2. Halloween — Michael Myers Almost Had a Different Role
Imagine Halloween without Michael Myers.
Actually, don't. That's horrifying.
John Carpenter and Debra Hill's original concept was considerably more focused on the idea of The Shape as an almost inhuman embodiment of evil rather than simply a guy named Michael Myers who happens to have the worst Halloween costume ever purchased.
The character's mythology also evolved considerably throughout the series.
One of the most famous things about the original movie is how little we actually know about Michael.
He's escaped.
He's stalking Laurie.
He's wearing a mask.
And that's basically it.
No tragic childhood explanation.
No elaborate supernatural backstory.
No fifteen-minute monologue explaining his motivations.
He's just there.
And that's what makes him terrifying.
Of course, later movies decided that wasn't nearly complicated enough.
So the franchise eventually introduced family connections, cults, supernatural explanations and other mythology.
The original Halloween is almost comically simple by comparison.
A man escapes an institution and comes home.
That's it.
And somehow that's scarier than the entire Myers family tree.
