History Trivia / Halloween1978

* BillingDisplacement: Creator/DonaldPleasence gets [[BilledAboveTheTitle billed above the main title]]. While his Loomis is a major character, the film's protagonist is Laurie. This is completely due to Pleasence being the only name actor in the piece, However unlike other films which usually bill the actors that are being introduced after the established actors have been credited, Creator/JamieLeeCurtis is billed right after Pleasence in the female lead position of the credits order. Thanks to the film being a star-making turn for Curtis, she's billed above the title right along with Pleasence in the credits for the film's sequel.

* SleeperHit: One of the defining examples. An extremely low budget indie film, where Donald Pleasence was the only notable name (and he was a character actor), that was panned in its first week. Then one glowing review compared it to Alfred Hitchcock's ''{{Film/Psycho}}'', and it grossed over $1 million in the next week alone. It ultimately grossed $70 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful indie films ever.

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/JohnCarpenter created the role of Lynda Van Der Klok with Creator/PJSoles in mind.

* CreatorBacklash: Both Creator/JohnCarpenter and Debra Hill expressed displeasure at the DeathBySex trope's rise in horror after this movie. They said the reason the horny teenagers got killed was because they were too busy trying to do it that they failed to notice a killer approaching; they're punished for carelessness, not pre-marital sex. Laurie only survives because she's on her own for most of the film.

* BillingDisplacement: Creator/DonaldPleasence gets [[BilledAboveTheTitle billed above the main title]]. While his Loomis is a major character, the film's protagonist is Laurie.

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/JohnCarpenter created the role of Lynda Van Der Klok with P.J. Soles in mind.

* SleeperHit: One of the defining examples. An extremely low budget indie film, where Donald Pleasence was the only notable name (and even he was a character actor), that was panned in its first week. Then one glowing review compared it to Alfred Hitchcock's ''{{Film/Psycho}}'', and it grossed over $1 million in the next week alone. It ultimately grossed $70 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful indie films ever.

* WorkingTitle: The initial story draft was rather bluntly called ''The Babysitter Murders'', since this was the basic premise conceived by the financiers. When they suggested setting the film entirely during Halloween, the new title was an obvious choice. Producer Irwin Yablans denied that this initial title was ever considered, in an interview for ''The Movies That Made Us'', however.

** Creator/ChristopherLee turned down the role of Dr. Loomis. He later said it was the biggest mistake he ever made in his career (although he also said the same thing about turning down Creator/LeslieNielsen's role in {{Film/Airplane}}). Also, Creator/PeterCushing was the first choice to play Dr. Loomis, but his asking price was too high, probably as the result of his raised profile from ''Film/ANewHope''. Other candidates included Creator/JohnBelushi (who was busy doing ''Film/AnimalHouse''), Creator/LloydBridges, Creator/MelBrooks, Creator/YulBrynner, Creator/DavidCarradine, Creator/KirkDouglas, Creator/SterlingHayden, Creator/DennisHopper, Creator/KrisKristofferson, Creator/WalterMatthau, Creator/CharlesNapier, Creator/PeterOToole and Creator/LawrenceTierney.

* CreatorBacklash: Both Creator/JohnCarpenter and Debra Hill expressed displeasure at the DeathBySex trope's rise in horror after this movie. They said the reason the horny teenagers got killed was because they were too busy trying to do it that they failed to notice a killer approaching. Laurie only survives because she's on her own for most of the film.

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* QuoteSource: CompleteMonster

* CreatorBacklash:
** Both Creator/JohnCarpenter and Debra Hill expressed displeasure at the DeathBySex trope's rise in horror after this movie. They said the reason the horny teenagers got killed was because they were too busy trying to do it that they failed to notice a killer approaching. Laurie only survives because she's on her own for most of the film.
** Creator/WilliamShatner wasn't very pleased to learn Michael's mask was actually him as Kirk.

* MissingTrailerScene: An alternate version of Lynda on the phone to Laurie was shot for the trailer, because PJ Soles's blouse was open in the final film. So in the trailers and publicity stills, she is wearing a bathrobe instead.
* NoBudget: Only $320,000 was spent for this film. John Carpenter himself received only $10,000 to co-write, score and direct the film ($43,000 in 2018). Nick Castle, who played The Shape, only earned $25 a ''day''! This is pretty amazing for a film that grossed a total of $70 million.

* QuoteSource:
** CompleteMonster

* SleeperHit: One of the defining examples. An extremely low budget indie film, where Donald Pleasance was the only notable name (and even he was a character actor), that was panned in its first week. Then one glowing review compared it to Alfred Hitchcock's ''{{Film/Psycho}}'', and it grossed over $1 million in one week alone. It ultimately grossed $70 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful indie films ever.

** Creator/ChristopherLee turned down the role of Dr. Loomis. He later said it was the biggest mistake he ever made in his career. Also, Creator/PeterCushing was the first choice to play Dr. Loomis, but his asking price was too high, probably as the result of his raised profile from ''Film/ANewHope''. Other candidates included Creator/JohnBelushi (who was busy doing ''Film/AnimalHouse''), Creator/LloydBridges, Creator/MelBrooks, Creator/YulBrynner, Creator/DavidCarradine, Creator/KirkDouglas, Creator/SterlingHayden, Creator/DennisHopper, Creator/KrisKristofferson, Creator/WalterMatthau, Creator/CharlesNapier, Creator/PeterOToole and Creator/LawrenceTierney.

** There were two masks to choose from - the more familiar Captain Kirk mask, and a MonsterClown one (as a nod to Michael killing his sister while dressed as a clown). While they found the clown one scary too, the Captain Kirk one was ruled better because it was emotionless. Other masks considered include UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, Spock and Emmett Kelly.

* WorkingTitle: The initial story draft was rather bluntly called ''The Babysitter Murders'', since this was the basic premise conceived by the financiers. When they suggested setting the film entirely during Halloween, the new title was an obvious choice. (Though producer Irwin Yablans denied that this title was ever considered in an interview for ''The Movies That Made Us''.)

* ExecutiveMeddling: A very positive example. The film's financiers conceived of the idea of a killer pursuing babysitters and hired Carpenter to make the film, giving him full creative control. They requested that the film have scary moments every ten minutes and also suggested the Halloween theme.