Today marks 40 years since the release of the seminal horror classic, Halloween. Back in 1978, I don’t think anyone involved in the film would’ve ever predicted that 2018 would be one great year to be a Halloween fan. 2018 saw some milestones for the long-running franchise which began with the 20th anniversary of Halloween H20 on August 5th and this continued with the 30th anniversary of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers on October 21. In the midst of this was the highly anticipated release of this year’s Halloween which, after opening over the weekend, became the highest grossing film of the franchise in one weekend with a stellar $76.5 million launch. Not only is the horror genre at a fever pitch, but Halloween has seen a much-deserved resurgence and I was lucky enough to attend the ultimate culmination of that resurgence – Halloween: 40 Years of Terror.
Halloween: 40 Years of Terror was a convention held the weekend of October 12-14 at the Pasadena Convention Center in South Pasadena. Areas of South Pasadena, as many fans already know, is where much of the 1978 original was shot so the feeling of Halloween was definitely in the air as soon as you entered the city.
This ultimate Halloween convention is hosted by Horror Hound Weekend and began with the 25th anniversary of original film’s release. There are many horror conventions out there but one that is geared towards one franchise is very rare. The fact of the matter is, Halloween has a long history that has stretched across ten films, one remake and a sequel, and a 2018 reboot that took the franchise back to its roots. A franchise with so many installments and creative minds behind them attracts a wide range of fans who certainly have their favorite films and moments and they come from all over the world to celebrate them. I met people as close to where I live in Los Angeles to people who flew in from England for the weekend to attend this event. Much like San Diego Comic-Con, you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals but what makes this different is its singular focus. You all love Halloween and the impact that the franchise has had on you over years. You’re meeting people who grew up with it as I did and in many cases, meeting people who are passing the films onto their kids (I lost count of the numerous miniature Michael Myers’ I saw running around across the convention floor with glee).
What struck me about the convention as I walked in with my buddy, David Parke (a fellow fan and friend that has had our friendship defined by all things horror and Halloween since we were kids), was that there was an openness to the whole event. Various actors, writers, directors, stuntmen and creative minds over 40 years of the franchise were at their various booths taking pictures and signing memorabilia but they also frequently stepped onto the floor and made personal connections with fans. These are people not bound to the strict confines of celebrity. To anyone else, they’d be easily passed up on the street, but to us, they’re rockstars but still on a personal enough level to be completely grounded. Their approach made you feel like you weren’t just spectating at the event but you were truly part of it.
My buddy and I sat through panels for Halloween (1978, 2007 and 2018), Halloween II (1981 and 2009), Halloween III: Season of The Witch, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers. These were spread across two days and one thing that struck me about all of them was how personable everyone was and that each film and members of its creative team, felt like its own collective family. For people involved with the older films, it was evident that none of them thought they would be talking about these films all these years but they’re very appreciative to be doing so. For example, the primary cast of Halloween II (1981) were mostly actors that director Rick Rosenthal knew from an acting class and he decided to let them play in this little horror ring back in 1981. The job was fun for them at the time and they enjoyed doing it but once the release subsided, it was merely a job and it was on to the next one. It wasn’t until the emergence of conventions such as this one that they realized just how much people loved the films. A lot of them were successful but living quieter lives and suddenly they’re being reached out to appear in documentaries and conventions to talk about their experience that seemed like a blimp when they were initially involved with it. Once they saw the scope of their involvement in the franchise, they jumped at the chance to connect with fans and what struck everyone from every panel I attended, was how kind and generous we were as lovers of the series. Horror is such a gory and unsettling business on screen but it was made abundantly clear that we were some of the nicest people they had come across and that our love was so palpable that it really connected with them in a special way. Who would’ve thought a knife-wielding psychopath could bring so many people together?
The cool thing during the convention as a fan was seeing that even the people with the smallest roles in the franchise got to be a part of this event. Erik Preston, who played a version of young Michael Myers in a clown costume for a split second in Halloween 4 had droves of people at his booth wanting a piece of his signature to add to their various forms of Halloween 4 collector’s items. I took a photo with him and chatted with him for a bit and you couldn’t meet anyone more down to earth. The same can be said for that film’s director, Dwight H. Little, who was pleased that the Halloween 4 key-art was my cell phone background. When I told him that Halloween 4 was my favorite sequel of the franchise, his appreciation was not put on and very genuine. A lot of these people had lines of people waiting for them but they always took a moment to find out why their participation in the franchise meant something to you.
I typically don’t buy much at conventions like this but it was fair game for me during this particular event. I bought posters, glossy photos, a custom Halloween cell phone case made for my iPhone XS, and got as many autograph and picture moments as I could. Highlights included a fun meet and greet with P.J. Soles (Lynda from 1978’s Halloween) who is “totally” as cool as she seems and I even got autographs and pictures with my two favorite incarnations of The Shape: Nick Castle and Dick Warlock. It’s crazy how the nicest guys are behind this face of pure evil but they couldn’t have been any more lovely and having my Halloween Blu-ray boxset signed by Nick Castle will be a moment I’ll never forget.
Even the Halloween films I’m not entirely fond of inspired memorable moments. I’m not a huge supporter of Rob Zombie’s take on the franchise but the cast and crew assembled for their panel almost convinced me I was. What struck me was that they consistently said they felt like family and it was a statement that rang true. A lot of them aren’t people who see each other every 5 years. These are people who are part of each other’s everyday lives due to the connection they made making the film. Tyler Mane, the must hulking figure to take on the role of Michael Myers, was truly beloved by the cast and crew and their love for each other, and the film, was pretty exciting to see, even if I may not be a fan of the interpretation.
The same can be said for Halloween III, the entry infamous for dropping Michael Myers to take on a new story that fell flat back in 1982. Out of all of the panels, the fans in the room for this film showed it the most love. They were aware that most shun it because it’s not attached to the Michael Myers story but years have been kind to the film, allowing it to gain fans that have elevated it to cult status. I have never been a huge fan of the film but their love for the project made me go back and watch the film again with a new perspective and I came out enjoying it more than I had before.
The love of all things Halloween continued outside of the convention walls. My buddy and I decided to explore the filming locations in South Pasadena and before we knew it, we were joined by fellow fans who followed us because we were pretty on point with our directions. From the Myers house to Laurie’s house to the infamous Halloween hedge, fans flocked to capture their moment in front of film history. It showed that the city lives and breathes Halloween and the coming together of fans at these locations, some taking pictures with total strangers, was a beauty to behold.
The overall event flew by but a lot of it will stick with me as a fan. You don’t know each other but you share this love for something that is universal. That’s the joy of film in general but you feel like you’re part of an elite club when it comes to the horror genre. Everyone may not understand it but it’s a club I’m happy to be a part of, especially as Halloween leads the charge.
