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==Appearances==
==Appearances==
===Films===
===Films===
<!--Original appearance(s)-->Laurie Strode first appears in the original ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]''. The 17-year-old Laurie (Curtis) has plans to babysit Tommy Doyle ([[Brian Andrews (actor)|Brian Andrews]]) on [[Halloween]] night, 1978. However, throughout the day, she keeps seeing a mysterious masked man watching her wherever she goes; unbeknownst to her, he is [[Michael Myers (character)|Michael Myers]] ([[Nick Castle]]), an escaped mental patient who murdered his sister, [[Judith Myers]] ([[Sandy Johnson]]), 15 years ago and has begun [[stalking]] her. As Laurie babysits Tommy, Myers kills Laurie's friends, [[Annie Brackett|Annie]] ([[Nancy Kyes|Nancy Loomis]]) and Lynda ([[P. J. Soles]]), in the house across the street. Growing concerned when they fail to call her, Laurie goes to investigate and sees their corpses laid out for her to find, before being attacked by Myers. Barely escaping, Laurie races back to the Doyle house. Michael follows, but Laurie manages to fend him off long enough for Tommy and Lindsey to escape. Laurie is saved by [[Samuel Loomis|Dr. Sam Loomis]] ([[Donald Pleasence]]), who shoots Myers off the balcony; when Loomis goes to check Michael's body, he finds it missing. Loomis stares off into the night, while Laurie begins sobbing in terror.<ref name="H1">{{cite video|people=[[John Carpenter|Carpenter, John]] (Writer/Director) and Debra Hill (Writer)|title=[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Compass International Pictures]]|date=1978}}</ref> ''[[Halloween II (1981 film)|Halloween II]]'' picks up directly after the first film, with Laurie Strode being taken to a hospital. Upon learning who attacked her, Laurie asks "Why me?!" Laurie says she does know that she was adopted and has a few dreams that offer vague insights into her real identity. The first dream she has is of when she was a little girl, with [[#Mrs. Strode|her adoptive mother]] saying with a tone of annoyance "I'm not your real mother! Stop asking me questions!" The second dream shows her walking into a large room where a pre-teen Michael is seen sitting in a chair and turning to look at her. Waking up, she begins to roam the hallways of the hospital until coming face to face with Myers, who has been killing his way through the hospital staff in search of her. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis is told that Michael and Judith Myers are actually Laurie's [[biological]] siblings; she was put up for [[adoption]] after the death of their parents, with the records sealed to protect the family. With the realization that Michael is after Laurie, Loomis rushes to the hospital to find them. Laurie shoots Michael in the eyes, blinding him, and Loomis causes an explosion in the [[operating theater]], allowing Laurie to escape. Michael, engulfed in flames, stumbles out of the room before finally collapsing. The [[psychological trauma|traumatized]] Laurie is last seen being transferred to another hospital.<ref name="H2">{{cite video|people=Rosenthal, Rick (Director), [[John Carpenter]], and Debra Hill (Writers)|title=[[Halloween II (1981 film)|Halloween II]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Universal Pictures]]|date=1981}}</ref> <!--The films where she doesn't appear don't deserve a whole massive paragraph of their own. Rather, they should provide context for Halloween 1 and 2-->In ''[[Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers]]'', Laurie is revealed to have died in a car accident prior to the film's events, with the role of protagonist taken up by her young daughter, [[Jamie Lloyd]] ([[Danielle Harris]]). A photograph of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie appears in a scene where Jamie remembers her mother.<ref name="H4">{{cite video|people=Little, Dwight (Director) and Allan McElroy (Writer)|title=[[Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=Galaxy International Releasing|date=1988}}</ref> The character of Jamie would go on to reappear in two more ''Halloween'' sequels,<ref name="H5">{{cite video|people= Othenin-Girard, Dominique (Director), Michael Jacobs, Dominique Othenin-Girard, and Shem Bitterman (Writers)|title=[[Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=Galaxy International Releasing|date=1989}}</ref><ref name="H6">{{cite video|people= Chappelle, Joe (Director) and Daniel Farrands (Writer)|title=[[Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Miramax Films]]|date=1995}}</ref> while Laurie's cousin [[List of characters in the Halloween film series#Kara Strode|Kara]] ([[Marianne Hagan]]) and her family appear in ''[[Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers]]''.<ref name="H6"/>
