The enduring influence of John Carpenter's 1978 slasher Halloween is undeniable. Michael Myers and his Captain Kirk mask forever altered the look and feel of horror movie slayers, inspiring multiple remakes and sequels. Although the original film takes place in suburban Illinois on Halloween, it was shot in Southern California.
Thanks to its limited budget, the film's crew could only do so much to make their filming location look like the autumnal Midwest, creating interesting hidden details in the final cut about the fictional town where the story evolves: Haddonfield. This list digs into 10 such particulars about Halloween.
Recycled And Painted Leaves Line The Streets
Halloween was filmed in May 1978, and spring in Los Angeles looks nothing like fall in Illinois. The trees in the movie are green and lush. The streets are not piled high with dead leaves.
The crew relied on artificial or recycled leaves to dust the sidewalks and streets featured in the movie. They had to rake up and bag the leaves after filming, sending them to the next location.
The Dark Lighting Was Necessary Because Of The Movie's Budget
Although Halloween's $300,000 budget is larger than other independent horror films, it still wasn't large enough for the filmmakers and producers to accomplish everything they wanted in terms of style and cinematography.
The movie is known for its atmospheric, poorly lit scenery. This was not an intentional choice; instead, it was a limitation exploited by cinematographer Dean Cundey because he could not afford expensive lighting.
There Are Palm Trees In The Distance
Carpenter and his co-producer Debra Hill did their best to avoid filming in locations that would not expose the Southern California setting, but it didn't always work out.
In a scene where Jamie Lee Curtis's character Laurie Strode passes a boy she babysits, Tommy Doyle, on the street, tall palm trees are visible in the distance.
The Real Name Of Smith Grove's Sanitarium Is Prominently Displayed
Donald Pleasance plays Michael Myers's psychiatrist, Dr. Samuel Loomis, who works at Smith's Grove Sanitarium, where Myers is incarcerated after murdering his older sister in 1963. When Myers breaks free in 1978, Loomis travels to Haddonfield in order to warn his family.
Scenes at Smith's Grove were filmed at the La Vina Respiratory Hospital in Altadena, California. When Loomis walks out of the hospital with his colleague, a large outdoor mat prominently displays the title La Vina.
The Actors Wear Their Own Clothes
There was little budget for costuming, most of which went toward constructing Michael Myers's look. Therefore, the supporting cast wore their own clothes during shooting.
Jamie Lee Curtis's conservative wardrobe was purchased at J.C. Penney for $100.
The Town's Color Palette Is Stolen from Chinatown
Halloween's cinematographer Dean Cundey looked toward the dark noir classic Chinatown to establish a tone and color scheme for his slasher. Haddonfield is depicted as a muted and dull place, a quiet suburb that doesn't seem like the kind of town that would ever breed a killer like Michael Myers.
Chinatown was also filmed in Los Angeles, and Cundey transforms the darkest recesses of the area into a quaint, yet tainted, Illinois municipality.
Horror Classics Are Playing On TV
When Laurie and her friend Annie babysit different kids on Halloween night, the movie focuses in on the films playing at their respective homes. It turns out they're both watching classic science fiction movies: The Thing from Another World and Forbidden Planet.
These films weren't added by accident; they are both favorites of Carpenter's, and he would go on to remake The Thing in 1982.
Michael Myers Is Played By More Than One Actor
Although Nick Castle was credited as The Shape, the name bestowed upon the adult, masked Myers, other actors stepped into his costume throughout the movie. For instance, the unmasked Myers is played by Tony Moran.
Castle earned $25 a day for his performance, which many consider the most important in horror movie history.
The Cars Have California License Plates
Halloween's budget didn't allow for a complete transformation of the crew's Southern California filming locations, which led to many inconsistencies in the movie. Despite taking place in Haddonfield, Illinois, all of the cars in the movie bear California license plates.
Despite this, the film's building suspense doesn't suffer from these paradoxical details.
The Crew Chose An Abandoned Building For The Myers Domicile
The film's iconic and terrifying opening sequence follows a young Michael Myers as he murders his own sister on Halloween in 1963. The crew found an abandoned building owned by a church in South Pasadena, California to serve as the Myers family home.
The crew, along with the cast, worked on the building together in order to transform it into a realistic abode. They put up wallpaper, furnished it, and installed electricity and water. Once they were done filming, the crew gutted the house to give it the abandoned appearance it maintains for the majority of the film.