Halloween was released in 1978 as an independent film, and it became history’s most successful independent movie ever. The movie was shot in a mere 20 days, and the budget for the groundbreaking horror flick was $325,000. At the box office, Halloween 1978 grossed more than $70 million. It set Jamie Lee Curtis on the path of stardom, inspired slasher films by the graveyard-full, and has a tenth sequel opening on October 19, 2018. This is something to celebrate! Here’s why.

A Family Tradition

Jamie Lee Curtis’ mother, almost unbelievably, was the woman in the original Psycho movie who was slashed in the shower. That scene with Janet Leigh made stepping into a shower a frightening prospect for millions, and it caused a ripple effect of screen shock that filmmakers are still inspired by today. The shower scene actress’s daughter Curtis was most notably known as the “scream queen” for many years, herself. That nickname is getting a revival on October 19.

The Mask

Actor Nick Castle is the main actor who plays the deranged serial murderer in Halloween. In the first movie, he just gets home from being in an insane asylum, when he starts the stalking and the bloodshed. The mask he wears was originally one of William Shatner as Captain Kirk, but the mask was said to appear lifeless. Director John Carpenter saw the mask as a great possibility. He painted it white, giving it a horrifying look of being three equal parts corpse, ghost, and clown. It’s jarring and quite terrifying to look at, especially when it’s worn by a blank-eyed, relentless serial killer from an insane asylum/maximum security prison.

Directors

John Carpenter very famously directed the original version of Halloween, and David Gordon Green is getting lots of props for his work in the 2018 sequel. Green blends modern sensibilities with gruesome qualities that made the series so successful. However, Carpenter’s original work is still unmatched for the primeval punch it packs.

Well-Reviewed

This new version of Halloween has an 85% positive rating with critics, on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s always an excellent sign with horror flicks. The story ignores all other sequels and relates directly back to the 1978 original. Movie-goers might want to know there is a somewhat slow start, in building the occasion for Michael Myers to escape the prison that has been housing him. From there, the stalk-and-slash carnage has an uptick from the original. The Myers mask is as frightening as ever.

The Horror and the Bravery

The tone of the first Halloween is consistent with the latest, and there are some nods to the original that movie lovers will recognize. The movie screen, this time around, will have blood and gore that competes with modern levels audiences will appreciate. In the midst of the mayhem, a courageous, heavily armed Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) steps into the moment she has been anticipating for decades.

October is the month for horror. What better way to get into the spirit than by getting a fresh taste of a horror film that has captivated audiences for exactly 40 years? Are you planning to watch Halloween?