History Film / Halloween1978

* MuggedForDisguise: Michael evidently acquired his blue coveralls in this manner. Loomis happens upon the scene of the murder but misses the truck driver's body.

* YouCantFightFate: Lampshaded by Laurie's English teacher during a class lecture...right after Laurie, gazing idly out the window, has caught a glimpse of Michael watching her from across the street.

* StealthHiBye: Pulled off repeatedly by the Shape, most notably [[spoiler:in the ending]]. Especially egregious at an earlier point of the film; Laurie sees Michael staring at her from a neighbor's yard, but after a close-up on Laurie that lasts all of a couple seconds, he's gone without a trace, with no sign that Laurie had even taken her eyes off of him.

-->'''Annie:''' I plan on making popcorn and watching Dr. Dementia. Six straight hours of horror movies. Little Lindsay Wallace won't know what hit her.

* HorrorHost: Apparently Haddonfield (or some nearby city) has one, as referenced by Annie in dialogue.

-->'''Annie:''' I plan on making popcorn and watching Dr. Dementia. [[MarathonRunning Six straight hours of horror movies]]. Little Lindsay Wallace won't know what hit her.

-->'''Annie:''' I plan on making popcorn and watching Dr. Dementia. Six straight hours of horror movies. Little Lindsay Wallace won't know what hit her.

* ShesGotLegs: Annie's SexyShirtSwitch emphasizes Nancy Loomis's excellent legs.

* DeathBySex: [[spoiler:Judith Myers, later Lynda and Bob. Annie is also killed on her way to have sex.]]

* {{Fanservice}}:

** Later we see Annie topless and in panties (albeit from the back), after she gets hot butter on her clothes and removes them before changing into a [[SexyShirtSwitch man's dress shirt]].

[[caption-width-right:310:Oh, there's gonna be some carving, alright.]]

* AmbiguouslyHuman: For most of the movie, Michael seems to just be an insane man who can't (or won't) speak, but Dr. Loomis insists that there's something not quite human about him. Towards the end, we see some compelling evidence to support this idea, as he displays [[ImplacableMan superhuman levels of endurance and pain tolerance]], even quickly getting up after being shot six times in the chest and falling out a second-floor window.
* AndStarring: A 19-year-old Jamie Lee Curtis gets an "And Introducing" credit in her Star-Making debut.
* AntiClimacticUnmasking: Michael is unmasked while struggling with Laurie, and he is revealed to be...a normal-looking young man (a 23 year old Tony Moran). The eye injury he's just received in the previous scene does make him look creepy, however.

* BigDamnHeroes: Loomis finally catches up with Michael, just in time to save Laurie.

* BrakeAngrily: Michael speeds past the girls while driving Loomis's car, prompting Annie to call out, "Hey, jerk! Speed kills!". He slams the brakes, then drives away after a suspenseful {{beat}}.
* TheBully: Three mean kids tease Tommy about the Boogeyman in the schoolyard, causing him to fall on his pumpkin and crush it.
* BystanderSyndrome: While being pursued by Michael during the climax, Laurie bangs on the door of a neighbor's house and screams for help. They turn their lights on, peer through a window...and then shut the lights back off a few seconds later.

** Early in the film, Laurie--walking home from school and having already caught a brief glimpse of Michael standing behind a hedge--is startled by Sheriff Brackett bumping into her on the sidewalk.

** Later there's a scene where Loomis and Brackett are exploring the abandoned Myers house and a broken gutter suddenly crashes through a window, causing a startled Loomis to whip out a handgun.

** Still later, Loomis--keeping watch outside of the Myers house--scares off a group of boys from nosing around...and gets spooked himself when Brackett comes up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder. Brackett really likes to sneak up on people apparently.

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Annie, Bob, and Lynda have been murdered. Laurie narrowly avoids death, but Dr. Loomis is unable to stop Michael, who vanishes.]].

* GoryDiscretionShot: While killing Judith, Michael turns his head away after the first few stabs so we can't see anything other than the blade rising and falling (though we do see her as she falls over dead). Lynda falls out of frame as she's being strangled so that she's not visible in her final moments.

