Nerds Gets Spooky: Babysitting Can Be Murder, Especially on ‘Halloween’
Its officially October, which means it’s finally time for scary movies, pumpkin patches and haunted houses! This month we will be talking about all our favorite scary movies (family flicks as well!) So stay tuned for all the scares!
This was a tough decision to make, being a big fan of scary movies and Halloween time in general. That being said, the movie I want to spotlight is, of course, the 1978 classic Halloween, directed by Assault on Precinct 13 director John Carpenter. I picked this movie because to me it’s a perfect movie for not just Halloween, but anytime you’re in the mood for a good scary movie. It also helps that it stars a young Jamie Lee Curtis in her first feature film debut, who is an incredible actress.
In 1963, 6-year-old Michael Myers was sent away after murdering his whole family on a Halloween night, besides one sister. The movie starts off with an adult Michael escaping the facility he is held and makes his way back to his home town in Haddonfield, Illinois where his teenage sister, Laurie, is still alive and well.
Michael makes it makes it back to Haddonfield on October 30 — 15 years later on Halloween day (hence the name of the movie.) He finds Laurie and begins stalking her. She notices him but only quick glances at first. Later that night while Laurie is babysitting a boy named Tommy, Michael beings his reign of terror by murdering her friend in her car in front of Laurie’s house, and another of Laurie’s friend and her boyfriend. He then turns to Laurie, who outsmarts him just in time for Dr. Loomis to shoot him, sending him falling out of a window just to get up and run off into the night.
That’s just the basics of the movie, because I can talk about the entire film piece by piece. But let’s talk about some things that are less known. First, the production was surprisingly short. Overall the entire thing took less than one month, lasting around 20 days. It took place in the spring and was released in October of 1978. Also, while the film is based in the midwest it was actually filmed in California. Next time you watch look for some hidden palm trees in the background!.
Another fun fact is that a lot of the characters are actually named after real people and/or influences in John Carpenter’s life. For example, Laurie Strode is actually one of Carpenter’s ex-girlfriends! Tommy Doyle is named after an Alfred Hitchcock character in the film Rear Window. Even the name Michael Myers came from an influence of Carpenter’s.
Halloween has become one of the biggest classic movies to watch during Halloween time when you’re looking for a good scare. It has sparked almost a dozen sequels and reboots — including the amazing Rob Zombie versions — with more to come in 2020 and 2021. I highly suggest watching this Carpenter classic though if you haven’t watched it already, it’s must-see in the Michael Myers collection.
Let us know what your favorite movie to watch during the Halloween season is and stay tuned for more of our staff’s favorites!