Greetings, and for the FINAL time, welcome back to October Horror Fest. What do I even say? How can I wrap up all my feelings for this crazy little challenge of mine through words? October Horror Fest started in 2022, when I wanted to watch a couple movies for fun. Since I failed back then, I decided to start writing the column in my Sophomore year, doing something absolutely crazy. Writing an article every single day. That decision I made led me to this amazing community, and to all of you, dear readers, who have been sticking around for 93 amazing days (91 since I didn’t do dang day 30 or the Halloween Finale last year!). Horror Fest means a LOT to me, but it’s time for it to go. Am I going to keep watching horror movies in the future after High School? DUH. Will they be daily? Honestly, probably. But, for the column style of writing, this is its curtain call. This challenge has BEAT me up. Constant low sleep, probably 100,000 words+ (honestly, I’d estimate in the 200,000s) typed, all for these daily uploads and daily movies. But, if I could do it again, would I do it any different? Of course not. Horror Fest means SO much to me, and somehow, it always makes the spookiest time of the year fly by. BUT, before I continue with my classic sentimentality, we have one more movie. A movie that came out in 2022, and wasn’t well received by critics. Honestly, I’m not in love with it either. BUT, am I in love with the franchise it represents? Yes. Am I in love with the ending? Yes. And, should you (or myself) care about what critics think? NO. Although I have my gripes, I did really enjoy this movie. And THAT is what horror should be about.
In the final chapter of October Horror Fest, we have fought against killer klowns from outer space, killer clowns from small towns, zombies, Kaijus, the supernatural, and even against our own minds. BUT, there is one man, one THING, that we have only confronted once. He is more than a character to me. It is the personification of evil. The SHAPE of it. And now, we are back to end October Horror Fest right where it began. The first movie I ever reviewed, all the way back on Day 1 of Horror Fest 2023, was Halloween (1978), which is my favorite horror movie of all time. Now, my friends, it is time for Halloween to end. Thank you, dear readers, thank you from the bottom of my heart. For the final time, I have one thing to say to you all. Say it with me now (I created this one sentence long intro on the first day, with absolutely no idea what it would turn into). Are you ready? Without further ado, sit back, relax, turn off the lights, grab some Candy and Popcorn, and let’s review…
Halloween Ends
(Before we begin, if you want to get REALLY into the spirit, I highly recommend checking out Day 1, the Day 10 Special, and the Halloween Finale of 2023, Day 8 of 2024, and the Day 20 Special of The Final Chapter, which are all the days I reviewed a Halloween movie. Also, it’s for old times sake! You can literally see my writing evolve over time. It’s crazy. Some things stuck around, and other things went away, but it is AMAZING to see the transformation of the Horror Fest Formula)
Our final tale begins in good old Haddonfield, Illinois, on Halloween 2019. We meet Corey Cunningham, a twenty-one year old “babysitter” who is watching over a young boy named Jeremy Allen while his parents are out for the night. Jeremy is SASSY, and keeps telling stories of the boogeyman, who attacked Haddonfield once again the previous year. (Little refresher course, this is the Halloween 2018 timeline. In the first movie, Michael returned and attacked Laurie (covered in the Halloween Finale from 2023), but I skipped Halloween Kills. It’s pretty good, but I think that ending Horror Fest with Halloween ENDS is literally the most perfect way I could do it. In Halloween Kills, Michael escapes Laurie’s house after the fire and the bloodshed-filled night continues, just like Halloween II. Michael kills LOTS of people in Haddonfield in his bloodiest outing yet, ending the film by KILLING Karen, Laurie’s daughter and Allyson’s mother (sad)).
Eventually, Jeremy locks our boy Corey in the attic, saying that Michael Myers is going to get him. Corey (understandably) panics, and is able to kick the door open. However, something that he wasn’t expecting to happen, happens. The SECOND Jeremy’s parents come back home, the door SLAMS Jeremy in the face, and he falls down a staircase railing, PLUMMETING to his bloody death (I did NOT think that this franchise had the guts to kill many children (if any at all), but here we are). Jeremy’s parents SCREAM at the shocked Corey, as we cut to our title card. Pumpkins appear and are replaced with other pumpkins, the classic theme playing as we finally head to Haddonfield once again. Our story ACTUALLY begins with Laurie! We hear a voiceover of a few pages of her memoir than she is writing, as we see flashes of Michael from Halloween 2018, Kills, and 1978. After the 2018 killings, the town was REELING, descending into violence and madness, with paranoia taking over any time anyone was killed. Michael’s evil became an infection. However, we learn something actually amazing! Laurie tried her best to actually move on, and bought a new home to live with Allyson (her granddaughter). It has been four years since Laurie has seen the boogeyman, and three since Corey “killed” Jeremy, and was arrested for it. Laurie writes, saying that Michael is the personification of evil, and that it is up to everyone to either channel their resolve and shut the door, or let him inside. She changes the sentence from him, to it, to finally, evil.
