‘Halloween’: 40 years of the Boogeyman

Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007)

The Halloween franchise was in need of a reset.

A sequel to Halloween: Resurrection was in its early stages, but in 2005, executive producer and godfather of the franchise Moustapha Akkad and his daughter Rima Al Akkad were killed in the Amman bombings. Naturally, that sent the Akkad family into a state of grief and the future of the Michael Myers legacy into limbo.

One year later, Rob Zombie, who was coming off a successful chain of critical and commercial blockbusters, including House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, was announced to be helming a reboot of the series. Not only did Zombie plan to remake the 1978 original, but he sought to explore the Michael Myers’ backstory of a tragically broken homelife that led him on a path of destruction. Through mixing an abusive upbringing with a brief glimpse into Myers’ time at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, which heavily featured Dr. Loomis (this time portrayed by Malcolm McDowell) and visits from his mother (Sheri Moon Zombie), Zombie hoped to give reason for Myers’ madness in darker, more vivid shades.

“The guy’s brilliant in so many different creative media, from music to art and directing. He’s just genuinely a nice person. I loved working with him and love who he is,” says living legend Dee Wallace, known for her work in Cujo, E.T. the Extra Terrestrial and The Howling. “I love Sheri [Moon Zombie] to death. I’ve done three projects with Rob now, and ‘Halloween’ was my great introduction to Rob Zombie and the crazy creative that he is.”

“I just remember having a really great time with Rob. It was really creative freedom for me. I’d been doing a lot of TV for awhile, and in TV these days, you’re really micromanaged. So, for me to go in and be able to bring in all my creativity and be trusted and respected was what I needed at the time,” she continues. “I think it’s what every actor needs all the time. You will never talk to an actor who doesn’t want to work with Rob again. You know that when you go to work with Rob that morning, it’s going to be a creative day, and it’s gonna be fun. You’re going to be able to do great work because you’ll be given the freedom to do it with knowing that if it’s not working, he’ll say, ‘Just try something else.’”

Looking back, Wallace doesn’t necessarily see Zombie’s turn at Michael Myers as a traditional remake. “I look at it as more of a Rob-make. He put his own spin on it and gave us some interesting background that hadn’t been explored,” she says. Pat Skipper, who plays Mason Strode, Laurie’s flustered realtor of a father, agrees. “He made the movie he wanted to make. It’s a damned good movie, too,” he says.

The cast mixed other such legendary performers as William Forsythe, playing Ronnie White (Raising Arizona, Once Upon a Time in America), Brad Dourif as Sheriff Brackett (most famously known as the voice of Chucky in the Child’s Play series) and McDowell (Clockwork Orange, Star Trek: Generations, Time After Time), and Halloween alum Danielle Harris as Annie Brackett (who previously starred in Halloween 4: The Return of MIchael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers) with a slew of promising newcomers, including Scout Taylor-Compton, who valiantly steps into the role of Laurie Strode, and Kristina Klebe (as Lynda van der Klock).

Then 11-years-old, actor Daeg Faerch portrays both a charmingly sweet and viciously relentless young Michael Myers in the film’s first act. While many have criticised the humanization of what John Carpenter had called “pure evil,” a fresh story board allows Zombie to play just outside the lines of expectation, alongside some of his most striking visuals. Faerch is the fourth child actor to portray Myers in the franchise’s long history, and it’s a distinction Faerch, now 23, doesn’t take lightly. “What is cool is that I’m the one that really gave a backstory to make you feel bad for the bad guy,” he says. “Rob really did a great job, and that’s always fun for the viewer. It makes you think. You start to feel bad, and that’s a really weird feeling to have.”

Amidst the complexity of the storyline, as Faerch himself stresses, his mother was his onset guardian to decode may of those deeper layers. “My mom did the mom translator type thing. They would tell things about the story to her, and she would translate it to things I would understand as an 11-year-old.”

In the second half of the film, adult Michael Myer is played by Tyler Mane, most known for his work in 2000’s X-Men and Troy (2004).

