John Carpenter’s 1978 blockbuster is one of the most successful independent films of all time. When the film was released at the time Halloween in 1978, it had the legacy of “Psycho” to deal with in the slasher subgenre. However, the film stood its ground nicely, and it not only became a huge success, but it also paved the way for future remakes in the domestic industry and in international circles.
“Halloween” is a vintage film, and the innumerable sequels and remakes that have been made in the subsequent years cannot match the suspense and apprehension that John Carpenter had created with its cinematic mastery. If you have seen the 2018 film or the other remakes, you would know that even with the bloodshed and jump scares, the film lacks the magic of the 1978 cult classic. Perhaps, the reason for that is the fact that John Carpenter had not directed any of those, or maybe because the performances of Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence cannot ever be replicated. It can also be argued that remakes seldom reach the apogee attained by the original no matter how “polished” you make a film. Take the film “Godfather” for instance, all the IMAX cameras, prodigious actors, veteran filmmakers, and clever cinematographers will not be enough to outdo what Francis Ford Coppola had achieved with his 1972 magnum opus.
Whatever is the case, one thing is for sure, whenever we talk about horror films in American history, the film “Halloween” should be right there at the top as it not only redefined the slasher genre but also established serial killers as an instrumental alternative in place of ghost horror diegesis.
Let me make your day by telling you 5 things you still don’t know about John Carpenter’s Halloween.
The Starting Scene Was Supposed to be Different
John Carpenter gave a second look at each and every scene of the film before the principal photography was set to commence. He thought that the opening scene was too ordinary, and it needed to be a bit more stylish. So, he changed the opening scene from blowing leaves across the street to tracking a glowing pumpkin.
The Script Had the Working Title- The Babysitter Murders
When the scriptwriters, John Carpenter and Debra Hill, had started writing about a psychopath serial killer terrorizing a group of local residents, the title “Halloween” did not cross anybody’s mind. The working title was “The Babysitter Murders” up until the point the producers changed it to “Halloween” and suggested that the film should be released on the night of Halloween. Carpenter and Hill liked the idea and went ahead with it.
The “Pundits” Were Initially Not Happy with the Film
The critics who are responsible for making or breaking the stride of a film had ripped through Carpenter’s best creation, deeming it to be more “stupid” than “scary.” Like it happens with critics even today, the audience did not give a toss about the critical review and went to the theaters to give it a watch. Word of mouth spread throughout the nation, and “Halloween” became one of the most successful films of 1978
A year later, audience reactions and a positive review from The Village Voice that compared the film to Alfred Hitchcock’ Psycho forced many “pundits” to give the film a second watch.
Panaglide Was Used to Shoot a Scene in the Film
Remember the long shot into Myers House? Yeah, the one with the lovemaking scene. It was shot with what was known as Panaglide back then (it’s just a type of steadicam). A 1958 thriller, “A Touch of Evil,” directed by Orson Welles, was the inspirational basis for the shot.
Donald Pleasence Was Never the First Choice to Play Samuel Loomis
It was actually Christopher Lee, whom the writer Carpenter and Hill thought was perfect for the role. However, Lee rejected the role and made a career for Pleasence, a fact which was acknowledged by the writer Debra Hill years after the film’s release.
So, here were the lesser-known things that I found out about “Halloween.” John Carpenter is certainly one of the finest filmmakers of his generation, and he is a bit underrated, to be honest, because, of course, he did his best work at the time when Francis Ford Coppola and Stanley Kubrick were at their peak. Anyway, it is nice to remember classical films now and then.
SOURCE:- 5 Things You Didn’t Know About John Carpenter’s “Halloween”
