Halloween

Classic horror film that was partially responsible for the creation what has been called the "slasher" genre. Made in 1978, Halloween was written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill and directed by Carpenter himself. Originally titled "The Babysitter Murders" the film was renamed after a suggestion by executive producer Irwin Yablans. No other film had ever been made using the title Halloween and Yablans thought it would make the film stand out. The film's plot revolves around the character Michael Myers. An opening point of view sequence craftily shows how on a dark Halloween night in 1963 Haddonfield, IL six year old Micheal kills his sixteen year old sister Judith Myers. Clad in a clown mask and costume Micheal stabs the half nude Judith with a large butcher knife over a dozen times in her bedroom just after she has had sex with her boyfriend. Apprehended by his parents leaving the house, Micheal is deemed insane by the courts and locked away in the Smith's Grove/Warren County sanitarium. And there he sits in a state motionless catatonia for fifteen years. Events jump to the then present day of 1978. It's October 30, and as Micheal has now reached age 21 he is to be taken before a judge on the anniversary of his crime for final sentencing. But on that rain soaked night when Micheal's doctor, Sam Loomis, and nurse arrive for the transfer they find the hospital in utter chaos. The gate security guard is missing and the inmates wander the lawns. When Loomis gets out of the car to check on the guard Micheal begins to terrorize the nurse inside. Once he's made her flee the car he climbs in and speeds off into the night. The next day Loomis sets off in pursuit of Myers after chiding his superiors over the facilities lack of security. It seems Loomis had for years known of Micheal's potently violent nature and considered him nothing less then pure Evil. He was always rebuffed by his colleagues as being simply a little too obsessed with the enigmatic boy. Like a human blood hound Loomis tracks Myers to the one place he's sure he'll go. His home town of Haddonfield. Loomis is able to pursued the skeptical sheriff Leigh Brackett to aid him in searching for the elusive Myers. However, Micheal too has been busy. He kills a mechanic to get some clothes. And then robs a closed hardware store in Haddonfield, taking knives, some rope and an odd blank faced white Halloween mask. Micheal then quickly focuses his demented homicidal fixations on a trio of babysitters; the meek and bookish Laurie Strode, ( who seems to have a strong but unconscious connection to Myers) and her two friends. The air-headed Linda and the wise-ass sheriff's daughter Annie. Halloween night settles over Haddonfield and Annie and Laurie settle into their babysitting jobs. And Micheal Myers goes trick-or-treating once more... Halloween is one of the most successful independent movies ever made. It is also highly regarded as a classic horror film, with the likes of such movies Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead and The Exorcist. It made instant careers for John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis and despite it's gruesome reputation is far less explicit than most slasher films of today. Particularly noteworthy is Carpenter's use of suspense and tension in the film as well as his use of the nerve wracking piano melody theme music. Carpenter himself composed the infamous "Halloween Theme" from a drum exercise his father taught him. The now famous Michael Myers mask has become as synonymous with the holiday of Halloween as jack-o-lanterns, witches and skeletons. The original mask itself was made from a 1975 Don Post Studios Captain Kirk mask. Fallowed by seven sequels that range from good, (Halloween II),to fair,(Halloween 4, Halloween:H20), to down right God awful, (Halloween-Resurrection, Halloween III:Season of the Witch). With John Carpenter's blessing Rob Zombie has begun to write and direct a prequel/remake that will be released in October,2007.