Tuttle man adds Halloween festivity to community by patrolling as Michael Myers

By Jayson Knight
jaysonrknight@gmail.com

Michael Myers, aka The Shape, was the breakout star character of John Carpenter’s 1978 “Halloween,” a movie which helped make the slasher genre so popular for 1980s horror movies.
Myers is infamous for stalking his prey, including main character Laurie Strode, and Michael did so mostly by driving around in a 1978 Ford LTD Station Wagon in the first of many “Halloween” movies.
Tuttle citizen Brady Baumgartner found a later model of the station wagon, and has made it a tradition to dress up as Michael Myers multiple years since. He even plays the theme music while driving around.
Baumgartner’s role as The Shape has become a hit in the community, including with his own kids.
“The car is kind of what started it,” Baumgartner said Friday. “It’s just a cool freaking car. I always loved the movie. I thought, ‘You know what, I’m going to get a mask and drive this thing around,’ so that’s kind of when I discovered how fun it was to see people’s reactions. I added some speakers to the car this year, finally, and I can time it out to where I see someone and I blast the music, so they’ll look over at me. That’s kind of changed the game. I’m able to make a lot more people see me, because they hear the music and they turn their head. You’ll get the guys or the girls that point. They bust out their phones real quick and they’re trying to get a video. Some of them just love it.
“I’ve got a daughter and a son and they’re both going to be Michael Myers this year, so we’re either going to be three Michael Myers and a Laurie Strode, or four Michael Myers.”