History YMMV / Halloween1978

** There's a behind-the-scenes picture of Jamie Lee Curtis passionately kissing Nick Castle in his Myers mask. In the next John Carpenter film, ''Film/TheFog'', Curtis's character hops into bed with a character called Nick Castle -- who is indeed named after the actor.
** Laurie's offscreen love interest is a Ben Tramer (and the sequel says this is short for Bennett). In ''Film/TheFog'', John Carpenter likewise plays a character called Bennett (named after a friend of his likewise). And in this he provides the voice of Annie's boyfriend Paul.
** Charles Cyphers plays the dedicated sheriff, while Nancy Loomis is his reckless and rebellious daughter. Both star in ''Film/TheFog'' with Jamie Lee Curtis, this time where Charles is the slacking off weatherman and Nancy is the hyper-competent assistant. In that, [[spoiler: his character dies while hers survives]].

*** This was directly implied to be the reason for Michael stalking and killing them in particular, yes. He even stalks Tommy for being with Laurie when she came onto his property, but he doesn't wind up targeting him because he's a child, thus averting Michael's twisted bloodlust.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Bob casually suggests he and Lynda include Lindsey, ''the child Lynda is babysitting'', in their sex games. It goes by so fast and is never once addressed again despite the horrific outrageousness of the idea that it actually kind of comes off like the actor flubbed his line and was supposed to be talking about Annie.
** It's meant to be a bit of so-absurd-it's-hilarious humor, sort of like when someone you know is such a good, nice person that it's a screamingly funny when they make a dark joke that's completely out of character for them. It's RefugeInAudacity.

* MandelaEffect: When the film came out, it gained a reputation for being a bloody splatterfest...despite having hardly any blood in it whatsoever. It simply scared audiences so much and its kills ''implied'' such horror that people believed it was bloodier than it really was.

* ToyShip: Tommy and Lindsey. Their ChildrenAreInnocent behavior is adorable and two seem to get along well, and Lindsey seemed pretty excited when Annie said she'd arrange for her to spend the evening with Tommy.

* SpecialEffectFailure: When Michael smashes one of Marion's car windows, he obviously has a wrench taped to his hand. The novelization says the wrench is meant to be there, as it was how Michael managed to escape the sanitarium.

* MemeticBadass: Jamie Lee Curtis, thanks to playing the archetypal FinalGirl - and ''Film/Scream1996'' naming her the "scream queen".

* MoralEventHorizon: Myers killing his sister at the age of six. While Annie, Bob and Lynda were {{Asshole Victim}}s, Judith seemed to be a caring and responsible older sister (seen worrying about where her brother is when he's hiding outside) - and she's senselessly killed for no reason.

---> '''Laurie''': ''"The keys?'' '''''OH THE KEEEEYYYS?!"'''''

** The odd way Dr Loomis turns around to check on Marion Chambers after she gets out of the car.
** Bob's death: He gets [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaled]] on to a piece of wood panelling with a kitchen knife, which doesn't really work logistically - the knife clearly isn't all the way through his body and there is no way it would be able to bear his weight enough to pin him against the wall.
** Lynda's death: being strangled by a telephone wire from behind by Michael wearing a bedsheet and glasses. It even took several takes to film because the actors kept cracking up about the absurdity of the situation.
** Michael's sister and her boyfriend apparently having the quickest "quickie" in history, lasting exactly as long as it takes Michael to grab a knife in the kitchen. (approximately two minutes of screen time)

** Loomis' speeches about Michael are hilariously overwrought and filled with PurpleProse, but they're awesome and terrifying in equal measure.
** The 'WEEEOOOMMM' sound effect made as Michael jumps onto Loomis and Chambers' car is utterly bizarre and repeated elsewhere in the film, but perhaps helps sell how inhuman he's become as The Shape.

* NeverLiveItDown: People often point to the DeathBySex trope here, ignoring a few crucial details; Annie is not killed off simply for going to have sex. It's more that she's trusted to babysit a child and foists the girl onto her meek friend when she hears her boyfriend can fool around with her - and also promised Lynda and Bob they could use the Wallaces' house to have sex in. The latter two also have no problem sleeping together in someone else's house and bed (and they were under the impression the young daughter would be downstairs too).
* OffendingTheCreatorsOwn: The film has been frequently attacked for being misogynist, though it was co-written by a woman.

* SpecialEffectFailure: When Michael smashes one of Marion's car windows, he obviously has a wrench taped to his hand.

** In a way, Annie's death is kinda sad as we spent so much time with her in the film.

* ToyShip: Tommy and Lindsey. Their ChildrenAreInnocent behavior is adorable and two seem to get along well and Lindsey seemed pretty excited when Annie said she'd arrange for her to spend the evening with Tommy.

* VanillaProtagonist: Laurie. She's the rule abiding good girl who prefers babysitting to parties, in contrast to her wilder friends. PJ Soles joked that Creator/JamieLeeCurtis told her she was lucky she wasn't playing "the boring one". Still, Curtis uses her acting to make Laurie likable and she does still go MamaBear on Michael when he threatens the children.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Lynda gets the least screen time out of the three girls (disappearing for the second act) but is easily the most remembered - for her CatchPhrase "totally" and her giggling.

