Huge thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Wayne Byrne’s excellent and entertaining new book You Can’t Kill The Boogeyman: The Ongoing Halloween Saga – 13 Movies and Counting. I was so excited to find this book on one of my favorite horror franchises- Halloween, and Bynre’s detailed examination and analysis into the making of these films, especially those from the late 80s and 90s provides new insight and understanding about the changing storylines and directions that this franchise has experienced over nearly 50 years of terror. I can understand how some people might not appreciate this book since Byrne states from the beginning that “This is not a definitive history of the Halloween franchise. This is a critical and cultural celebration of the artists involved…” As he notes, many of the major figures in the franchise like Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis have contributed to other studies of the films, so if anything Byrne presents a fresh view of the films. However, his focus on some of the films that are more divisive in the franchise (Halloween III, 4, 5, and 6) help to provide new insight and understanding about the change in direction that these films ushered in, and how studios and the shift in horror that Scream ushered in during the late 90’s resulted in a return to Lori Strode storyline with H20 and Halloween: Resurrection. I found this book to be fascinating and helped me appreciate the distinctions between each of the films in the series, even if I’m not a huge fan of some of the later versions. Nevertheless, as a horror movie fan and someone whose first R rated film in the theater was Halloween 4, this book appealed to not only my fandom about the series, but also my interest in how films are made. This is a wonderful book, and I loved how Byrne’s approach to examining the films in chunks allows readers and fans to, hopefully, develop a further appreciation for these films and understand the various factors that influenced the storylines and changes to the series that have happened. Chapter 1 focuses on Halloween I and II, and the focus is on much of the production of the film, especially around the cinematography, the design of the town and homes, and the challenges with transforming Southern California into midwestern Haddonfield. It was really cool to learn more about this aspect of the film, especially how they designed the iconic opening scene, viewing the murder through Michael Myers’s eyes. In fact, many of the chapters feature interviews with the cinematographers and directors of photography on the film to better understand how the camera angles, lighting, staging, and editing all contributed to different tones and moods for these films. I also liked learning more about Halloween II since this film primarily takes place in the hospital and creates a sense of dread of foreboding while containing the action in this central (and scary) location. This part of the book also brings in Alan Howarth, a musician who ended up composing the music for many of the Halloween sequels but still working with Carpenter’s iconic score. I loved reading about Howarth’s background and interest in synthesizers as well as his ability to maintain the core components of the score, yet also to elaborate on the score and add his own flourishes and tones to make the scores fit with the tone of each film. While some may question the focus on the cinematography and the music in this book, I found it helped me better understand the unique directions and emotions that each film portrays, and how those involved in the different films tried to not only maintain the key elements of the franchise yet also contribute their own unique take on the films. It’s something that I hadn’t quite considered as an early adolescent horror fan, but now looking back, I can appreciate even more as this horror franchise sought to challenge the studio system and maintain its 1970s independent film roots.
Chapter 2 focuses on Halloween III, which is one of the more divisive films in the series, mostly because it does not feature Michael Myers. The video boxes for the Halloween films always stood out—not only because there were 3 really cool covers featuring evil looking pumpkins, but I also thought that III’s stretched out silhouettes of trick-or-treaters with the demon face in the sky was so cool looking. It not only had a cool design and color scheme, but it also was relevant to me- coming out when I was probably 6 years old. It always made the Halloween holiday look much more terrifying and scary. I also remember watching it on TV when I was younger and really enjoying so much about this film—especially the Silver Shamrock song. I encountered this film before I really knew what sequels and series were, so to me, this was always an interesting and scary movie since the villains target children and their interest in Halloween masks. I later learned that the focus of the film was aligned with Carpenter and Debra Hill’s intention to make Halloween an anthology series, which I also thought was really cool. I loved Tales from the Darkside and Tales from the Crypt, and so I could imagine that an anthology film series focused on frightening stories related to Halloween would have been awesome. It’s a shame that audiences didn’t appreciate the film in this regard, but I can understand how jarring this film would have been with a title in the series. Regardless, Byrne’s chapter interviews Tommy Lee Wallace, who worked on the first film and directed this one. He provides a lot of insight into the production of the film, including the excellent choice of Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis, the leading character who plays against types. While I’m not sure I completely agree with Byrne that the film is one