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Laurie Strode

Lonnie Elam Returns in Halloween Kills!

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While Halloween’s final girl may have felt that Lonnie Elan probably wouldn’t get out of the sixth grade, HalloweenMovies.com is happy to report that the adult version of the school bully (who was first referenced in John Carpenter’s seminal 1978 film classic Halloween, and played by Brent Le Page) apparently did graduate, and will return in director David Gordon Green’s upcoming Halloween Kills, with actor Robert Longstreet assuming the role.

Longstreet, best known to horror fans for his turn as ‘Mr. Dudley’ in “The Haunting of Hill House,” will join original Halloween alumna Jamie Lee Curtis (as ‘Laurie Strode’) and Kyle Richards (as ‘Lindsey Wallace’), as well as Anthony Michael Hall (in the role of ‘Tommy Doyle’, taking over for Brian Andrews) in Green’s sequel to his hit film, last year’s recalibration Halloween.

Further casting news is of course forthcoming, but we’re fairly certain that fans of the franchise can expect the return of some more familiar names, and with them, some familiar faces, in the coming weeks.

Set for release by Universal Pictures on October 16th, 2020, Halloween Kills is produced by Trancas International Films, Miramax and Blumhouse Productions, with director Green directing from a script he co-wrote with returning collaborator Danny McBride and series newcomer Scott Teems.

Based on characters created by series originator John Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween Kills and its 2021 follow-up Halloween Ends will be produced by Akkad, Jason Blum and Bill Block. Green, McBride, John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jeanette Volturno, Couper Samuelson and Ryan Freimann will serve as executive producers, with Ryan Turek overseeing both projects for Blumhouse.

Check out a teaser for the films below.

Michael Myers Comes Home in Trick Or Treat Studios’ Halloween Legacy Collection

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With only 71 days to go until Halloween, we’re getting into the spirit of the holiday here at Halloweenmovies.com, and so is Trick Or Treat Studios, with some new and exciting Officially Licensed offerings in their Halloween Legacy product line.

From their “Halloween – The Boogeyman Michael Myers Mask” sculpted by the legendary artist Justin Mabry to their injection molded and electro plated “Halloween – Michael Myers Poster Knife Prop” based on the iconic poster art by artist Robert Gleason, we’re gonna’ predict that fans of the 1978 Carpenter classic will be thrilled by TOTS’ latest offerings (because quite frankly, we are!)

Joining the previously mentioned in TOTS’ line-up are eye-catching Michael Myers 925 Sterling Silver collector rings, Halloween wall decorations designed by Marty McEwen (with art in the style of vintage 60’s Halloween décor), young and old Michael Myers Halloween costumes perfect for any costume party (with Laurie Strode and Loomis getups available to boot), Halloween enamel pins, a light-up pumpkin, and a life-sized, 1:1 scale poseable prop of The Shape that’s sure to scare the hell out of the trick or treaters come Halloween night… and probably anyone else who encounters it.

Further, TOTS has delivered for fans of 1988’s Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and 1989’s Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers Justin Mabry-sculpted masks of the Shape stemming from both (and a “The Brute” mask developed by Rudel to boot), as well as adult and children’s Jamie Lloyd clown costumes, and a whole lot more.

Check out a smattering of images below, and for the full line head on over to Trick Or Treat Studios here to check out their Officially Licensed Halloween products, and follow them on Instagram to stay up to date on all of the latest.

John Carpenter’s Halloween Returns to Theaters This Fall!

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This fall, John Carpenter’s classic Halloween, the film that started it all, returns to theaters for a limited run, courtesy of Trancas International Films and Compass International Pictures and partner CineLife Entertainment.

 

Scheduled to run from September 27th to October 31st, the restored and remastered digital print was created under the supervision of the world-renowned cinematographer Dean Cundey, and marks the 41st anniversary of the groundbreaking film. In it, protagonist Michael Myers, who has spent the past fifteen years locked away inside a sanitarium for the childhood murder of his sister escapes, and on October 30th of 1978 makes his way back home to Haddonfield, Illinois, turning a night of tricks and treats into something much more sinister for three young women, including Laurie Strode, the star-making role for lead Jamie Lee Curtis.

