Why Michael Myers Spared That Baby In Halloween
As far as horror franchises go, there are none quite as beloved and iconic as Halloween. John Carpenter's original 1978 movie created the mold for slashers as we know it, and brought Jamie Lee Curtis to stardom as a young actress. The property has once again returned to the top of pop culture, as Blumhouse's Halloween arrived in theaters, telling an emotional and thrilling story about Laurie Strode and her family.
One of the most chilling sequences from the new Halloween came when Michael finally arrived back in Haddonfield, and began wandering through a neighborhood, and both killing and sparing victims at random. This includes a baby, who Michael ultimately spares during the long shot. Director David Gordon Green recently spoke to this scene, and the decision for Michael to leave without harming the small child.
Now this is fascinating. Part of what makes Michael Myers such a compelling villain in the first Halloween is his total lack of character or clear motivation. This was eventually scrapped when Laurie and Michael were made siblings, therefore giving him logical reason for hunting down the OG scream queen. But Blumhouse abandoned all the sequels for their Halloween, once again allowing Michael to become an agent of pure chaos.
Having Michael actually spare a victim, especially one so innocent, was no doubt a strange experience for hardcore fans of the franchise. The masked killer has only ever been seen murdering countless victims, so there hasn't been an opportunity for moviegoers to agree with him decisions. That is, until he decided not to kill an adorable baby.
Apart from showing a new side of Michael, David Gordon Green also revealed that his moment with the baby actually started as a timing matter, as there was extra time in the already iconic long shot of Michael's rampage. As Green told LA Times,
Sometimes moviemaking is just about logistics, and making things up on the fly. David Gordon Green and the producers seemed open to suggestions when filming their own Halloween movie, and thus the baby moment was, well, born. And these choices seem to have paid off, as Halloween is making a ton of money at the box office, with possible sequel talk already happening.
Halloween is in theaters now. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
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Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.