As Halloween creeps closer, American independent film producer and distributor Irwin Yablans will give fear fanatics, film buffs and pop culture addicts an exclusive “ticket” to go behind-the-scenes of some of the most iconic and enduring pulse-pounding horror movies with the October release of his new memoir, “The Man Who Created HALLOWEEN.” The author self-published his debut book through CreateSpace, Amazon.com’s independent publishing platform – and the clear choice for a long-time “indie” like Yablans.
In his book, Yablans details his fascinating journey from a childhood of poverty in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to the mansions of Beverly Hills – producing films like Halloween (1978) and its second and third installments, Halloween II (1981) and Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), as well as cult classic,Roller Boogie (1979), and thriller fest, Hell Night (1981), along the way.
With All Hallow’s Eve – the very night that inspired his original cinematic masterpiece – fast approaching, Yablans’ new book is a “treat” for readers nationwide! And beyond the Halloween holiday, there’s another perfect peg: For the first time since its initial theatrical release, Halloween will be rolled out in hundreds of theaters across the country the week of Halloween!
Throughout the pages of “The Man Who Created HALLOWEEN,” Yablanprovides afrightfully fascinating and fun first-hand account of:
- · the casting of Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, earning Curtis her “big break,” as well as Yablans’ determination to cast Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis and why Michael Myers was chosen as the name for the fictional character
- · how Yablans discovered John Carpenter, then a complete unknown, and tapped him to direct the history-making Halloween
- · the clash between Yablans and Halloween film financer, Moustapha Akkad, that nearly left the famous movie on the cutting room floor
- · how a small-budget film like Halloween, made outside of the Hollywood system, not only competedwith the “majors,” but beat them at their own game
- · the secrets behind the unprecedented box office success of the Halloween franchise and how Yablans, when ignored by the major studios, devised a marketing and distribution plan with limited resources that revolutionized the movie business and paved the way for the rise of “indie” films
- · the momentous changes that took place in the movie business throughout the last five decades, from the waning days of the Hollywood studio system to Yablans’ formation of his own production company, Compass International Pictures
Yablans’ ability to turn Halloween into an incredible success against all odds “changed American cinema forever,” according to screenwriter and author Adam Rockoff (I Spit on Your Grave, 2010, “Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978-1986) – and self-publishing his book through CreateSpace further establishes Yablans’ legacy as a diehard indie who likes to do things his way and maintain his unique voice and vision.
The October release of Yablans’ book is the latest sign of the revolution that’s taking place in the publishing world today with notable authors from actors, pundits and former politicians to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists opting to independently publish their books through Amazon’s CreateSpace (for physical books) and Kindle Direct Publishing (for ebooks).