John Carpenter’s Halloween is filled with references to horror movies that influenced his career. The 1978 film, co-written by the late Debra Hill, contains obvious visual nods as well as character and story elements paying homage to classic films. Here is every horror movie reference found in Carpenter’s popular thriller.
Producer Irwin Yablans’ idea about a group of babysitters being stalked by a maniac was the genesis of Halloween. Originally pitched as The Babysitter Murders, Yablans later came up with the idea of having the action take place on the holiday itself. When it was decided that it might be a good idea to simply call the film Halloween, the rest of the film fell into place. Carpenter and Hill collaborated on the script, placing specific film references throughout and using a couple of classic thrillers as inspiration for their simple, straightforward narrative.
The most obvious, and famous, inspiration for Halloween is Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). Taking a cue from the kitchen sink approach to the horror and giving their maniac a butcher knife was the least of the parallels, but intentional. Halloween’s driven psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) was named directly after John Gavin’s character in Psycho. Loomis’ nurse assistant Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) is named after both heroine Janet Leigh’s Marion and a minor supporting character, Mrs. Chambers (Lurene Tuttle). Hill was instrumental in casting Leigh’s daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, in the starring role, stressing that the Psycho connection would be an added benefit. However, there are several other influences and references throughout the film that are also noteworthy.
Black Christmas (1974)
Bob Clark’s classic horror film has been given credit with helping to shape the slasher film template popular in the early 80s. What isn’t as well known is that Carpenter was a big fan of the film, and spoke directly with Clark about it. Aside from using the holiday as a backdrop for the horror, both films also share an intrepid female protagonist terrorized by a killer in a large home. Jess (Olivia Hussey) also discovers her friend’s dead bodies spread out on a bed just before coming into contact with the killer. Black Christmas’ ambiguous ending, with the killer still roaming free, was also a big influence when shaping the climax of Halloween.
Eyes Without A Face (1960)
The French film, Eyes Without A Face, features a tragic heroine whose face has been severely disfigured by an automobile accident. To hide her deformity, she wears a stark, featureless mask that closely resembles a human face. Carpenter has mentioned that they probably chose the mask of Michael Myers because of the striking image remembered from that film experience.
Blood And Lace (1971)
Philip S. Gilbert’s lurid horror film begins with a familiar point-of-view scene where a killer opens a kitchen drawer, finds a weapon and then walks up the stairs into a bedroom where they murder a sleeping victim. Though Carpenter has never expressly referred to this scene as inspiration for Halloween’s dynamic opening murder, it has been pointed out by many that it could have been an unconscious influence.
Touch Of Evil (1958)
According to Carpenter, the famous opening sequence of Halloween was partly inspired by another Janet Leigh film—Touch Of Evil. That classic thriller, directed by Orson Welles, also opens with an extended, uninterrupted shot.
The Thing From Another World (1951)
In the background of the action, kids Tommy (Brian Andrews) and Lindsey (Kyle Richards) watch the Dr. Dementia Horror Marathon. Christian Nyby’s The Thing From Another World, usually attributed to producer Howard Hawks, is one of the titles. The film was another big influence for Carpenter, prompting him to remake it in 1982.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Fred Wilcox’s Forbidden Planet, where the crew of a starship land on a distant planet and fight creatures from their id, is the second film Tommy and Lindsey watch. In a subtle parallel, Tommy’s fear of the boogeyman—also a creature from his id—becomes real in the form of Michael Myers. Two years later Curtis would star in the slasher film Prom Night, which featured actor Leslie Nielson as her father. Nielson was one of the stars of Forbidden Planet.
Queen of Space Opera: Leigh Brackett
Author Leigh Brackett, who wrote several popular science fiction short stories and novels in the 1940s and 1950s, was also an influence on Carpenter. The late writer turned to screenwriting in the mid '40s, and co-wrote one of his favorite westerns, Rio Bravo. Brackett contributed to various film genres including horror films like The Vampire’s Ghost (1945) and film noir like The Long Goodbye. Her most famous contribution was co-writing the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back (1980). In Halloween, Carpenter named Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) after her.