One Of Rob Zombie's Halloween Stars Only Saw A Small Part Of The Script
When John Carpenter made "Halloween" in 1978, it was still the early days of the slasher genre. Early slashers, a connoisseur of the genre might notice, spent more time establishing the state and story of their human protagonists than they did their featured serial killers. It wouldn't be until the genre became overrun with innumerable sequels that the killer would become the main character. Eventually, the slasher genre became, essentially, the Supervillain Movie. Fans came not to see the resolute heroes who would destroy evil, but the evil itself. Freddy is, after all, more interesting, fun, and charismatic than any of his victims.
By the time Rob Zombie remade "Halloween" in 2007, that series' central murderer, Michael Myers, was at the very heart of the story. The bulk of Zombie's film was set fifteen years in the past, and explored the bleak and abusive home life of a 10-year-old Michael (Daeg Faerch) who was already displaying psychopathic tendencies. Myers' home was full of screaming, hitting, and a generally miserable malaise. A mounting series of increasingly violent encounters led the young Michael to commit murder and to withdraw into his mind. He was eventually committed to an asylum where he made his masks and never spoke.
Years later, Michael, now played by Tyler Mane, breaks free of the asylum prior to Halloween night and goes in search of his now-grown infant sister, killing anyone who wanders into his field of vision. The second half of Zombie's film is a condensed version of the entirety of the 1978 "Halloween." That part of the movie is even more brutally violent than the first part.
Kept away from the premiere
Faerch was only 11 during the filming of "Halloween," and delivered a performance that made Michael simultaneously threatening and deeply sweet. Faerch communicated to audiences that Michael Myers was once a human, albeit one that, thanks to a very specific set of circumstances, became a serial killer. Carpenter's semi-supernatural treatment of the character is gone from Zombie's version. In 2007, the world was more interested in analysis, origin stories, and practical explanations for iconic characters. Faerch was adept at giving Michael a human face.
Ironically, Faerch was too young to see a movie like "Halloween" in theaters. In a 2007 video interview with Movieweb, Faerch even revealed that his mother wouldn't allow him to read the entirety of the script. He was only allowed to read his own scenes, and didn't get to work with Mane to ensure the child Michael and the adult Michael matched. Mane only revealed that he studied Faerch prior to shooting his own scenes, but their meeting was nothing more than a hello. "I only read my part," Faerch said. "And then my mom read it and said, 'You're not gonna read that.'" Mane seemed playfully miffed that Faerch didn't get to read his scenes.
The young actor was also forbidden from attending the film's premiere. "I am going to be kept away. Even from the premiere," he said. "I'm going to watch maybe the first 10 or 15 minutes where there's no killing. It's still kind of horror, but no killing. Then just go out and do something else." Faerch wouldn't be allowed to see the R-rated "Halloween" without a guardian until the year 2013.
Killing a Spy Kid
Faerch seemed to have had a good time filming "Halloween," and didn't appear to be put off by the film's horror elements. Indeed, when the interviewer pointed out that Faerch had a scene where he got to kill one of the Spy Kids (actor Daryl Sabara also appears in the film), the young actor responded with enthusiasm. "That was kind of cool. 'Cause I had this big plastic stick thing," he said. It was fun, but he had to make sure not to actually hit Sabara anywhere other than his chest, presumably where he was padded.
More complex was delving into Michael as a character. Prior to Zombie's "Halloween," Michael Myers had appeared in seven other movies, and never had much of a personality in them. He was merely, as the series repeatedly stated, the boogeyman. It would be up to Faerch to essentially invent Michael, a tall order for an eleven year old. Luckily, Faerch had a script, a director, and a parent who were all willing to guide him through the process. "I had some ideas. My mom helped me, of course. Then Rob came in and said 'That's good, that's good, but maybe change this.'"
Faerch began his acting career in 2004, and has continued to act to this day, having most recently appeared in an episode of "Euphoria." He was not able to appear in the 2009 sequel "Halloween II," as he had grown too tall. Faerch has also spoken candidly about some of his struggles as a teen, including his overuse of drugs, and a traumatic experience having his head stomped in a mosh pit which brought on a seizure. After several weeks in a coma and a complicated brain surgery, Faerch has now recovered.
He now makes music videos under the name GreatDaeg.