of the best horror films of the 80s, but I do agree that it is dramatically underrated. Furthermore, Byrne’s analysis of the film presenting it as a “façade of middle-class conformity mask[ing] a malevolent conspiracy” helps to frame the film within the context of the Halloween franchise and other 1970s and 80s horror films that chronicle social changes and anxiety. Chapter 3 was probably my favorite chapters, and it was one of the longer chapters in the book. It details the productions of Halloween 4 and 5, and how these films were meant to resuscitate the series. Halloween 4 was the first R-rated film I saw in a theater, and it was also probably the first horror movie I saw in the theater. I remember begging my dad to take me, and the experience still stands out. I always thought 4 was a good entry, and recognized that it was more of a thriller-action film than a horror film. I also remember the film being really dark since it takes place primarily at night. Reading the interviews with the director and cinematographer brought a new level of appreciation for the film, and also some understanding of the direction that the film was taking. I also loved that Tony Timpone from Fangoria was featured in a lot of these chapters, since I was also an avid reader of that magazine at the time, and his input provided more ideas about the direction of the films and the focus on the story. Although I loved reading about 4, the focus on Halloween 5 was even more entertaining, specifically the interviews with director Dominique Othenin-Girard and cinematographer Rob Draper that were fascinating insights into how this film franchise swerved in direction. Othenin-Girard is a fascinating and at times humorous interview subject, and he provides some great entertainment, but also some interesting perspective about how his ideas for the film went in a much different direction than many of the other films. Reading these chapters has made me want to revisit these two films in the series as well.
Chapter 4 was also fascinating in examining The Curse of Michael Myers, which has a pretty low rating, but has an interesting story about the direction the series was heading. It was also interesting to learn that the screenplay was written by a 19-year old fan of the franchise, Daniel Farrands, and was also the first of the series that Miramax produced, although this studio’s emerging power seemed to interfere with many aspects of the film’s production, including the score, the editing, and the story. This chapters is also interesting to learn more about what the goals were for the film series that were eventually abandoned with the subsequent films. Chapter 5 examines H20 and Halloween: Resurrection, which shifted the focus back to Laurie Strode and also seemingly sought to appeal to more recent trends in horror films that were likely the result of Scream. I also saw H20 in the theaters, and remember being excited for the return of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. Although I haven’t seen Resurrection, I appreciated Byrne’s idea that this film was one of the early entries into the found footage films that started with The Blair Witch Project and The Last Broadcast. It’s interesting to think about how these films were both influenced by other horror tropes of the time, and potentially also influenced other films later. The last two chapters focused on the Rob Zombie Halloween films and the David Gordon Green Halloween films. I’ve seen both sets of these films in the theater, so again, it was interesting to learn more about how these films came about, what influenced them outside of Halloween, and what the directors and cinematographers were looking to capture mood and tone-wise for these films. I didn’t really enjoy the Rob Zombie versions, and in general, I’m not big into his films. However, I enjoyed reading more about the challenges he faced and how he intended to re-envision the Michael Myers story and character as someone who was influenced by his environment than his nature. I also enjoyed reading the cinematographer’s experience and career, which didn’t necessarily seem to come from the horror genre. The David Gordon Green chapter was also interesting to learn more about how the legacy influenced these versions, and also how Blumhouse Productions has been reinterpreting other horror film intellectual property for some time. Both of these chapters were shorter than some of the others and didn’t have the same level of detail and interviews that were in some of the other chapters focusing on the earlier films in the franchise. Nevertheless, these chapters offered some interesting perspectives about the films, especially how these films fit into more recent horror trends and reflect changes in society. Again, it’s interesting to learn about how the writers and producers have been able to reimagine the storyline and create different narratives reflecting elements of Laurie and Michael’s relationship.
I highly recommend this book for many different reasons, but especially if you are a fan of horror films and the Halloween films. Even if you feel strongly that some of the films are problematic, reading this book might provide you with new insights and information about the intention of the directors, cinematographers, composers, and others involved in the creation of these films. Byrne’s research, interviews, and analysis helped to recontextualize many of these films and made me want to revisit many of the films in the franchise. In addition, the book is just fun to read. There are many great pictures and images from posters and production stills; plus, the interviews with those involved in the production are really enlightening and entertaining. This is a wonderful book serving more as a treat than a trick. Highly recommended!

