Slasher Showdown: Halloween vs. Friday the 13th vs. Nightmare on Elm Street.

The Movie Club

Summary:

We take a trip back to the heart of classic horror, dissecting Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street. From Michael Myers' eerie silence to Freddy Krueger's quips, we revisit what made these slashers iconic and poke fun at their wild inconsistencies. It's scary how much we love these flawed gems.
By the Numbers:

Halloween (1978):

• Total budget spent: $300,000
• Gross revenue: $70 million
• Box office revenue: $47 million (domestic)
• Streaming revenue: Not publicly available
• Awards won: 1 (Saturn Award for Best Horror Film)

Friday the 13th (1980):

• Total budget spent: $550,000
• Gross revenue: $59.8 million
• Box office revenue: $39.7 million (domestic)
• Streaming revenue: Not publicly available
• Awards won: 0

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984):

• Total budget spent: $1.1 million
• Gross revenue: $57 million
• Box office revenue: $25.5 million (domestic)
• Streaming revenue: Not publicly available
• Awards won: 2 (Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, National Film Preservation Board)

Key Takeaways:

1. Michael Myers appears for only 9 minutes in Halloween but still became an iconic figure in horror.
2. Jamie Lee Curtis' casting in Halloween was partly due to her mother’s role in Psycho.
3. Friday the 13th was almost titled Long Night at Camp Blood before settling on its iconic name.
4. Kevin Bacon had his breakthrough role in Friday the 13th—and a memorable death scene.
5. The mask used for Michael Myers was a $1.98 Captain Kirk mask, painted white.
6. Halloween was filmed on a shoestring budget of $300,000, relying on suspense rather than gore.
7. Freddy Krueger appears for just 7-10 minutes in Nightmare on Elm Street but leaves a lasting impression.
8. Johnny Depp made his movie debut in Nightmare on Elm Street, cementing his future star status.
9. Friday the 13th established the now-classic horror trope of setting killings in isolated camps.
10. Nightmare on Elm Street was inspired by real-life stories of people dying in their sleep after experiencing horrific nightmares.
11. Betsy Palmer, the killer in Friday the 13th, took the role only to pay for a new car.
12. The breathing sound of Michael Myers in Halloween was created by John Carpenter, who did it himself using a mask.