When news broke of Taylor-Compton’s casting as pivotal character Laurie Strode, internet message boards and fan sites lit up with not-so-nice words about her involvement. “At 17, I didn’t realize how big ‘Halloween’ was going to be and how much of a fan base the series did have. Once my name was announced, it was pretty insane right off the bat of people comparing me to Jamie [Lee Curtis] and belittling me without seeing anything I had done,” says Taylor-Compton. “So, it was hard for me not to read that kind of stuff. But Rob really helped me out. On my first day on set, he said, ‘Don’t read that stuff. And don’t do it like Jamie. I didn’t cast you to do it like Jamie. I cast you because what you did in the room was how I want her to be played.’ After that, I went off all the sites. For other movies I’ve done, you can’t read that stuff. We’re all human, and words get to you.”

Filming began in January 2007 in South Pasadena, the same neighborhood as the original. From mood-dripping color palettes to frantic camera work, Zombie heightens the story’s overall sense of devastation, as the characters are faced with raw, unadulterated evil. Through Zombie’s sometimes unnerving approach, Michael Myers inhabits a world as dark and brutal as he is.

“Rob is a great director. Maybe the best I’ve ever seen. I’ve also worked with John Carpenter (on ‘Memoirs of an Invisible Man’). They have much in common. Both are very effective field generals who know what they want,” says Skipper. “Rob gives his actors considerable leeway while they’re working. He makes his actors feel that they are part of his team. It’s very relaxing. He gives his actors permission to invent onscreen. Every take is just a rehearsal. But the cameras are rolling, and good things happen.”

Rob Zombie’s Halloween opened August 31, 2007 and grossed $30.3 million over the four-day Labor Day Weekend. Critic reception was overwhelming negative, with a 25 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Those purists that don’t want to know about Michael Myers, how are they gonna react to taking Jamie Lee Curtis and doing it 40 years later…?” says Wallace. “I mean, you can’t do a film today like you could back then. We’ve come too far technically, emotionally and everything else.”

She adds, “Oh, god, I think the negativity is unwarranted. What do you want him to do? Just have on a jumpsuit and a mask? Does that make him scarier? Maybe that’s why people take issue with it. The more human he becomes, the less scary he is. He becomes more of a character that we understand and can have compassion for.”

Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later script writer Robert Zappia shares his thoughts of where the series went in the years following the 1998 installment. “I did see the Rob Zombie’s ‘Halloween’ opening weekend – as a fan, I was excited to see a fresh new reboot of the series,” he says. “But for me, it didn’t work on a multiple levels; personalizing Michael Meyers to that degree made him less scary. In a strange way, it humanized him in a way that I don’t think he should be humanized. The mystery of the ‘evil’ that lurks behind the mask is what was so impactful to me – I think we all project our own fears into who is behind the mask.”

“Secondly, the killings were too brutal. Too much time spent on them. It fell into the torture porn genre. That just isn’t effective storytelling, and more importantly, isn’t as scary as what John Carpenter delivered over thirty years ago,” he adds.

Below, Daeg Faerch reflects on his role as young Michael Myers and the film’s bloodiest scenes. Also, Scout Taylor Compton, Dee Wallace and Pat Skipper discuss their familial bonds, Myers’ tormented savagery and vital story beats.

Reality V Fantasy

Zombie’s vision for the franchise involved considerable more grotesque imagery and a far higher body count. Even as a child actor, Faerch was more mature for his age, able to differentiate reality from the fiction.

Faerch: It’s all fake. I had been acting for seven years at that point, so ever since I could speak. I did little plays and worked my way up to that. I love acting and performing, and it was all fun. I always tell people it’s not every day you get to kill people and get paid for it ⏤ and not have to live with killing people.

The Audition

Faerch: I live maybe two-ish hours from LA, and I was going up there a lot for auditions and whatnot. I got this audition for an untitled Rob Zombie ‘Halloween’ project. I didn’t get that it was part of the ‘Halloween’ franchise, and I didn’t know who Rob was. So, we honestly thought it was a zombie project, and I would be a zombie. A couple years before that, I had had an awesome part as a zombie in ‘Frank’s First Love,’ a little student film.