Participating theaters and show times will be soon posted at www.CineLifeEntertainment.com

Excl: Actress Rhian Rees Talks MTV Movie Awards Nom, Halloween & More!

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As her turn as ‘Dana Haines,’ the ill-fated podcaster in David Gordon Green’s 2018 hit film Halloween garnered her a nomination in the category of ‘Most Frightened Performance’ at this year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, we recently sat down with the British actress to discuss the event, her working relationship with the grand dame of final girls Jamie Lee Curtis, and her own life, post working on the most successful slasher film of all time.

“It was a load of bullocks,” playfully quipped Rees over coffee in Beverly Hills of her loss to fellow nominee Sandra Bullock, the latter who took home the MTV award for her appearance in Netflix’s 2018 film Bird Box. “But honestly, it was actually quite an honor to lose to her. Because it’s Sandra Bullock. From Speed. The film that I grew up with and watched on repeat.”

Rees, who was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, continued of the award show, “It was quite fun. Sandra did an excellent speech. And I sat at our table with another nominee. Victoria Pedretti from The Haunting of Hill House. We had had a riot, losing together!”

Of the event itself, “They give you a lot of free popcorn and M&Ms and Milk Duds and Starbursts, so you’re high on sugar plus champagne, on top of all that you’ve got Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson dancing with a chorus of dancers surrounding him to (the Queen song) ‘We Will Rock You.’ So it all felt quite surreal.”

Having arrived on the carpet June 15th for the show’s taping at Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, attired in an elegant black and white dress, the actress offered (when informed of other outlet’s descriptions of her as being “polished”), “Ooh, I appreciate that. I scrubbed up a lot since crawling around on a public bathroom floor!”

“It was made by my mother-in-law, Pamela Barish,” the recently married Rees continued of the dress and the event. “She has an all-female run and locally-made dress boutique in Venice, California. And she makes really elegant, form fitting, flattering dresses. And I was just so thrilled to be repping for Halloween. I don’t know how long this MTV category has been getting a nod, but finally horror is sneaking its way into award ceremonies, bit by bit, and that’s cool, right? It’s about time, because some of the most politically charged films are hidden within the horror genre. And I mean, while that’s obvious to us, maybe it’s not to the Academy.”

Of being recognized for her portrayal of investigative journalist Haines, which culminates in the character’s brutal murder in a gas station bathroom at the hands of Myers, Rees said, “I was recognized once at the post office and the bloke said, ‘You remind of that girl that hit her head on the loo!’ Which I did, because I had very little spatial awareness in that scene. It was an accident, but they kept it in (the movie). It was a real clonker!”

What wasn’t a real ‘clonker’ was working with Halloween lead Jamie Lee Curtis, who Rees recalls as being, “Just really inspiring, because she was so in character that any Jamie Lee Curtis left in her had  totally dissolved, and I felt that I was dealing with a very fragile woman (Laurie Strode) who I couldn’t help but feel for.”

“And,” continued Rees of Curtis, who originated the role of Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s 1978 original and who has essayed it four times since, “she’s so willing to help and adjust, from the smallest of details. Like, if anything was wrong or the continuity wasn’t quite right, she’d step in and move something out of the way; nothing was above or beyond her wanting the very best for the film. She effortlessly adjusted to every single direction that David gave her, it made us feel part of a very strong team.”

Another ‘pinch me’ moment for Rees was the monumental box office success of the film.

“I’m still in shock,” reflected the actress of Halloween, which to date has earned $255 million at the global box office. “It still hasn’t really sunk in to be honest. I’m still like, whoa, those are numbers I can’t comprehend.”

With that type of success, it’s no wonder that the Halloween fan-base has embraced her as an addition to the franchise’s family.

“It’s been lovely,” commented Rees, whose first convention was the heavily attended H40: 40 Years of Terror event held last October in Pasadena, CA. “Every time I go to a convention, it feels like a family reunion. Everyone’s lovely and I really enjoy chatting to them. A year on, and people still seem to be giving their upmost support!”

