John Carpenter’s original Halloweenis a minimalist masterpiece of the horror genre, although its numerous follow-ups spoil the simple power of its ending. The 1978 movie, directed by horror master John Carpenter and written by Carpenter and Debra Hill, follows Michael Myers, the near-invulnerable “Shape” who escapes from his mental hospital and continues the killing spree he started in the town of Haddonfield 15 years earlier on Halloween night. The movie grossed $70 million on a budget of just $325,000, spawning a franchise that has rebooted its own timeline multiple times.