Assumption Shares Their Killer Opinions

Molly Kelly

Staff Writer

As the Halloween season is approaching faster than Michael Myers can kill, it leaves horror fans excited to lose sleep over their favorite slasher movies yet again.

‘Tis the season for the warlocks and witches to grab their broomsticks and popcorn and, most of all, clutch their loved ones close, as it’s time to decide which dramatic slasher presents the most iconic Halloween killer.

What makes a fictional killer iconic, one may ask? Well, it is one with the skills, seductive stare, and overall crowd favorite characteristics that send shivers down your spine in the most bloodcurdling ways.

Therefore, I surveyed a small sample of Assumption University students anonymously, and I’ve brewed up their responses to the following question: Which horror movie character they find to be most legendary, and which leaves their skin crawling the most?

Giving students the options of the top most classic movies and killers, students gave their eerie opinions on which fictional killer is the most renowned. Their options involved the menacing Michael Myers, the chaotic Carrie, the ghastly Ghostface, the jarring Jason Voorhees, the frightful Freddy Krueger, and the ‘just boy eating’ Jennifer Check.

To begin, in last place, is the ‘just boy eating’ Jennifer Check, from the frightful 2009 flick, ‘Jennifer’s Body’. Despite one student labeling her as “the hottest of the options,” many have argued that her actual murderous abilities lack behind her beautiful face and ‘baddie’ outfits.

Perhaps the men surveyed disliked Jennifer’s habits of only attacking men. Jennifer Check, played by Megan Fox, at least rocks some iconic outfits throughout the entirety of the movie, including fitted jeans and cute cropped tees.

Her striking blue eyes certainly give her a seductive stare, however, students believe there are more ghostly options to match their description of the most iconic killer.

Despite student’s opinions, Jennifer Check was a renowned character of her time, yet she lacks the classic horror movie character essence, as she does not embody the eerie characteristics that many of her fellow killers do.

Coming above next is the jarring Jason Voorhees, the killer whose hockey mask left some voters unsettled. Jason, a character in ‘Friday the Thirteenth’, specifically taking over as the killer in the second movie, was second to last in the voting, as voters found his storyline ‘outdated’.

While some may argue he is a classic and outstanding character, many found his goals of avenging his mother during his killing spree to be soooooo 1979. One student even commented on Jason’s appearance, wondering, “What does he have going on under that mask he doesn’t want viewers to see?” (essentially suggesting Jason is an unattractive plain old stalker).

Advocates of Jason mentioned the classic camp storyline, where the killer takes over the camp in a chaotic killing spree, yet his popularity was rare.

It is unclear if Jason has a seductive stare as he is masked, yet his skills shone through when he killed survivor campers from the first movie during the second one. His vengeful ways proved unsettling with viewers, but they seem to have found worse shivers from other sources.

Next is the killer everyone will allegedly lose sleep over. The one who visits you in your dreams is the frightful Freddy Krueger from the 1984 scary showing of, ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’.

Freddy, known for his scarred face and making his victims face insomnia, was found to be next in the voting, as viewers found his storyline to be “exciting” yet “silly,” seemingly making fun of Freddy’s choices as a character, rather than finding him scary.

One student even mentioned how Johnny Depp was the most enticing part of this film, and that his “beautiful face” was the only thing that kept them awake at night, not Freddy’s frightening demeanor (it was me, I am the student).

Regardless of his impressive storyline as a night stalker, Freddy was deemed too scary a character, as his backstory is troubling in ways that viewers do not seem to vibe with. He lacks a seductive stare and the skills to be labeled the most iconic killer according to the well-slept students on Assumption’s campus.

Hopefully the Freddy fanatics won’t lose sleep over the loss of the voting, as Glen and Nancy once did in the freaky flick.

Next, taking her crown in third place, is the chaotic Carrie, the young character whom many viewers empathize with. No one likes a bully, least of all Carrie White, a character crafted with care by Stephen King in his novel Carrie, which was later brought to life onscreen in the book’s 1976 film adaptation.

While some argue that Carrie is extensively iconic as she has both a book and a musical written about her, others argue that she is not a villain at all, as she was driven to insanity by her mother and her unkind peers.

The pig’s blood stained on her white prom dress is more a reminder to viewers about the detrimental effects bullying can have on others. While she is brilliant and powerful, Carrie lacks the general qualities of a serial killer, as she has minimal skills and seductive stare.

While still iconic in her own way, Carrie stands as a not-so-friendly reminder to bullies that sometimes your victims could snap. Who is to say they may not develop superhuman strengths to fight against your cruel ways? Carrie, while not the winner of the voting, showcases to viewers the importance of keeping your friends close but always your enemies closer.

In second place, while it was nearly a tie, is the menacing Michael Myers. Michael is a terrifying character, and the main murderer of the 1978 horror film, ‘Halloween’, which is still to this day a classic for many viewers.

Michael, coming in so close to being the most iconic killer, was congratulated by voters for his ever-growing resilience against those who defy him, as well as brutal abilities to go after everyone, even those in his family.

Viewers mention his “fast paced walk,” that combines an eerie urgency and terrifying intensity that would keep all viewers locking their doors and staying in for the night. While many find him to be very iconic, others did argue that his mask leaves his eyes hard to see, allowing room for viewers to wonder if he has a seductive stare.

While his skill is there, as he continually comes back to haunt those who remain alive, many still believe there is a better option out there for the most iconic killer.

So now, it’s time to find out, who is the most iconic horror movie killer?

Finally, Assumption students found Billy Loomis, better known as Ghostface, to be the most iconic horror movie killer.

In the 1996 movie, ‘Scream’, which embarked a series of movies lasting up until recently, Billy, or Ghostface, is known to be a strikingly handsome killer with terrifying motives that leave viewers with goosebumps. One student found his “striking stare” to leave them in a trance, nearly forgetting the crimes he committed throughout the movie.

Another student mentioned how his “skills” as a killer were “hot…”.

So is Billy really the most iconic horror movie character? Or do viewers just find his manly looks enticing? Despite these counterarguments, Billy was found to be a skilled manipulator throughout the entirety of the film, tricking the main victim Sidney Prescott into believing he was not the killer up until the last moments of the flick.

Billy, as well as being handsome, sparked an iconic Halloween costume that viewers still purchase. The Ghostface mask is a clear sign of Halloween, and many find joy in wearing merchandise based on the movie, as it is a classic and legendary sign that spooky season is here. Additionally, Billy’s famous line stating that “movies don’t create psychos, they make psychos more creative,” showcases his intensity as a character, which leaves viewers on the edge of their seat while watching him.

While there were many other options, Assumption students found Billy Loomis, the handsome manipulator with insane tactics to be the most iconic killer within horror movie franchises.

Thank you to all the ghouls and goblins at Assumption University who voted to figure out which character they found to be most iconic.

Do you agree that Ghostface, or Billy Loomis, is the most iconic horror movie killer? Or is there another one that just makes YOUR skin crawl even more than him? Whether you agree or not, Halloween is upon us, so it’s time to pull out the butterfingers and turn on those TVs, as the spooky season is here.

And remember, lock your doors tonight, as the grimacing Ghostface could call your home phone at any time. And if he asks if you want to play a game, the answer is always no.