'Halloween' Is The 'Choose Your Own Adventure' Of Horror Movie Franchises

The list

1. 01

   Halloween 1978

   Carpenter and Hill original; theatrical and extended TV cuts exist.

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2. 02

   Halloween II

   Also has TV-premiere extended footage to choose from.

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3. 03

   Halloween III: Season of the Witch

   Not Michael Myers-centric; may end the world.

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4. 04

   Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

   Described by author as pretty good.

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5. 05

   Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

   Described by author as not-so-good.

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6. 06

   Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (Halloween 6)

   Awful theatrical cut vs. superior Producer's Cut with extra Donald Pleasence footage.

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7. 07

   Halloween H20

   Surprisingly strong relaunch; returned Jamie Lee Curtis to the fold.

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8. 08

   Halloween: Resurrection

   Abysmal internet-broadcast stalker entry; anti-climactic major character death.

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9. 09

   Rob Zombie's Halloween 2007

   Remake; theatrical and arguably superior director's cut.

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10. 10

    Rob Zombie's Halloween II 2009

    Sequel remake; theatrical and director's cut versions.

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11. 11

    Halloween 2018

    Green/McBride Blumhouse reboot; opens Oct. 19, 2018; retcons all seven prior sequels.

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Facts from the original

• The 2018 Halloween is directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Danny McBride.
• The 2018 Halloween is produced by Blumhouse and opens on Oct. 19, 2018, Michael Myers' 61st birthday.
• The 2018 film is a straight-up sequel to John Carpenter and Debra Hill's original Halloween, ignoring Halloween II, the Jamie Lloyd trilogy and Halloween H20.
• Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Myers both return in the 2018 film.
• John Carpenter composed the franchise's iconic theme music.
• David Gordon Green has also directed George Washington, Undertow, All the Real Girls, Snow Angels, Our Brand is Crisis, G.I. Joe Retaliation, The Pineapple Express, Your Highness and The Babysitter.
• Not counting the two Rob Zombie remakes, eight Halloween films were released between 1978 and 2002.
• Halloween III: Season of the Witch is not technically a Michael Myers-centric film and may depict the end of the world.
• The original Halloween exists in its theatrical version and a TV version with ten minutes of extra footage.
• Halloween H20 may be counted as Halloween 7, as a direct sequel to Halloween II, or as a sequel to the original only, discarding the other five sequels.
• H20 explicitly references the Michael-and-Laurie-are-siblings idea that became canon in Halloween II.
• Anchor Bay's mega-set Blu-ray Halloween collection from late 2014 offered the awful theatrical cut or the superior Producer's Cut of Halloween 6.
• Donald Pleasence died while filming Halloween 6, and his extra footage in the Producer's Cut is described as heartbreaking.
• Both Rob Zombie's 2007 remake and 2009 sequel have theatrical and (arguably superior) director's cuts, giving four possible combinations.
• The author says Dr. Loomis' Moby Dick-like journey gives the franchise its emotional weight.
• The article estimates 121 possible marathon combinations, rising to 144 with the new film and 256 once the remakes and their director's cuts are included.
• The recommended full marathon order: Halloween (TV cut), Halloween II (TV cut), Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Halloween 4, Halloween 5, Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers (Producer's Cut), Halloween H20, Halloween: Resurrection, then the director's cuts of Rob Zombie's Halloween and Halloween II.