** It's meant to be a bit of so-absurd-it's-hilarious humor, sort of like when someone you know is such a good, nice person that it's screamingly funny when they make a dark joke that's completely out of character. It's RefugeInAudacity.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Creator/JohnCarpenter is known for his soundtracks in spite of the fact that he is not a trained musician nor can't read sheet music. Memorable pieces from this film include:

* EvilIsSexy: When he's unmasked, Michael is played by the very handsome [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/halloweenmovie/images/c/cf/Moran.png/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20150528024814 Tony Moran]]. Naturally, [[KillItWithFire after being burned alive in the sequel]] and implicitly CoveredInScars, his face is never clearly seen again.

** Michael's sister and her boyfriend apparently having the quickest "quickie" in history, lasting exactly as long as it takes Michael to grab a knife in the kitchen.

** Michael's sister and her boyfriend apparently having the quickest "quickie" in hiostry, lasting exactly as long as it takes Michael to grab a knife in the kitchen.

** For years, people interpreted the film to have the message "don't have premarital sex or else a serial killer will get you." Both John Carpenter and Debra Hill were extremely annoyed at this interpretation.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: John Carpenter is known for his soundtracks in spite of the fact that he is not a trained musician nor can't read sheet music. Memorable pieces from this film include:

* ValuesResonance: The film is quite female-driven, with a female writer working on the dialogue between the girls to make sure it was realistic. The audience is expected to identify with Laurie for the majority of the time - and she's shown as a rounded character who, while shy and studious, does have a small rebellious side and her own snarky sense of humour. It's also the ShrinkingViolet who's able to fight the killer off and ensures that the children are safe. Laurie's two friends are shown with their own dimensions outside of being {{Asshole Victim}}s, and have lives independent of their boyfriends (Paul and Bob are actually defined by their relationships with the girls, who are developed characters).

* ValuesResonance: The film is quite female-driven, with a female writer working on the dialogue between the girls to make sure it was realistic. The audience is expected to identify with Laurie for the majority of the time - and she's shown as a rounded character who, while shy and studious, does have a small rebellious side and her own snarky sense of humour. It's also the ShrinkingViolet who's able to fight the killer off and ensures that the children are safe, while the two Alpha Male figures (Dr Loomis and Sheriff Brackett) accomplish very little. Laurie's two friends are shown with their own dimensions outside of being {{Asshole Victim}}s, and have lives independent of their boyfriends (Paul and Bob are actually defined by their relationships with the girls, who are developed characters).

* AccidentalAesop: For years, people interpreted the film to have the message "don't have premarital sex or else a serial killer will get you." Both John Carpenter and Debra Hill were extremely annoyed at this interpretation.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Michael's initial targets (Annie, Lynda, Bob) shirk their babysitting responsibilities to go fool around. Bob even cracks a joke about ripping off a little girl's clothes. Given how Michael spent much of his life in a mental institution, was some part of him [[ItsPersonal venting his own feelings of neglect]] when he killed them?

* ValuesDissonance: Loomis diagnoses Michael as "pure evil" since childhood and takes after him with a gun when the latter escapes. While he's clearly right, given this is ''Michael Myers'' we're talking about, a doctor describing a mentally disturbed child like this would definitely be frowned upon today. It probably doesn't help that Creator/JohnCarpenter based Michael at least partially on a particularly glassy eyed patient he saw at a psych ward. Some people have even wondered if Loomis' approach to therapy [[FromBadToWorse actually made Michael's behavior ''worse'' as an adult.]]
** In Loomis's defense, he doesn't say that he gave up on Michael immediately. In fact, he says he spent the first eight years trying to "reach" him (presumably meaning, effectively treat him) compared to seven years trying to keep him locked up, having finally decided he was a lost cause.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: John Carpenter is known for his soundtracks in spite of the fact that he can't read sheet music. Memorable pieces from this film include:

* ValuesDissonance: Loomis diagnoses Michael as "pure evil" since childhood and takes after him with a gun when the latter escapes. While he's clearly right, given this is ''Michael Myers'' we're talking about, a doctor describing a mentally disturbed child like this would definitely be frowned upon today. It probably doesn't help that John Carpenter based Michael at least partially on a particularly glassy eyed patient he saw at a psych ward. Some people have even wondered if Loomis' approach to therapy [[FromBadToWorse actually made Michael's behavior ''worse'' as an adult.]]

* VanillaProtagonist: Laurie. She's the rule abiding good girl who prefers babysitting to parties, in contrast to her wilder friends. PJ Soles joked that Jamie Lee Curtis told her she was lucky she wasn't playing "the boring one". Still, Curtis uses her acting to make Laurie likable and she does still go MamaBear on Michael when he threatens the children.

** Annie Brackett's father Leigh is named after [[Creator/LeighBrackett the science-fiction writer of the same name]], who's probably best known today as the co-writer of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. This film's own [[Film/HalloweenII1981 sequel]] has almost exactly the same plot twist as ''The Empire Strikes Back'': the hulking, [[VaderBreath heavy-breathing]], masked bad guy is actually [[spoiler:[[LukeIAmYourFather a long-lost relative of the hero]]]].

* RetroactiveRecognition: Kyle Richards of ''Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'' infamy, portrays Lindsey here.