This one’s a love letter to the Halloween franchise: bloody, brainy, and packed with insider gossip. It’s perfect for horror nerds who want more than just jump scares.

I swear to Samhain, this book read like someone printed out the DVD commentary tracks, taped them together with some duct-taped academia, and whispered “Let’s call it a cultural study.” If you’re the kind of person who dreams in f-stops and has opinions about lighting gels, "You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman" is probably your idea of a sexy little night in. But for the rest of us, horror lovers who want blood, lore, and maybe one fun scandal from set, this thing is a dense forest of technical jargon, told almost entirely in long, rambling quotes that feel like they wandered in from an unedited podcast transcript and refused to leave.

That’s not to say there’s nothing here. Wayne Byrne clearly loves this franchise with the kind of devotion usually reserved for religion or vinyl records. The book walks you through every single "Halloween<" movie, even the weird ones your uncle tries to pretend don’t count (cough Rob Zombie’s remix of rage and bad parenting). And yes, "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" gets treated with the respect of a misunderstood middle child. Which, honestly? Deserved. That movie is bananas and glorious. Androids, masks, evil corporations... it’s like “Black Mirror” tripped and fell into a pumpkin patch and I’m here for it.

But this book is not here to entertain you. It is here to inform you, and it’s going to do that by letting interviewees talk for entire pages. I’m not exaggerating. Byrne will introduce someone, ask them one question, and then let them monologue like they’re doing a one-man show about their cinematography career. It’s like sitting in on a film school Q&A that never ends. And if you were hoping for juicy behind-the-scenes gossip, Jamie Lee Curtis yelling at someone, a mask going missing, literally any chaos, you will be sorely disappointed. This book is allergic to drama.

The biggest sin here is pacing. Just when it starts digging into something cool (like how Carpenter’s synth score basically invented “vibes” or how the Rob Zombie films were made by a man clearly in a trench war with subtlety), the book swerves into a ten-minute TED Talk about “industrial context” or a full résumé recap of some guy who was the assistant gaffer on “Halloween 5.” I’m not saying it wasn’t technically relevant. I’m saying I died of boredom and now haunt my own bookshelf.

To be fair, Byrne’s approach isn’t wrong. It’s just... dry. This feels less like a love letter to the “Halloween” franchise and more like a research paper written by someone who has watched “Season of the Witch” thirty times and still takes notes. And that’s not a dig. But if you were hoping for the spooky equivalent of the Halloweenies podcast or literally any media that acknowledges the genre is FUN and a little unhinged, this isn’t it. This is the book you read to prep for a Halloween marathon, not the one you bring to the slumber party.

Is it smart? Yes. Is it thorough? Painfully. Is it a must-read for horror nerds who wish they were on set in 1978 helping Carpenter hold a steadicam? Definitely. But if you’re looking for vibes over vibes per second, this is gonna feel like homework. Glossy, well-researched, lovingly compiled homework... but homework nonetheless.

Three stars. Would recommend to film school kids and anyone who has ever angrily explained the timeline of the “Halloween” franchise to a confused friend at a party.

Big thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for the ARC. Y’all handed me a stack of Blu-ray extras disguised as a book, and honestly, I respect the hustle.

I had a hard time tempering my expectations for this one because the recent Scream retrospective book was so well done with a compelling mix of information and Hollywood gossip. This one is basically gossip-free and focuses more on the production of each movie -- like reading the bonus features. It is a cool read for horror fans, and I learned a lot, but it isn't as interesting as I would've liked. And yet, for the right movie nerd (someone who cares about lighting, scores and the background of every director), this could be a home run.

The author begins by noting that this is not intended as a definitive history of the Halloween series of films, and he's certainly correct about that. The book does not include interviews with John Carpenter, who co-wrote and directed the original film; Jamie Lee Curtis, the face of the franchise; or anyone involved with the trio of titles directed by David Gordon Green that restored Halloween to pop cultural relevance. What the book does have are interminable interviews with directors of some of the lesser entries, along with other creative personnel. The quotes from these interviews run on for pages with Byrne not even bothering to edit out when his own name is spoken by the subjects. Byrne doesn't offer any substantive critical perspective on the thirteen films, leaving the brickbats that to those he interviews. He also checks in with the former editor of Fangoria magazine, who provided the foreword, for an appraisal after each and every movie. Even diehard fans of these films will likely find this book a slog.

