Moustapha Akkad

Moustapha Akkad

Born: July 1, 1930
Died: November 11, 2005
in Aleppo, Syria
Moustapha Akkad was born in Aleppo. Syria in 1930. His passion for movies grew at an early age and this is why at the age of 19 he wanted to go to the States and follow his dream. When he left Syria his father gave him the money for the ticket and a copy of the Qura'an, telling him it was all he could manage. In the USA he studied theatre arts at UCLA and got his masters from USC. He started his professional work in TV where he did a biography on the different ethnic groups in the States and how their backgrounds affect their lives in America.

NBC offered him a better salary if he chose not to put his name on the project, and this is where he learned a great lesson. That for a film maker recognition is more important than money. In 1976 he made his first feature film, The Message (1976), where he directed and produced; the film was about the birth of Islam starring Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas. The film did not score at the American box office because the face of the prophet Mohammed (the main character in the movie) did not show on the screen due to religious reasons, but it did well world-wide.

In 1978 John Carpenter came to him with the screenplay for Halloween (1978) and Akkad produced it while Carpenter directed it. The movie was a big success. In 1981 he went back to directing when he directed Anthony Quinn again in Lion of the Desert (1980), a movie funded by Muammar Gaddafi and due to his political persona the movie did not score at the box office. It was about Libyan freedom fighter Omar Al-Mokhtar and Libyans' fight for freedom against the colonizing Italians, and was his last directorial project.

After that he went back to producing the Halloween sequels. In 1995, he decided to make a film about the life of Saladin the great Muslim leader who fought the crusaders but he was never able to get the appropriate funding. On 9 November 2005 he was killed in a terrorist attack in Amman, Jordan. As a director he was greatly affected by David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia (1962)) but had his own amazing touches.

Movies for Moustapha Akkad...

Halloween: The Inside Story
Title: Halloween: The Inside Story
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 25, 2010
Type: Movie
This feature-length documentary takes a look at one of the most successful film franchises of all time as it goes behind the scenes of John Carpenter’s Halloween, the frightfest that redefined the horror genre in the late 1970s.
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Halloween: The Inside Story
Title: Halloween: The Inside Story
Character: Self (Archive Footage)
Released: October 25, 2010
Type: Movie
This feature-length documentary takes a look at one of the most successful film franchises of all time as it goes behind the scenes of John Carpenter’s Halloween, the frightfest that redefined the horror genre in the late 1970s.
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Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film
Title: Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 13, 2006
Type: Movie
This historical and critical look at slasher films, which includes dozens of clips, begins with Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Prom Night. The films' directors, writers, producers, and special effects creators comment on the films' making and success. During the Reagan years, the films get gorier, budgets get smaller, and their appeal wanes. Then, Nightmare on Elm Street revives the genre. Jump to the late 90s, when Scream brings humor and TV stars into the mix.
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Halloween: 25 Years of Terror
Title: Halloween: 25 Years of Terror
Character: Self
Released: July 26, 2006
Type: Movie
Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.
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Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest
Title: Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest
Character: Self
Released: August 5, 2003
Type: Movie
Using original interviews with director John Carpenter, stars Jamie Lee Curtis and P.J. Soles, and crew members, 'Halloween': A Cut Above the Rest unveils the production of the horror classic and how the ingenuity of Carpenter and his team, coupled with the shoestring budget of $325,000, drove the filmmakers to create one of the most influential horror films of all time.
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Halloween 4: Final Cut
Title: Halloween 4: Final Cut
Released: October 9, 2001
Type: Movie
Retrospective documentary on the making of "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers."
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Halloween: Unmasked
Title: Halloween: Unmasked
Character: Self
Released: September 13, 1999
Type: Movie
A retrospective documentary on the making of the movie "Halloween," featuring exclusive interviews with director John Carpenter, producer Debra Hill, and stars Jamie Lee Curtis, PJ Soles, and Nick Castle.
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The Making of an Epic: Mohammad, Messenger of God
Title: The Making of an Epic: Mohammad, Messenger of God
Character: Himself
Released: January 1, 1976
Type: Movie
Documentary on the making of "Mohammad, Messenger of God" (1976).