The devils eyes a look at halloween 1978 brett milam. Halloween 1978 cast and crew cast photos and info fandango. Characters who appear in the original 1978 halloween. The film begins on october 31, 1963, a cold halloween night in haddonfield, illinois. Apr 12, 2016 halloween carpenter, 1978 friday the th cunningham, 1980.
Financial analysis of halloween 1978 including budget, domestic and international box office gross, dvd and bluray sales reports, total earnings and profitability. Jun 30, 2018 although bob clarks 1974 film, black christmas, is arguably the first slasher film, carpenters halloween defined the genre and set the gold standard. Characters who appear in the original 1978 halloween fandom. Michael myers is the perfect horror character as portrayed by carpenter. I want to also add that the movie has just a great overall feel from the soundtrack, to the way it was filmed. Spectators have drawn sundry conclusions about its meaning and symbolism since its. It takes place at night, on a patch of lawn in the perfectly leafy suburb of haddonfield, illinois. Shot on a low budget with a mostly unknown cast and limited resources, halloween became an iconic piece of cinema that influenced generations of horror films that followed.
Fifteen years later, he escapes and returns to his. The plot tells about a mental patient who was committed to a sanitarium for murdering his teenage sister on halloween night when he was six years old. But on october 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21yearold michael myers steals a car and escapes smiths grove. So there is plenty of available reading and research available to me, making it an ideal choice for analysis. As much i hate to say this, im not sure that david gordon green, danny mcbride and the people behind a new sequel to john carpenters halloween really understand what made the first film a masterpiece. Halloween continues to entertain with its enclosed spaces and creepy background. The boogeyman, fear, and responsibility a close analysis of. Carpenters credits since halloween have included the inventive ghost film, the fog, about a band of bloodthirsty leper pirates, and escape from new york, a commercially popular film which looks at the future through a grim, clouded crystal ball among other things, manhattan island is a maximum security prison in the year 1997. Halloween is an american slasher horror film released on the 26th october 1978, it was a non hollywood production and was shot on a very. Carpenter became noticed, especially after his highlysuccessful, lowbudget slasher film halloween 1978 it was his third feature film and the highestgrossing independent film made in the us up to that time. Opening scene analysis halloween 1978 posted by louisabroadheadmediablog on december 15, 2011 so, for my first piece of analytical work, my group decided that we would analyse the opening scene to halloween, and try to identify the genre conventions that were shown.
An escaped masked killer stalks a baby sitter jamie lee curtis and her friends on halloween. The boogeyman, fear, and responsibility a close analysis. John carpenter created the entire halloween score in two weeks. This setting is a suburban town that is set in illinois, usa. Although, some halloween traditions have come and gone, there are many that we still celebrate today in the united states. Someone begins walking toward it, and sees a 17yearold judith margaret myers sandy johnson through the. John carpenters halloween 1978 is one of the most profitable independent films ever produced. Trick or treat 1986, the first film directed by wellknown character actor charles martin smith, is one of the best. Trick or treat 1986, the first film directed by wellknown character actor charles martin smith, is. A critical introduction bloomsbury, forthcoming and the modern supernatural and the beginnings of. The third, the hugely influential halloween made in 1978 and revived for the forthcoming trickortreat fest is the ultimate refined slasher movie, a style of exploitation picture spawned by.
Halloween is an american slasher horror film released on the 26th october 1978, it was a non hollywood production and was shot on a very low budget. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing halloween 1978 near you. As all savvy horror fans are aware, halloween was hardly the first slasher film the argument over which movie was the first is best saved for another time, but without it, the genre as we know it wouldnt exist. Decades of slasher films have desensitized viewers on the film that spawned the enormously popular subgenre, even though it is not the first slasher film. The best analysis of john carpenters halloween duration.
