Alternate title shot to the 1978 HalloweeN.

Michael-Myers.net General Discussion
1

While I think that the slow tracking of the pumpkin used in the
final cut of the film was incredible, I do wish he had shot this intro and it was
available as part of the extras in a blu ray pack.

Excerpt from interview where he references the scene and a snippet from the
original script.


"I’d written an opening to the movie where the camera was dollying down a street.
You could see the leaves blowing… and we come upon a mask lying in a gutter…"

MAIN TITLE SEQUENCE

OPEN on a black screen. SUPERIMPOSE in dark red letters:

HALLOWEEN

Then we slowly:

FADE IN TO:

Darkness, with a small shape in the center of the screen.
As MAIN TITLES CONTINUE OVER, CAMERA SLOWLY MOVES IN on
the shape.

We get closer and closer until we see that the shape is a
Halloween mask. It is a large, full-head platex rubber
mask, not a monster or ghoul, but the pale, neutral features
of a man weirdly distorted by the rubber. .

Finally CAMERA MOVES IN CLOSE on the eye of the mask. It
is blank, empty, a dark, staring socket… SUPERIMPOSE FINAL

CREDIT.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

Black screen. SUPERIMPOSE:

HADDONFIELD, ILLINOIS

OCTOBER 31, 1963


This would have also been an eerie idea. To me, it would suggest that after
the events of the first film, Myers discarded the mask as he made his escape.
Never to be seen again! That would make the whole first movie much scarier.
A ‘this could happen to anyone’ kind of thing.

2

That would have been incredible

3

Hmmmm - that would have made an interesting “twist” with discarding the mask…
Would have been interesting to see how the mask idea would have been filmed…

Beauty pic by the way…

4

I certainly enjoy the opening with the pumpkin, but this would have been a really interesting shot to have seen.

James

5

That is sooo cool!! I love that idea…especially after H2, then end the series. Oh well. Still love it :smiley:

6

Bumping this as I talked about it with a friend the other day. Wondering if BK has this in his film stash?

7

This has been discussed before. Yup, I have the alternative opening but Trancas says no one wants to see it. Its worthless. :sunglasses:

8

Absolutely incredible! :open_mouth:

9

Wow, I would absolutely love to see this :open_mouth:

10

Are they retarded? I think everybody here would like to see it as well as horror fans in general.

11

So that scene would have been a quick shot of the future before opening up to the events of 1963? Hmmm, interesting but I can see why Carpenter decided not to use it. I don’t see why Trancas would assume nobody wants to see this footage, then again they know the hardcore fans would, just that they don’t really care I’m guessing. I wouldn’t mind seeing it, but IMO it wasn’t necessary for the final cut of the movie. What we have is a masterpiece in and of itself.

12

It would have worked with score playing I think. The guys gotta take off the mask sometimes. Murder is sweaty work.

13

Yes, they’re Trancas.

14

:astonished:

15

I love the jack 'o lantern opening, but to be honest, this sounds way better! I can just imagine it too… camera strolling down the street, dark out with some blue lighting to give it a cold feeling, the amazing score… then bam, we see the mask in the gutter. That would seriously have been an amazing opening. I guess it wouldn’t have made sense being H2 was right after, but nonetheless, it would have been cool. And, Billy you have the footage!? Is it possible to start some sort of Kickstarter project to raise the money you need to get this off the ground? I know there are plenty of fans who would be willing to contribute.

Mark

16

That would have been great, more so if Halloween was actually filmed in autumn. Imagine getting to choose between that scene of the jack o’lantern opening via seamless branching on blu-ray or dvd.

17

It is scenes like this that would make a disc with this lost footage (part of a bonus feature blu ray as Josh suggested) a DREAM for we collectors.

I would gladly pay 60 bucks or more for such a disc.

18

Right on Brother!
From what I know, the battle between Billy and Trancas has been painstakingly fought. I may stand corrected, but all in all Trancas wont pay what Billy’s asking for it.
Feel free to chime in here Billy…
I think the problem with this opening is the time line. It would of worked better as the last shot, not the opening. Plus one thing I loved about the movie was has we never really got a good look of his mask, adds so much more power to it. This shot would of changed that.

19

You can’t look at it saying it wouldn’t have made sense because of Halloween II. At the time, Halloween II wasn’t even thought of. In the first film Myers was just a killing machine. A random murderer not killing or seeking for family reasons. Carpenter is a great story teller as foreshadowing what was to come. That mask in the gutter wouldn’t make sense, but as you watched the film it would. Especially the ending with Myers vanishing, discarding the mask as he escaped.

20

Good point. I just meant in hindsight it wouldn’t have made sense with H2 continuing right where H1 left off. I actually wish the Myers character was retired at the end of H1, and they did the idea of multiple stories under the Halloween name. Of course, had this of happened, we would never have seen Warlocks portrayal of the Shape. Which I think has contributed a hell of a lot for this community. So I’m torn between liking H2 and wishing it ended at H1. :rolleyes: :laughing:

Mark