So, we turned it down a couple times, but then, it finally lined up with some auditions I was doing. The audition was fun, but it was a little weird, though. I was in the waiting room, and all the other kids that were auditioning were at least a head short than me and had short brown hair. I said, “I’m probably not gonna get this.” But I did my due and got it. They had me do a couple scenes that didn’t even end up making it into the movie.

Skipper: I’m a working actor. I audition for everything I get. I prepared hard, and I improvised my audition. I was playing a guy who was running late for work. I was anxious to get out of the house. The audition was on tape, and Zombie was not there. When I’m late, it’s because I can’t find my stuff. My glasses. My wallet. That’s why I got the part, I guess. I couldn’t find my glasses. They were on my head. Rob included that bit in the script when we shot it.

Working with Sheri Moon Zombie

Sheri Moon Zombie, most known for Grindhouse and Lords of Salem, as well as starring in such previous Rob Zombie films as The Devil’s Rejects and House of 1000 Corpses, possesses a straightforward charm, especially in her scenes with Faerg.

Faerch: She was a joy and super easy to get along with. We were all there doing what we love, so that always helps. It makes it all good vibes.

First Kill

Continuing to endear young Michael Myers to the audience, Rob Zombie sets up a scene in the school bathroom. Two bullies, which include Daryl Sabara (of Spy Kids fame), enter, make some crude jokes about his mother’s line of work (erotic dancing at night) and prove to be altogether terrible human beings. Later in the afternoon, Myers exacts his revenge by beating Sabara’s character to a bloody pile of flesh and bones in the woods.

Faerch: That [bathroom] scene was fun. It’s not every day you get to let your rage out and say, “Fuck you.” I was saying it to this old guy [played by Richard Lynch (The Sword and the Sorcerer, Battlestar Galactica)]. It’s a fuck the system kind of thing.

It was so fun to shoot the woods scene. We had these fake sticks made of styrofoam. Rob kept telling me to go harder and harder. They kept breaking. We were on the last one, and he was like, “Ok, so calm down now. We need to keep one prop.”

Love Hurts

Rob Zombie reinvents the death of Judith Myers as an all out bloodbath. Not only does Michael Myers kill his sister in the most gruesome way possible ⏤ first stabbing her and watching her crawl down the hallway, before slicing and dicing her ⏤ but he duct tapes his stepfather to the living room recliner and slices his throat. Then, Myers takes an aluminum baseball bat to the back of Judith’s boyfriend’s head.

Faerch: I’ve always been interested in film, even behind the scenes. So, to see the props and rigs and all that was so cool. I was definitely getting tired of eating that candy corn. That scene might have been a quarter of what we were filming that night.

You get to let rage out you never get to get out. We stunted it out with a stun coordinator for the smack to the head. But when you see me wailing on him, he’s obviously not there. I was smacking a couple yoga mats.

Judith’s death was so fun to shoot. Rob was almost getting mad us because it was really hard for us not to bust out laughing going down that hallway. I don’t remember exactly why we were both kind of hitting the giggle dick at that moment. I remember them calling me “One Take Jake.” A lot of the times, I just nailed it, unless in that laughing moment or when I sneezed when Sheri’s coming home and I’ve got blood all over me on the front porch.

Getting Arrested

Once the police brigade arrive, and Myers is arrested and put into the back of the police car, Faerch makes an unsettling look to the camera. It’s certainly a bold creative choice to break the fourth wall in a gory slasher flick.

Faerch: I think that decision was Rob. I remember sitting in the back of the cop car, and every so often, he’d say, “Ok, now look!” I remember there was a bunch of cookies, too. I think that was the time someone spilled a big plate of cookies everywhere. [laughs]

The Sanitarium

Once Michael Myers knocks off his step father, sister and her boyfriend, he is transferred to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium. The location has a noticeably more sterile aesthetic with far more static camera work. Here, Faerch works predominantly alongside Malcolm McDowell’s stern but compassionate Dr. Loomis.