As for what’s next on her filmic plate, Rees revealed that she’s booked a role in a feature shooting later this year in the UK, although she was mum on the title.

“I get to play a really fun character in a British psychological thriller,” she offered. “It’s a genre bending film, full of 90’s-come-early-naughties nostalgia and I cannot wait”. 

As for other ventures, a return to the stage, on which Rees practiced her craft in community theatre (before a term on the Royal Court Theatre Young Writers Program, followed by attending Lee Strasberg Theatre School in New York, prior to booking her role in Halloween) is eminent.

“It’s a play written by Amiri Baraka,” concluded Rees of the production, which will be mounted this fall in Los Angeles. “He was a radical African-American artist, poet and dramatist especially in the ‘60s and ‘70s. And the play ‘Dutchman’ deals with subject matter being quite similar to (the film) Get Out. It’s being directed by Amiri’s protégé, Harmony Holiday, who’s a poet and dancer. That’s what’s being talked about currently, and the character of Lula is just such an honor to play. She’s twisted and bad. So, so bad. But it’s just a deeply challenging and important piece of theatre.”

For all things Rhian Rees, ‘like’ her official Facebook page here, and follow her on Instagram @squirrelllthing and on Twitter @squirrelllthing.

‘DEEP CUT’ TRIVIA: ‘What’s the name of Laurie Strode’s Ex-Husband?’

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Following the events of Halloween and Halloween II, director Steve Miner’s 1998 film Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later finds those films’ heroine Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) with a different name, living under the assumed identity of ‘Keri Tate,’ the “head mistress of a very posh, secluded private school in Northern California,” with her seventeen year-old son John (actor Josh Hartnett).

But who’s John’s father? We’ve done some digging, and according to the screen-used birthday card and envelope as opened by Hartnett in the film (recently acquired by a private collector – photos below), the character’s dead-beat dad and Laurie’s “abusive, chain smoking, methadone addict ex-husband” is one ‘Robert Tate,’ who resides at 6323 1st Street in Ptrunk, Illinois.

According to Google, Ptrunk, Illinois doesn’t exist, and neither does Summer Glen, California, but ah, movie magic, and you’ve gotta’ appreciate that art department’s dedication to minutia!

Check out the scene below.

Did Halloween H20’s Shooting Script Acknowledge The Cult of Thorn? Patrick Lussier Speaks

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Over the course of eleven films the Halloween franchise has taken several varied narrative paths, and director Steve Miner’s 1998 film Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later is no exception.

Intended as the finale to the story arc of character Laurie Strode (the series’ ‘Final Girl’ originated by actress Jamie Lee Curtis in John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween, who reprised her role three years later in Rick Rosenthal’s direct sequel Halloween II), Miner’s film intentionally ignored everything which followed the two, including the narrative thread established in the sequels Halloween 4, 5 & 6. Those three films, without the inclusion of Curtis, saw series’ slasher Michael Myers set his sights on a new target, one Jamie Lloyd, a character who was introduced as the orphaned daughter of Strode, the latter having perished in an automobile accident.

But what if H20 hadn’t ignored this thread?

IMDB legend has it that the shooting script of H20, as written by Robert Zappia and Matt Greenberg (from a loose treatment by Kevin Williamson) allegedly bridged the gap with a scene in which a Hillcrest student Sarah (H20 actress Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) delivers a class report on the “Haddonfield Murders,” which ties the series’ disjointed narrative threads together (you can read the script pages below), and in effect renders the Lloyd narrative canon.

Above: Actress Danielle Harris as ‘Jamie Lloyd’ in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

So, was the scene shot? We reached out to Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later editor Patrick Lussier last week for clarification, and you can read his response below.

But first, the scene in question.

INT. CLASSROOM – LATER THAT DAY

Students file into the class, sit in their assigned seats. KERI stands behind a desk at the head of the class. The Bell Rings.

KERI

Good morning, class.  Mr. Elliot’s out sick this week…turns out it was his appendix.

