The world of horror forever changed on October 27, 1978. This was the day that legendary horror director John Carpenter released Halloween, which gave moviegoers one of the most memorable movie maniacs in existence.
The first movie was well received upon its release. In fact, some even credit it with setting the standard for horror films going into the ’80s. Halloween also managed to make an incredible profit off of a relatively small amount to today’s standards. Michael has appeared in several movies over the years, including seven sequels and two films by filmmaker Rob Zombie. For most fans, the majority of the sequels were disappointing to say the least, but filmmakers decided to keep pumping them out regardless.
Michael has also been included in a number of comic books and video games, but the movies are sometimes a tradition for people around the Halloween season. Michael Myers, typically called The Boogeyman, has racked up an incredible body count in the last 40 years, much like other movie maniacs, such as Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface. Throughout his movie career, Michael remained mostly the same, always donning an emotionless white Halloween mask, a set of overalls, and a large kitchen knife.
Michael’s body has always been a mystery, since he often performs incredible feats that no mortal soul could realistically accomplish. Many elements of Michael Myers anatomy will always be a mystery, but there are some facts that movie buffs might know about the notorious maniac.
With that said, here are the 20 Strange Things About Michael’s Anatomy In The Halloween Movies.
20. He Once Had Blonde Hair
Even though Michael Myers’ mask changed over the years, most of the masks still featured brown hair to accompany the completely white face. That being said, not very many people will know that Michael was once a blonde.
In one scene in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Michael can be seen wearing a mask with blonde hair.
Director Dwight H. Little confessed in a director commentary for the film that the original mask had been misplaced, so a blonde mask that was in the prop department was used for the time being. It is a glaring continuity error that should have been reshot, but unfortunately, the blonde haired Michael Myers made it into the final cut, since they couldn’t afford to stop filming.
19. He Wears A Captain Kirk Mask
After 40 years of Halloween, the origins of the iconic Michael Myers mask isn’t much of a secret. If his face looks familiar, it’s because the mask is actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white. The mask looks an awfully lot like William Shatner, but many people might not see the connection since the eye holes were also cut bigger and the sideburns and eyebrows were ripped off of the Star Trek mask.
There have been many iterations of the Halloween mask over the last 40 years, but most of them are quite similar to the eerie look of the original mask. Even though the filmmakers didn’t use a completely original look for their movie maniac, his look is none the less chilling.
18. He Is Likely A Sociopath With Schizophrenia
There have been many explanations to what Michael Myers' exact mental disorder is, but the most popular opinion is that he is a sociopath with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia often begins at a young age and includes symptoms such as confused thinking, reduced social engagement, and false beliefs.
People with sociopathy also often have a difficult time forming relationships and can show a lack of empathy.
While Michael was never specifically diagnosed in the movies, it’s a safe assumption that Michael fits into both of these diagnoses. It is also important to note that not everyone who has schizophrenia or sociopathy will turn out to be violent, but Michael Myers certainly did.
17. More Than 10 People Have Played Him
Like many iconic movie maniacs who wear masks, several different actors have played the role of Michael Myers. In the original movie, Tony Moran, Nick Castle, and Will Sandin all played Michael, with the latter playing Michael at age 6. Many actors portrayed the masked maniac in the sequels, such as Dick Warlock, George P. Wilbur, Don Shanks, and Chris Durand.
For Rob Zombie’s two movies, the role of Michael Myers went to Tyler Mane, who was formally a professional wrestler. For the newest film, James Jude Courtney plays The Shape for the majority of the movie, but director David Gordan Green also brought back Nick Castle and Tony Moran for certain scenes.
16. He’s Over 6ft Tall
Movie maniacs like Jason Voorhees have grown considerably over the years and so has Michael Myers. In fact, Michael is at the taller end of the spectrum for masked maniacs. Original Michael actor Nick Castle comes in at 5 feet 10 inches, while the newest actor comes in at 6 feet 3 inches.
Michael still could have been a horrifying presence if he was shorter, but having a daunting height advantage over the young teenagers is part of what makes him scary.
The actor who played Michael in Rob Zombie’s two movie takes the top spot for the tallest version of Michael, coming in at 6 feet 8 inches. Needless to say, Michael’s height makes his violent pastime a little easier.
