Page One: “Halloween” (1978)

Screenplay by John Carpenter, Debra Hill

The movie version of the opening:

This may still be my favorite horror movie and NOT because the killer’s last name is Myers. It’s just real efficient storytelling using a bevy of cinematic, yet minimalist tools to create maximum suspense. As here in the opening with the shaky cam effect, all suggested in the script. We get CLOSER and CLOSER… we move… we hear… we see.

For more on the “we see / we hear” controversy, go here.

Download the script here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

You may follow the daily conversation on Twitter as I cross-post there: @GoIntoTheStory.