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Michael is subsequently committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where he is put under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, shy teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie suspects one of her schoolmates is playing a harmless Halloween prank on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Michael is subsequently committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where he is put under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie suspects one of her schoolmates is playing a harmless Halloween prank on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Michael is subsequently committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where he is put under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis soon following in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie suspects one of her schoolmates is playing a harmless Halloween prank on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Michael is subsequently committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where he's put under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis soon following in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie suspects one of her schoolmates is playing a harmless Halloween prank on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Michael is subsequently committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where he's put under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis soon following in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie suspects one of her schoolmates is playing a harmless Halloween trick on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Michael is subsequently committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where he's put under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis soon following in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie believes a schoolmate is playing a harmless Halloween trick on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Michael is subsequently committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, and placed under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis soon following in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie believes a schoolmate is playing a harmless Halloween trick on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Michael is subsequently committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where he's placed under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis soon following in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie believes a schoolmate is playing a harmless Halloween trick on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

Halloween night, 1963: In Haddonfield, Illinois, six-year-old Michael Myers picks up a kitchen knife and stabs his teenage sister Judith to death without any explanation. Young Michael is committed to Smith's Grove Sanitarium and placed under the watchful eye of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Creator/DonaldPleasence). Fifteen years later -- on the night before Halloween -- he escapes from the asylum and heads for home, with Loomis soon following in pursuit. Back in Haddonfield, meanwhile, teenager Laurie Strode (Creator/JamieLeeCurtis) takes a job as a babysitter for Halloween. As the night of masks draws nearer, she keeps noticing an eerie masked figure stalking her. While Laurie believes a schoolmate is playing a harmless Halloween trick on her, she and her friends have no idea of the danger that is waiting for them and Haddonfield...

''Halloween'' is a 1978 American horror film directed by Creator/JohnCarpenter (who also co-wrote the screenplay with producer Debra Hill) that has gone on to become one of the most profitable independent films of all time as well as one of the most influential works of modern screen horror. It's generally credited with [[TropeCodifier codifying]] the SlasherMovie formula [[TropeMaker conceived]] by ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' (1960) and ''Film/{{Black Christmas|1974}}'' (1974), and is considered to be the genre's first true entry.

''Halloween'' is a 1978 American horror film directed by Creator/JohnCarpenter (who also co-wrote the screenplay with producer Debra Hill) that has gone on to become one of the most profitable independent films of all time as well as one of the most influential works of modern horror, largely credited as the TropeCodifier for the SlasherMovie formula [[TropeMaker conceived]] by ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' and ''Film/BlackChristmas1974'', as well as the genre's first true entry.

* BlueIsHeroic: Laurie is the FinalGirl and spends the second half of the film wearing a blue, button-front shirt and blue bell-bottoms.

* SpiritualSuccessor:
** In many ways, this film can be seen as one to ''Film/{{Psycho}}''. One of the two main characters is played by [[Creator/JamieLeeCurtis Janet "Marion Crane" Leigh's daughter]], and the other has the same name as Marion's lover. Many of the stylistic choices are also clearly influenced by [[Creator/AlfredHitchcock Hitchcock]], like a repetitive {{Leitmotif}} used for a butcher knife-wielding bad guy, and the camera work, such as in Michael's first kill where we never see knife penetrate flesh, and the cuts between the Wallace house and the approaching Laurie echoes the scene where Lila walks toward the Bates home.
** Carpenter stated that much of the film was strongly inspired by ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'', one of his favorite films. Naturally, the characters are watching it on television. Carpenter would go on to film his own version of the film with ''Film/TheThing1982''. [[invoked]]
** It's also one to ''Film/BlackChristmas1974'', to the point where ''Halloween'' was originally intended to be a sequel to the former.

* {{Corpsing}}: When Brackett surprises Laurie as she walks up the sidewalk with her back turned, she covers her mouth because Jamie Lee Curtis was trying to hide her smile as she was trying not to laugh.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: The original script had the murders take place over several days. Due to the low budget, the film's financier suggested setting the bulk of the film during one night: Halloween. This would minimize the sets and costume changes as well as provide a strong theme (and a title) to the film.

* KnifeNut: When Michael isn't strangling someone, he's using a large carving knife.