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Dr. Loomis is the most ubiquitous character whom I've ever seen

posted 6 years ago by TM1617-2 (660)
29 replies | jump to latest

Throughout the Halloween series, Samuel Loomis is available to everyone. The character rushes into the Doyle home and prevents Michael from killing Laurie. He is in the right corridor to hear Laurie and let her back in to the hospital. The psychiatrist stumbles upon Jamie when she's lost and alone on the street at night, and waltzes in to a clinic room in the last instant to save Jamie from being stabbed in the neck and drugged. He stops paramedics from taking Jamie in an ambulance so that she can participate in catching and destroying Michael which she wants to do. Dr. Loomis happens to be in the same yard that Tommy is in just in time to help him rescue Kara, Danny, and Steven. The man magically appears wherever and whenever someone needs him.

[–] hurricane (1963) 6 years ago

If Michael Myers is the boogeyman, and the personification of evil, maybe Loomis is the embodiment of good?

Wherever he is needed, he is there.

[–] Martoto (5054) 6 years ago

Where was he when Annie, Lynda, Bob, Lester, Alice, Janet...... et al were killed?

[–] TJLamb0518 (3316) 6 years ago

They deserved it.

[–] Martoto (5054) 6 years ago

That's why Loomis won't be around when your time comes.

[–] TJLamb0518 (3316) 6 years ago

Dude I am totally getting bob'ed.

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

That is an excellent point, Martoto, but I believe that the answer is that in those scenes Dr. Loomis is still trying to warn the town about Michael Myers more than physically acting upon the killer, even though he is prepared for the latter.

[–] Martoto (5054) 6 years ago

That implies that if he was going around warning the town while Laurie was being murdered at the end, that would have been fine too.

The only time Loomis is where he is needed , as hurricane supposes, is when he's at the top of the Doyle's stairs blowing Michael away.

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

Of course it would not be fine. I simply mean that for much of the movie, Dr. Loomis is searching for Michael Myers from a distance. To make matters worse, the seeker has no assistance as no one believes him. Even the police officer who accompanies Dr. Loomis does not take the story seriously. The psychiatrist is forced to estimate where and when his escaped patient will act, which is very difficult with no hints from anyone. He has to carry the burdens of trying to protect an ignorant, unaccepting, and uncooperative town and remaining continuously alert for an uncontrollable killer, yet manages to repeatedly enter scenes that need help.

[–] Martoto (5054) 6 years ago

I wouldn't necessarily call the town ignorant because the sheriff is skeptical about the rather outre claims of a psychiatrist now acting like a bounty hunter whose status is strictly amateur in that department.

Loomis only enters one scene where his help is needed. Belatedly. At the last possible second.

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

Martoto, you're being a bit too hard on Dr. Loomis. Imagine how you would feel if you understood better and knew more than anyone else in a life threatening situation and no one heeded your warnings. Chasing criminals on the street is not typically part of the work that Samuel does, but as a psychiatrist he might have more to offer about how an unstable person would plan than the police do. I applaud Dr. Loomis for keeping his ground no matter how difficult others make it for him, and still dealing with Michael Myers outside of a controlled environment.

[–] Martoto (5054) 6 years ago

I'm not being hard on him. I'm stating facts. He's in the right and does what he can, being a clinical psychiatrist and not a detective or a trained bounty hunter, or an exorcist/demon hunter etc.

His shortcomings, and those of everyone else in this movie, illustrated the fallibility of conventional adult authority. It's enough that he ultimately comes to Laurie's rescue. It's at that moment, after Laurie's wits enabled her to survive long enough, that Loomis finally meets someone who can somewhat comprehend what he's been warning people about for the entire movie.

It's not necessary or appropriate to enhance the stature of everything that Loomis does.

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

I was not glamorizing Dr. Loomis, only giving him credit for handling the matter on his own. Also, my original topic focused on the character within the series, not just this movie. Since this film was the start of the line, I used it collectively.

