Halloween (1978)

Popularity:

Down 41% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Carpenter (screenplay) and
Debra Hill (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 March 1979 (France)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The trick was to stay alive.

Plot:

On Halloween night of 1963, 6-year old Michael Myers stabbed his sister to death. After sitting in a mental hospital for 15 years, Myers escapes and returns to Haddonfield to kill.

Plot Keywords:

Halloween | Night | Michael Myers | Death | October

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

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)
Will Sandin	...	Michael Myers (age 6)
Sandy Johnson	...	Judith Margaret Myers
David Kyle	...	Judith's Boyfriend
Peter Griffith	...	Morgan Strode
Nick Castle	...	The Shape
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barry Bernardi	...	Dead Mechanic (uncredited)
John Carpenter	...	Paul, Annie's Boyfriend (voice) (uncredited)
George O'Hanlon Jr.	...	Mr. Peter Myers (uncredited)
Darla Rae	...	Student (uncredited)
Jennifer Rhodes	...	Psych Ward Nurse (uncredited)
Gwen Van Dam	...	Sanitarium Nurse (uncredited)
Tommy Lee Wallace	...	Michael Myers (uncredited)

Directed by
John Carpenter

Writing credits
John Carpenter		(screenplay) and
Debra Hill		(screenplay)

Produced by
Debra Hill	....	producer
Kool Marder	....	associate producer (as Kool Lusby)
Irwin Yablans	....	executive producer
Moustapha Akkad	....	executive producer (uncredited)
John Carpenter	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Carpenter

Cinematography by
Dean Cundey		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Charles Bornstein
Tommy Lee Wallace		(as Tommy Wallace)

Production Design by
Tommy Lee Wallace		(as Tommy Wallace)

Set Decoration by
Craig Stearns

Makeup Department
Erica Ueland	....	makeup artist (as Erica Ulland)

Production Management
Don Behrns	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack De Wolf	....	second assistant director
Rick Wallace	....	assistant director

Art Department
Dick Girod	....	set painter (as Richard Girod)
Randy Moore	....	assistant art director
Craig Stearns	....	property master

Sound Department
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator (as Joe Brennan)
Thomas Causey	....	sound mixer (as Tommy Causey)
William L. Stevenson	....	supervising sound editor (as William Stevenson)
Tex Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Lee Strosnider	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Conrad Rothmann	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
James Winburn	....	stunts (as Jim Windburn)

Camera and Electrical Department
Reid Freeman	....	electrician (as Reed Freeman)
Kim Gottlieb	....	still photographer
Walt Hill	....	grip
Steve Mathis	....	best boy
Josh Miller	....	best boy
Krishna Rao	....	second assistant camera
Dylan Shephard	....	key grip (as Dylan Shepard)
Raymond Stella	....	camera operator (as Ray Stella)
Raymond Stella	....	panaglide operator (as Ray Stella)
Fred Vickter	....	assistant camera (as Fred Victar)
Mark Walthour	....	gaffer
Douglas Olivares	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Beth Rodgers	....	wardrobe
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Peter Bergren	....	music mixer
Peter Bergren	....	music recordist
Bob Walters	....	music coordinator
Dan Wyman	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Barry Bernardi	....	production assistant
Paul Fox	....	production assistant
Louise Jaffe	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Compass International Pictures
• Falcon International Productions (copyright holder)

Distributors

• Compass International Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1978) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Joy Pack Film (1979) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mid-America Releasing (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (Midwest)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1979) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Arte (2005) (Germany) (TV)
• Fathom Events (2015) (USA) (theatrical) (Re-release)
• Deliverance Pictures (2013) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Manson International Pictures (1978) (Non-USA) (theatrical)
• Miracle Films (1978) (UK) (theatrical)
• SpectiCast Entertainment (2014) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Astral Video (1981) (1984) (Canada) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• August Entertainment (1988) (worldwide) (all media)
• Blockbuster Entertainment Group (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Future Film (1998) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Kabel 1 (199?-200?) (Germany) (TV)
• Kabel 1 (????) (France) (TV)
• Media Home Entertainment (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Opening (2007) (France) (DVD)
• Pro 7 (????) (Germany) (TV)
• Reserva Especial (1983) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Starlight Film (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• Video Treasures (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Vídeo Ban (1985) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Crest Digital  post-production
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  courtesy: "Forbidden Planet" (as MGM)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals (as MGM)
• RKO General  courtesy: "The Thing" (as R.K.O. General)
• Samuel Goldwyn Studios  re-recording
• Sound Arts  music recording
• The Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra

Also Known As:

"John Carpenter's Halloween" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

91 min | USA:101 min (extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Stereo (Stereo Scream Sound)

Certification:

Argentina:18 (original rating) | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Australia:R18+ | Brazil:16 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (video rating) (1982) | Chile:14 (DVD rating) | Denmark:15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-18 | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) (2001) | France:16 (original rating) | France:12 (re-rating) (1999) | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2011) | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Norway:15 (re-release: 1999) | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 (original rating) | Portugal:M/16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) | USA:R (certificate #25373) | West Germany:18 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Meridian Avenue & Mission Street, South Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Compass International Pictures

Trivia:

The original script, titled "The Babysitter Murders", had the events take place over the space of several days. It was a budgetary decision to change the script to have everything happen on the same day (doing this reduced the number of costume changes and locations required) and it was decided that Halloween, the scariest night of the year, was the perfect night for this to happen.

Goofs:

Continuity: Whenever Laurie, Tommy or Lindsey looks out the window at the Wallace House, there is a pumpkin visible with a candle burning. In all of the shots except two, the jack-o-lantern is a flat-looking thing. The two exception shots show a tall and more narrow/skinny pumpkin.

Quotes:

[as Lonnie is about to enter the Myers house]
Dr. Sam Loomis:Hey! Hey, Lonnie, get your ass away from there!
[Lonnie and his mates run. Loomis smiles to himself as a hand grabs his shoulder. He spins around, surprised, to find Brackett]
Dr. Sam Loomis:Oh! Jesus!
Sheriff Leigh Brackett:Are you all right?
Dr. Sam Loomis:Yeah.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Cinema Snob: Zombie 6: Monster Hunter (#1.59)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Don't Fear The Reaper

THE perfect horror film!

Halloween is one of the best examples of independent film. It's very well made and has more psychological elements to it than you might realize at first glance. It is a simple movie told very well. The music is perfect and is one of the most haunting scores... If you haven't seen this movie yet, you must check it out. The cast is all terrific. I wish they had never made sequel after sequel. The first one was by far the best and should have ended like it did without having a sequel. It was fun to see Jamie Lee Curtis in the movie. She hasn't seemed to age (she's just as gorgeous today, without the hairdo and seventies clothes). The scenes through the mask are one of the scariest things ever!