The students ad-lib “COOL,” “ALRIGHT,” “YEAH.”

KERI(cont’d)

Your compassion is overwhelming.  But I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear that he gave me the list of students who will be giving their oral reports today.

The students groan.

KERI (cont’d)

I thought so.  First up is Sarah Locke.

Sarah crosses to the podium at the head of the class, stands behind it. She reads off a stack of index cards in front of her…

SARAH (rapidly)

“The Haddonfield Murders” by Pamela Whittington.  A totally gruesome depiction of serial killer Michael Meyers’ path of destruction in a small Illinois town.

Keri sits up in her chair, uneasy.  Of all the books…

During the following, we INTERCUT between the described flashbacks and Keri, as she struggles to maintain her composure as the memories come flooding back —

SARAH (cont’d)

The riveting tale begins with young Meyers repeatedly stabbing his older sister to death on Halloween night in 1963.

BEGIN FLASHBACK.

During the previous dialogue we see the correlating scene from “Halloween” where young Michael Meyers in clown attire murders his sister.

SARAH (OS) (cont’d)

Years later Meyers escaped from Dr. Loomis’ care at Smith’s Grove Institution and returned home to Haddonfield.

During the previous dialogue we once again see the correlating scene from “Halloween” where Michael escapes from outside the gates of Smith’s Grove in Dr. Loomis’ station wagon.

SARAH (OS) (cont’d)

It was there that he stalked Laurie Strode…Meyers’ younger sister…

We see the correlating scene from “Halloween” where the Shape watches Laurie Strode through the screen door as she approaches the old Meyers’ house.

SARAH (OS) (cont’d)

What followed was a night of terror as Michael Meyers slaughtered one innocent victim after another. Strangled some… stabbed others… in the end it was a Halloween of unprecedented carnage.

We see a MONTAGE of murders from “Halloween” and “Halloween II.”

END OF FLASHBACK.

ON Keri, eyes swelling, struggling to keep the lid on her emotions…

SARAH (cont’d)

Ironically, Laurie survived that night, but was said to have died in a car accident years later… leaving behind her only daughter, Jamie.

BEGIN FLASHBACK.

During the previous dialogue, we see footage of young Jamie from “Halloween IV.”

SARAH (cont’d)

The book maintains there is truth to the rumor that Laurie Strode is actually alive and well and living under a new identity.  Claiming that she gave up her daughter for adoption to protect the eight-year- old from her psychotic Uncle. Bad idea.  Last Halloween, Jamie’s mutilated body was found in a barn just outside of Haddonfield.

We see Jamie’s demise as depicted in “Halloween VI.”

END FLASHBACK.

ON Keri, unable to stand it any longer.  She grabs her bag, heads for the door.

KERI

Excuse me…

Keri darts out of the classroom.

The students sit in stunned silence, baffled.  Sarah collects her cards and heads back to her seat…

SARAH (cont’d)

That was like so rude.

INT. GIRLS’ RESTROOM – MINUTES LATER

Keri bursts through the bathroom door…locks herself inside an empty stall…drops to her knees, barely making it over the toilet before tossing up her breakfast.

When queried, Lussier said of the pages to HalloweenMovies.com, “That’s an interesting scene, but never one that I read or encountered in the footage.  As far as I know, there was never a scene like (above) that (was) shot. There was a big rewrite shortly before production where several things changed, including the (removal of the) whole character Charles S. Dutton had been hired to play (which included a death scene in the middle of the film) although the (scripted) scene as described was never shot, or if it was, it never came through editorial (which would be highly unlikely).”

Lussier concluded, “So, there was never any cult reference in H20 shot, or in the scripts that I read for the film.”

So there you have it?

A Look at Trick or Treat Studios’ Officially Licensed Halloween Merchandise for 2019!

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Sometimes the caliber of Halloween product development gets us truly abuzz here at HalloweenMovies.com, and such is the case with the awe-inspiring 2019 catalog recently released by Trick or Treat Studios (which marks their first time releasing product in connection with the original 1978 film Halloween and its sequels, 1988’s Halloween 4 and 1989’s Halloween 5). And while we can’t reveal everything they have in store for the year at present, we can give you a look at some products currently available for pre-order, and a few that aren’t!