Faerch: It’s set up is simple, but it gives it an eerie vibe, almost as if it has the same feeling as ‘The Shining.’ Malcolm was awesome to work with and a super fine-tuned actor. There was this one scene with Sheri there, too. He kept slurping on his cup instead of just sipping normally. [laughs] We kept laughing and giving him shit about it. Sheri was just like “Oh, my god, stop slurping on your damn cup…”

My scene with Malcolm McDowell when I’m crying about wanting to go home was completely improv. Rob pointed the camera at us and said, “Do some stuff. I want more footage of you guys.” That scene is the last bit of human leaving Michael.

With my part, it really made you feel for him. It shows the hard life he went through. Granted, not everybody would go that way even through that life. But he did.

One of Michael Myers’ last scenes as a child contains an unmistakably violent death, in which he takes his fork and jams it into the throat of a nurse. It’s the trigger to propel the rest of the sanitarium sequences, also leading to his mother’s death by suicide.

Faerch: That was a really fun [scene], especially when the guards grab me. One of the guards is actually the stunt coordinator, and I think I actually bit him and drew blood. When I work, I give it 150%, you know. I let it out.

Crafting a New Vision for Laurie Strode

Other than a few storyline beats and a subtly shy demeanor, Taylor-Compton’s Laurie Strode is noticeably different from Jamie Lee Curtis’ original iteration. Zombie’s grittier script gets much of the credit, as well as his allowances for his actors to improvise their scene work. Taylor-Compton then took the lead on make distinct character choices to compliment her strengths.

Taylor-Compton: I’ve been doing this since I was nine. I just gravitate toward emotional roles, and they’re the easier roles for me to do. If you hand me a comedy script, that’s so difficult for me. But if you hand me something really emotional, I find those easier for me to handle and portray.

Rob is the type of director who doesn’t like to be in the room [for the audition]. He doesn’t want to form a connection. He’d rather watch off the tape to see what chops you have and what you can bring to the role. In the beginning, going in so much was not because of Rob, but it was because of the studio. They were so uncertain of me, and Rob wasn’t. The studio kept saying, “Meh, let’s see this girl and this girl and this girl.” So, it was a fight with the studio.

When I finally got to meet Rob, he was like, “I saw your tape, and you do what you do. I’ll give you a few things here and there to try, but what you do is what I want for Laurie.” It was never, “Oh, make her how I see it.” He wanted to see every girl come in and do the reading, and whichever girl he felt portrayed Laurie how he wanted, he didn’t want to change anything that anyone had.

It was that way with all of the cast. He is so trusting. It’s so cool to work with a director that is like that. It was very overwhelming to know that he fought for me. It makes me happy.

I thought the backstory [for Michael] was so cool. My dad is a mortician, so I grew up looking at my dad’s files, especially if he had a murder case. My question was always, “Why?” So, it was cool to see that and explain it a little bit. That is also my favorite part of the movie. I love it. I thought Daeg did absolutely brilliantly. He was such a scary kid.

Screen Test

Even in the screentest, which you can watch on YouTube, there is an ease with which Scout Taylor-Compton approaches the character of Laurie Strode. She oozes a Midwestern sensibility, and little of her very natural characterizations differ from the onscreen product.

Taylor-Compton: Honestly, what I remember most is not listening to my mom about what she wanted me to wear. My dad and I went to a thrift store and got that awful dress I wore that was way too short. [laughs] I remember Danielle [Harris] being really tiny, too. It’s crazy to see stuff like that.

I don’t have a really good memory, but that day was the first time I met Rob. In the office, they had everyone’s photos up on the wall. Mine was in the middle. It was such a cool feeling. Everything was going to happen, and I was going to join this ‘Halloween’ family. I was speechless.