The scariest scene in john carpenters original 1978 halloween is completely bloodless. The new halloween is a slasher movie with an actual. Its a terrifying and creepy film about what one of the characters calls evil personified. Their highly anticipated take on the legend of michael myers is admirable in its thematic relation to carpenters vision, but the nononsense, tightlydirected aspect of the. A close analysis of halloween 1978 bloody disgusting.
Immediately download the halloween 1978 film summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching halloween 1978 film. Printing press workers were on strike, and nothing was being published. Oct 30, 2011 30 october 2011 when considering john carpenters halloween, discussing it is unoriginal, but also unavoidable. Working with a neoformalist model of film narrative, this approach recognizes that film. On a cold halloween night in 1963, six year old michael myers brutally murdered his 17yearold sister, judith. Its not an entirely successful film, and it wont provide an easy template for a new generation of revitalized slasher flicks. Forty years later, our critic takes a new look at john carpenters. Sound throughout the course of the film their was an instrument used to create tension which was a piano and it was played on keys which was a repeated sequence to create tension and suspense.
In this paper, i examine the representation of the ultimate bad guy, the homicidal michael myers will sandin, age 6. The film and our analysis flash forward fifteen years to october 30th, 1978, the night before halloween in smiths grove, illinois, some 150 miles away from haddonfield. In haddonfield, illinois, sixyearold michael myers kills his teenage sister judith with a kitchen knife without explanation. Halloween annihilates the weak sequels that came before it. He is not well known and he is driven by pure evil. How cinematography, use of sound, miseenscene and editing create meaning. The film is also a favourite among theorists in both categorisation and conventions of the horror genre, and gender issues in film. That said, the latest installment in the franchise is intentionally feminist, which no one disputes. Dec 15, 2011 opening scene analysis halloween 1978 posted by louisabroadheadmediablog on december 15, 2011 so, for my first piece of analytical work, my group decided that we would analyse the opening scene to halloween, and try to identify the genre conventions that were shown. In the middle of a street stands a twostory white victorian house. The film and our analysis flash forward fifteen years to october 30th, 1978, the night before halloween in smiths grove, illinois, some 150 miles. Horror film, slasher film, film, halloween strong essays 890 words 2. Nevertheless, john carpenters 1978 film halloween bears remarkable similarities to classical hollywood cinema, as well as some noteworthy differences. Halloween 1978 whole film case study linkedin slideshare.
What the film contains, however, are elements that build tension in subtle and unnerving ways. It was largely responsible for the popularization of slasher films throughout the 1980s, and helped define a number of. And that leads us to the one small piece of plot im going to describe. Someone begins walking toward it, and sees a 17yearold judith margaret myers sandy johnson through the front door, kissing her boyfriend david kyle passionately.
May, 20 nevertheless, john carpenters 1978 film halloween bears remarkable similarities to classical hollywood cinema, as well as some noteworthy differences. Oct 26, 2016 the film and our analysis flash forward fifteen years to october 30th, 1978, the night before halloween in smiths grove, illinois, some 150 miles away from haddonfield. When i think of halloween some things that come to mind are decorations, pumpkins, costumes, and parties. Sep 10, 2018 the new halloween is gory, thoughtful, and surprisingly funny. Halloween begins with a black background and just a pumpkin to the left of the frame. An essay about halloween halloween is a historical holiday that dates back to several thousand years ago. This analysis of halloween indicates how a sociocultural perspective on the representation of bad guys and good guys unites both filmic and sociocultural aspects of representation, providing an alternative to psychodynamic interpretations of film narrative, as suggested by stephen prince.
