PSYCHOLOGY: Michael Myers, Laurie Strode & Every Halloween Movie

Why does Michael Myers kill, and does the Halloween franchise even know? Shannon and Cathy take on every Halloween movie, from John Carpenter’s boogeyman to Rob Zombie’s backstory.

⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of sexual assault and suicide in film. Listener discretion is advised.

Therapists Shannon and Cathy go through the whole Halloween franchise, from the 1978 original to David Gordon Green’s trilogy. Along the way: Laurie Strode, Dr. Loomis, Jamie Lloyd, and the question the movies never answer, which is why Michael kills.

Covered in this episode:

• Halloween (1978) and Halloween II: John Carpenter, Debra Hill and the original boogeyman
• Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the anthology that almost was
• Halloween 4 and 5: Danielle Harris as Jamie Lloyd, PTSD and Dr. Loomis losing his ethics
• Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers, with an early Paul Rudd
• Halloween H20 and Resurrection: Jamie Lee Curtis returns
• Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween II: backstory, empathy and why John Carpenter hated it
• Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends: Laurie Strode as survivor
• Joe Bob Briggs and the Halloween Hootenanny on Shudder

Clinical themes: the psychology of a psychopath, nature vs nurture, PTSD and hypervigilance, real fear vs perceived fear, how horror exploits mental illness, what horror is good for psychologically.

Related episodes:

• PSYCHOLOGY: Mental Illness in Horror, Joker, Hereditary & The Babadook
• BLACK MIRROR Season 2: Two Therapists on White Bear & Be Right Back
• SHRINK CHAT: Hubie Halloween, Spiral, Bly Manor & Evil Bong

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Two licensed therapists, one forensic psychologist, one clinical LMFT, take apart the minds behind the crimes.

Until then... sleep safe. 😴

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