Ahead of the release of his new book, You Can’t Kill the Boogeyman: The Ongoing Halloween Saga – 13 Films and Counting, we spoke to prolific Irish author Wayne Byrne about his deep dive into the iconic slasher film series.
Wayne will be launching his book at Naas Library & Cultural Centre on Thursday, 18th September at 7:00pm.
Occasional Film Ireland contributor Wayne will be joined by our seasoned writer Paul Farren for an in-depth live discussion on the night to give attendees an insight into the making of this highly anticipated and already acclaimed book. This is Wayne’s ninth release and is not his first rodeo when it comes to comprehensive tomes on horror film franchises, as he previously published the definitive document on the Nightmare on Elm Street films with his well-received Welcome to Elm Street: Inside the Film and Television Nightmares. The success and acclaim of that book brought him to the attention of industry insiders who figured he was the man to bring these legendary franchises to the bookshelves. Although for anyone familiar with Byrne's eclectic oeuvre, they will know he is not exclusively "the horror guy" that his high-profile work on Elm Street and Halloween might suggest.
"I was certainly resistant to the idea of doing more horror franchise books, and not because I don't love some of the franchises that were being put my way, but because I was already tied up with multiple literary projects and I wanted to choose carefully any other potential projects because committing to them contractually means you are going to be spending a year or two with that set number of films. So, I was picky, and I batted away a few franchises that I do really like but which I wasn't willing to spend a whole year with. And the other consideration is how much they mean to me. All the subjects of my books, as varied as they are, mean something deeply personal and emotional to me; that's how I decide on my projects. And among all the horror franchise ideas that came my way, the only one I could reconcile with on that level was Halloween, because I grew up with those films, I know them intimately."
Indeed, Wayne admits to having been introduced to Halloween III: Season of the Witch at the tender age of six by his movie buff father, an act which inspired his devotion to the Halloween films as a young boy perusing the shelves of the Naas video shops. And it was this peculiar, non-canon entry in the Halloween series which was the deciding factor for the writer in making this his next literary move.
"The idea of writing about Halloween III and speaking with the people who made it was perhaps the main reason I decided to write this book. It has been one of my favourite films ever since that moment in 1988 when my dad told me he recorded a film off the telly last night that I might like, which turned out to be Halloween III. I loved it so much, and I duly followed that by getting my dad's assistance in renting Halloween 4 and Halloween 5 when they were released on VHS around the late-80s. So, I started with the great evil Irish toymaker, Conal Cochran, rather than Michael Myers. But as soon as I saw Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers I was hooked on that character and mythology."
Byrne admits in the opening pages of the book that this is not a "definitive history" of the Halloween franchise but is what all his works set out to be: a detailed document of the production intertwined with analysis of themes and aesthetics. His reason for such a disclaimer is so readers are aware of his different approach in telling the story of how the franchise came to be, and how it has endured to become one of the most popular horror properties in American Cinema history.
"I see this as a kind of 'alternative history’”', he says, “because I spoke to some people from behind the scenes who don't normally talk about their work on the films. I didn't want to present the same old stories that the fans are already familiar with. Anyone interested in Halloween has already heard all the quotes and stories from John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis about the origins of it all. So, I spoke with some of those whose experiences on the films would be less well-known. I mean there are tales in the book which are part of the history of the franchise that I couldn’t avoid, that's just the nature of doing this kind of thing, but my approach was really to celebrate some of the other artists involved and to tell their stories and how Halloween became an important part of their careers. So, it's very much in the style of my other books in that regard."
Whilst Wayne is busy on the promotional trail for this book and talking all things Halloween, he is also busy writing and preparing to release several other works, including two with musician Amanda Kramer (keyboardist of The Psychedelic Furs), one of which is the soon-to-be-released The Evolution of American Film Music, 1960s – 1990s, as well as a follow-up to their acclaimed Hired Guns: Portraits of Women in American Music. Next year will also see him release a collaboration with Carolina Cioara on a study of class and culture in a selection of American films from the late-20th century.
“I don’t stick around for long to bask in the glory of my releases. I’m usually already three or four books ahead. But I am enjoying this moment of heralding my Halloween book. Sometimes I do forget to stop and take it all in. So, I am looking forward to celebrating with Paul, and with some cheese and wine, at the launch event in Naas.”
To hear more about Wayne's endeavours in the world of writing, do join him and Paul at Naas Library & Cultural Centre for what should be an interesting and fun evening of book celebration and film discussion.