The shape later to become betterknown as michael myers in sequels suffers from an unhealthy and irrationally vehement fear and loathing of. Slasher films, which halloween is widely considered to have spurred. A young boy kills his sister on halloween of 1963, and is sent to a mental hospital. The new halloween is a slasher movie with an actual message. A 1978 independent horror film directed by john carpenter who also wrote the screenplay with producer debra hill, halloween serves as the trope codifier for the slasher movie formula halloween night, 1963. Opening scene analysis halloween 1978 louisa broadheads. Halloween 1978 is a genuinely scary, stylistic and tasteful, extremely wellcrafted slasherhorror classic from young film director john carpenter who had previously directed two cult cinema classics, the scifi film dark star 1974 and the riveting crime genre film assault on precinct 1976 a modernday film often compared to howard hawks rio bravo 1959. Whether the reboot captures the spirit of the original is yet to be seen. The steadicam is today one of the most ubiquitous camera rigs in film production, a status it owes at least in part to halloweeneven though it was a virtually identical but competing rig. Once the editing for halloween was complete, director john carpenter went looking for feedback on his 1978 classic before releasing it to the general public. Tony moran and nick castle, age 21, in john carpenters slasher halloween 1978. The original halloween wasnt meant to be a feminist movie. Theoretical issues in the horror film halloween essays. The original halloween wasnt meant to be a feminist.
In our new halloween analysis, we examine how director david gordon green has broken the slasher mold with his new movie. There are, of course, many other horror films set on or around halloween. The 1978 version of halloween is a classic in every sense of the word. John carpenters lowbudget success halloween 1978 begins on. The hardtokill, masked, knifewielding stalker michael myers suspensefully pursued a young, smalltown babysitter jamie lee curtis. Final thoughts next year will be the 40th anniversary of halloween, and a 2018 reboot called, well, halloween, will be released. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Halloween 1978 john carpenter synopsis, characteristics. Opening scene analysis halloween 1978 louisa broadhead.
In order to better frame the analysis, a summation of halloween will be necessary, as well as a brief look at the peculiar nuances of the horror genre itself. Halloween is a 1978 american slasher film directed and scored by john carpenter, cowritten with producer debra hill, and starring donald pleasence and jamie lee curtis in her film debut. The new halloween is gory, thoughtful, and surprisingly funny. A sociocultural analysis draws on history, sociology, psychology, and other social. Many people, since its release in 1978, have considered the role sex plays in halloween. Halloween the film retains a stature apart from halloween the franchise and the empire, and its presence in the national film registry is a testament to its singular and continuing power. Oct 25, 2017 the steadicam is today one of the most ubiquitous camera rigs in film production, a status it owes at least in part to halloweeneven though it was a virtually identical but competing rig. Nov 04, 2016 once the editing for halloween was complete, director john carpenter went looking for feedback on his 1978 classic before releasing it to the general public. Halloween carpenter, 1978 friday the th cunningham, 1980. The best analysis of john carpenters halloween youtube.
In haddonfield, il, on halloween night 1963, sixyearold michael myers inexplicably slaughters his teenage sister. John carpenters halloween movie facts mental floss. Oct 31, 2016 thats a whole lot of maniacs killing teenagers, and it was all due to the success of one film. The pumpkin is cut and so it shows some scary semblance and has a lit candle inside flickering and adding suspense to the sequence.
Halloween is a historical holiday that dates back to several thousand years ago. The pumpkin is cut and so it shows some scary semblance and has a lit candle. What tropes and themes did halloween help introduce to the. Halloween 1978 analysis halloween is a 1978 american independent horror film created in a fiction setting. A 1978 independent horror film directed by john carpenter who also wrote the screenplay with producer debra hill, halloween serves as the trope codifier for the slasher movie formula. Oct 30, 2016 there are, of course, many other horror films set on or around halloween. Thats a whole lot of maniacs killing teenagers, and it was all due to the success of one film. Loomis donald pleasence cant penetrate michaels psyche after years of institutionalization, but he knows that, when myers escapes before halloween in 1978, there is going to be hell to pay in haddonfield. More specifically, i provide a sociocultural analysis of the role of first person point of view and the narratives motivation for michaels murderous behavior. John carpenters halloween is one of the best, scariest. It goes without saying that it should be at least slightly better than that horrible rob zombie remake.
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