<!--Original appearance(s)-->Laurie Strode first appears in the original ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]''. The 17-year-old Laurie (Curtis) has plans to babysit Tommy Doyle ([[Brian Andrews (actor)|Brian Andrews]]) on [[Halloween]] night, 1978. However, throughout the day, she keeps seeing a mysterious masked man watching her wherever she goes; unbeknownst to her, he is [[Michael Myers (character)|Michael Myers]] ([[Nick Castle]]), an escaped mental patient who murdered his sister, [[Judith Myers]] ([[Sandy Johnson]]), 15 years ago and has begun [[stalking]] her. As Laurie babysits Tommy, Myers kills Laurie's friends, [[Annie Brackett|Annie]] ([[Nancy Kyes|Nancy Loomis]]) and Lynda ([[P. J. Soles]]), in the house across the street. Growing concerned when they fail to call her, Laurie goes to investigate and sees their corpses laid out for her to find, before being attacked by Myers. Barely escaping, Laurie races back to the Doyle house. Michael follows, but Laurie manages to fend him off long enough for Tommy and Lindsey to escape. Laurie is saved by [[Samuel Loomis|Dr. Sam Loomis]] ([[Donald Pleasence]]), who shoots Myers off the balcony; when Loomis goes to check Michael's body, he finds it missing. Loomis stares off into the night, while Laurie begins sobbing in terror.<ref name="H1">{{cite video|people=[[John Carpenter|Carpenter, John]] (Writer/Director) and Debra Hill (Writer)|title=[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Compass International Pictures]]|date=1978}}</ref> ''[[Halloween II (1981 film)|Halloween II]]'' picks up directly after the first film, with Laurie Strode being taken to a hospital. Upon learning who attacked her, Laurie asks "Why me?!" Laurie says she does know that she was adopted and has a few dreams that offer vague insights into her real identity. The first dream she has is of when she was a little girl, with [[#Mrs. Strode|her adoptive mother]] saying with a tone of annoyance "I'm not your real mother! Stop asking me questions!" The second dream shows her walking into a large room where a pre-teen Michael is seen sitting in a chair and turning to look at her. Waking up, she begins to roam the hallways of the hospital until coming face to face with Myers, who has been killing his way through the hospital staff in search of her. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis is told that Michael and Judith Myers are actually Laurie's [[biological]] siblings; she was put up for [[adoption]] after the death of their parents, with the records sealed to protect the family. With the realization that Michael is after Laurie, Loomis rushes to the hospital to find them. Laurie shoots Michael in the eyes, blinding him, and Loomis causes an explosion in the [[operating theater]], allowing Laurie to escape. Michael, engulfed in flames, stumbles out of the room before finally falling dead. The [[psychological trauma|traumatized]] Laurie is last seen being transferred to another hospital.<ref name="H2">{{cite video|people=Rosenthal, Rick (Director), [[John Carpenter]], and Debra Hill (Writers)|title=[[Halloween II (1981 film)|Halloween II]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Universal Pictures]]|date=1981}}</ref> <!--The films where she doesn't appear don't deserve a whole massive paragraph of their own. Rather, they should provide context for Halloween 1 and 2-->In ''[[Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers]]'', Laurie is revealed to have died in a car accident prior to the film's events, with the role of protagonist taken up by her young daughter, [[Jamie Lloyd]] ([[Danielle Harris]]). A photograph of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie appears in a scene where Jamie remembers her mother.<ref name="H4">{{cite video|people=Little, Dwight (Director) and Allan McElroy (Writer)|title=[[Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=Galaxy International Releasing|date=1988}}</ref> The character of Jamie would go on to reappear in two more ''Halloween'' sequels,<ref name="H5">{{cite video|people= Othenin-Girard, Dominique (Director), Michael Jacobs, Dominique Othenin-Girard, and Shem Bitterman (Writers)|title=[[Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=Galaxy International Releasing|date=1989}}</ref><ref name="H6">{{cite video|people= Chappelle, Joe (Director) and Daniel Farrands (Writer)|title=[[Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Miramax Films]]|date=1995}}</ref> while Laurie's cousin [[List of characters in the Halloween film series#Kara Strode|Kara]] ([[Marianne Hagan]]) and her family appear in ''[[Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers]]''.<ref name="H6"/>


