Halloween (1978)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Carpenter (screenplay) and
Debra Hill (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 October 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The trick was to stay alive.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Halloween | Night | Michael Myers | Death | Knife

Awards:

2 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)
Gwen Van Dam	...	Sanitarium Nurse (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)
• Mid-America Releasing (1979) (USA: Midwest) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1979) (France) (theatrical)
• Joy Pack Film (1979) (Japan) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Astral Films (1978) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Miracle Films (1978) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Arte (2005) (Germany) (TV)
• Astral Video (1981) (1984) (Canada) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• 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)
• 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)  titles and opticals (as MGM)
• 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

Certification:

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) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (video rating) (1982) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | 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) | Mexico:B | Argentina:18 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

1000 Mission Street, South Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Compass International Pictures

Trivia:

As the film was shot out of sequence, John Carpenter created a fear meter so that Jamie Lee Curtis would know what level of terror she should be exhibiting.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Michael breaks the car window behind the nurse's head you can see a wrench tied to his hand.

Quotes:

[to Leigh Brackett]
Dr. Sam Loomis:Death has come to your little town, sheriff.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Atrocious (2010)

Soundtrack:

Don't Fear The Reaper

The Greatest of the Slasher Flicks

John Carpenter's Halloween is quite frankly a horror masterpiece. It tells the immortal story of escaped mental patient Michael Myers, who returns to his hometown on Halloween night to stalk and kill a group of babysitters.

This was the first and without doubt the best in the Halloween franchise. Carpenter shows great restraint in pacing the story very slowly and building likable characters; unusual for a horror picture.

Even more unusual is the non-existence of blood and gore, and yet it remains the scariest Halloween to date.

Halloween marked the film debut of Jamie Lee Curtis and a defining point in the late great Donald Pleasence's career. A true classic.