Taking Shape cover art

Taking Shape

Developing Halloween from Script to Scream

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About this listen

Silver Shamrock. Thorn. White Horses. It’s all in here. Join authors Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins for a deep dive into the evolution of Halloween’s vast mythology. Extensively researched, Taking Shape is the ultimate guide to the first 40 years of Haddonfield history. Featuring exclusive interviews with filmmakers from every installment, prepare to gain new insight into Halloween’s iconic boogeyman. Oh, you don’t believe in the boogeyman? You should.

Taking Shape includes:

  • Comprehensive story analysis on the entire series!
  • A rundown of all deleted and alternate scenes!
  • A look at what scholars got right (and wrong) about H1!
  • Exclusive details on Nigel Kneale's original H3 script!
  • Comparisons of early scripts to the final theatrical films!
  • A rare interview with H5 screenwriter Michael Jacobs!
  • An exhaustive account of H6's troubled production!
  • An examination of H20’s roots as a direct-to-video sequel!
  • A revealing look behind the grunge of the Rob Zombie era!
  • Insight into how test audiences and execs shaped the films!
  • In-depth dissection of the official novelizations!
©2019 Dustin McNeill (P)2020 Mark Alan Miller Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV History & Criticism Entertainment Halloween Film
All stars
Most relevant
As a fan of the series this was a facinating listen. Brilliantly researched & presented. This will be one i will revisit again & again.

Fantastic from start to finish

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A fascinating, well researched dive into the mixed bag series. Never dull, always entertaining.

Incredible

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This is a fantastic look behind the movie Halloween, it's really interesting and fun to find out more about my favourite Horror film.

Behind The Mask

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If you’re a Halloween series fan, this is a must buy.

If, like me, you’re just a general horror film fan, it’s great to listen to and not as laborious as reading the book, which I eventually gave up on.

Overall, a great listen, but the follow-up, Taking Shape II, is far superior (or at least reading the book version). Really looking forward to listening to that one next.

A great listen for an admittedly exhausting book

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I only made it through the first two chapters before returning this. I thought it would focus more on behind the scenes of the films, but for the first movie at least it only talks about the novelisation and then there’s a whole chapter which is just review quotes about the film. Maybe it goes into more detail for the later films but as I was primarily interested in the first one, it was incredibly disappointing

Bit misleading

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