Editing Slasher film (section)

===1978===
Cashing in on the [[drive-in]] success of ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' (1974), ''[[The Toolbox Murders]]'' was quickly and cheaply shot but did not generate the interest of the former films. Exploitative ''Killer's Delight'' is a San Francisco-set serial killer story claiming to take inspiration from [[Ted Bundy]] and the [[Zodiac Killer]].{{sfn|Kerswell|2012|p=80}} Leading up to ''Halloween''<nowiki/>'s October release were August's ''gialli''-inspired ''[[Eyes of Laura Mars]]'' (written by John Carpenter) and September's "[[The babysitter and the man upstairs|babysitter in peril]]" TV Movie ''[[Are You in the House Alone?]]'' Of them, ''The'' ''Eyes of Laura Mars'' grossed $20&nbsp;million against a $7&nbsp;million budget.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=eyesoflauramars.htm|title=Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref>

Influenced by the [[French New Wave]]'s ''[[Eyes Without a Face (film)|Eyes Without a Face]]'' (1960), science fiction thriller ''[[Westworld (film)|Westworld]]'' (1973) and ''[[Black Christmas (1974 film)|Black Christmas]]'' (1974), ''Halloween'' was directed, composed and co-written by Carpenter, and produced and co-written by [[Debra Hill]] on a budget of $300,000 provided by Syrian-American producer [[Moustapha Akkad]]. To minimize costs, locations were reduced and time took place over a brief period.{{sfn|Kerswell|2012|pages=72–80}} [[Jamie Lee Curtis]], daughter of [[Janet Leigh]], was cast as the heroine [[Laurie Strode]] while veteran actor [[Donald Pleasence]] was cast as [[Samuel Loomis|Dr. Sam Loomis]], an homage to [[John Gavin]]'s character in ''Psycho''.{{sfn|Kerswell|2012|pages=72–80}} ''Halloween''<nowiki/>'s opening tracks a six-year-old's point-of-view as he kills his older sister, a scene emulated in numerous films such as ''[[Blow Out]]'' (1981) and ''[[The Funhouse]]'' (1981). Carpenter and Hill deny writing sexually active teens to be victims in favor of a virginal "[[final girl]]" survivor, though subsequent filmmakers copied what appeared to be a "sex-equals-death" mantra.<ref name="E">{{cite web |last1=Hosney |first1=Jim |title=Writer-Producer Debra Hill on Jamie Lee, Body Counts and Horror in Suburbia |url=http://www.eonline.com/Features/Live/Filmschool/Notes/Halloween/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040308021741/http://www.eonline.com/Features/Live/Filmschool/Notes/Halloween/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-03-08 |access-date=1 November 2023 |website=Film School: Horror 101 |publisher=E Online}}</ref>

When shown an early cut of ''Halloween'' without a musical score, all major American studios declined to distribute it, one executive even remarking that it was not scary. Carpenter added music himself, and the film was distributed locally in four Kansas City theaters through Akkad's [[Compass International Pictures]] in October 1978. [[Word-of-mouth marketing|Word-of-mouth]] made the movie a [[sleeper hit]] that was selected to screen at the November 1978 Chicago Film Festival, where the country's major critics acclaimed it. ''Halloween'' grew into a major box office success, grossing over $70&nbsp;million worldwide and selling over 20&nbsp;million tickets in North America, becoming the most profitable independent film until being surpassed by [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film)|''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'']] (1990).{{sfn|Kerswell|2012|pages=72–80}}