15. He Never Runs
Most people who have seen a Halloween movie know that Michael Myers never runs. Even though his victims often flee as fast as they can, Michael always ends up catching up to them simply by walking. It is never explained why he doesn’t run, but it makes his character that much creepier knowing that he doesn’t have to run to catch his victims.
Some people theorize that Michael can’t physically run or that it's simply a continuity error that he always catches up with his victims by walking. While this could be true, it’s likely that John Carpenter just wanted Michael to walk to add another frightening dimension to his character.
14. His Eye Was Permanently Damaged
The newest Halloween movie has shown incredible attention to detail when it comes to paying homage to the original film. Not only does it retcon all of the Halloween sequels, but it also brought back Jamie Lee Curtis, John Carpenter, and two of the original Michael Myers actors.
In the original movie, Laurie Strode attacks Michael with a coat hangar and stabs him in the eye with it.
Any normal person would have suffered permanent eye damage, and Michael did also. In the teaser poster for the 2018 Halloween, Michael can be seen with an eye injury in his left eye. It’s hard to see in the poster, but when the image is lightened, it becomes clear.
13. He Stole His Coveralls From A Mechanic
In all of the Halloween movies, Michael Myers has a completely emotionless appearance, which is part of the reason why he stands out from other movie maniacs. This was pulled off by not only giving him a white, emotionless mask, but also by giving him a plain blue jumpsuit. The look works because it is also void of emotions and since in many of the darker scenes, Michael’s mask is the only thing viewers can see.
In the original movie, it is revealed that Michael stole these coveralls from a mechanic. The mechanic was one of the first people Michael encountered once he escaped from the mental institution, which is why he wears the jumpsuit in every movie.
12. His Fingers Have Been Blown Off
Even though it seems like Michael can never really be defeated, he can actually sustain serious injuries. In the newest movie, Laurie and Michael have a long-awaited showdown and both of them sustain injuries in the process of the fight. After Michael smashes his way into Laurie’s house, Laurie takes a shotgun to Michael and manages to blow off some of his fingers.
Losing a couple fingers of course doesn’t stop Michael like it would most people, but it was none the less an extreme change to his anatomy that could be a permeant change to his appearance.
That being said, future movies might give Michael his fingers back since it would certainly make things easier in post-production.
11. He May Be Made Of Pure Evil
Even though Michael Myers is made of flesh and blood, there is a chance that he is simply pure evil. Donald Pleasence’s character Doctor Loomis often states in the movie that Michael is pure evil. The character is often called the definition of evil, which Loomis even explains by saying, “I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil.”
Given Michael Myers' criminal record and the excruciating pain he causes others, its hard to argue that he isn’t made of simply pure evil. He has also taken the lives of several dogs in the movie, which is reason enough to categorize him as pure evil.
10. He’s Never Talked As An Adult
Another key trait of Michael Myers is that he never talks, which again adds to his emotionless appearance. The only sounds we hear from Michael in the first eight movies are him grunting and breathing. Rob Zombie’s Halloween is the first time fans ever heard the character talk and even then, it was when he was a child.
Michael spoke as a child in Zombie’s two Halloween movies, but he stopped talking completely shortly after he was checked into Smith’s Grove.
That being said, in every Halloween film to date, the main character has never spoken a word as an adult. The Halloween sequels may have muddled Michael’s backstory, but at least they kept this trait consistent.
9. He Somehow Gained Driving Skills
One of the most confusing parts of the original Halloween is how Michael Myers learned how to drive. With Michael being institutionalized since he was six years old, it is incredibly unlikely that he would have learned how to drive. That being said, Michael is seen driving at several points throughout the series.
It would make sense if he was an erratic driver since he was never taught how to drive, but he actually is a pretty safe driver. While this may be a plot hole in the series, it still adds an eerie effect to the original since Michael can be seen driving in the background of several scenes without the main characters noticing him.
8. He Has Sustained Multiple Gun Shot Wounds
Michael Myers has been shot a countless amount of times in the Halloween franchise. He was first shot six times in the original movie by Doctor Loomis, but even after falling from a balcony, he still somehow survives.
Even if he was wearing a bulletproof vest, Laurie shoots Michael in both of his eyes in Halloween II, yet Michael still ends up coming back in future movie.
Michael was involved in a massive shootout at the end of the 2009 Halloween II, yet he is still alive at the conclusion of the movie. He also received several gunshot wounds in this year’s Halloween thanks to Laurie Strode, which resulted in him losing a few of his fingers.