Fear of Improv & Intense Emotional Switch

Taylor-Compton: As an actor, I’m always very fearful of improv. [laughs] You never know what’s going to happen as the night drags on. With Rob, I wasn’t worried so much. He lets it go at the right time. I remember doing a shoot with Danielle where I find her body, and that whole beat was improv ⏤ to falling down to sliding on the wall and calling her “Baby.” It was so cool to be able to feel that and to feel that for a long time. That was the one scene that really got to me. It was really hard for me.

Every time I do something that’s super emotional, everyone finds it really hilarious how I’m able to just go in and out. I’m such a happy, bubbly person…up until they say action. Then, as soon as they cut, I’m back to myself and singing Disney songs. I’m not sure why I’m able to do that, but it might be a good thing. For some reason, I found something in me that’s able to go in and out almost immediately.

I bruise really easily, too, so sometimes my body looks like a war zone everyday I would go home. My voice would hurt a little bit, and my eyes would be a little swollen. When you’re having fun, you don’t really notice it all too much.

The Parenthood Factor

The dynamic between Laurie and her parents is sweet and a welcome reprieve from the vicious events that flood the screen. Among their most charming scenes together is the opening breakfast sequence, involving a bagel, and later a solitary moment on the front porch just as the night descends upon Haddonfield. For Wallace and Skipper, their real-life experiences in parenthood served them well to flesh out characters the audience had never quite seen before, even in the original film.

Taylor-Compton: I absolutely love Dee. She’s one of the best human beings on this planet. I’m such a cub, so when I meet a strong woman, I’m like, “You’re such a mom figure….” She had that. We just bonded really well. For most of our scenes, we were sick. So, we cuddled up with each other and pushed through and made the scenes work.

With the bagel scene, Rob just whispered that in my ear. I had that trust, and there was no hesitation. I was like, “Alright, dude, I’ll try it. Let’s see what happens.”

Wallace: I know moms. I’ve played a million of them, and I am one. The whole scene in the kitchen, what I love about Rob is he’s so open to improv and bringing in your own ideas. There were some magic moments, like with the slipping bagels that we had. Scout and I just connected like a mother and daughter. It was really easy.

There’s something beautiful about the fact that you hadn’t seen Mrs. Strode before. So, I didn’t have to follow any rules. I didn’t have to follow anything that a predecessor had set up. I just could go in and be Laurie’s mom. I figure the more you love me, the more gruesome it is when Michael gets me.

I just think Scout is a beautiful, amazing actress. She had so many levels going on, really full emotional life. But she also was very accessible, kind of like the girl next door with an edge. A lot of the audience could relate to her on a personal level.

I didn’t love doing the scene when we’re sitting on the front porch, but I loved the final product. It was freezing. Scout and I both had 101-degree fevers. But you can’t tell it! [laughs] I mean, we were having fun. She was calling on things from her childhood, and I was using a lot of the stuff I used with my little girl around Halloween. That was all guided improv, too. Rob said, “Look, this is what we have to do. This is what we have to get to. You’ve got to hit these three points.” I just wanted you to see the relationship between the two.

Skipper: “Dad” is a wonderful role to play in real life. I’m glad to be a father. It has brought me tremendous joy. It is, of course, stressful at times to be a husband and a dad. The writing of the role was very close to how I view family life. The writing was truthful. I tried to be true to what was written. I believed in this script.

Peepin’ Tom

Zombie peppers in nods to the original, including a moment when Cynthia and Laurie are attempting to put up Halloween decorations. From across the street, Michael Myers stalks and the camera holds on them for an uncomfortably long time.

Wallace: All of those little tiny things like Michael watching us and how the camera is set up ⏤ that’s all Rob. It was fabulous that we had three steady cams that we got to work with. You didn’t have to match so much because you had three cameras rolling on every take. So, if you got a brilliant take, and everybody’s improv’ing, you didn’t have to go back and match a lot and remember what you said. It’s really freedom for an actor.  Also, it’s an energy saver. Oh my god, it’s so great when you don’t have to do it 20 times. [laughs]

Front Porch Attack

After trading adorable moments of Laurie’s younger days, Cyntha and Mason Strode head into the house. Michael Myers unleashes one of the film’s bloodies and hard-to-watch death sequences of all time, as he flings Cynthia’s body up against the bookcase and then across the glass coffee table.