Chock full of Officially Licensed Halloween franchise goodness, Trick or Treat Studios product for this year includes a new Halloween ’78 inspired Myers mask (sculpted by legend Justin Mabry) and a bevy of costumes from the film, including affordable takes on the Young Myers Clown, Adult Myers and Ghost Myers, as well as Dr. Samuel Loomis and Laurie Strode getups. Joining them are props, enamel pins, and even a life-sized poseable Myers (just to make sure you scare those trick or treaters come October).

Also currently available for pre-order are brand new Myers masks stemming from the entire film franchise (including the “The Brute” mask from Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers – deep cut, guys!), new costumes (Jamie Lloyd’s Clown costume, anyone?) and so much more.

Because in keeping with the theme, Trick or Treat Studios has also developed Halloween franchise wall décor through the beloved prism of Vintage Beistle (you know, the company that manufactures those amazing and Halloween decorations from the 20’s through 50’s), and while it’s not available just yet for pre-order on TOTS’ website, you can get a peek below.

All we can say is, “There go our paychecks.”

For more, visit Trick or Treat Studios online here, and follow them on Instagram @trick_or_treat_studios and on Twitter @trickortreat831.

“We’re from Haddonfield, Couldn’t Be Prouder!” Television Spot Heralds Halloween

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The latest television spot from director David Gordon Green’s Halloween brings the cheer, and the fear.

The eleventh film in the franchise and co-written by director Green, Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley, Halloween is intended as a direct sequel to Carpenter’s 1978 classic of the same name, and thusly disregards all of the series subsequent entries. Trancas International Films’ Malek Akkad, Blumhouse’s Jason Blum and Bill Block produce, with McBride, Green and returning star Jamie Lee Curtis serving as executive producers, along with Ryan Freimann and series originator Carpenter, who also serves as the film’s composer.

Halloween opens wide in theaters this Friday, October 19th via Universal Pictures.

How Long Can You Survive the 8-bit ‘Escape Michael Myers’ Video Game?

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Forty years in the making, Laurie Strode’s final (?) confrontation with Michael Myers hits the big screen this Friday, October 19th from Universal Pictures, and to get you in the mood, the retro-style ‘Escape Michael Myers’ video game, in which the boogeyman chases our beloved and beleaguered final girl through a graveyard, the streets of Haddonfield and beyond, is now available for free online at www.escapemichaelmyers.com

It’s pretty addictive, although we here at Trancas haven’t been able to survive any longer than a minute and a half. How will you fair against The Shape?

The eleventh film in the franchise, co-written by director David Gordon Green, Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley, Halloween is intended as a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic of the same name, and thusly disregards all of the series subsequent entries. Trancas International Films’ Malek Akkad, Blumhouse’s Jason Blum and Bill Block produce, with McBride, Green and star Jamie Lee Curtis serving as executive producers, along with Ryan Freimann and series originator Carpenter, who also serves as the film’s composer.

Diff’rent Strodes: A Tale of Two Lauries

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Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton Takes a Look at 2018’s Final Girl, Twenty Years Removed

For genre fans, the name Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton has become synonymous with modern horror journalism. From his humble beginnings working with The Horror Channel in the early 2000s and his co-creation of the revered Dread Central in 2006 (where he served as Editor-in-Chief for well over a decade) to his recent establishment of the popular Brainwaves Horror and Paranormal podcast in 2016, Barton’s erudite knowledge and unflinching editorial candor have made him a highly respected luminary within the horror sphere.

With that, I’m thrilled to welcome back Barton to HalloweenMovies.com as a guest writer, as here he takes a breezy look back at the tale of two Lauries, from director Steve Miner’s 1998 film Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later to director David Gordon Green’s upcoming Halloween, which opens in theaters this October 19th from Universal Pictures.

