Happy Halloween, everybody! To celebrate, here is a top-10 list of my favourite kills from the Halloween franchise. Remember, these are just my opinions. No criteria, no stipulations—just what I consider to be my favourite deaths of ten characters throughout the series. Enjoy.
10. Jamie Lloyd (J. C. Brandy) – Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
You’ve got to love a kill that randomly involves farm equipment. I mean, look at that third act of Friday the 13th: Part 5. That man got thrashed. Sorry.
It is sad that it meant the end for our final girl, Jamie Lloyd, after she survived so much as a child. It’s also sad what she went through as a teenager with the whole cult thing. That’s a shitton of trauma that would have required an expensive and infinite amount of therapy as an adult. How often do we think about the lives of these characters post-film? The after-effects? Sounds like something I may want to look into in the future.
9. Karen Bailey (Pamela Susan Shoop) – Halloween II (1981)
The lead-up to the kill is also great. That visual of Karen kissing Michael’s hand and sucking his gross finger, completely unaware that it’s not Bud, is kind of hilarious. It’s also hilarious that Michael isn’t in any hurry to stop her.
The kill itself is pretty graphic and painful-looking. I can’t say that being boiled alive would be a pleasant experience, and this kill really proves that theory. So much face skin is peeling off. If you’ve ever had sunburn, you’ll have a rough estimation of the pain.
8. Jimmy Howell (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
Picture it: I’m around 14 years old and am going through somewhat of a Joseph Gordon-Levitt phase off the back of 3rd Rock from the Sun. He appears in this movie, and around 10 minutes in, he receives an ice skate to the face. At the time, it made me sad. I remember the first time I paused it, because it was really hard to see what was going on there. I had no idea it was an ice skate, even though it makes sense due to his owning a hockey stick—which he’s been known to get a little bit crazy with.
You have to give it to the make-up department for this one. It still looks good. Better than Mikey My-My’s CGI mask, at least.
7. Tina Williams (Wendy Kaplan) – Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
The death itself may have been crap, but the fact that one of the most annoying characters in the franchise has now been put out of my misery is what puts her on this list.
6. Buddy Kupfer Jr. (Brad Schacter) – Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
It’s always ballsy to kill a kid in a horror movie, especially when they aren’t the main focus of the story or evil little murdering psychopaths. Did Buddy Jr. deserve a really graphic and creepy-crawly end? No, the lad did nothing to warrant it. Is it a brutal and impressive death scene? You bet your boots it is.
5. Sarah Wainthrope (Jodi Lyn O’Keefe) – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
I grew up on 90s teen movies. This included She’s All That, where antagonist Taylor Vaughan is such an irritating asshole bitch that it borders on comedic. Later, O’Keefe appeared in an episode of Tru Calling, a TV show I love that was cancelled before it’s time. This time, she was the former best friend and current antagonist of our titular Tru, whom she crosses paths with at her high school reunion. Out of the three roles that I have seen of Jodi Lyn, her turn in this late-90s sequel is probably her most likeable.
It begins with a sad chase scene and ends with a memorable display of her body, which, like JGL’s death, required a pause to see what was actually going on there. This movie really hides its gore and relies heavily on home media watches to appreciate the kills.
4. Kelly Meeker (Kathleen Kinmont) – Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
So I have two reasons for including this character: First, for the same reason that Tina is number 7, I can’t stand the character. She’s just an arsehole. Luckily, Kinmont is much more likeable in Bride of Re-Animator.
Reason number two is the kill itself. How many people would use a shotgun to impale someone to a door (a Mikey classic) instead of shooting them? It takes a creative mind—or a lack of understanding of guns—to instantly turn any form of weapon into a knife. I would like to echo James Rolfe by asking, “Does he shoot people with a knife?”
3. John Strode (Bradford English) – Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer bloke… Dickheads should always get a brutal and gruesome death, no matter the genre. This particular dickhead—the abusive father and husband—meets a shocking end when he comes face-to-face with Michael and is electrocuted until his head explodes in an impressive and glorious effect.
2. Marge Guttman (Garn Stephens) – Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Oh, boy, we’re getting into it now. I didn’t stipulate that the kills had to come from Myers, just a Halloween movie in the franchise, canonical or not. Let’s face it, this franchise doesn’t do canon.
The kill is so memorable and gnarly, with the make-up effect leaving little to the imagination. It looks like melted playdough and the fact that it came from a small chip that is inside each halloween mask made by the Silver Shamrock company gives you a rough idea of what happened to poor lil Buddy Jr. The make-up department really outdid themselves on this one.
1. Bob Simms (John Michael Graham) – Halloween (1978)
Could number 1 have been anything else? This kill—and image—is one of the most well-known in horror. It’s up there with Jack Nicholson’s face poking through the hole in the bathroom door and TV Freddy delivering the line, “Welcome to prime time, bitch.” It’s unforgettable, despite its simplistic nature. It’s haunting due to Michael’s calm demeanour as he tilts his head to admire his handiwork. It also cements Michael Myers as the slasher icon he deserves to be recognised as even 45 years later. Happy 45th Halloween, Mikey!
Before we go, I have to give an honourable mention to Vanessa from Halloween Kills, who unfortunately shoots herself in the head with a magnum while attempting to kill Michael. It’s both hilarious and tragic. She was a doctor!
And so ends Spooktober. We are heading into the festive season and the final month of autumn. That doesn’t stop us from enjoying horror movies, and it never will.
Linsey Loves Horror 