costume required a double; which was taken on by Julius Le Flore, the stunt coordinator for the film.
Now. We certainly can’t talk about the effects without mentioning the greatest scene in the movie that brought together a record FORTY werewolves on screen together, the most in any film to date. Instead of Rambaldi, make-up artist Michael McCracken, Jr. was in charge of the dream sequence that involved a few actors already in the film, and the rest were made up of Julius Le Flore’s friends of gymnasts and dancers. Clearly distinguishing themselves as different from Lowe’s wolf persona, but were taught the “werewolf walk” McGill had been practicing by the good ol’ Reverend himself.
The congregation of wolves was broken down into three groups. One group had a radio transmitting facial features, providing movement in the ears, forehead, and mouth. The second bunch had a “tongue device”; allowing the performer to snarl by simply moving the device around with, well, their tongue. The third had no special effects at all, other than make-up and served as the background werewolves.
And since it’s such a wonderful sequence, let’s give it a watch.
To say the least, there were a lot of painstaking elements involved in the production of these creatures. And while some may mock Rambaldi’s werewolf concept, including that of Producer Dino De Laurentiis, it was again the only one that gave me nightmares when I was a kid. That has to account for something!
I’ve been reflecting lately on experiencing Halloween as a child in the ‘90s – why it was great and what made it special? It really felt as if every house on the street celebrated this whimsical, dark holiday that manifested our natural fascination with all things occult and paranormal that go bump in the night. TV offerings of seasonal specials were just as rich as the surprises to be found within my candy bag – treasures earned from surviving a scarecrow that came to life suddenly on someone’s porch. I’ve come to realize a recurring element to these memories: each was possible thanks to an individual’s effort. A parent, a relative or a neighbor who did their part in unknowingly cementing an experience that I’ll never forget.
Decades later, many of us can still pinpoint the house that gave out full-size chocolate bars, or with an elaborate garage setup of strobe lights and fog machines. Just as memorable was that specific year where your uncle & his partner (before they got married) put on a Treehouse of Horror marathon as you sorted through your haul, your vast array of goodies spread out on the living room floor. Nearby, a menacing Count Dracula standee over in the front hallway kept guard as the jack-o-lantern outside sustained the spirit of Halloween by burning just a little bit longer.
There are very simple ways that you can reintroduce these traditions and all the feels not only for yourself to enjoy but to allow a new generation of trick r’ treaters to experience what Halloween was like in the 1990’s! Here’s four simple, time-friendly practices that will make this Halloween a special one – ’90s style.
Keep it Spooky – Inside & Outside
Outdoor decorations are obvious (I’ll get to those shortly) but indoor ones are just as important! If you’re not someone like me who has a Universal Monsters circa 1991 Happy Halloween cover on their office door, then you should absolutely consider putting a few things out to help enhance the mood. Table-covers and garbage-bag-strip entrances are easy, and even with the vast amount of dollar store options nowadays, you can be creative: cut the bottom of a plastic jack-o’-lantern and shove in a fake flicker candle for a cozy night-light in the kitchen! Having a dedicated seasonal décor box adds to the magic feels of taking it out each Fall (even if you’re a year-round decorations person like myself).
It’s wild to think projected imagery and inflatable displays are what replaced far simpler outdoor options like hanging paper ghosts, Styrofoam tombstones or my favorite: pumpkin leaf bags! Is it just me or do these things seem to not be as popular anymore? You can easily go get leaves at a nearby park if you don’t have immediate access to any in your yard or on your street. Pumpkin leaf bags are also multi-purpose: keep the leaves to cover your garden or lawn, as they can support an ecosystem and even bring fireflies for the next summer!
Holiday Specials & Movie Frights
A big part of experiencing Halloween in the ‘90s was the season’s television content: holiday specials, horror movies and themed episodes were plentiful across many channels leading up to October 31st. While there are many more sources now than cable, take it upon yourself to arrange for movie nights leading into the end of the month. Have a back-to-back screening of Halloween & Halloween II so it’s one long movie! Reach out to distant friends and family for a remote watch-along session where you pick a few titles to scream over. If you’re looking for something to hit those spooky background vibes, consider snagging one of those 6 hour Here Lies Halloween Experience tapes!
Participation Setup & Indicators – Ring The Damn Doorbell!
If you’re committed to handing out candy this year, this is a vital area to prepare yourself for: you may get 10 kids at the most. I experienced this last year when I stood on the street dressed as Michael Myers attempting to gain attention from a nearby intersection while a van pulled up along a row of darkened homes to unleash a group of un-costumed kids who rushed my house like it was McDonalds circa 1993. Despite the small amount of visitors, it’s still worth the effort: those 10 kids are going to experience that ‘90s Halloween magic. It can be frustrating & disappointing to see far less trick r’ treaters these days and less houses participating, but here’s where taking the extra effort to collaborate with friends and neighbors can help – it’ll even make for a really fun experience for the grownups!
I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen parents / kids decide to skip a house only because they didn’t have a particular indicator to make it clear they were handing out candy (despite even outdoor / indoor decorations). Be it a jack-o-lantern, adequate lighting, or even a person standing outside with candy: people will still be picky and impatient. If you’re going with the doorbell method (which honestly needs to come back more), ensure your lighting is appropriate for kids to see where they’re going and obvious enough so their parents don’t decide to skip your place. Music helps quite a bit here – if you don’t have a boombox, play an old Sound FX tape off some wireless speakers. Go the extra mile with the previously-mentioned scarecrow bit or garage of horrors if you have one!
Treats – Candy, Pencils, and Soda Cans
One of the most topical parts of the nostalgia around Halloween, treat offerings have seen a significant shift in what’s been handed out over the years. Peanuts in a ziplock bag sounds absolutely ludicrous but this was actually a common enough thing up until the 2000’s. Boxes of mixed fun-size candy were not common, so you saw much more variety and MANY more Chiclets. Nut-free options are incredibly important to consider now, as more kids have more food allergies – their experiences are equally as essential to consider! You can get creative with treat baggies consisting of a variety of goodies, including those classic orange n’ black pencils or novelty vampire teeth! If you really want to get inducted into the Halloween Hall of Fame, take the initiative to become the full-size candy bar or soda-can house (I hand out full-size Mars bars, which are nut free).
Halloween only comes once a year but there’s a reason why those memories continue to stay relevant. Take it upon yourself to make some new ones in the spirit of the 1990’s – have a safe & happy Halloween!
![[VIDEO] The Alternate Ending Revealed for “HALLOWEEN ENDS” is What We SHOULD Have Had](https://nightmarenostalgia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/promo-facebook-facebook-link-image-12.jpeg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
Nightmare Nostalgia 