We meet back up with Corey, as we see that he has been made a complete and utter pariah by the people of Haddonfield. Corey works at his stepfather’s salvage yard, doing ANY work just to try and get a paycheck at the end of the day. Corey’s stepfather, however, takes it easy on Corey, granting him an old, beat up (but still better than his rickety bike) motorcycle. We have a quick cut to Allyson driving home over a bridge, as a cop (that she had a fling with I guess) comes and flirts with her (basically harassing her). However, we pan under the bridge, and see a homeless man. BUT, what’s more important, is what’s behind him. A HUGE sewer pipe, entering into the sewage tunnels below Haddonfield (guess Michael is taking a page out of Pennywise’s book). We cut back to Corey, who is on his way home, buying a glass jug of chocolate milk. However, once he steps outside of this little gas station he bought the milk from, four high school bullies roll up on him. They begin to berate him, as he squeezes his fist so much that the milk SHATTERS, injuring him. BUT, the best final girl in all of horror history is there. Laurie appears, telling the bullies off. Laurie, being Laurie, hands Corey her knife so that he can pop the bullies tires.
Laurie brings Corey to HADDONFIELD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL!!! Allyson works there, but honestly, it’s just good to see it again (remember, this is a timeline without Halloween II, so none of the events that happened in HMH happened in this iteration of the hospital). At the hospital, Allyson is immediately enamored with Corey, flirting HARD with our boy, and getting his number. Corey, later that night at the dinner table (his mother is VERY controlling and pretty horrible but seems to care about her son’s safety to a dangerous degree) gets some texts from Allyson, asking him to come to a Halloween party with her the next day. She even drives to the salvage yard the next day to talk to him, where they flirt. At the grocery store, we get ANOTHER amazing interaction, where Laurie runs into Frank Hawkins!!! He’s the police officer who she had a relationship with during 2018 and Kills, and was the man who found Michael in 1978. As an acoustic instrumental version of Don’t Fear the Reaper plays softly in the background, the two laugh together in an adorable moment. However, when Laurie walks outside, she is confronted by a survivor of Michael, who blames Laurie for letting him escape.
After this, the young “couple” arrive at the Halloween Party, where Corey dawns a scarecrow mask that Allyson got for him. The pair actually dance and have some serious fun, before Corey takes a break, and runs into JEREMY ALLEN’S MOTHER. She immediately confronts our boy, and when Allyson tries to connect with him outside and beg him not to leave, he leaves anyway. On the walk home, he is confronted by the same bullies from before, WHO THROW COREY OFF A BRIDGE (coincidentally, this is the exact same clearing with the sewer pipe from before…) we see Corey DRAGGED INTO THE SEWERS, unconscious, as the homeless man watches on. Corey wakes up, and begins walking out of the sewers, when a hand appears and CHOKES HIM. That’s right, almost 41 minutes into the movie… the Shape is here. Michael continues to choke Corey, until he stares into his eyes, and Corey stares back. As we see “the blackest eyes” that Dr. Loomis described all the way back in 1978, we see clips of both Michael AND Corey’s own trauma and run-ins with evil. Michael LETS COREY GO, and he crawls out of the sewers. Once getting out, he has a run in with the homeless man, and after he draws a knife on Corey, Corey turns it back around AND STABS THE MAN TO DEATH. Running back to his home, he tries to wash off the blood on him, as he stares at himself in the mirror…
We cut to Laurie writing her memoir again, as she looks out the window AND SEES COREY, standing in the bushes, just like Michael did 44 years earlier. She runs outside, and Corey jumpsacres her, asking for Allyson to take a walk with him. She does, but Laurie doesn’t trust it one bit (she’s Laurie Strode, so whatever she feels, I trust). Corey actually brings Allyson to the house where Jeremy was killed, his blood stain still on the floor. The couple talk, as we cut back to Laurie, visiting Corey’s mother. After Laurie says that Corey has had his “difficulties”, and of course, Corey’s mother bites back, saying “because YOUR boogeyman disappeared, they needed a new one”. Laurie, just like the supermarket encounter, feels this emotionally, saying she is sorry and leaving the house. At a dinner date between the pair later that night, Allyson says she wants to leave Haddonfield behind, and “burn it all down”. Corey encourages her, saying that they will leave together. While this happens, the cop from before that was harassing Allyson appears, and he and Corey get into a FULL standoff. After this CRAZY moment (we see Corey changing in real time), he drives Allyson home on his motorcycle, and kisses her. He says he won’t come inside and will another night, as he drives off, music blaring. Little does he know, however, that the cop is following him…
