Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

Timing: 1:28 (88 min)

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All about film

Video 2

Photo 143

Actors and characters

Release date

1988-10-21

Country

United States

Production

Trancas International Films, Galaxy International Releasing

Genre

Horror, Thriller

Budget

$5 000 000

Revenue

$17 768 757

Website

Director

Dwight H. Little

Actors

Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, George P. Wilbur, Michael Pataki, Beau Starr, Kathleen Kinmont, Sasha Jenson, Gene Ross, Carmen Filpi
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Paul Freeman, Moustapha Akkad

Operator

Peter Lyons Collister

Composer

Alan Howarth

Artist

Audition

Paul Bengston, David Cohn

Editing

Curtiss Clayton
All team (94)

• Donald Pleasence agreed to star only because he was told that the renewal of the series had been approved by John Carpenter, which was untrue: he hadn't even read the script.
• The film was shot in Salt Lake City.
• Filming took 41 days, 36 of which involved the participation of Ellie Cornell and Daniella Harris.
• Melissa Joan Hart auditioned for the role of Jamie, and Rebecca Schaeffer for the role of Rachel.
• In the script, Jamie was named Brittany, but literally on the eve of filming, she was 'renamed' in honor of Jamie Lee Curtis.
• Alan B. McElroy wrote the screenplay in eleven days.
• The store where Jamie buys the costume would later be used in the series 'The Stand' (1994).
• In the school, when Michael attacks Loomis, the mask has white hair. This scene was one of the first to be filmed. It was intended to use the original Michael mask from the first 'Halloween,' but over the ten years that had passed, its hair had completely faded. In practice, however, the 'blonde' Michael did not impress the creators, so a new mask had to be made, and several scenes had to be reshot.
• In the script, after Michael throws Loomis through the door, Jamie runs into the nearest classroom and hides under one of the desks. Michael enters the classroom and begins to follow her closely, knocking over desks as he goes. No footage from this scene was shot, but Mustafa Akkad remembered the concept and later recreated it in 'Halloween: 20 Years Later.'
• George P. Wilbur wore hockey gear under his jumpsuit to appear more imposing.
• When Jamie and Dr. Loomis arrive at Jamie's school, a paper silhouette resembling the Myers house can be seen on one of the doors they pass.
• The film was initially planned to begin with a scene showing how Dr. Loomis survived the explosion at the hospital in the finale of the second part, but it was later decided not to show any connection to the previous installments, and therefore the scene was not filmed.
• In the script, Sheriff Meeker was killed by Michael in the basement of his house. During the murder, the heating stove was damaged, causing a fire to break out in the sheriff's house. This was ultimately the reason Jamie and Rachel climbed onto the roof. However, due to budgetary constraints, the fire was scrapped, and Bo Starr’s character was 'spared'.
• In the script, Rachel rammed Michael with a truck five times; during filming, this was reduced to three, and in the final edit, it was cut down to once.