Halloween: Every Horror Movie Reference In John Carpenter’s Original Film – Screen Rant

John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is filled with references to movies that influenced him. Here is every reference found in the popular thriller.

John Carpenters 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 Carpenters 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.

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The most obvious, and famous, inspiration for Halloween is Alfred Hitchcocks 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. Halloweens driven psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) was named directly after John Gavins character in Psycho. Loomis nurse assistant Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) is named after both heroine Janet Leighs Marion and a minor supporting character, Mrs. Chambers (Lurene Tuttle). Hill was instrumental in casting Leighs 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.

Bob Clarks classic horror film has been given credit with helping to shape the slasher film template popular in the early 80s. What isnt 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 friends 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.

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Halloween: Every Horror Movie Reference In John Carpenter's Original Film - Screen Rant

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero