Halloween (1978)

A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood for the murder of his sister, escapes and stalks a bookish teenage girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Carpenter (screenplay), Debra Hill (screenplay)

Stars:

Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donald Pleasence	...	Dr. Sam Loomis
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Laurie Strode
Nancy Kyes	...	Annie Brackett (as Nancy Loomis)
P.J. Soles	...	Lynda van der Klok
Charles Cyphers	...	Sheriff Leigh Brackett
Kyle Richards	...	Lindsey Wallace
Brian Andrews	...	Tommy Doyle
John Michael Graham	...	Bob Simms
Nancy Stephens	...	Marion Chambers
Arthur Malet	...	Graveyard Keeper
Mickey Yablans	...	Richie
Brent Le Page	...	Lonnie Elamb
Adam Hollander	...	Keith
Robert Phalen	...	Dr. Terence Wynn
Tony Moran	...	Michael Myers (age 23)

Storyline

The year is 1963, the night: Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that 15 year old Judith Myers has been stabbed to death, by her 6 year-old brother, Michael. After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out on the night before Halloween. No one knows, nor wants to find out, what will happen on October 31st 1978 besides Myers' psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it'll be too late for many people.

---

Plot Keywords:

halloween | night | michael myers | death | knife | 

---

Taglines:

The Night he came home

---

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

JohnCarpenter - movie site Trancas International Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Halloween

Filming Locations:

1000 Mission Street, South Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$325,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$47,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compass International Pictures, Falcon International Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 101 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Michael Myers was named after the European distributor of Carpenter's previous film, Assault on Precinct 13 as a kind of weird "thank you" for the film's overseas success.

---

Goofs

Annie tells Laurie that she will pick her up at 6:30. When she does, it is full daylight, which is not the case anywhere in Illinois on October 31. And even though it is a small town, it's full dark when the girls arrive at their destination.

---

Quotes

Marion Chambers: [arriving at Smith's Grove and seeing patients walk the grounds] Since when do they let them just wander around?

---

Crazy Credits

The music for the film -- written and performed by John Carpenter -- is instead credited to "The Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra." Carpenter grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

---

Connections

Referenced in His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2009)

---

Soundtracks

"Don't Fear The Reaper"
Blue Öyster Cult
Courtesy C.B.S. Records

User Reviews

It *is* a classic

To begin, this is a twenty year old film. Few films remain as suspenseful today as they did when it came out. (see: Night of the Living Dead -- had people running from the theatres when released but is very tame today). Clearly a movie fan brought up on the standards of today's movies will fail to find enjoyment of such 'classic' films. But when watching Halloween today perhaps it helps to consider a few things: Halloween was a low budget film (read: bad acting, poor special effects) made for only $300,000. It was not a product of Hollywood but a bunch of 20 year olds. This was the first film to feature the Boogeyman that Wouldn't Die which has been ripped off time and time again in the Friday the 13th, Elm Street, Scream, etc. You're used to it now, but Halloween did it first. Even Scream ripped off the look of the villian in Halloween. The theme of teenagers being stalked by a madman has been ripped of numerous times as well (again, Halloween did it first) but what seperates Halloween from the imitators is that it plays on traditional fears: The Thing that Wouldn't Die; the Boogeyman coming to get you; being followed and stalked; the boyfriend returning to the room under a bedsheet -- and it's not really him; someone hiding in the car... all things that have made our skin crawl in real life at one time or another. Watching Halloween tonight again for the first time in years I found myself again on the edge of my seat. Classic? Hell, yes. Maybe not to a generation who feels Scream was a 'good' horror movie but a classic none the less.