4/5 Stars – A Treat for Horror Fans and Franchise Devotees

Wayne Byrne’s You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman is an in-depth and affectionate chronicle of the Halloween franchise, from John Carpenter’s 1978 classic through its many sequels, reboots, and reimaginings. Byrne brings both scholarship and fandom to the table, tracing how Michael Myers has endured across decades of shifting trends in horror and filmmaking.

The book is packed with detail, covering production histories, cultural context, and behind-the-scenes insights. Byrne’s writing is accessible and enthusiastic, making it enjoyable for casual fans while still providing plenty of substance for diehard horror buffs. His analysis highlights not just the iconic slasher elements, but also the evolving themes and creative risks that have kept the saga alive.

If there’s a drawback, it’s that the sheer amount of detail can occasionally feel dense, and at times the narrative leans more toward exhaustive documentation than critical balance. Still, the passion and knowledge on display make it a must-read for anyone fascinated by the Halloween films and horror cinema in general.

A lively, comprehensive, and well-researched celebration of one of the most enduring franchises in horror history.

I have been a huge Halloween fan for years and have read many interviews, read up on the history of the making of the film and have listened to many podcasts of others talking about the franchise. With that said, while I did enjoy the book there wasn't much of this book that I didn't already know. There was some interesting tidbits I didn't know about, especially with the Rob Zombie films and the newer ones. There was a lot of behind the scenes information which some might not like but I tended to enjoy those parts. Gave a lot of insight into how specific scenes were made, what was going on with the cast and crew, etc. All in all it was a fun and informative book about a beloved franchise.

There’s a talent to organizing information — I certainly don’t have it! — and a way to put things together in an order so that it flows from one thought to the next and ends with a conclusion, a point. A purpose. This book, I’m afraid, lost me. The author has an honest respect for the people he’s interviewing, and a love for the Halloween franchise, but the book is a muddle.

First, the quotes. They are long, so very long. Almost always half a page, sometimes longer, the quotes felt as though they were a full third of the book. The other third was broken up between dry facts about the movies and film making content which will probably be fascinating for someone interested in making movies, but as a casual layperson who just wanted to read about the Halloween movies, was a bit dull.

I feel like there were three ideas here smashed together into one book and the ideas rarely flowed together well. But I can’t fault the research. I appreciate that all of the movies — from the original to Season of the Witch to the newest requels — were included, but I’m still left underwhelmed. I think film buffs will like this more than horror fans.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Halloween has had a special place in my heart when it comes to classic horror films for many years. With many films in the franchise, they're a staple for many fans when October rolls around. That's what drew me to You Can't Kill the Boogeyman: The Ongoing Halloween Saga―13 Movies and Counting by Wayne Byrne. While the book offers some solid insights into the series, it didn't resonate with me as much as I hoped.

A cultural and critical examination of the legendary Halloween film franchise, considering the style, themes, and development of the series within temporal and industrial contexts. Through candid conversations with author Wayne Byrne, a variety of directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, composers, and actors from across the Halloween films offer exclusive insights into their careers, their unique aesthetic approaches, and their experiences of working on one of the most celebrated horror franchises within the history of American Cinema.

As I have said before in my review of Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror, "Strangely, despite my deep love for the film, I've never really explored much about its origins, production, or behind-the-scenes stories. Usually, when I am passionate about something, I tend to deep dive into its creation, on-set stories, and the legacy it has built. However, with Scream, it's always been solely about the pure love for the film itself and the enjoyment of watching it." The same stands true for the Halloween franchise.

Wayne Byrne's You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman didn't have the same impact for me. The book is weighed down by overly technical jargon lost me as I don't have a strong filmmaking background. Additionally, it relies too heavily on long quotes, which disrupted the flow and made it harder to read. As a result, the experience felt more tedious than enjoyable for me.

The film insights themselves, especially those covering the more recent films as well as the Rob Zombie entries, were intriguing and made the read worthwhile. Although the book is a bit dense for me, the inclusion of behind-the-scenes photos of the cast and crew helped break things up a bit and added to the overall book.

I did learn a few things from Wayne Byrne's You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman: The Ongoing Halloween Saga—13 Movies and Counting, but it wasn't quite the experience I was hoping for in the end. That might be on me, as I expected something a bit different than what the book ended up delivering. If you really enjoy the filmmaking jargon in addition to the Halloween movie franchise, it might be more up your alley. Personally, I found myself wanting something different in the end.

