Slasher fans still puzzling through how “Project Argonaut” created Friday the 13th‘s Jason Voorhees (according to Crystal Lake, at least) might be able to embrace this villain explanation with a bit more ease. In just under five minutes, Jason Eisener‘s Project Shamrock: The Secret Origins of Michael Myers Exposed digs into the backstory of the boogeyman of Haddonfield—very cleverly tying it into Halloween III: Season of the Witch, famously the only franchise entry that doesn’t feature the Shatner-masked killer at work.
Eisener, whose features include Hobo With a Shotgun and Kids vs. Aliens (an expansion of his segment in V/H/S/2), and whose TV work includes the wrestling documentary series Dark Side of the Ring, absolutely nails every part of this. You can tell he’s a massive Halloween fan—special emphasis on Halloween III—by all the details crammed in here: “I’ve never understood their obsession with space, and what ancient ruins have to do with selling Halloween masks,” mutters the janitor turned whistleblower played by Dave Brunt. We love how the short is presented as a “lost film reel,” complete with grainy effects and “vintage” footage.
Here’s the official description of Project Shamrock:
“A recently discovered lost film reel with footage dating back to Halloween 1960 contains disturbing evidence that a young Michael Myers was once a subject of the Silver Shamrock Corporation’s top-secret experiments, conducted under the codename PROJECT SHAMROCK.
The film may offer startling new clues about the origins of his psychotic and violent behavior. We’ve obtained a copy of this reel and are presenting it here for the very first time. Watch it before it’s taken down!”
Project Shamrock, which the YouTube post notes is “a not-for-profit fan film, shot over two days on 16mm and 8mm film in Dartmouth and Halifax, Nova Scotia,” is indeed a fan film, so it’s not an officially licensed Halloween project. That means it may very well be taken down at some point, so definitely watch it while you can. Be warned, though: the Silver Shamrock jingle will get stuck in your head, just like it does any time you watch Halloween III.
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