DAY 31HALLOWEEN!!!!

It's here!
It's here!

HALLOWEEN (the holiday) is here!

As for the movie we've been celebrating for 31 days, you have opinions about that.

Here are the results of my Twitter survey about HALLOWEEN...

Not thrilled about that last one, folks.

Have a safe and happy HALLOWEEN folks!

DAY 30AMC Fear Fest Live Tweets

You know you're watching AMC Fear Fest's marathon of HALLOWEEN movies today, even though you own them all on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray.  Possibly laserdisc.

Join the conversation on Twitter, or just watch the tweets flow in...

Tweets about Halloween amcfearfest


Tweet #AMCFearFest

DAY 29Ghost Bob

S'matter, can't I get your ghost, Bob?

The classic be-speckled "ghost" of Bob is one of the darker, albeit comedic moments in Halloween.

Apparently it is PJ Soles' favorite moment, which was scripted by Debra Hill.

Speaking about the scene the actress is quoted as explaining the following...

I needed something to do while I'm waiting, so I start filing my nails. John told me, 'What I want out of the scene is that this guy is not gonna take the sheet off his head. We're not gonna know it's not your boyfriend, so you have to keep enticing him to take the sheet off.' I tried everything I could, right down to my 'See anything you like?'" [while bearing her breasts].... 

The actress recalls the development of that scene: "When I pulled the bed sheet down, John said, 'We need some kind of a little nudity thing.' He wasn't quite sure what, and he didn't want me to do anything if it felt uncomfortable. It just popped into my head to lower the bed sheet and say, 'See anything you like?'

DAY 28Michael MyersLived Here...

The original film's opening shooting location, the Myers home, was 707 Meridian Avenue in South Pasadena, California.  While the street looks relatively familiar, you won't find the house anywhere on the block.

You can, however get your back checked out, as the house now serves as a chiropractor's office (The Alegria Chiropractic Center).

You'll find it was moved to the east side of Meridian and north of Mission street (right next to the train tracks), seen here...

It also looks as if they moved the tree, but then those are common in this area...

DAY 27Vinyl Lives!Horror Soundtracks Return from the Grave

Great article the other day in The Village Voice about the resurgence of horror soundtracks on vinyl.   You can read that by clicking below.  They mention John Carpenter a couple times but not in terms of HALLOWEEN's incredible MONDO release a few years back.  Read about that in particular here.

Day 26 HALLOWEEN 2 - the original screenplay

He didn't direct the sequel, but John Carpenter co-wrote it again with Debra Hill.  

See if you can spot all the differences between this shooting script and the final film that was released, starting with the "Mr. Sandman" opening (which ended up being the closing).

DAY 25Laurie's Song

I wish I had you all alone... 
Just the two of us... 
I would hold you close to me... 
So close to me...

That little number that Jamie Lee Curtis sings was completely made up, and completely perfect.

Speaking at BEYOND FEST in 2004, Curtis explains...

And then I remember, we kind of did this work, and then at the end you said, “now walk away and finish out the scene singing.” And I remember saying to you like, “um, what’s the tune of the little song?” And you said, “I don’t know, make it up.” Now, you have to understand, I don’t sing. At all. I just don’t sing! And I remember it like, “what do I sing?” So I sang, “I wish I had you all alone…” Horrible! But, I just remember being sort of overwhelmed after that first day and then wrapping and then going home.  

DAY 24Stab the Mother F@#ker In The Eye

Fun fact from the commentary on the most recent release of HALLOWEEN on Blu-ray -

During the sequence in which Laurie is trapped in the closet with a pissed off Michael Myers approaching, John Carpenter was behind the camera.

According to Jamie Lee Curtis, the director kept yelling "stab the mother f#@ker in the eye" so much that she had to ask for him to stop to prevent her from laughing.

It's still one of the scariest moments in the film.

DAY 23Michael Myers: Absolute Evil

I mentioned yesterday the FEARnyc premiere of MICHAEL MYERS: ABSOLUTE EVIL.

This fan-made mockumentary about the iconic on-screen serial killer is on YouTube for those of you not in the NYC area.

Enjoy...

DAY 22HALLOWEEN on the big screen this week

Another great chance to catch HALLOWEEN on the big screen is coming this Thursday, October 27th to Cinema Village.

If you're in New York City, be sure to check out FEARnyc, a Horror Film Festival featuring over 65 selections, including classics!

HALLOWEEN screens this Thursday at 7pm, but don't miss the 5pm showing of MICHAEL MYERS: ABSOLUTE EVIL!

A retelling of John Carpenter’s Halloween in the style of a documentary that portrays the events of the film and its six sequels as events that actually happened. Featuring interviews with survivors like Lindsey Wallace, Haddonfield residents, authors, criminologists, and journalists, Michael Myers: Absolute Evil offers a chilling, real-world perspective on the legendary horror franchise.

Day 21Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN

This is not the popular opinion, I realize.

But after sitting through the inexcusable remakes of Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, Rob Zombie's Halloween caught me by surprise big time.

Consider the extensive back-story he's added to Michael Myers.  The brilliant casting of Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Samuel Loomis.  The grittier, darker, nihilistic world in which the story is reset.

He's both playing with his own themes as a director, and paying tribute to the classic John Carpenter film.   That's not an easy task, but he pulls it off.

I even liked Zombie's Halloween 2, which pays homage to the original sequel, and in true horror tradition is way more violent and brutal than his first one.  

If you've stayed away from these reboots of the franchise because you're a die hard fan, I'd suggest you check them out with an open mind.  

Day 20Behind the Scenes of HALLOWEEN

Day 19John Carpenter's Influence Came FromOuter Space

For a limited time, you can pick up the perfect pairing with HALLOWEEN exclusively at Best Buy...

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE had one of the biggest influences on John Carpenter's childhood, and he often references the movie as an enabler of a long career in Horror.

This Blu-ray contains both the 2D and 3D versions of the film.

And it's priced under $15!!!

Day 18Vintage Newspaper Ads for HALLOWEEN

Day 17It Was The Boogyman, Wasn't It?

Halloween II deserves more praise as it had everything stacked against it, from Carpenter's refusal to direct to the need of a bad wig for Jamie Lee Curtis.

Despite being filmed several years later (and the aforementioned wig), director Rick Rosenthal does an incredible job keeping the tone of the original film.

My favorite part, however, happens before the opening credits (which are great too, btw).

Picking up exactly where the original film ends, Rosenthal basically expands that endings seamlessly and expands on the "it was the boogyman" line with an even better one.

You don't know what death is!

Cue more electronic version of the classic Carpenter theme.  Zoom into pumpkin containing a skull.

DAY 16Toying with HALLOWEEN...

Even around the time of the sixth film in the franchise, I don't think I'd have imagined the plethora of HALLOWEEN merchandise available.

Here are some highlights of currently available Myers-approved merch...

Horror Classics - Michael Myers - Funko ReAction Figure

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Funko 2296 Pop Movies: Halloween - Michael Myers Action Figure

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NECA Halloween Boxed Set The Night He Came Home Michael Myers Dr. Loomis

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Funko Mike Myers Plush

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Fright Rags shirt

DAY 15You Too Can Be Michael

Amazon has this plus sized Michael Myers costume from HALLOWEEN, but on closer inspection it's based on the Rob Zombie version.

Still, it's fairly scary if you're around 6'2" and 300 lbs.

Get your slash on here...

DAY 14HALLOWEENhome video

How many did you have?