October is always a time for scary movies, and as such, I spent the bulk of the month watching the best horror movies, and of course, my favorite slasher franchise. The original Halloween movies remain an annual staple for me, as there's just no beating the terror of the unkillable Michael Myers tearing his way through Illinois.
For some reason, however, this year was different. I got to thinking about how badass it would be if there was an action hero like Michael Myers, and how scary that would be for villains. Then I realized that the character already exists, and his name is John Wick. The more I thought about it, there are key similarities between the two, which is wild when I think about it.
Both John Wick And Michael Myers Are Incredibly Hard To Kill
Perhaps the most notable things about Michael Myers and John Wick are just how much punishment they can take and how hard it is to kill them. Readers may jump and point out that John Wick: Chapter 4 finally did kill the legendary assassin, but even the director conceded there's some ambiguity behind whether or not John is actually dead at the movie's end. The fact that the audience can see his gravestone and still be skeptical speaks volumes to his durability.
The same is said for Michael Myers, who in the original movies is seen repeatedly surviving being shot, hit by cars, and literally blown to smithereens. He may be down for a time at the end of each movie, but somehow, he always finds a way back. Of course, that was rectified in the rebooted version in Halloween Ends, but it still took a good deal of work to take him down finally.
They Both Are Adept At Killing Lots Of People
I think what's equally interesting about John Wick and Michael Myers is that they are both adept at killing. Whether we're talking about Myers' most brutal moments, or John Wick's obscenely high kill count, it'd be hard to differentiate which was more inventive with kills during their peak runs. I may even give Wick the edge for brutality, because, man, does he get creative with some of his killings.
They Both Have The Boogeyman Nickname
Michael Myers is often referred to as "The Boogeyman," first coined by Laurie Strode in the original Halloween. He's the pure personification of evil, and for those who don't know his actual name, I could see why that nickname would be used far more often than "The Shape."
John Wick is nicknamed "Baba Yaga," which is a character tied to Slavic folklore, but in more generic terms, is used in Russian to refer to what we would also call "The Boogeyman." Pretty wild, though, understandable that two guys known for being nigh-impossible to kill and have a penchant for murder would have the same nickname.
Now, normally, I'd try to make a case that Michael Myers is somehow John Wick, but the clear difference between the two exists in their morality. John is only out here killing in the name of vengeance, and because his life is on the line. Michael is out here killing solely for the love of the game and doesn't really have a specific goal or target in mind. In that regard, they could never team up or be the same, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy watching both!
Those with access to AMC can check out a bulk of the original Halloween movies right now. As for the John Wick movies, they're currently available to those with a Hulu subscription.