Sean Decker, Editor-in-Chief, HalloweenMovies.com

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Diff’rent Strodes: A Tale of Two Lauries

Trauma. There’s no right or wrong way to deal with it. Everyone handles their demons in far different ways, but sometimes said demons are so diabolical… so maniacal… that even if you survive their onslaught, there’s no way you could ever be the same. As noted in my earlier piece, the Halloween franchise is home to very different plot threads, and that’s part of what makes it so enduring and exciting. It’s also home to two vastly different portrayals of the same character by the same actress – the indomitable Jamie Lee Curtis.

At the end of John Carpenter’s Halloween, Curtis’ character of Laurie Strode was left shaken, bloodied, broken, and barely breathing. The events of Halloween II were a direct extension of the horrors of that night. Strode was still very much hanging by a thread. Was it the boogeyman? As a matter of fact, it was.

This all led to Halloween: H20. In Steve Miner’s 1998 film, twenty years had passed since the massacre in Haddonfield, and Laurie still held on to the possibility that the events of that horrific night were not yet at their end. The result? She chose to fake her own death and assume the fictitious identity of one Keri Tate, a dean at a private school in Northern California, residing there with her 17-year-old son, John, the only other person to know her true name.

In H20, things haven’t been easy for Strode, and given the sound of her relationship with John’s father, who she describes as “An abusive, chain smoking, methadone addict,” her life has remained in the proverbial shitter. It’s no wonder she chose to hide. To start fresh. Her son didn’t deserve to be a product of the pain she’s been put through and struggles she’s had to face. Starting over and regaining some semblance of normality is high on her agenda. Make no mistake… Laurie in H20 is not weak; in fact she’s damned strong. She may have her demons, exemplified by alcohol abuse and a cabinet full of prescription pills, but she endures.

Unfortunately, her greatest fear is speeding toward Hillcrest Academy, and this time The Shape is looking to finish what he started. Their confrontation forces Laurie to channel her strength and anger into doing what needs to be done. However, the relentless killing machine that is Michael Myers ends up slipping away again, and this “seemingly” costs Strode her sanity and ultimately her life.

But now, forty years since Michael’s initial rampage, a different Laurie is back; and this one is doing anything but hiding. Instead, her psychological scars are on display, and not unlike like Myers, she’s been lying in wait for just the right moment to exact her own revenge. She’s empowered, angry, strong, and calculating. Gone is the sweet girl-next-door babysitter, and in her place is a warrior. One who will never let anyone or anything take from her again. She has a daughter and granddaughter whom she will fight tooth and nail for, and a single-gear drive that keeps her laser focused. She knows now that both she and Dr. Loomis were right: Michael Myers IS the boogeyman, and this time she will be ready.

There’s a lot of psychology at work in the best entries of the Halloween franchise. That’s what makes it so very special and why it has endured the test of time. How would you react if everything you knew and loved was taken from you? Especially your innocence. Ultimately it’s the loss of Laurie’s that is the most compelling victim of Myers, and David Gordon Green dives into the exploration of that loss, and the reclaiming of power – a conversation itself  pulled from the headlines – in Halloween.

Laurie roars.

Curtis is the kind of actor who has an incredibly dynamic range, and that’s part of what makes her character of Laurie Strode as legendary and iconic as The Shape himself. This undeniably epic collision that’s on our horizon… it is a gift for Halloween fans and the genre as a whole. We’re headed toward the exciting climax of a rivalry that has been brewing for decades. One whose epitaph is bound to be etched into stone and splashed with blood.

This is as big as it gets. Are you ready?

Trick or treat.
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Co-written by director David Gordon Green, Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley, Halloween serves as the eleventh entry in the franchise and is intended as a direct sequel to Carpenter’s seminal 1978 film of the same name. Produced by Trancas International Films’ Malek Akkad, Blumhouse’s Jason Blum and Bill Block, with McBride, Green and star Jamie Lee Curtis serving as executive producers, along with Ryan Freimann and John Carpenter, the latter who also serves as the film’s composer.

Halloween opens wide in theaters on October 19th 2018 via Universal Pictures.