[–] Martoto (5054) 6 years ago

The fact that the bodycount gets higher and higher throughout the sequels doesn't support the "availability to everyone" eulogy.

He almost shot Ben Tramer before the bewildered teen was run over and killed. And he had to be stopped from killing Jamie at the end of 4.

I don't blame him for trying in each sequel. But he's far from very effective except where the plot contrives it. Understandably so. His greatest moment is his sacrifice at the end of the second movie. But the nobility and significance of his actions, if not his motive and intent, in the series overall is overstated here.

You have the quality of the writing of the franchise to thank for that.

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

You are viewing the matter quantitatively, whereas I am describing it qualitatively, so we each have points. Dr. Loomis does get somewhat impulsive when he sees Ben which is wrong but understandable after how he has spent the past twenty-four hours. He doesn't want to kill Jamie, but fears that the girl has inherited the same problem that her uncle has and that it is consuming her. I think that the psychiatrist is only preparing to use his gun on the child if he finds that he has no choice, especially since he is much more upset in that moment than he appears in most of his scenes. I have not intended for my original statement to be taken literally. It's just a summary of the nature of Dr. Loomis and the majority of his interactions with others. He generally has very impressive self-control, but I won't deny that he slips away from that once or twice.

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

That is quite insightful, hurricane.

[–] hurricane (1963) 6 years ago

Why thank you.

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

You're welcome.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7792) 6 years ago

Hurricane, that reminds me of this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hey0FzdUNA8

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

He is a sort of guardian angel, the other side of the coin to Michael's evil.

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

That is a good way to explain Dr. Loomis, jacob54311. He serves as the guardian of Haddonfield.

[–] catsidhe (1649) 6 years ago

Yeah, always lurking in the bushes. 😂

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

Right, catsidhe, but at least it's for a moral cause.

[–] catsidhe (1649) 6 years ago

Oh for sure. It's just something that made me laugh at on my latest rewatch of it as it hadn't really struck me before how much time he spent in shrubberies. 😂

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

Since Dr. Loomis has an authoritative and sometimes even formidable presence, it can be easy to miss how frequently he hides or changes position.

[–] Martoto (5054) 6 years ago

He's not a doctor in this film. He's a hunter. Makes sense that he'd hide in the bushes.

[–] TJLamb0518 (3316) 6 years ago

He's Van Helsing to Michaels Dracula.

[–] Martoto (5054) 6 years ago

I suppose but Michael aint Dracula and Loomis isn't Van Helsing. They have a similar dynamic but that's about it. Van Helsing's pursuit of Dracula is a scientific one as much as anything else. Loomis has effectively abandoned science or rational thought to do battle Michael.

[–] MinorityRules15 (963) 6 years ago

"Throughout the Halloween series, Samuel Loomis is available to everyone. The character rushes into the Doyle home and prevents Michael from killing Laurie. He is in the right corridor to hear Laurie and let her back in to the hospital. The psychiatrist stumbles upon Jamie when she's lost and alone on the street at night, and waltzes in to a clinic room in the last instant to save Jamie from being stabbed in the neck and drugged. He stops paramedics from taking Jamie in an ambulance so that she can participate in catching and destroying Michael which she wants to do. Dr. Loomis happens to be in the same yard that Tommy is in just in time to help him rescue Kara, Danny, and Steven. The man magically appears wherever and whenever someone needs him."

Not to mention Loomis, in his fight against pure evil walking around Haddonfield, still had time to make a joke on Lonnie and smile about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73SidPwuG78

[–] TM1617-2 (660) 6 years ago

That is an interesting consideration, MinorityRules15. However, Dr. Loomis is not simply pulling a prank. He needs to get the boys away from the Myers house quickly and probably wouldn't deceitfully scare them if he had more time. Still, I have always been amused by the way that the psychiatrist, despite what he has witnessed for years, is able to act like a kid for a minute and display pride in chasing brats away. Have you accidentally replied to Martoto instead of me? Your post gives me the impression that you're talking to me.