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Halloween

  • 1978
  • R
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
324K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,592
150
Halloween (1978)
Home Video Trailer from Anchor Bay Entertainment
Play trailer2:41
12 Videos
99+ Photos
B-HorrorSlasher HorrorTeen HorrorHorrorThriller

Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, to kill again.Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, to kill again.Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, to kill again.

  • Director
    • John Carpenter
  • Writers
    • John Carpenter
    • Debra Hill
  • Stars
    • Donald Pleasence
    • Jamie Lee Curtis
    • Tony Moran
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    324K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,592
    150
    • Director
      • John Carpenter
    • Writers
      • John Carpenter
      • Debra Hill
    • Stars
      • Donald Pleasence
      • Jamie Lee Curtis
      • Tony Moran
    • 1.8KUser reviews
    • 340Critic reviews
    • 90Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos12

    Halloween
    Trailer 2:41
    Halloween
    Jamie Lee Curtis Doesn't Give a **** About Michael Myers
    Clip 2:56
    Jamie Lee Curtis Doesn't Give a **** About Michael Myers
    Jamie Lee Curtis Doesn't Give a **** About Michael Myers
    Clip 2:56
    Jamie Lee Curtis Doesn't Give a **** About Michael Myers
    'Halloween' | Franchise Retrospective
    Clip 2:30
    'Halloween' | Franchise Retrospective
    How 'Halloween' Gave Jamie Lee Curtis Her Whole Life
    Clip 1:20
    How 'Halloween' Gave Jamie Lee Curtis Her Whole Life
    Will 'Halloween Ends' End Halloween? Reboots, Sequels, & Easter Eggs Revealed
    Clip 2:59
    Will 'Halloween Ends' End Halloween? Reboots, Sequels, & Easter Eggs Revealed
    'Halloween Kills' Cast on Michael Myers' Most Shocking Moments
    Clip 2:43
    'Halloween Kills' Cast on Michael Myers' Most Shocking Moments

    Photos406

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    Top cast27

    Edit
    Donald Pleasence
    Donald Pleasence
    • Loomis
    Jamie Lee Curtis
    Jamie Lee Curtis
    • Laurie
    Tony Moran
    Tony Moran
    • Michael Myers (Age 23)
    Nancy Kyes
    Nancy Kyes
    • Annie
    • (as Nancy Loomis)
    P.J. Soles
    P.J. Soles
    • Lynda
    • (as P J Soles)
    Charles Cyphers
    Charles Cyphers
    • Brackett
    Kyle Richards
    Kyle Richards
    • Lindsey
    Brian Andrews
    Brian Andrews
    • Tommy
    John Michael Graham
    John Michael Graham
    • Bob
    Nancy Stephens
    Nancy Stephens
    • Marion
    Arthur Malet
    Arthur Malet
    • Graveyard Keeper
    Mickey Yablans
    • Richie
    Brent Le Page
    • Lonnie
    Adam Hollander
    • Keith
    Robert Phalen
    Robert Phalen
    • Dr. Wynn
    Will Sandin
    Will Sandin
    • Michael Myers (Age 6)
    Sandy Johnson
    Sandy Johnson
    • Judith Myers
    David Kyle
    • Boyfriend
    • Director
      • John Carpenter
    • Writers
      • John Carpenter
      • Debra Hill
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1.8K

    7.7323.6K
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    Featured reviews

    8ghostamongyou

    The nostalgia!

    I just love the nostalgia of watching this movie over 40 years after its release. It's super creepy and, if we're being honest, it's also ridiculously cheesy and moronic, but this is one of the most famous horror movies of all time! When that music hits, it's just so iconic. I can't bring myself to rate it less than an 8. It's Halloween, man!
    10reeceicy

    Greatest Slasher Ever Made

    The best slasher ever made, and arguably one of the best horror movies ever made. John Carpenter is a genius. Amazing direction, an atmosphere built upon suspense and terror, effective use of first person pov shots. Immensely influential this movie birthed the best slasher villain, the best final girl, and the best soundtrack/theme. Above average acting and great performances from Jaime lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence (RIP). Although Texas Chainsaw and Black Christmas came before, this was the blueprint that sent the 80's into a slasher frenzy.
    CinemaClown

    The Most Influential Of All Slasher Films!

    Possibly the most influential of all slasher films, John Carpenter's Halloween is the reason why this particular subgenre of horror even exists in the first place. Although it wasn't the first of its kind, it certainly was the game-changer for almost every other slasher flick that followed this low-budget indie horror only ended up imitating the formula that this classic originated.

    Set in Haddonfield, Illinois, the story of Halloween begins on the titular night in 1963 where we witness the 6-years old Michael Myers stabbing his older sister to death with a kitchen knife. The plot then jumps 15 years in the span of which Myers remained silent in a mental hospital he was confined to, only to escape from the facility and returns to his hometown to kill some more.

    Co-written & directed by John Carpenter, whose innate ability to churn out quality pictures from mere scraps of filmmaking elements has earned him a place amongst world cinema's most influential filmmakers, Halloween is one of the finest works of his career that presents the director in complete control of his craft, and the way he sets the pace & eerie tone from the beginning is a delight to watch.

    Carpenter creates an uncanny mood during the title sequence only which has nothing but a jack-o-lantern on the black screen, accompanied by the now iconic score, and follows it up with an expertly shot prologue which instantly brings the audience into the story. The script is equally impressive for the character of Michael Myers is handled with extreme care, and the writers leave no stone unturned to show him as an unstoppable force of evil.

    The technical aspects are skilfully executed, and every dollar of its low budget is efficiently used in service of the story. Setting the plot in a suburban location turns the very openness of the area into a playground of mayhem. Cinematography is inventive for the camera stalks our characters at all times, benefits from some ingenious placements, and is further uplifted by clever lighting while Editing makes sure that the suspenseful ambiance is kept alive from start to finish.