<!--Curtis' return; brief franchise rejuvenation-->Curtis returned as Laurie Strode in ''[[Halloween H20: 20 Years Later]]'', the seventh film in the series. The screenplay was based on a story by [[Kevin Williamson (writer)|Kevin Williamson]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://horrorpedia.com/2013/10/20/halloween-h20-20-years-later/|title=Halloween H20: 20 Years Later|last=mondozilla|date=2013-10-20|website=HORRORPEDIA|access-date=2016-10-05}}</ref> The story was conceived as a sequel to the sixth film, thereby keeping the timeline's continuity, but producers ultimately decided to go with a [[retroactive continuity|retcon]] and ignore the previous three films.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lairofhorror.tripod.com/myerslair/dyk7.html|title=Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later: Did You Know?|website=lairofhorror.tripod.com|access-date=2016-10-05}}</ref> In this timeline, Laurie has faked her death in a car accident as a way of escaping her murderous brother, whose body was not found after ''Halloween II''. She is now living under the name Keri Tate, and works as the headmistress of a [[California]] private school, where her teenage son John ([[Josh Hartnett]]) is a student. Laurie, who by now has become an [[alcoholic]], is still haunted by memories of her brother's rampage, and lives in fear that he may return. Although John dismisses her as paranoid, her fears become reality when Myers (Chris Durand) resurfaces on Halloween and murders two of John's classmates. After getting her son and his girlfriend to safety, Laurie decides to stop running and face her brother. She stops Michael, but, unconvinced that he is truly dead, goes on to steal his body and decapitate him, finally killing him.<ref name="H7">{{cite video|people= Miner, Steve (Director), Robert Zapia, and Matt Greenberg (Writers)|title=[[Halloween H20: 20 Years Later]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Dimension Films]]|date=1998}}</ref> In ''[[Halloween: Resurrection]]'', it is revealed that the man Laurie killed was a paramedic with whom Myers ([[Brad Loree]]) had swapped clothes. The guilt-ridden Laurie is now an inmate at the Grace Andersen Sanitarium, where the nurses believe her to be [[catatonic]]. Instead, she is preparing for Myers' return, and when he does, she lures him on to the institution's rooftop. Although he falls into her trap, Laurie's fears of again killing the wrong person get the better of her; when she tries to remove his mask, Michael stabs her and throws her off the roof, to her death.<ref name="H8">{{cite video|people= Rosenthal, Rick (Director), Larry Brand, and Sean Hood (Writers)|title=[[Halloween: Resurrection]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Dimension Films]]|date=2002}}</ref>
<!--Curtis' return; brief franchise rejuvenation-->Curtis returned as Laurie Strode in ''[[Halloween H20: 20 Years Later]]'', the seventh film in the series. The screenplay was based on a story by [[Kevin Williamson (writer)|Kevin Williamson]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://horrorpedia.com/2013/10/20/halloween-h20-20-years-later/|title=Halloween H20: 20 Years Later|last=mondozilla|date=2013-10-20|website=HORRORPEDIA|access-date=2016-10-05}}</ref> The story was conceived as a sequel to the sixth film, thereby keeping the timeline's continuity, but producers ultimately decided to go with a [[retroactive continuity|retcon]] and ignore the previous three films.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lairofhorror.tripod.com/myerslair/dyk7.html|title=Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later: Did You Know?|website=lairofhorror.tripod.com|access-date=2016-10-05}}</ref> In this timeline, Laurie has faked her death in a car accident as a way of escaping her murderous brother, whose body was not found after ''Halloween II''. She is now living under the name Keri Tate, and works as the headmistress of a [[California]] private school, where her teenage son John ([[Josh Hartnett]]) is a student. Laurie, who by now has become an [[alcoholic]], is still haunted by memories of her brother's rampage, and lives in fear that he may return. Although John dismisses her as paranoid, her fears become reality when Myers (Chris Durand) resurfaces on Halloween and murders two of John's classmates. After getting her son and his girlfriend to safety, Laurie decides to stop running and face her brother. She stops Michael, but, unconvinced that he is truly dead, goes on to steal his body and decapitate him, finally killing him.<ref name="H7">{{cite video|people= Miner, Steve (Director), Robert Zapia, and Matt Greenberg (Writers)|title=[[Halloween H20: 20 Years Later]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Dimension Films]]|date=1998}}</ref> In ''[[Halloween: Resurrection]]'', it is revealed that the man Laurie killed was a paramedic with whom Myers ([[Brad Loree]]) had swapped clothes. The guilt-ridden Laurie is now an inmate at the Grace Andersen Sanitarium, where the nurses believe her to be [[catatonic]]. Instead, she is preparing for Myers' return, and when he does, she lures him on to the institution's rooftop. Although he falls into her trap, Laurie's fears of again killing the wrong person get the better of her; when she tries to remove his mask, Michael stabs her and throws her off the roof, to her death.<ref name="H8">{{cite video|people= Rosenthal, Rick (Director), Larry Brand, and Sean Hood (Writers)|title=[[Halloween: Resurrection]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Dimension Films]]|date=2002}}</ref>
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In [[Halloween II (2009 film)|the 2009 sequel]], Laurie has moved in with the Bracketts. She suffers recurring nightmares about Michael and their mother, and is seeing a therapist to deal with the trauma. Loomis later tells her that she is Michael's sister, and that she also suffers from his "illness". In the film's climax, she tells the mortally wounded Michael that she loves him, before stabbing him to death and putting on his mask. In the film's final scene, she is in a mental institution, where she sees further apparitions of their mother. In the director's cut of the film, Laurie attempts to kill an injured Loomis after Michael is killed, and the police open fire on Laurie, apparently killing her too.<ref name="H10">{{cite video|people= Zombie, Rob (Writer/Director)|title=[[Halloween II (2009 film)|Halloween II]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Dimension Films]]|date=2009}}</ref>
In [[Halloween II (2009 film)|the 2009 sequel]], Laurie has moved in with the Bracketts. She suffers recurring nightmares about Michael and their mother, and is seeing a therapist to deal with the trauma. Loomis later tells her that she is Michael's sister, and that she also suffers from his "illness". In the film's climax, she tells the mortally wounded Michael that she loves him, before stabbing him to death and putting on his mask. In the film's final scene, she is in a mental institution, where she sees further apparitions of their mother. In the director's cut of the film, Laurie attempts to kill an injured Loomis after Michael is killed, and the police open fire on Laurie, apparently killing her too.<ref name="H10">{{cite video|people= Zombie, Rob (Writer/Director)|title=[[Halloween II (2009 film)|Halloween II]]|medium=[[DVD]]|location=United States|publisher=[[Dimension Films]]|date=2009}}</ref>


