Halloween: the Changing Shape of an Iconic Series


Book Description

October 25th, 1978. John Carpenter's Halloween is unleashed upon an unsuspecting public and, in no time, becomes a horror movie phenomenon. Made for only $320,000.00, the expertly crafted and terrifying film would eventually gross $70 million worldwide, and would not only create a solid formula that has been imitated endlessly since 1978, but would also spawn no less than nine sequels with a tenth due out this October. In his book Halloween: The Changing Shape of an Iconic Series, author Ernie Magnotta meticulously details exactly what made this entertaining and terrifying film the enduring classic that it is today. He then goes on to discuss how the sequels strayed further and further away from writer/director/composer John Carpenter's original vision until they became something almost entirely different.The author goes into detail about all aspects of the series including story, characters, acting, suspense/scares, cinematography, direction/composition, music, Michael Myers' ever-changing mask and much, much more!Packed with loads of information as well as almost 200 full-color photos, Halloween: The Changing Shape of an Iconic Series is a must have for fans of the classic franchise."A totally great read!" -P.J. Soles ("Lynda" 1978's Halloween) "Ernie definitely knows the Halloween series. This October 31st, I'll let him live." -Dick Warlock ("Michael Myers" 1981's Halloween II)"Ernie Magnotta has meticulously detailed the nuances of the Halloween franchise characters...I found his observations of Rachel Carruthers and Jamie Lloyd in H4 and H5 to be spot on." -Ellie Cornell ("Rachel Carruthers" Halloween 4 and 5)




Trick or Treat


Book Description

Halloween has spread around the world, yet its associations with death and the supernatural as well as its inevitable commercialization have made it one of our most puzzling holidays. How did it become what it is today? Trick or Treat is the first book both to examine the origins and history of Halloween and to explore in depth its current global popularity. Festivals like the Celtic Samhain and Catholic All Souls’ Day have blended to produce the modern Halloween, which has been reborn with new customs in America—but there are also related but independent holidays, especially Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Lisa Morton lifts the cobwebs off everything from the explosion in popularity of haunted attractions to the impact of events like the global economic recession, as well as the effect Halloween has had on popular culture through literary works, films, and television series. Taking us on a journey from the spectacular to the macabre, this book is a treat for anyone who wants to peep behind the mask to see the real past and present of this ever more popular holiday.




Halloween


Book Description

The 1970s represented an unusually productive and innovative period for the horror film, and John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is the film that capped that golden age – and some say ruined it, by ushering in the era of the slasher film. Considered a paradigm of low-budget ingenuity, its story of a seemingly unremarkable middle-American town becoming the site of violence on October 31 struck a chord within audiences. The film became a surprise hit that gave rise to a lucrative franchise, and it remains a perennial favourite. Much of its success stems from the simple but strong constructions of its three central characters: brainy, introverted teenager Laurie Strode, a late bloomer compared to her more outgoing friends, Dr. Loomis, the driven, obsessive psychiatrist, and Michael Myers, the inexplicable, ghostlike masked killer. Film scholar Murray Leeder offers a bold and provocative study of Carpenter's film, which hopes to expose qualities that are sometime effaced by its sequels and remakes. It explores Halloween as an unexpected ghost film, and examines such subjects as its construction of the teenager, and the relationship of Halloween the film to Halloween the holiday, and Michael Myers's brand of "pure evil." It is a fascinating read for scholars and fans alike.




Halloween: The Official Making of Halloween, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends


Book Description

Official companion book to the most recent trilogy of Halloween films featuring behind-the-scenes photography and interviews with cast and crew. Four decades after the original Halloween took the world by storm, Miramax, Blumhouse Productions and Trancas International bring a terrifying new trilogy of films in the iconic horror franchise to cinemas. In these direct sequels to John Carpenter’s 1978 movie, Laurie Strode and the residents of Haddonfield once again fall prey to escaped killer Michael Myers. As the police desperately try to track him down, Laurie, along with her family, prepares to face her murderous nemesis one more time in a confrontation 40 years in the making… The making of this much-anticipated movie trilogy is covered in fascinating detail in this official companion book. The creative processes behind the stunts, costumes, production design and make-up effects are revealed through interviews with the cast and crew, while captivating on-set photography captures the shooting of the key scenes and action set-pieces. A must for all horror fans, Halloween 2018–2022: The Official Making of the Films reveals the method behind the terror.




Taking Shape


Book Description

Silver Shamrock. Thorn. White Horses. It's all in here. Join authors Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins for a deep dive into the evolution of Halloween's vast mythology. Extensively researched, TAKING SHAPE is the ultimate guide to the first forty years of Haddonfield history. Featuring exclusive interviews with filmmakers from every installment, prepare to gain new insight into Halloween's iconic boogeyman. Oh, you don't believe in the boogeyman? You should. TAKING SHAPE includes: - Comprehensive story analysis on the entire series - A rundown of all deleted and alternate scenes - A look at what scholars got right (and wrong) about H1 - Exclusive details on Nigel Kneale's original H3 script - Comparisons of early scripts to the final theatrical films - A rare interview with H5 screenwriter Michael Jacobs - An exhaustive account of H6's troubled production - An examination of H20's roots as a direct-to-video sequel - A revealing look behind the grunge of the Rob Zombie era - Insight into how test audiences and execs shaped the films - In-depth dissection of the official novelizations




Halloween


Book Description

This book argues that Halloween need not be the first nor the most influential youth slasher film for it to hold a special place in the history of youth cinema. John Carpenter’s 1978 horror hit was once considered the be-all, end-all of teen slasher cinema and was regarded as the first, the best, and the most influential American slasher film. Recent revisions in film history, however, have challenged Halloween’s comfortable place in the canon of youth horror cinema. However, this book argues that the film, like no other, draws from the themes, imagery, and obsessions that fueled youth horror cinema since the 1950s—Gothic atmosphere, atomic dread, twisted psychology, and alienated teenage monsters—and ties them together in the deceptively simple story of a masked killer on Halloween night. Along the way, the film delivers a savage critique of social institutions and their failure to protect young people. Halloween also depicts a cadre of compelling and complicated youth characters: teenage babysitters watching over preadolescents as a killer, who is viciously avoiding the responsibilities of young adulthood, stalks them through the shadows. This book explores all these aspects of Halloween, including the franchise it spawned, providing an invaluable insight into this iconic film for students and researchers alike.




Trick Or Treat


Book Description

Trick or Treat is the first book both to examine the origins and history of Halloween and to explore in depth its current global popularity. Festivals like the Celtic Samhain and Catholic All Souls' Day have blended to produce the modern Halloween, which has been reborn with new customs in America--but there are also related but independent holidays, especially Mexico's Day of the Dead. Lisa Morton lifts the cobwebs off everything from the explosion in popularity of haunted attractions to the impact of events like the global economic recession, as well as the effect Halloween has had on popular culture through literary works, films, and television series.




The Book of Halloween


Book Description




Halloween Nation


Book Description

America's leading authority on Halloween presents interviews with spooky rock groups, amateur vampires, haunted house creators, champion pumpkin carvers, and more, all in the quest of explaining the nation's unique love affair with this holiday. The collection of essays and interviews explores the pop culture phenomenon that is Halloween, and why we celebrate it the way we do today.




Trick Or Treat


Book Description