Of course, the Gunslinger’s relentlessness and seeming immortality weren’t the only inspiration for Shape, which was Michael Myers. First, Carpenter was quick to point out that Myers came from several different sources:
“‘Halloween’ was a mission. Babysitters after some killers, that’s all. I created that character and named him after the distributor who released ‘Assault on Precinct 13’ in London. His name was Michael Myers and he was one of the best guys in show business. I took his character and made him a demonic force.”
Carpenter was inspired, in part, to “take away his character.” an experience he had at university, when she visited a mental institution on a class trip one day while taking a psychology class. As he recounts in the documentary “Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest”, his visit to that institution and especially the eerie gaze of a young boy who was an intern there made a great impression on the young director.
Of course, “Halloween” famously – consciously or unconsciously – paved the way for the slasher subgenre, from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” to Mario Bava’s “A Bay of Blood” and Bob Clark’s “Black Christmas” borrowed from previous movies. It’s arguable that the movie has taken and retained its power to scare, disturb, and delight over the past 40 years precisely because it’s such a well-made stew, a combination of influences that make the movie and Michael Myers so compelling. .