Curtis reprised her role as Laurie Strode in 2018's ''[[Halloween (2018 film)|Halloween]]''. The film ignored all of the previous sequels in the franchise and served as a direct sequel to the 1978 film, taking place 40 years later, and establishing that Michael was arrested following his killing spree in 1978, spending 40 years back in Smith's Grove Sanitarium. The plot twist from the 1981 sequel of Laurie being Michael's sister also was ignored. In the film, Laurie's granddaughter Allyson ([[Andi Matichak]]) explains how her life has been impacted by Michael's reign of terror 40 years earlier. When a friend hints that they heard Michael was Laurie's brother, Allyson replies, "No, it was not her brother, that was something people made up."<ref>http://comicbook.com/horror/2018/06/08/halloween-sequel-michael-myers-brother-update/</ref> In this continuity, Laurie suffers from [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] as a result of Michael's rampage, and has prepared for Michael's potential return through combat training; she has been divorced twice, and fell into [[alcoholism]] which in turn caused her to lose custody of her daughter, Karen ([[Judy Greer]]). Michael ([[James Jude Courtney]]) eventually escapes after a pair of journalists show him his mask on the day that he is to be transferred to another institution, it is revealed that his current psychiatrist, Dr. Ranbir Sartain ([[Haluk Bilginer]]), arranged for his escape to provoke a reaction out of Michael by putting him against Laurie to allow Michael to reinforce his perceived role as an '[[apex predator]]'. While Karen's husband ([[Toby Huss]]) and some of Allyson's friends are killed by Michael, the three generations are able to trap Michael in the basement of Laurie's house and set it on fire.
Curtis reprised her role as Laurie Strode in 2018's ''[[Halloween (2018 film)|Halloween]]''. The film ignored all of the previous sequels in the franchise and served as a direct sequel to the 1978 film, taking place 40 years later, and establishing that Michael was arrested following his killing spree in 1978, spending forty years back in Smith's Grove Sanitarium. The plot twist from the 1981 sequel of Laurie being Michael's sister also was ignored. In the film, Laurie's granddaughter Allyson ([[Andi Matichak]]) explains how her life has been impacted by Michael's reign of terror 40 years earlier. When a friend hints that they heard Michael was Laurie's brother, Allyson replies, "No, it was not her brother, that was something people made up."<ref>http://comicbook.com/horror/2018/06/08/halloween-sequel-michael-myers-brother-update/</ref> In this continuity, Laurie suffers from [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] as a result of Michael's rampage, and has prepared for Michael's potential return through combat training; she has been divorced twice, and fell into [[alcoholism]] which in turn caused her to lose custody of her daughter, Karen ([[Judy Greer]]). Michael ([[James Jude Courtney]]) eventually escapes after a pair of journalists show him his mask on the day that he is to be transferred to another institution, it is revealed that his current psychiatrist, Dr. Ranbir Sartain ([[Haluk Bilginer]]), arranged for his escape to provoke a reaction out of Michael by putting him against Laurie to allow Michael to reinforce his perceived role as an '[[apex predator]]'. While Karen's husband ([[Toby Huss]]) and some of Allyson's friends are killed by Michael, the three generations are able to trap Michael in the basement of Laurie's house and set it on fire.


