Behind the scenes of: Halloween (1978)
Nick Castle (The Shape/Michael Myers) enjoying a Dr. Pepper between takes.
There might be a slight Halloween/Michael Myers overload this week due largely to the fact that it’s my favourite horror movie of all time. 🙌
Once again I only intended to post one photo but some of these are too good not to share!
As always here’s a bit of trivia:
The inspiration for the character of Michael Myers (or at least the evil that he embodies) came from when John Carpenter, then a college student, visited a psychiatric institution. In a ward that held “the most serious, mentally ill patients” Carpenter had an unnerving encounter with an adolescent boy who possessed a blank, "schizophrenic stare."
This also inspired the characterisation that Doctor Loomis gives the Sheriff in the movie.
20 year old Jamie Lee Curtis turning the tables.
The infamous mask.
I think everybody knows by now that the mask Michael wears in the movie was originally a William Shantner/Captain Kirk mask (but for those of you that didn’t)…
It was purchased from a costume shop on Hollywood Boulevard for $1.98.
The production designer had the eyebrows and sideburns ripped off, the face painted white, the eye holes made bigger and the hair spray-painted dark brown.
The mask has changed slightly throughout the many films but is still based on the good old Captain Kirk original. 🖖
Nick Castle (The Shape/ Michael Myers).
Nick Castle who played Michael in the first movie was only paid $25 a day. The movie was shot on an extremely low budget of $300,000 with actor, Donald Pleasance being paid the highest amount of $20,000.
Castle returned to play the masked killer for some scenes in the latest two films, Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021).
Over the course of the movies the character has been played by eight different actors (not including hand shots and stunts etc).
Jamie Lee Curtis and writer/director John Carpenter.
Michael Myers was named after the studio head of Miracle films as a tribute to him after he distributed John Carpenter’s previous film, Assault on Precinct 13 overseas in the UK.
I’ll be watching this movie as always on Halloween night. 🎃👌🔪
Getting cosy - John Carpenter, John Michael Graham (Bob) and P.J. Soles (Lynda).
Nick Castle hanging about on set.
Not weird at all...Donald Pleasence (Dr. Loomis) watching Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle getting jiggy. This one is actually from Halloween II (1981).
Michael Myers the camera man.
A cute moment with writer/director John Carpenter and writer/producer Debra Hill.
John Carpenter and Tony Moran who played Michael in the unmasked scene towards the end of the movie.
The Myers trio...?
John Carpenter and production designer Tommy Lee Wallace at an event for Halloween (1978).
More smooching.
Slasher bants with Donald Pleasence (Halloween II).
John Carpenter...directing...
For the scene at the beginning of the movie where Michael breaks the car window and steals the car, a wrench was taped to the actor's hand so the glass would break. You can see it in this shot.
More Dr. Pepper shenaningans with Nick Castle.