IMDb > Halloween (1978)
Halloween
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Halloween (1978) More at IMDbPro »

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Halloween (1978) -- A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood escapes on a mindless rampage while his doctor chases him through the streets.
Halloween (1978) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Halloween (1978) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)
Halloween (1978) -- Movieplayer.it - Trailer (Flash)
Halloween (1978) -- Virgin.net Movies - Trailer (WMP)

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   58,710 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 618% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Carpenter
Writers:
John Carpenter (screenplay) and
Debra Hill (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Halloween on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 October 1978 (USA) more
Genre:
Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
The trick was to stay alive. more
Plot:
A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood escapes on a mindless rampage while his doctor chases him through the streets. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(296 articles)
Motion Picture Purgatory: Auto Focus
 (From Dread Central. 3 November 2009, 12:47 PM, PST)

Tortured Overtures: Horror Film Score Themes of the 1970s
 (From SoundOnSight. 3 November 2009, 12:12 PM, PST)

User Comments:
It *is* a classic more (988 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
John Carpenter's Halloween (USA) (complete title)
The Babysitter Murders (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
91 min | USA:101 min (extended version)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (original release)
Certification:
Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (video rating) (1982) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (re-rating) (2003) | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Germany:16 (re-rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Canada:R | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) (2001) | South Korea:18 | Chile:14 (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 (re-release: 1999) | France:-16 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 (re-release: 1999) | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Portugal:M/16 (re-rating) | Portugal:M/18 (original rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film takes place primarily in Haddonfield, Illinois. Haddonfield, NJ is the home town of screenwriter Debra Hill. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Annie is first shown spilling something on her clothes and takes them off to wash them, her panties are a solid color. Later when she is in the laundry room her panties have flower prints on them. more
Quotes:
Lynda: [exposing her breasts] See anything you like? more
Movie Connections:
Features The Thing from Another World (1951) more
Soundtrack:
Don't Fear The Reaper more

FAQ

What are the kids chanting at the very beginning of the movie?
Do we ever get to see Michael's face?
What's the story behind Michael's mask?
more
128 out of 164 people found the following comment useful.
It *is* a classic, 4 August 1998
Author: TheMgnt from Irvine, CA

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.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Halloween (1978)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Some Please Explain gillia-1
'THE KEYS?!?!? THE KEYS?!?!?!?' Challenger900hp
Halloween... grudgefury
Is it me or is 'Halloween' a little ridiculous and non-scary? trenee73
What if...Tommy Jarvis was put up to Michael and Loomis to Jason? arno_ptrs
What does Michael Myers Do All Year? trenee73
more

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