===Literature===
===Literature===

Revision as of 17:01, 20 December 2018

Laurie Strode
Halloween character
Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode in the first film
First appearanceHalloween
Created byJohn Carpenter
Debra Hill
Portrayed byOriginal series: (1978–2018)
Jamie Lee Curtis
Reboot series: (2007–2009)
Scout Taylor-Compton
Video game: Dead by Daylight (2017)
Catherine Lecours (voice)
In-universe information
OccupationOriginal:
Student
Babysitter
Headmistress
Remake:
Student
Babysitter
ChildrenOriginal:
Jamie Lloyd (deceased), John Tate, Karen Nelson
RelativesJudith Myers
(biological sister; deceased)
Michael Myers
(biological brother)
Peter/Don Myers
(biological father; deceased)
Edith/Deborah Myers
(biological mother; deceased)
Pamela Strode (deceased adopted mother)
Morgan Strode (deceased adopted father)
Ray Nelson (son-in-law; deceased)
Allyson Nelson (granddaughter)
Steven Lloyd (grandson)

Laurie Strode is a fictional character in the Halloween franchise, portrayed by actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Scout Taylor-Compton. One of the two main protagonists of the overall series (the other being Dr. Sam Loomis), she appears in seven of the eleven Halloween films, first appearing in John Carpenter's original 1978 film. Jamie Lee Curtis portrayed the role in the original run of the series, with Scout Taylor-Compton taking the role in Rob Zombie's remake and its sequel. In September 2017, it was announced that Curtis signed on to reprise her role in Halloween, which was released in October 2018. The film retcons the previous sequels out of existence and serves as a direct sequel to the original film.[1]

Strode also has a lead role in the Halloween expanded universe, appearing in the novelizations and merchandise based on the films. In 2017, Strode was released alongside Michael Myers as one of the playable characters in the asymmetric survival horror online multiplayer video game Dead by Daylight (2017) in which she is voiced by Catherine Lecours. Her attire is based on the outfit she wore during the final scenes of the original Halloween (1978), while her facial features are based on her comic book incarnation. In academic materials, Strode is widely cited as one of the earliest and most influential examples of the "final girl" slasher film archetype.

