I fucking love John Carpenter and cannot stress the extent of how these two hours just sparked my ambition and passion for horror filmmaking. This shit spoke to me today. With this said, I was influenced to write this blog and spread the awareness on the amazing originality of this film and Carpenter.
I learned today that no blood or gore was ever seen in this original, 1978 version, not to be confused with Rob Zombie's 2007 remake. Are you shitting me? This makes me want to watch it again just to confirm this theory is indeed not fabricated. Apparently the music, sound effects, and physical movement were enough to fool everyone including myself. I can't even imagine being terrified of a film that doesn't screen blood painted walls or vomit inducing injuries. This alone is impressive.
The secret behind the mask was pure luck mixed with talent. Carpenter hunted for a plain, rubber concealment as a base to trigger his vision, and ultimately chose the mask of a Star Trek character. White paint smothered the mild facial modifications and hair alterations were established, creating the spine tingling face of "Michael Myers". Yes, it's currently the lock screen on my i phone:)
Carpenter accepted this challenge in filmmaking primarily for the work aspect of it. Considering his absence of fondness for the horror genre, he pretty much looked at this as another piece of experience to intertwine into his film reel. He was considered a newbie in the industry during this production and was only thirty years old! What inspiration...and relief for a quarter life crisis victim like myself!
The cast was loaded with fresh meat. There was a time when the name Jamie Lee Curtis was unheard of, and this was it. The actual "Michael" was played by the completely inexperienced Nick Castle. Ironically, his "victims" portray him to be a light hearted goofball. PJ Soles, the "boobie shot" girl, laughed as she recalled the production. She highlighted Castle for being considerate and concerned with her safety during her fatal strangulation scene. She even confessed that the sight of "The Shape" always makes her laugh because she is reminded that it is Nick Castle.
Above all, every single person who contributed to this burst of horror aesthetic worked their asses off, but absolutely cherished every moment of it. If you catch this story on the Biography channel, totally check it out! I'm sure it will be obnoxiously replayed for the rest of the month. I'm also pretty sure I napped today and dreamed that John Carpenter is going to be at the next Monster Mania Convention. My fingers are crossed...
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