    But the biggest contributor, in my opinion, is John Carpenter's minimal, synthesised score for it elevates the tension to a whole different level and greatly amplifies the desired effect of its disquieting camera-work & editing. Whenever its main theme surfaces on the screen, there's an uneasiness felt in those moments & whispers of an ominous presence dominate those sequences. It's one of Carpenter's most notable musical pieces & is a major reason behind this film's success.

    Coming to the acting department, Halloween features a budget-friendly cast in Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis & Nick Castle. The film marks Curtis' acting debut and she does a neat job as Laurie; a high-school student who's continuously stalked by Myers throughout the movie. Pleasence is in as Myers' psychiatrist and the only person who knows what this homicidal maniac is capable of. And Soles & Loomis do a fine job as Laurie's friends who are also pursued by Myers.

    But it's the character of Michael Myers and how he's portrayed in this film that establishes him as one of the greatest antagonists in cinema history. Using nothing but a cheap mask that conveys no emotions, keeping him mute throughout the story & giving him an almost mythic strength that renders him invincible, Carpenter presents Myers as a devil incarnate who kills without empathy, and intelligently uses his presence in the film to build a sinister aura, not to mention the very aspects of this character has gone on to inspire many more villains.

    On an overall scale, Halloween remains one of the genre-defining films of the 1970s whose narrative structure has been adopted as a blueprint for slasher films ever since and its vast influence on cinema & pop culture cannot be downplayed. There were a couple of moments that bothered me but for the most part, this is a thrilling, entertaining & satisfying ride from Carpenter that is every bit worthy of its legendary status. A lesson in horror filmmaking that downplays the elements of gore & graphic violence to show the lasting effect a consistently maintained tense ambiance can have on the viewers, Halloween is the very definition of a slasher film.
    Cajmere

    Childhood Nostalgia

    Oh the memories! I was 9 years old when I first saw this movie on HBO with my younger cousin and older brother....it was about 1980. It was so creepy. When the movie went off me and my cousin were too scaried to go to bed so we stayed up until the infamous "Night Tracks" went off on TBS (REMEMBER NIGHT TRACKS??). The 'Halloween' Movie Theme stayed with me for years. Everytime I hear the theme I think back to when I was a kid. I would often dread when my parents would go out on the weekends and let my older brother babysit me. I just knew that Micheal Myers would know that my parents were not home and kill me. In my opinion, a movie should stay with you long after the movie is over. That's what 'Halloween' did for me. Each Halloween night, I remember back to 1978, when 'Halloween' came out. I think of the young scared child that I was and how good the first 'Halloween'movie really was!
    boomcar61

    Outstanding

    Halloween(1978)stars a very young Jamie Lee Curtis, the late Donald Pleasance, and, among others, P.J. Soles(the cap-brat from Carrie). The story centers around the demented/catatonic-schizophrenic Michael Myers and the brutal, cold-blooded murder of his oldest sister in 1963(done by him). Now it is fifteen years later and Michael has escaped the sanitarium and is headed for Haddonfield, Illinois, home of Laurie Strode(Curtis), his sister who was adopted shortly after the 1963 murder. Laurie has no idea about her past and wanders around with her friends, seemingly free of worry, and unaware that her every step is under careful watch from hiding eyes.

    In the long run I am at a loss for words. Everything is here. And it's even terrifying...and a slasher movie, what a combination. Slasher movies, to me, usually aren't scary. But Halloween is. Seriously, if you haven't seen it yet you are really missing out. It's a rare achievement in film history and is one of the best horror movies ever made. It's a perfect 10/10 all the way!!!

    More like this

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    Halloween Kills
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    Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
    5.8
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    Halloween III: Season of the Witch
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    Halloween III: Season of the Witch
    Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
    4.9
    Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      From a budget of $300,000 over a 20 day shoot, the film went on to gross $47 million at the US box office. In 2008, takings that would be the equivalent of $150 million, making 'Halloween' one of the most successful independent films of all time.
    • Goofs
      (at around 18 mins) When Michael goes to the school and gets in the car to follow Tommy, the passenger side window is no longer smashed from the previous night's attack on the nurse.
    • Quotes

      Loomis: I met him, 15 years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this... six-year-old child with this blank, 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, because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil.

    • Crazy credits
      The music for the film -- written and performed by John Carpenter -- is instead credited to "The Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra." Carpenter grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
    • Alternate versions
      For the 20th Anniversary restoration in 1998, new sounds were added to the film's audio track under John Carpenter's approval. New thunder sounds were added to the Loomis car scene. Wind sounds were added as well. The 1999 DVD release contains both the original unaltered mono sound and a Dolby Digital 5.1 option with the added sound effects.
    • Connections
      Edited into Halloween II (1981)
    • Soundtracks
      Don't Fear the Reaper
      Written by Donald Roeser

      Performed by Blue Öyster Cult

      Courtesy of CBS Records

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    FAQ33

    • How long is Halloween?Powered by Alexa
    • How does Dr. Loomis know that it's Michael driving away in the car when Loomis never saw the patients face?
    • Laurie caught Michael staring at her on three separate locations so why doesn't she call the police about him?
    • What song is Laurie singing as she's walking down the street by herself?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 27, 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Facebook
      • Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • He Came Home for Halloween
    • Filming locations
      • Meridian Avenue & Mission Street, South Pasadena, California, USA(Intersection where Michael drives behind Dr. Loomis who is standing in front of the hardware store.)
    • Production companies
      • Compass International Pictures
      • Falcon International Pictures
      • Falcon International Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $325,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $47,160,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $47,173,315
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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