Appearances

Films

Laurie Strode first appears in the original Halloween. The 17-year-old Laurie (Curtis) has plans to babysit Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews) on Halloween night, 1978. However, throughout the day, she keeps seeing a mysterious masked man watching her wherever she goes; unbeknownst to her, he is Michael Myers (Nick Castle), an escaped mental patient who murdered his sister, Judith Myers (Sandy Johnson), 15 years ago and has begun stalking her. As Laurie babysits Tommy, Myers kills Laurie's friends, Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P. J. Soles), in the house across the street. Growing concerned when they fail to call her, Laurie goes to investigate and sees their corpses laid out for her to find, before being attacked by Myers. Barely escaping, Laurie races back to the Doyle house. Michael follows, but Laurie manages to fend him off long enough for Tommy and Lindsey to escape. Laurie is saved by Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), who shoots Myers off the balcony; when Loomis goes to check Michael's body, he finds it missing. Loomis stares off into the night, while Laurie begins sobbing in terror.[2] Halloween II picks up directly after the first film, with Laurie Strode being taken to a hospital. Upon learning who attacked her, Laurie asks "Why me?!" Laurie says she does know that she was adopted and has a few dreams that offer vague insights into her real identity. The first dream she has is of when she was a little girl, with her adoptive mother saying with a tone of annoyance "I'm not your real mother! Stop asking me questions!" The second dream shows her walking into a large room where a pre-teen Michael is seen sitting in a chair and turning to look at her. Waking up, she begins to roam the hallways of the hospital until coming face to face with Myers, who has been killing his way through the hospital staff in search of her. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis is told that Michael and Judith Myers are actually Laurie's biological siblings; she was put up for adoption after the death of their parents, with the records sealed to protect the family. With the realization that Michael is after Laurie, Loomis rushes to the hospital to find them. Laurie shoots Michael in the eyes, blinding him, and Loomis causes an explosion in the operating theater, allowing Laurie to escape. Michael, engulfed in flames, stumbles out of the room before finally falling dead. The traumatized Laurie is last seen being transferred to another hospital.[3] In Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Laurie is revealed to have died in a car accident prior to the film's events, with the role of protagonist taken up by her young daughter, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris). A photograph of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie appears in a scene where Jamie remembers her mother.[4] The character of Jamie would go on to reappear in two more Halloween sequels,[5][6] while Laurie's cousin Kara (Marianne Hagan) and her family appear in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.[6]

Curtis returned as Laurie Strode in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, the seventh film in the series. The screenplay was based on a story by Kevin Williamson.[7] The story was conceived as a sequel to the sixth film, thereby keeping the timeline's continuity, but producers ultimately decided to go with a retcon and ignore the previous three films.[8] In this timeline, Laurie has faked her death in a car accident as a way of escaping her murderous brother, whose body was not found after Halloween II. She is now living under the name Keri Tate, and works as the headmistress of a California private school, where her teenage son John (Josh Hartnett) is a student. Laurie, who by now has become an alcoholic, is still haunted by memories of her brother's rampage, and lives in fear that he may return. Although John dismisses her as paranoid, her fears become reality when Myers (Chris Durand) resurfaces on Halloween and murders two of John's classmates. After getting her son and his girlfriend to safety, Laurie decides to stop running and face her brother. She stops Michael, but, unconvinced that he is truly dead, goes on to steal his body and decapitate him, finally killing him.[9] In Halloween: Resurrection, it is revealed that the man Laurie killed was a paramedic with whom Myers (Brad Loree) had swapped clothes. The guilt-ridden Laurie is now an inmate at the Grace Andersen Sanitarium, where the nurses believe her to be catatonic. Instead, she is preparing for Myers' return, and when he does, she lures him on to the institution's rooftop. Although he falls into her trap, Laurie's fears of again killing the wrong person get the better of her; when she tries to remove his mask, Michael stabs her and throws her off the roof, to her death.[10]

A new version of Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton) appears in Rob Zombie's Halloween remake. This movie establishes from the beginning that Laurie is Michael's baby sister, nicknamed "Boo". The young Michael (Daeg Faerch) shares a close bond with her. When Michael is sent away for killing their older sister Judith (Hanna R. Hall), their mother (Sheri Moon Zombie) is unable to cope and commits suicide. The infant Laurie is discovered by Sheriff Brackett (Brad Dourif), who omits her from the records for her own protection, and she is eventually adopted by the Strode family. The adult Michael (Tyler Mane) escapes and comes home in search of his sister, killing her adoptive parents and her friend Lynda (Kristina Klebe) before kidnapping Laurie. Michael attempts to communicate with Laurie through a picture of them both as children, but she does not understand and attacks him. Laurie hides as Michael hunts her down in their old childhood home; when he finds her, she shoots him in the head with a gun she took from Dr. Sam Loomis (Malcolm McDowell), after which she begins screaming hysterically as the scene fades to an old home video of young Michael and baby Laurie.[11]

In the 2009 sequel, Laurie has moved in with the Bracketts. She suffers recurring nightmares about Michael and their mother, and is seeing a therapist to deal with the trauma. Loomis later tells her that she is Michael's sister, and that she also suffers from his "illness". In the film's climax, she tells the mortally wounded Michael that she loves him, before stabbing him to death and putting on his mask. In the film's final scene, she is in a mental institution, where she sees further apparitions of their mother. In the director's cut of the film, Laurie attempts to kill an injured Loomis after Michael is killed, and the police open fire on Laurie, apparently killing her too.[12]