As a HUGE 1978 Halloween fan, I was really excited for this title! It was neat getting to learn more about the behind the scenes and what all went into the making of the films throughout the series. That being said, this book was not for me. Not because it wasn’t good, but just because it’s not what I typically read.

I love the Halloween franchise. It’s been a staple in my home and my Halloween movie rotation ever since I was little. I remember watching 25 Years of Terror every year with my mom and I swear if I close my eyes I could watch the entirety of Halloween 4 without any mistakes because I watch it at least 3 times a year lol. Suffice to say Halloween’s special not just for me but for a lot of horror fans out there so I was really excited to get the opportunity to read this book early.

It was informative for the most part… but it was also bogged down by so much behind-the-scenes film knowledge that, as an average person with no filmmaking experience, that it made it kind of boring as a good chunk of the novel is long quotes taken straight from interviews. Then getting to the actual Halloween related stories felt like stuff I had heard before from 25 Years of Terror or something from one of those Shudder documentary shows.

I’m very conflicted on this. Perhaps it’s on me for thinking it was going to be something else, I don’t know.

About 15 years ago I bought a Halloween boxset with the first maybe 6 or 7 films in it. As I was buying it, the cashier looked me dead in the eye and said, "Do not watch Halloween 3: season of the witch. It's terrible and life is short. " Obviously, a few hours later, I was watching it and woof... I should have listened. So when this book says that H3: season of the witch is one of the best horror films of the 80s... I knew we might not be on the same page. I did nearly DNF but persevered as I was interested in the Rob Zombie films.

The parts that were actually about the Halloween films were quite interesting, but a large majority of the book is told in long quote form and it makes for quite hard reading at times as it doesn't flow in a cohesive way. It also deep dives into every major crew members past filmwork which I wasn't interested in.

I think if you are a big behind the scenes film buff, you will enjoy this a lot more than I did, but I just found myself getting bogged down in filmmaking jargon with no explanation (hard light for example - no idea what this is).

On a side note, there is also a quote from someone that deadnames and misgenders Caitlin Jenner. The anecdote adds precisely nothing to the book. I personally think she is a terrible person. However, getting someone's name and pronouns right is just common courtesy. Appreciate this is a quote and not the author's own words, but it was not needed.

And referring to Harvey Weinstein's actions as "bad behaviour" was flippant given the scale of his predatory behaviour.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of the Halloween franchise. I love everything about it. Even the slightly cheesier movies and even the remakes. They all have their place. This book was terrific. I love all the tidbits, facts, stats etc. It's like going behind the scenes. I can't wait to purchase a hard copy as well, because I definitely need it!

Growing up with this franchise, I was excited to get a behind the scenes look at each individual film. Getting to learn some of what happened during each production, as well as hearing from the people behind the movies, was very intriguing.

You Can’t Kill The Boogeyman is a retrospective piece about the Halloween series and legacy. It not only features the original seven movies, but Rob Zombie and David Gordon Green’s films are featured as well. There’s lots of great photos of cast and crew on-set. Unfortunately, this book is surprisingly dense. Nearly every other page is a solid wall of text. That being said, I would recommend this for serious fans of the movies only. 3.25

Some writers like to craft and shape the words in their books. Others, such as the author of You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman, prefer to let their interviewees do most of the talking.

The problem with the second approach is that there were many times when less would have been more, but the interviewees answers were represented in full. This includes when they repeat themselves, go on little tangents, etc., which made it less fun to read.

On the plus side, there were some interesting stories about the making of the 13 films that I hadn’t heard yet. It is worth noting, however, that if you also enjoy philosophical horror movies, the author will insult you for it (dubbing it as “intellectual masturbation”).

Overall, this was worth reading, but a more skilled author/editor team could have made it shorter and much more compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman is an accessible critically written book on Halloween film series.
As both an academic and movie fan, I can attest to both sides of me being engaged and informed while reading this book.
The thematic structure of the book was a great fit, and the analysis by Byrne is rich with many layers and details. I loved the reading of the 2018 film in particular. It made me appreciate and understand the movie better. I can say the same for the whole book.

This was a fun read especially since Halloween is one of my favorite horror movies. Any horror movie fan or anyone that enjoys learning about films should read this. I recommend this to any fans of the Halloween films.