The Beginning of the Halloween Tradition

Today, we can't imagine Halloween season without Halloween.

The movie has spawned sequels, remakes, reboots, merchandise, video games, comic books, masks, costumes, soundtracks and approximately enough fan arguments to keep the internet busy until the end of time.

But in October 1978?

It was just another movie opening at the local theater.

A very inexpensive one.

Surrounded by Hollywood productions.

And nobody knew what was coming.

That's perhaps the most fascinating part of the story.

When Halloween arrived in theaters, it wasn't competing against a bunch of other slasher movies.

It was competing against Michael Jackson, Jack Nicholson, James Caan and Jane Fonda.

And somehow, the guy in the cheap William Shatner mask walked away with the night.

🎃 What Do You Think?

If you could travel back to October 1978 and walk into a theater showing all of these movies, which one would you have picked?

Would you have gone with The Wiz?

Jack Nicholson in Goin' South?

Comes a Horseman?

Midnight Express?

Or would you have taken a chance on that strange little horror movie called Halloween?

Let us know in the comments! And if you're a lifelong Michael Myers fan, tell us what you think made Halloween stand out from everything else playing in theaters at the time.

Because sometimes the biggest horror franchises don't begin with a massive Hollywood premiere.

Sometimes they begin with a small movie, a cheap mask, a babysitter, and one guy standing across the street.

Watching.

Waiting.

And coming home.