The second Corey notices, he drives to the SEWER. Corey is able to get the cop INTO THE SEWER, as he tries to find Corey. BUT, he doesn’t find Corey Cunningham. He finds the Boogeyman. Michael RUNS OUT, attacking the cop. But, Michael actually falls down (this movie does a thing where Michael is actually relatively weak, especially compared to Halloween Kills. I obviously don’t like this much, especially because the shape is literally being sidelined in his own movie, but it is due to his untreated wounds and not killing anyone, we’ll see what I mean by that in a second). With Corey’s help, as the Halloween theme begins to play, Michael SLASHES at the cop. He begins to shake, his dark power returning to him. He grows in strength, as he stabs the cop OVER AND OVER AND OVER again, as the theme plays even louder. Michael does his signature head tilt, as we cut to the Strode House. Corey appears, saying that he doesn’t know what is happening to him, and asking if Michael let Allyson live, to which she says her mother saved her life. Laurie sees them go upstairs (Rule #1), as we cut outside to see MICHAEL stalking Laurie from behind a tree, the same iconic music sting playing just like it did in 1978. That morning, Corey wakes up next to Allyson, and with the AMAZING piano music of John Carpenter playing in the background, he grabs it. Later that day, we find out that Allyson was passed up on for a promotion at HMH, with the position going to another nurse who is OBVIOUSLY having an affair with the head doctor. We cut to Laurie in a bar, talking to LINDSEY! (the girl she babysat for back in 1978, her friend, (the other kid who was babysat) Tommy Doyle, sadly died in Kills). Laurie says that she sees that Corey has Michael’s eyes, and Lindsey introduces Laurie to Jeremy’s father. He says he always believed that Corey was a good kid, but was enraged at Haddonfield for basically taking his pain away from him. BUT, he says that recently, he was driving home, and saw Corey. When he talked to him, he knew it wasn’t Corey. It was evil. He says he is going down a dark path, and wonders if Haddonfield did it to him after the accident, or if it was always there, buried deep within…
Later that night, we see the nurse and the doctor (Michael has a history of killing medical workers from HMH so this is not looking good) at the doctor’s house, as the nurse gets changed. However, as she gets changed, we hear a scream. COREY, dressed in his mask, MURDERED THE DOCTOR. She begins to panic, AS THE SHAPE APPEARS FROM THE DARKNESS BEHIND HER. Corey takes off his mask to watch the scene, as Michael LIFTS THE NURSE OFF THE GROUND, and stabs a knife into her, pinning her to the wall and doing his head tilt (beautiful references to both Halloween I and II in the same kill). Allyson obviously has NO IDEA that this is happening, and later that night, when she meets with Corey, finally says she is done with Haddonfield, and will leave with him. Laurie, of course, watches this exchange go down. After Corey gets KICKED OUT OF HIS HOUSE, with his stepfather saying “I hope you find love”, we get a title card. A title card with words you NEVER want to see in this franchise. “October 31st”…
In the morning on Halloween, Laurie finds Corey sleeping in the spot where Jeremy died (ON HIS BLOOD STAIN), and has a talk with him about the two kinds of evil. The one on the outside, and the one on the inside. Laurie says that she KNOWS that Corey is infected with Michael’s evil, and says she will help him. BUT, Laurie says that he CANNOT be with Allyson. Corey retorts this, saying that SHE was the one who brought him into the Strode Family circle, with him saying that if he can’t have her, no one can. He then says this. “You should give in. You should surrender to that feeling you had the first time you ever looked into his eyes.” But, when Corey brings his gaze up, Laurie has disappeared from the house (of course she did). Corey calls Allyson, saying that tonight at 9:00, they will meet at his house, and LEAVE Haddonfield. He says that Laurie wants to kill him. In one of my LEAST FAVORITE scenes in the film, but one that I still have to cover, Corey drives to the sewers, and BEATS MICHAEL IN A FIGHT, successfully taking his mask off, and taking it with him, saying it is something he needs. Michael, of course, sits up just like he did in 1978, turning around to face Corey as he leaves. At the Strode house, Allyson prepares to leave, as Laurie says that she sees the same thing in Corey that she saw in Michael. She tries to help Allyson, as she FIGHTS against her grandmother, saying that she is responsible for everything that happened. Their differing mindsets on Corey is splitting their relationship in two.
