The Strange Way A Producer Appears Onscreen In The Original Halloween
The many sequels it spawned, as well as the dozens of cheap rip-offs, weren't exactly masterpieces — some viewers may remember Busta Rhymes performing martial arts on Michael in "Halloween: Resurrection" — but there's a reason the 1978 "Halloween" is considered a horror classic.
A combination of tense filmmaking, an empathetic lead performance from pioneer scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, and instantly iconic theme music led to "Halloween" becoming one of the biggest independent films ever made, ultimately grossing many times over its relatively small budget. There were predecessors like "Bay of Blood" and one other gruesome holiday flick, 1974's "Black Christmas," but "Halloween" was so precise and perfectly constructed that the movie effectively launched the slasher subgenre.
Theater audiences were hooked thanks in no small part to the opening: a tracking shot from the killer's POV as he mercilessly stabs a teen girl to death. At the end of the shot, the film cuts to finally reveal the identity of the little boy (and future repeat killer) — Michael Myers.
One of the producers for "Halloween" makes a cameo within the scene in a rather unexpected way. Here's more about where you can see producer Debra Hill in the film.
Michael's hands in the opening belong to Debra Hill
Because of the low budget production, resources like costumes and props were often strained. That's why, for example, Michael Myers is wearing a modified Captain Kirk mask (via Halloween Movies).
That also meant they couldn't afford the actor playing young Michael, Will Sandin, or any other child actors while they shot the opening scene, but someone did need to be on camera holding the knife when Michael kills his sister. Therefore, when Michael's hands appear in the shot, they're actually someone else's: Debra Hill, producer and John Carpenter's then-girlfriend.
Debra told the Halloween site, "That's my hand holding the knife that stabs Michael Myers' sister. I had the littlest hands." It's an easy detail to miss, no matter how familiar you might be with the behind-the-scenes details of "Halloween." Even after multiple viewings, we still get caught up in the tension of the film's opening, waiting for Michael's unmasking after he commits his first murder.
If you want to see Hill's cameo yourself or simply crave a rewatch, the original 1978 "Halloween" is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime with a subscription. Sadly, Hill died in March 2005 at the age of 54 following a colon cancer diagnosis (via the New York Times).