Heart-Pounding Facts About The Halloween Film Franchise
A House Of Horror
When it comes to horror franchises, nothing touches Halloween. For over 40 years, audiences have watched Michael Myers and Laurie Strode match wits with John Carpenter's spine-tingling score playing in the background. But as we'll see, Halloween has encountered its fair share of real-life scares and controversies over the years...
1. Jeepers Creepers
The character of Michael Myers was influenced heavily by John Carpenter’s own experience with mentally ill patients. During a college trip, he visited a mental institution in Kentucky and came across a patient.
Carpenter remembers being unsettled by the patient’s “schizophrenic stare,” which he described as “unsettling,” “creepy,” and “completely insane.”
2. No Staring Contests
According to Carpenter, he intentionally tried to make sure that the audience would be completely unable to relate to Myers on screen. One way he did this was by making it hard to see eye-to-eye with Myers...and I mean that literally.
Throughout the original film, Myers’ eyes are rarely visible. Instead, they're obscured by shadows or the mask. John Carpenter did this on purpose since this small feature makes it harder to connect with someone.
3. A Familiar Face
The infamous mask that Michael Myers wears is actually supposed to be William Shatner. The props department had to buy the cheapest mask possible, and the Shatner mask was under two dollars.
They spray painted it white, messed up the hair, and stretched out the eyes, transforming Captain Kirk into an emotionless monster. The mask was so unrecognizable that Shatner himself didn’t recognize it.
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4. Choices, Choices
William Shatner’s face wasn’t the only one in the running to be Michael Myers mark—other options included Richard Nixon and Spock. Did the people behind Point Break possibly take a cue from Halloween's cast-offs?
