Why Thousands Fear Halloween Night After Watching This Film’s First Minutes!

If you’ve seen La La Land, Cliffhanger, or The Dark Knight, their gripping opening scenes surely left an impression! However, 46 years ago, director John Carpenter set a groundbreaking tone in the opening minutes of his now-classic film, Halloween.

“The Night He Came Home,” the poster read

The opening of the original Halloween features John Carpenter capturing a premeditated murder from surveillance to execution, all in one continuous shot, or almost. It’s shown from the killer’s point of view, immersing the viewer in the crime similar to the iconic “shower scene” in Psycho.

On Halloween night, 1963, someone peers into a house from outside. They watch two young people kissing, wait for them to go upstairs, and then enter from the back. Passing through the kitchen, the intruder pulls a large knife from a drawer. But how does he know it’s there?

Upstairs, the young man, after being intimate with the girl, heads home, narrowly missing the intruder who then makes his way to the first floor. There, he enters a room and puts on a clown mask found on the floor. He then brandishes his knife and murders the girl, who manages to utter his name: “Michael.”

The killer goes downstairs and stands in front of the house, knife in hand. A person recognizes him, calls out, and removes his mask: it’s a child! A revelation that has shocked a generation of viewers.

Behind the Scenes of the Shoot

This opening sequence took 2 days and 5 takes to shoot and wasn’t actually filmed in a true single take due to technical reasons. At the time, the film reels in the Panavision cameras used could only record about 5 minutes of footage. Thus, the sequence is divided into three parts.

The first part is the intrusion into the house, cut at the moment little Michael puts on his mask. The second part runs until the murder, and the last follows the exit from the room to the outside. The view through the mask was added in post-production.

In just 4 minutes and 46 seconds, John Carpenter transports the viewer into the mind of a killer as he commits the act, offering a sequence full of horror, suspense, and a final shocking reveal. By committing this murder as a child, Michael Myers captivates the audience and the rest of the film cements his terrifying presence. As a result, Hollywood would produce numerous sequels to his murderous escapades… perhaps even a few too many.