Curtis reprised her role as Laurie Strode in 2018's Halloween. The film ignored all of the previous sequels in the franchise and served as a direct sequel to the 1978 film, taking place 40 years later, and establishing that Michael was arrested following his killing spree in 1978, spending forty years back in Smith's Grove Sanitarium. The plot twist from the 1981 sequel of Laurie being Michael's sister also was ignored. In the film, Laurie's granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) explains how her life has been impacted by Michael's reign of terror 40 years earlier. When a friend hints that they heard Michael was Laurie's brother, Allyson replies, "No, it was not her brother, that was something people made up."[13] In this continuity, Laurie suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of Michael's rampage, and has prepared for Michael's potential return through combat training; she has been divorced twice, and fell into alcoholism which in turn caused her to lose custody of her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer). Michael (James Jude Courtney) eventually escapes after a pair of journalists show him his mask on the day that he is to be transferred to another institution, it is revealed that his current psychiatrist, Dr. Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), arranged for his escape to provoke a reaction out of Michael by putting him against Laurie to allow Michael to reinforce his perceived role as an 'apex predator'. While Karen's husband (Toby Huss) and some of Allyson's friends are killed by Michael, the three generations are able to trap Michael in the basement of Laurie's house and set it on fire.

Literature

Laurie Strode's first literary appearance was in October 1979, in Curtis Richards' novelization of Halloween, which largely follows the events of the film.[14] She also appeared in the 1981 adaptation of Halloween II written by Jack Martin; it was published alongside the first film sequel, with the novel following the film events, with an additional victim, a reporter, added to the novel.[15]

Laurie appears in the twist ending of the comic book Halloween III: The Devil's Eyes. While examining Dr. Loomis' diaries in the hopes of finding out more about Michael Myers, an adult Tommy Doyle and Lindsey Wallace are attacked by a person dressed as Myers. They unmask the figure to reveal Laurie Strode, who has taken on her brother's mantle. At the conclusion of the book, Laurie kills Tommy (losing an eye in the process) and is subsequently incarcerated in Smith's Grove, where Dr. Terence Wynn takes an interest in her. This story follows on from Halloween H20, but is set in a non-canon timeline contradicted by the release of Halloween: Resurrection.[16][17]

The anthology one-shot comic Halloween: 30 Years of Terror includes a Laurie Strode storyline entitled "Visiting Hours". Set between H20 and Resurrection, it shows Laurie in the Grace Anderson Sanitarium, where she wonders how her life could have been if Michael hadn't found her in 1978. In this alternate universe, she lives a happy life in which her friends are still alive, but the memory of Michael invades her fantasy world and leaves her with nothing. Laurie concludes that "I can't even dream of a normal life without [Michael] killing it", and can do nothing but wait for her brother's inevitable "visit" to set her free.[18] Laurie appears prominently in the comic book limited series Halloween: The First Death of Laurie Strode; set after Halloween II, it depicts the events which led to her faking her death.[19]

Video games

In 1983, Laurie made her video game debut in Halloween released on Atari 2600. Laurie Strode was added as a playable character, alongside Michael Myers, in downloadable content for Dead by Daylight released in October 2016.[20] Her biography states:

"You never know what really matters in life until you’ve realized it might end soon. Laurie is one of those who just wants a quiet life in the suburbs, hanging out with friends, family and maybe go on a date or two. Laurie is a typical teenager. You could pass her on the street and not think twice. She does her homework and is liked by her friends, teachers and family. A simple night of babysitting turns into something that will forever change the course of her young life. A knife swooshing through the air. Screams from afar. Noises that play tricks with her mind. But not Laurie, she’s made of something stronger. Something that won’t give up."[21]

Casting

In an interview, Carpenter admits that "Jamie Lee wasn't the first choice for Laurie. I had no idea who she was. She was 19 and in a TV show at the time, but I didn't watch TV." He originally wanted to cast Anne Lockhart, the daughter of June Lockhart from Lassie, as Laurie Strode. Lockhart, however, had commitments to several other film and television projects.[22] Debra Hill says upon learning that Curtis was the daughter of Psycho star Janet Leigh, "I knew casting Jamie Lee would be great publicity for the film because her mother was in Psycho."[23]

Reception

Laurie has been compared to the character of Sally Hardesty from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre by a variety of scholars. James Rose notes the parallels between Laurie and Sally, stating:

"...for as much as both survive, each, in the end, requires male intervention to fully save them from the narrative's male antagonist: Sally is rescued by a passing driver, while Laurie is saved by Dr Loomis (Donald Pleasence). Despite this, both Sally and Laurie combine to make manifest the key attributes of the Final Girl as both struggled, endured and, in Laurie's case, attacked their aggressor until they could escape and be saved. In the slasher films that followed in the wake of Chain Saw and Halloween, the Final Girl steadily gains in strength until she herself vanquishes the male antagonist."[24]

Editor Stefano Lo Verme compared Curtis' performance as Laurie to the performances of Sandra Peabody as Mari Collingwood in The Last House on the Left (1972) and Marilyn Burns as Sally in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974).[25]

References

  1. ^ McNary, Dave (September 15, 2017). "Jamie Lee Curtis Returning for 'Halloween' Reboot". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  2. ^ Carpenter, John (Writer/Director) and Debra Hill (Writer) (1978). Halloween (DVD). United States: Compass International Pictures.
  3. ^ Rosenthal, Rick (Director), John Carpenter, and Debra Hill (Writers) (1981). Halloween II (DVD). United States: Universal Pictures.
  4. ^ Little, Dwight (Director) and Allan McElroy (Writer) (1988). Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (DVD). United States: Galaxy International Releasing.
  5. ^ Othenin-Girard, Dominique (Director), Michael Jacobs, Dominique Othenin-Girard, and Shem Bitterman (Writers) (1989). Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (DVD). United States: Galaxy International Releasing.
  6. ^ a b Chappelle, Joe (Director) and Daniel Farrands (Writer) (1995). Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (DVD). United States: Miramax Films.
  7. ^ mondozilla (2013-10-20). "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later". HORRORPEDIA. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  8. ^ "Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later: Did You Know?". lairofhorror.tripod.com. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  9. ^ Miner, Steve (Director), Robert Zapia, and Matt Greenberg (Writers) (1998). Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  10. ^ Rosenthal, Rick (Director), Larry Brand, and Sean Hood (Writers) (2002). Halloween: Resurrection (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  11. ^ Zombie, Rob (Writer/Director) (2007). Halloween (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  12. ^ Zombie, Rob (Writer/Director) (2009). Halloween II (DVD). United States: Dimension Films.
  13. ^ http://comicbook.com/horror/2018/06/08/halloween-sequel-michael-myers-brother-update/
  14. ^ Richards, Curtis (October 1979). Halloween (novel). Bantam Books. ISBN 0553132261.
  15. ^ Martin, Jack (1981-11-01). Halloween II (novel). Zebra Publishing. ISBN 0-89083-864-X.
  16. ^ "Halloween — Michael Myers comic book titles". Movie Maniacs Comic Books. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  17. ^ "Daniel Farrands interview". Icons of Fright. 2005. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
  18. ^ Stephen Hutchinson (w), Daniel Zezelj, Jim Daly, Brett Weldele, Jeffrey Zornow, Lee Ferguson, Tim Seeley (p), Nick Bell, Rob Buffalo, Jeffrey Zornow, Elizabeth John (i). Halloween: 30 Years of Terror (August, 2007). Devil's Due Publishing.
  19. ^ Ekstrom, Steve (August 18, 2008). "Hutchinson on Halloween: The First Death of Laurie Strode". Newsarama. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  20. ^ Squires, John (October 12, 2016). "Michael Myers and Laurie Strode Being Added to Slasher Game 'Dead by Daylight'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  21. ^ "Dead by Daylight - Manual". Dead by Daylight. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved November 26, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ John Carpenter, Entertainment Weekly interview, quoted at HalloweenMovies.com Archived 2006-09-26 at Archive-It; last accessed April 19, 2006.
  23. ^ Debra Hill, Fangoria interview, quoted at HalloweenMovies.com Archived 2006-09-26 at Archive-It; last accessed April 19, 2006.
  24. ^ Rose, James (2014). The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Columbia University Press. ISBN 9781906733995.
  25. ^ Verme, Stefano Lo (June 25, 2016). "SCREAMING ACTRESSES: FROM VERA FARMIGA TO JAMIE LEE CURTIS, THE GREAT SCREAM QUEEN BETWEEN CINEMA AND TV". Movieplayer. Retrieved January 5, 2018.

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