Taylor-Compton: Oh, that sequence is so good. That’s one of the jumps I did have in the theatre. When the dad gets killed on the porch, I was not expecting that at all. That whole scene with Dee in the house is so hard to watch. They’re using my baby photos everywhere. I’m like “Oh my god, this is terrifying.”

Wallace: I did my job, then. I was supposed to die when I went down the bookcase. Three weeks later, the producers called me and said, “Well, we need you back.” I said, “I’ve already died…” They said, “Rob wants to kill you better.” [laughs] I was thrilled to go back. More film time! And more opportunity to get to hang with Rob! There’s no way you could lose with that scenario.

I never rehearsed that scene. I go in and become the character and live in the moment. That’s the way I work the best. It is definitely from technique I studied for years with Charles Conrad. The more I can get out of my head, the better and more in the moment I am.

Tyler is such a beautiful human being and a gentle giant. I kept saying, “Honey, it’s OK. I’ve got my hand on your hand. So, you’re not going to hurt me.” Finally, my dance background kicked in, and I took some of those moves. It all worked.

I don’t think people really understand the amount of energy it takes to act. At least using my technique, it takes an enormous amount of energy. When I finished ‘Cujo,’ they treated me for exhaustion for three weeks. I was just in fight or flight the whole freaking time.

Skipper: The three of us were very close. I fell in love with Dee Wallace in the first five minutes after we met, and we both felt very paternal towards Scout. Such a great, hard-working kid. We were, all three of us, sick with the flu during that scene on the porch. We suffered together. It made the day bearable. That scene was mostly improv’d based on the script. We had a lot of fun with it. Rob guided us through it. The death was so fast I almost missed it. I regret that my line before he killed me was cut: “Wow. Nice costume!” It was an honor to be wiped out by Michael Myers.

Working with Danielle Harris

Danielle Harris, a veteran of the Halloween franchise, gives the film a heavy dose of nostalgia and even more credibility. She packs a punch in her work, and it’s never more evident in her scenes with Scout Taylor-Compton.

Taylor-Compton: I wasn’t very familiar with the horror genre, so I wasn’t familiar with what she had done. That was probably for the best. I probably would have freaked out. Our friendship was real. It was cool to later on find out she was part of the whole franchise.

Learning from Malcolm McDowell

Much like in the original film, Dr. Loomis and Laurie’s stories don’t collide until the final act of the movie. Dr. Loomis has spent the better part of the remake portion of the film hunting down his former patient, and in the most simple of scenes, Malcolm McDowell commands attention.

Taylor-Compton: Malcolm and I are pretty similar in how we approach our craft and how we have fun with what we’re doing. I didn’t realize that maybe Malcolm has informed how I am today, as an actress. He’s so relaxed and having so much fun. He doesn’t get drowned in the craft, at all.

There’s a lightness to him. It’s like balancing on your toes. He’s so effortless. I kind of have that, too, so I don’t get lost in the work and have to destress. You don’t have to have that. I think he showed me that, and I think that’s what I’ve held onto through the years. He’s such an energy to be around.

Stunts, Not Allowed

Taylor-Compton urged Zombie to let her do many of the film’s required stunt work, but while she did get to participate in a handful of sequences, there were a number of others she did not.

Taylor-Compton: There are a few. I was so pissed. [laughs] Not really. I didn’t get to do the falling off the roof and falling into the pool and rolling. I wanted to do those so bad. To this day, any director that I work with and I have stunts, I’m like, “I’m going to do them!” I’m just going to go do some stunt training so I can do all of it anyway. I remember my uncle was onset that day [for the pool scene]. It was the first time he heard my scream. He was like, “Holy crap.”

