Now that we’re officially past the 4th of July weekend, it’s the start of the spooky season for most avid horror fans. Some stores have already started putting out Halloween decorations and Spirit Halloween is set to open up once again next month around the country. In terms of film franchises, there’s no better way to kick off this chilling time of year than with John Carpenter’s Halloween. The slasher series has over a dozen films to its name and now Halloween is getting a new book honoring the night Michael Myers came home.
Written by Wayne Byrne and released by Bloomsbury Publishing, You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman: The Ongoing Halloween Saga – 13 Movies and Counting is releasing on August 7th. The book explores Halloween’s impact over the last five decades and its lasting effect on pop culture. There will be a ton of new interviews with the directors, screenwriters, actors, composers, and cinematographers throughout the franchise, including actors Gloria Gifford (Halloween II), Marianne Hagan (Halloween 6), and Brad Loree (Halloween: Resurrection). As for the directors featured in the book, there will be conversations with Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season of the Witch), Dwight H. Little (Halloween 4), and Dominique Othenin-Girard (Halloween 5). Other notable names in the book are Halloween‘s original cinematographer Dean Cundey and composer Alan Howarth (Halloween 4, Halloween 5).
The Boogeyman Is Coming Home!
Like most long-running horror franchises, Halloween has a ton of highs and lows throughout its ongoing run. The first two films starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence are often considered to be the best, given they take place on the same horrific Halloween night in 1978. The two films also have a ton more connective tissue, like Carpenter returning to score the film and write the screenplay, as well as Cundey again offering his sharp visual eye.
However, the franchise has expanded beyond the bloodshed of 1978. Whether it be the growing cult following of the anthology installment Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the back-to-basics approach of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, or the recent Halloween legacy trilogy from David Gordon Green, the fanbase for the various sequels is only getting stronger. While this is far from the first book written about the history of the franchise, Byrne has a lot of material and stories to pull from. He’s well-versed in the genre, having already written Welcome to Elm Street: Inside the Film and Television Nightmare, so it’s going to be exciting to see what the author digs up on one of horror’s most defining icons.
Where Can You Stream ‘Halloween’?
Halloween is currently streaming on Crackle for free and AMC+. The franchise is also readily available on Blu-ray and 4K. Before your next slasher marathon, you can pre-order You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman via hardcover ($32.95 USD) or e-book ($29.65) on Amazon now.
- First Film
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Halloween
- Latest Film
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Halloween Ends
- Character(s)
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Michael Myers
Source: Amazon