Halloween


1h 31m 1978
Halloween

Brief Synopsis

Michael Myers has been in an institution since he was a young boy, after murdering his sister. Now he's escaped and is heading back home to terrorise the quiet community which still rememebers him.

Film Details

Also Known As
Babysitter Murders, The, Halloween: Alla helgons blodiga natt, John Carpenter's Halloween
MPAA Rating
Genre
Horror
Teens
Thriller
Release Date
1978
Production Company
Goldwyn Sound Facility; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.; Metrocolor; Panavision, Ltd.

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 31m
Sound
Mono (original release)
Color
Color (Metrocolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1

Synopsis

Michael Myers has been in an institution since he was a young boy, after murdering his sister. Now he's escaped and is heading back home to terrorise the quiet community which still rememebers him.

Film Details

Also Known As
Babysitter Murders, The, Halloween: Alla helgons blodiga natt, John Carpenter's Halloween
MPAA Rating
Genre
Horror
Teens
Thriller
Release Date
1978
Production Company
Goldwyn Sound Facility; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.; Metrocolor; Panavision, Ltd.

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 31m
Sound
Mono (original release)
Color
Color (Metrocolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
2.35 : 1

Quotes

A man wouldn't do that.
- Sheriff Leigh Brackett
This is not a man.
- Dr. Sam Loomis
Lynda, if this is a joke, I'll kill you!
- Laurie
Was that the bogeyman?
- Laurie
As a matter of fact... it was!
- Dr. Sam Loomis
I met him, fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, no conscience, no understanding; even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blind, pale, emotionless face and, the blackest eyes... the DEVIL'S eyes! I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up for I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... EVIL!
- Dr. Sam Loomis
It's Halloween, everyone's entitled to one good scare.
- Sheriff Leigh Brackett

Trivia

Donald Pleasence's role as Sam Loomis is named after a character of the same name in Psycho (1960).

Director John Carpenter was raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In one scene, the subtitle on the screen depicts the location as "Smiths Grove, Illinois." Smiths Grove, Kentucky, is a small town of about 600 people 15 miles from Bowling Green. There are many other references to other local towns and landmarks.

Since the movie was actually shot in spring, the crew had to buy paper leaves from a decorator and paint them in the desired autumn colors, then scatter them in the filming locations. To save money, after a scene was filmed, the leaves were collected and reused.

Due to its shoestring budget, the prop department had to use the cheapest mask that they could find in the costume store: a William Shatner mask, from the movie Devil's Rain, The (1975). They later spray-painted the face white, teased out the hair, and reshaped the eyeholes.

The kids watch the opening of Thing From Another World, The (1951) on TV. Carpenter would later re-make this film himself in 1982 as Thing, The (1982).

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Fall October 25, 1978

Released in United States 1998

Shown at WideScreen Film Festival in Long, Beach, California October 30 - November 1, 1998.

Released in United States Fall October 25, 1978

Released in United States 1998 (Shown at WideScreen Film Festival in Long, Beach, California October 30 - November 1, 1998.)