7. He Is Capable Of Making Moral Decisions
Even though Michael is depicted as a sociopath in most of the movie, this year’s Halloween does actually show him making a moral decision. Michael starts slashing people up pretty early on in Halloween, but when it comes to taking the life of a baby, he decides not to. When he enters the home of one woman, he attacks her with her own kitchen knife before finding a baby in the living room.
Michael stops at the crib, but decides not to end the child’s life. Director David Gordon Green explained that the baby was a last minute addition after an adult actor didn’t show up for his scene. The director explains that he “thought it was interesting to see one ethical choice that he made in the movie.”
6. He Has A Thorn Tattoo On His Wrist
In Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, the filmmakers attempted to give Michael a backstory to explain why he ended his sister’s life. His backstory had to do with the Cult of Thorn, which was mostly made up of doctors in Halloween 6. During the ancient time of the Druids, one family member would be cursed, which would force that person to end their family in order to protect the other tribes.
In the movie, Michael is the family member cursed with the mark of Thorn, which can be seen on his right wrist early on.
It is explained that the doctors mainly wanted to curse Michael so that they could study him and potentially harness the pure evil.
5. His Real Face Has Only Been Seen A Couple Times
Michael Myers is known for his emotionless white mask, but his real face has been seen a few times during the course of the movies. Michael’s real face was first seen in the original Halloween during his altercation with Laurie. Michael’s real face wouldn’t be seen again until Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.
For Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies, Michael is seen without his mask as a child and is seen without his mask for the majority of Halloween II. Michael is again seen without his mask in this year’s Halloween, and the filmmakers even brought back Tony Moran to play the unmasked version of Michael just like in the original.
4. He’s Often Considered Immortal
It’s not very often that a popular horror maniac will be officially ended at the conclusion of a movie. Often times, movie studios will keep the final moments of the film open-ended so that the villain can come back for sequels. As it happens with most ‘80s slashers, John Carpenter’s Halloween spawned several sequels. Throughout the movies, Michael survived several scenarios that lead many people to believe that he is immortal.
Michael has not only survived being shot multiple times, but he has also survived being beaten, blown up, and stabbed.
The average person wouldn’t live to tell the tale, but Michael clearly isn’t like most people given his long reputation of surviving the impossible.
3. He Shows Incredible Strength
Another trait of Michael Myers is that he shows incredible strength throughout the entire series. Even with physically fit actors playing Michael, there is just no way he would have been able to pull off some of the feats he accomplishes in the films. For instance, in Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, Michael is able to flip a car into a ditch with his bare hands.
He has also stabbed people with so much force that he lifts them into the air. In Halloween H20, Michael hid on the ceiling by holding onto a pipe with one hand and then slowly lowered himself down. In the newest Halloween, Michael also left behind a trail of bodies that were horribly disfigured, showing off his incredible amount of brute strength.
2. Michael’s Mask Has Changed Over The Years
While Michael has always been seen with a white emotionless mask, the mask has slightly changed over the years. For the first two movies, Michael’s mask appears mostly the same, only with a more aged appearance and slightly reddish hair in the sequel. In Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, the mask has slicked back hair, a shocked expression, and fewer details in the face. In Halloween 5, Michael has a longer mask with grown out hair. In The Curse of Michael Myers, Michael has a more classic looking mask, which brings back some of the facial details in the mask.
Halloween H20 probably changed his mask the most, by not only having several different masks, but by also including one which has huge eyeholes.
Not much is changed for Halloween: Resurrection, but in Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies and the newest Halloween, Michael’s mask looks close to the original, but a bit more aged.
1. He Might Still Be Alive
Spoiler warning for those that haven’t seen the newest Halloween, but Michael Myers might still be alive at the conclusion of the movie. At the end of Halloween, Laurie, her daughter Karen, and her granddaughter Allyson trap Michael in Laurie’s house and set it on fire. Not only has this never been an effective way to end Michael Myers, but Michael’s breathing can be heard after the credits roll.
With the after-credits tease and the commercial success of Halloween, it’s likely a sequel will come out within a few years. Co-screenwriter Danny McBride has also confirmed that sequel talks are happening, but that they are taking their time to make sure they make a logical sequel.
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Are there any other facts about Michael Myers’ anatomy in Halloween that we missed? Let us know in the comments!