The Halloween franchise is known for acknowledging its complicated, convoluted mythology. Though the newest movies erased almost all of those stories outside of the original 1978 Halloween, the film stays true to the long franchise history of tongue-in-cheek easter eggs.
Whether it's the ritual unmasking, Michael's window obsession, or some creepy, possibly evil, masks, Halloween Kills is a treasure trove for a long time, devoted fans to see many references to previous movies, even those that these latest few movies have retconned. All the films have one thing in common - knowing that everyone is entitled to a good scare on Halloween.
Michael In His Window
The window in Judy Myers' room always seems to be very intriguing to Michael. At the end of the film, Michael finally reaches his goal of standing at that window and looking out. This is not the first time in the franchise that Michael stands there looking at the town around him.
The scene is reminiscent of the original Halloween when Michael can be spotted watching Laurie and her friends out of that same window. He appears there in a few other films in the franchise, notably Halloween V, Halloween VI, and Halloween: Resurrection.
Another Angry Mob
When Haddonfield discovers that their resident Boogeyman has returned to his hometown again, the survivors of that 1978 Halloween night lead the town in a hunt for him. The mob rules/lynch mob mentality has come to play in Haddonfield on screens before, both in Halloween II and Halloween IV: The Return Of Michael Myers.
In the original sequel, once the town finds out that Myers was the killer, they formed a mob - but the most violent thing they did was vandalize the Myers home. In Halloween IV, the town also decides to hunt him down, ending in misidentification and tragedy.
Michael Kills An Older Couple
After Michael escapes the trap so painstakingly set for him by Laurie, he heads over to the neighbor's house in search of a weapon. This scene is eerily similar to when he walks into a home and picks up a huge butcher knife, walking back out with no one knowing early in Halloween II. This is a movie so controversial with fans that Michael Myers is actually considered among the most likable characters.
The couple in Halloween Kills that mirrors that the first movie does not get off as quickly. Michael is not in the mood to silently grab a weapon and stalk off, disposing of both before he grabs his go-to weapon of choice and heads off for more destruction.
Michael Is Unmasked
There is a weird tradition in Myers being unmasked by a woman character who has survived his attacks. This movie is no different, with Myers being maskless and facing a mob of his survivors at the end. This time around, the one who takes his mask is Karen Nelson, Laurie's daughter.
In previous movies, only Jaime, Laurie, and Myers himself have removed the mask, giving the person who does it the power to stop Michael the killer/ultimate slasher, at least momentarily. So far, the only person outside of himself that has wholly pulled off his mask and lived is Laurie, and audiences are waiting for what has been declared to be their final showdown in next year's Halloween Ends.
Someone Says "RUN"
Lindsey Wallace faced Myers alongside Tommy Doyle, and Laurie Strode in 1978 and lived. She was haunted by that night, as were they, becoming a tough and capable woman ready to protect others on the day that her living nightmare shambles back into town.
Lindsey proves herself adept at provoking Myers while surviving yet again, and in her peak, she yells at kids on the swings in the park to run and hide before he kills them all. In Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers, fan-favorite Tina also strives to protect the children in the movie, eventually yelling for Jaime to run as she sacrifices herself to attempt to lead Michael off his goal.
Silver Shamrock Masks
When they had wrapped the books on Halloween II, the creatives believed that the franchise would continue as an anthological series, and the third offering was Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Though now a film with quite the cult following, it was a flop and almost immediately retconned out of fans' minds with a bloody return to Michael Myers when the movie initially came out.
Many who watched that movie will never be able to take away the brilliance of the evil masks made by the Silver Shamrock company. Halloween Kills may have been the last movie audiences expected to be called on in this movie, yet the bodies in the park are shockingly posed, and each has on a different one of the masks - Silver Shamrock tag and all.
Everyone Is Entitled To One Good Scare
In the original 1978 movie, part of the brilliance was from John Carpenter's use of suspense instead of gore to get the scares. One of the best references in the film comes thanks to Sheriff Brackett, played by Charles Cypher, who returns to Haddonfield. Brackett provides one of the best scares, accidentally bumping into Laurie walking away from the Myers home. As he steadies her, he smiles, saying, "You know it's Halloween. I guess everyone's entitled to one good scare."
Imagine fans' delight when Leigh Brackett steps up to Myers in Halloween Kills to take his revenge on him and gets the attack on the Boogeyman going when he says, "Hey Michael. It's Halloween. Everyone's entitled to one good scare."
Nurse Marion's Part
From the scramble onto the roof of the car to the frame-by-frame reenactment of his escape from Smith's Grove Institution, the redoing of one of the original movie's most iconic scenes was one of the most anticipated from the film's premiere - and it did not let down.
This was not only the best throwback to a previous Halloween film but is possibly one of the best throwbacks in a sequel/reboot that has graced the silver screen recently. Though she did not escape this time, Marion was one of the best kills in the whole movie. They even pay homage to her initial escape, having another passenger dressed in a costume shockingly similar to the one she wore that October 31, 1978, falling out onto the pavement in the same way. Unfortunately for her, that is where the similarity ended, and Myers claimed her as a victim.