(Okay. Here. We. Go). Over the next ten minutes, Corey goes on a RAMPAGE. He successfully lures his four bullies to the scrapyard, and, wearing the mask of the boogeyman, KILLS THEM ALL IN HORRIFIC FASHION. Corey is no more. Evil is what remains. The main bully, while this happens, accidentally kills Corey’s stepfather, Corey doesn’t even care. Dressed exactly like the boogeyman, with his mask and all, Corey drives away, the bullies only being a stop on his path of terror. He gets home, and in a scene that looks EXACTLY like the opening of Halloween 1978, we go into a first person shot, as Corey takes a knife out of the drawer, and murders his mother. He then drives to the local DJ at a radio station, who was a man who insulted him and Allyson earlier. He kills his secretary, and then kills him in HORRIFIC fashion, CUTTING OFF HIS TONGUE and having a piece of it constantly hit the needle on his record. After Allyson can’t find Corey at his house, Laurie knows she has to act. At her home, she drinks, and reports a suicide at her own home. Our girl lights a jack-o-lantern, and puts the gun to her head, as we see Corey ascend the stairs. (Laurie is, of course, wearing her classic blue shirt). WE HEAR A SHOT, as blood soaks the wall. In first person, Corey walks in, only to see that the “blood” WAS THE PUMPKIN. Laurie says “did you really think I’d kill myself?” (WOOOOOO), as she SHOOTS COREY, causing him to fall down the stairs.
She unmasks him, but Corey, in his final act, has one more trick up his sleeve. He wasn’t lying when he said if he can’t have Allyson, no one can. Allyson ARRIVES TO THE HOUSE, as Corey begins to laugh. She walks in, AS COREY STABS HIMSELF IN THE NECK, with Laurie picking up the knife. Allyson walks in and sees Laurie holding the bloody knife, and descends into HYSTERIA, screaming at her Grandmother. Laurie breaks down, but the INCREDIBLY distressed Allyson leaves, getting in her car and driving away. (It’s time. For the finale of this movie, but also, for the finale of October Horror Fest. Get ready, dear readers).
Laurie sobs on the floor, as she sees an open door. A HAND APPEARS, grabbing the iconic mask. Corey tries to stop the hand from grabbing his knife, but it doesn’t work. BOTH HANDS wrap around Corey’s neck, and Corey, in horror, looks up. Michael Myers is here. The Shape of Evil. The Boogeyman. He glares down at Corey, SNAPPING HIS NECK. Michael tilts his head, and begins to walk through the house, looking for Laurie. We cut to Allyson, as she sees the Radio Station on FIRE, as Hawkins calls her, asking where Laurie is, and that she called in a suicide. Back with Laurie, the fight ensues. The fight between two people that have been fighting for forty four years. Their destiny is here. The final battle between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode is BLOODY, with both sides getting good hits in. HOWEVER, this is LAURIE. STRODE. Laurie is able to get the upper hand, PINNING MICHAEL’S HANDS INTO HER TABLE WITH KNIVES. She stabs him in the chest, and unmasks him. She says this amazing quote, which I will give in full. “I’ve run from you. I have chased you. I have tried to contain you. I have tried to forgive you. I thought maybe you were the Boogeyman. No, you’re just a man who’s about to stop breathing.” IT’S TIME.