Macabre Playfulness

Tyler Mane’s version of Michael Myers is much more towering and brutal in both presence and action. In the final chapter, Myers displays a childlike playfulness in the way he taunts Laurie and toys with the bodies of his victims.

Taylor-Compton: It’s that roughhousing between siblings. I don’t want to belittle it by any means. In the middle of the chase, when I’m in the basement and he’s coming up to me, he just doesn’t know how to communicate. Once I fuck that up, it’s all over. It’s that kid that never grew up. He’s just like this. It’s neat how Rob explored that.

A Thrilling Chase

The film retraces many of the same beats of the original film, but Zombie makes sure to pepper in his own flavor and twisty plot points. With the climax of the movie, Michael Myers clips at Laurie’s heels as she runs for her life back to the Doyle house. Zombie leaves little to the imagination.

Taylor-Compton: I was so out of breath. My throat was killing me after a takes. I don’t know what it is, but my scream crackles. That is one thing I really do like. My scream is really cool. There are a lot of things you can do with your vocal chords, if you do it correctly. Adding screaming and running, I had so much fun doing that.

We were doing it in an actual neighborhood in Pasadena. There were so many people in the streets, and it was frightening to see people’s faces who were watching it. They were actually really affected by it. If you can pull of a chase scene and make your scream sound terrified and sad, it’s a really cool thing to be able to do.

A Blood-Soaked Finale

The very last high-action sequence of the film involves both Laurie Strode and Michael Myers tumbling from the iconic balcony. It bookends one of the most heart-pounding sequences of the Halloween franchise and culminates in a blood-curdling scream to end all screams, as the Halloween Theme pumps into the speakers and home-video footage of a young Michael Myers douses the screen.

Taylor-Compton: The stunt woman actually got hurt. She got hurt a lot. They fell wrong off the balcony. I can’t remember the details, but I do remember she got really hurt from that scene. She was supposed to fall on him, but he fell on her. So, thankfully, I didn’t do that stunt. Stunts are hard, man, and the stunt guys really need to know what they’re doing. Whenever I watch any superhero movie or anything, I’m always thinking about the stunts and how badass they are.

It’s such a cool ending to a horror movie. With the shots and the closeups, Rob is so good at his job. A lot of people don’t like that movie, and I think, “Why? It’s exactly what you should want from a horror movie.” How I left from there is how I left from ‘A Quiet Place.’ It has that feeling I want when I leave the theatre. It’s that uneasy feeling of “What the fuck did I just see?!” Back in the day, things weren’t as harsh, and now, we’re able to actually show what happens. I think that’s why some people didn’t like this one. They’re so uneasy about it. Well, that’s the point.

The one thing I did learn from Rob was that if he says keep on going, you keep on going. Whether it’s emotional crying or you want to say something. All I felt like doing was screaming at that point. My favorite part of both of these movies is the ending of the first one and the beginning of the second one.

First Reaction to the Movie

Taylor-Compton: It was one of the best feelings I’ve had. When I was at the premiere, I brought my whole family. After watching the first scene, I turned back to my grandma, who was 76 at the time, and I said, “I’m so sorry you’re here. I didn’t realize how gory it was and how many curse words there were going to be…” But it was cool to see myself on the screen and see how emotional I was.

Faerch: I thought that it was really cool. I didn’t watch it at the premiere. When I did watch, I only watched my part at first. Eventually, I watched the full movie. I’m not the biggest fan of horror movies. My mom knew that, and she understood that I would watch my part. I didn’t do the other part, so it could be really scary.

Wallace: I thought it was just great. So many of my fans that were there that night really freaked out about seeing me actually die on screen. I mean, I turn into a werewolf in ‘The Howling’ and all that. But it was really the first time you actually saw me die. Boy, the fans sure did react to it.

Skipper: I laughed through the whole movie. I remember the first time I saw Carpenter’s version. It was dollar movie night at college. People were screaming their guts out and laughing like maniacs. I had the same reaction to the Zombie version. Malcolm McDowell was excellent. He and Rob made a special bond, or so it seemed to me.