Place Your Bets: Michael Myers Vs. Michael Myers

No, I haven’t gone completely insane.  But this was a challenge I just had to tackle head on.

He is the epitome of evil.  He is a horror icon.  He is a legendary killer.  He is the boogeyman.  And now, he goes head to head with himself in an all out war.  The original Michael Myers from 1978 Vs. the remake Michael Myers from 2007, in a bloody battle where winner kills all.

I’ve never been shy when stating that Michael Myers is my favourite horror movie villain.  He’s elusive, guarded and above all, pure evil.  And that’s just the original version.  Team him with the remake version and quite frankly, there won’t be a dry seat in the house.

So if this ultimate boogeyman was to verse himself, which version would come out on top and crown this victory?  The 1978 original vs. the 2007 remake. 

Let’s get ready to rumble.

Let’s begin with the outlines to both stories.  According to the original movie, Michael Myers was just six years old when he brutally killed his sister on Halloween night in 1963.  Judging from his parent’s appearance as well as his sister, Michael came from a middle class family.  No rhyme or reason was given for the sudden attack and he spent fifteen years locked away at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium. 

At the ripe old age of twenty-one, Michael escapes on October 30, 1978.  The following night, fifteen years after the death of his older sister, he slays three people.  A mechanic’s body was found later, upping the body count to just four.  The reason for his killings are unclear, however he seemed to be stalking Laurie Strode.  (It is bought to our attention in the second movie made in 1981 that Laurie was Michael’s baby sister)  The film ends with Michael being shot at by Dr. Loomis and falling over a two-story balcony.  As Loomis looks over the balcony, Michael has vanished.

In the remake, things are a little different.  Michael was more unhinged.  Michael was the second of three children to Deborah Myers and an unidentified father.  He was rather anti-social and soon developed an interest in harming small animals, lacking empathy for his victims.  His family was dysfunctional, yet Michael displayed a love for his baby sister who he had nicknamed Boo. 

At the age of ten, Michael snapped, killing a classmate from his school on Halloween.  That night he brutally murdered his mother’s boyfriend, his older sister’s boyfriend and his older sister, Judith.

He is then sent to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium where he spends the next seventeen years of his life.  During that time, his mother commits suicide and his baby sister is adopted by a local Haddonfield family.  Then Michael decides to stage a breakout.  Not too sure of the official body count from the Sanitarium, however it’s safe to assume that he didn’t leave anyone who worked there alive.  He then murders a trucker not long after his escape from Smith’s Grove, stealing his clothing.  It’s unclear how Michael learned of Laurie’s (Boo) whereabouts, but that doesn’t stop the slaying.  He murders seven more people, including two police officers, Laurie’s adopted parents plus her friend Lynda in cold blood.  His methods are brutal and he uses his strength and height to his advantage.

So, who would win?  Let’s look at the stats.

Original Michael Myers was played by Nick Castle for the most part.  Nick provided Michael with the ticks we’ve come to know and love.  The head tilt, the ability to appear out of the darkness and the famous slow, stalking walk.  Tony Moran was the unmasked Michael Myers, installing more fear into the audience with just a brief glance at his face.  There were also times when John Carpenter and Debra Hill became Michael for fleeting moments.  But for the purpose of this article, Nick Castle is our man.

In the remake, Tyler Mane was the grown up version of Michael while Daeg Faerch was the child version.  For the purpose of this article, my focus for the remake Michael is on Tyler Mane.

Height:  Nick Castle is 5’10 while Tyler Mane stands tall (no pun intended) at 6’9.
Body Count:  Nick’s version had a body count of four while Tyler’s version was responsible for the massacre at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, the death of a trucker as well as seven others. 
Storyline:  The original film won fans over with the lack of blood, the tense soundtrack and the amazing characters.  The remake won fans with blood, guts and gore.

On paper, the choice is obvious.  The remake version of Michael Myers is hands down more brutal, more terrifying and way more vicious.  His ability to slay numerous people with ease and without remorse was gut-wrenching to watch.  He left a massive bruise on the neck of Lynda after strangling her with his bare hand.  Not hands, but hand.  There is no disputing that he was the more violent and therefore the one that you don’t really want to mess with.

But then again, if it weren’t for the original Michael Myers, the remake version wouldn’t exist.  And the original was described as “purely and simply evil.” 

Winner: Original Michael Myers.

Whether you agree with my outcome or not, one thing is for certain.  This will be a bloody and epic battle.  Winner does indeed kill all.