Laurie slits Michael’s throat, and takes a deep breath. BUT, with the last of his power, Michael’s hand RIPS through the knife, choking Laurie. The theme plays, as she screams at Michael to do it. I GET CHILLS, as clips from Michael and Laurie’s shared history plays on screen. ALL THE BLOODSHED. ALL THE TRAUMA. EVERYTHING HAS LED TO THIS. Laurie closes her eyes, AS ALLYSON APPEARS, breaking Michael’s arm. Laurie takes the knife, and holds Michael’s hand, slitting his wrist. Michael Myers’ breath hitches, and stops, as we see a BEAUTIFUL shot of Laurie holding the Shape’s hand reflected through the blood on the floor. The Boogeyman is gone. John Carpenter’s AMAZING score kicks in once more, as the police arrive, Hawkins leading them. We proceed to get an amazing exchange. Hawkins says “Michael”, and Laurie says “He’s dead”. Allyson, smartly, says “Not dead enough”. Laurie and Allyson strap Michael’s body on to the top of their car, as they drive with the police to the salvage yard. THE ENTIRE TOWN of Haddonfield follows them. It’s time for them to start healing. The residents follow in a procession, all of them having been affected by the Shape’s evil in so, so many ways. Laurie and Allyson squeeze hands in the car, as Michael’s body is carried by the people of Haddonfield and thrown into an industrial shredder. The music GROWS (it gives me chills, PLEASE look up the score to this movie and listen), as Laurie steps up, and walks through the crowd, all making a path for her. Laurie stands, and throws Michael’s body into the shredder. It gets completely and utterly destroyed, as we go back to Laurie, reading and writing her memoir. It’s over.
Allyson says Laurie was right about Corey, and Laurie says he was consumed by evil. Laurie continues to narrate, as Allyson takes her grandmother’s hand. We cut to Allyson in a diner, watching a news report on Michael and Laurie. She continues her chilling monologue (I literally had chills here, ESPECIALLY on the upcoming line) as Allyson finally passes through the exit sign, and leaves Haddonfield. We cut back to Laurie, the first (and best, Sid is a close second), final girl of October Horror Fest, as she says this. “New beginnings lay ahead. Fear moves through all of us, and we decide when to surrender. I’ve said goodbye to my boogeyman, but the truth is evil doesn’t die. It changes shape.” Laurie Strode closes her laptop, as Jamie Lee Curtis takes her final bow as Laurie. Hawkins appears at the door, as the romance between the two is rekindled. Hawkins thanks Laurie for what she did, and Laurie asks about the cherry blossoms, a date idea Hawkins had. If it is the final line for Laurie Strode, it is amazing. “What were you saying about those cherry blossoms?” Hawkins and Laurie sit next to each other on the porch, as beautiful, somber music reaches its conclusion. We see children on bikes pass by, finally free from the boogeyman. In the last shots of the film, we see the interior of the Strode house, as birds chirp. And, in the last shot of Halloween Ends, and the last shot of October Horror Fest. We see Michael Myers’ mask lying on the table, as Don’t Fear the Reaper plays once more. We cut to our title card before our credits, with “HALLOWEEN ENDS” being displayed. The word “Halloween” fades away, and after it does, we are left with “ENDS”, before it fades away as well. Halloween has ended. October Horror Fest has reached its final chapter.
There. We. Have. It. I SHOULD have a recap out soon about the Final Chapter, and of course we still have Snowfest coming up, but this is it. October Horror Fest is done. Thank you all, so so much, for sticking with me. I’m honestly trying not to cry, because this is so crazy to me. Four years later, I’m still here watching horror films, and four years later, I’ve joined a community that feels the exact same way about them as I have. I hope I’ve made some people smile. THANK YOU. ALWAYS. I hope that October Horror Fest WILL be continued in some way after this, because honestly, besides making you all smile with my articles, that’s what I wish for the most. Thank you everyone. Long Live Halloween. I’m going to break my tradition, and NOT use a quote from the movie in my final outro. I’m actually going to use the quote from the first ever October Horror Fest Article. For the final time, thank you everyone. Thank you always. “And always remember, “It’s Halloween. I guess everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” – Sheriff Brackett, Halloween (1978)”
“I hope you all enjoyed the beginning of October Horror Fest! I am so, so excited to continue writing and sharing my love of these movies to you all, and I am feeling confident that I will be able to complete this challenge! Be on the lookout for these 31 articles, and remember to have fun! Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time! And always remember, “It’s Halloween. I guess everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” – Sheriff Brackett, Halloween (1978)” – October Horror Fest – Day 1
Thank you, dear readers.
– Danny Lanza