ByEric D Snider|Aug 11, 2018, 6:00 AM EDT
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Before he made Star Wars, then ruined Star Wars, then saved Star Wars by selling it to Disney, George Lucas made another iconic film that has served as a cultural touchstone. American Graffiti, released 45 years ago today, was a nostalgic, semi-autobiographical look at the American teenager circa 1962, before “the sixties” kicked in and changed everything. The film was a massive hit, earning $55 million in 1973 and another $63 million when it was re-released in 1978—a total of some $500 million at today’s ticket prices. Let’s get nostalgic for nostalgia and look in-depth at the making of American Graffiti.
1. GEORGE LUCAS MADE THE MOVIE PARTIALLY OUT OF SPITE.
The young director’s previous film and first feature, the futuristic sci-fi drama THX-1138, had been a disappointment both critically and commercially. Lucas’ wife, Marcia—as well as friend Francis Ford Coppola—urged him to make something more relatable. “Don’t be so weird,” Lucas recalled Coppola telling him. “Try to do something that’s human … Everyone thinks you’re a cold fish, but you can be a warm and funny guy, make a warm and funny movie.”
Marcia said, “I reminded George that I warned him [THX] hadn’t involved the audience emotionally. He always said, ‘Emotionally involving the audience is easy. Anybody can do it blindfolded, get a little kitten and have some guy wring its neck …’ So finally, George said to me, ‘I’m gonna show you how easy it is. I’ll make a film that emotionally involves the audience.'” He showed her!
2. IT WAS SAVED FROM BECOMING A TV MOVIE BY THE GODFATHER.
Universal Pictures gave Lucas a budget of $600,000, or about $3.5 million in 2016 dollars, to make the movie—in other words, not very much. When Coppola came onboard as a producer shortly after the release of The Godfather, Universal gave Lucas another $175,000. Later, when the film was finished and had test-screened positively, Universal inexplicably wanted to drastically re-edit it and release it as a TV movie. Lucas objected but had no clout. Coppola, on the other hand—by this time an Oscar-winner—could make studio executives listen. He convinced them to do only a little bit of trimming (the deleted scenes were reincorporated for home video release) and to release the film theatrically.
3. CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THERE IS NO ACTUAL CONNECTION BETWEEN AMERICAN GRAFFITI AND HAPPY DAYS.
Happy Days premiered five months after American Graffiti was released. It was set in the ’50s, had Ron Howard playing a teen very similar to his American Graffiti character, used “Rock Around the Clock” as its theme song, and even borrowed the American Graffiti font for the credits. You’d think that Happy Days was somehow a spin-off of the movie, but you’d be wrong. It actually began as an unsold pilot in 1971 and aired in 1972 as part of the anthology series Love, American Style. (Lucas watched it at some point when he was considering casting Howard in American Graffiti.) After the movie took off, and with ’50s nostalgia in high gear (Grease was burning up Broadway), ABC reconsidered the Happy Days pilot, ordered a series, and did everything they could to make it remind people of American Graffiti. It ran for 10 years and was one of the most popular sitcoms in TV history.
4. THE STUDIO WANTED TO CHANGE THE TITLE.
Universal executives didn’t know what American Graffiti meant as a title (they weren’t alone), and begged Lucas to change it. They furnished a list of 60 alternates, including Rock Around the Block (Coppola’s suggestion) and Another Slow Night in Modesto (which was close to Lucas’ original working title, Another Quiet Night in Modesto). Lucas wouldn’t budge.
5. LUCAS’S CO-WRITERS DIDN’T LIKE THE ENDING.
The film ends with title cards revealing what happened to the main characters (the male ones, anyway) afterward, much of which isn’t happy. The co-writers Lucas hired early on to help him develop the script, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, found it depressing and strange and tried to talk Lucas out of it but never succeeded. (Stubbornness is a recurring theme in stories about Lucas.)
6. WOLFMAN JACK WAS A HOLDOVER FROM A PREVIOUS MOVIE IDEA LUCAS HAD.
The radio DJ with the distinctive voice was part of Lucas’ teenage years in Modesto, California, and Lucas even considered making a documentary about him when he was a student at USC’s film school. When American Graffiti made him a millionaire, Lucas paid the Wolfman a little extra for serving as the film’s “inspiration.”
7. IN THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTION, THE BLONDE WASN’T REAL.
Curt (played by Richard Dreyfuss) spends most of the film chasing a beautiful, mysterious blonde (played by Suzanne Somers) he sees driving a Ford Thunderbird. Lucas originally intended to shoot a scene where the blonde and the car were briefly transparent, revealing to the audience that she was a figment of Curt’s imagination. This was one of the things that had to go when Universal insisted on a strict, tight budget.
8. THE PRODUCER HAD TO BECOME MACKENZIE PHILLIPS’S LEGAL GUARDIAN FOR THE SHOOT.
Mackenzie Phillips was just 12 years old when she arrived to make the film, and though she had showbiz experience (her father, John Phillips, was in The Mamas & the Papas), neither she nor her parents realized that California law required her to have a guardian present. “They were almost going to have to recast me, but Gary Kurtz”—a producer on the film—”and his family said, ‘We’ll take her,'” Phillips said in 1999. ” So they went to the courts in San Francisco and got guardianship of me.” Phillips lived with the Kurtzes for the duration of the shoot and described it as a happy experience.
9. THE PRODUCTION WAS KICKED OUT OF TOWN AFTER ONE DAY OF SHOOTING.
Lucas and company planned to shoot the film in San Rafael, California, as the real setting—Modesto—had changed too much since 1962. But after just one day in San Rafael, the city council gave them the boot. Not only had a member of the crew been arrested for growing marijuana, but the first night of filming and its accompanying street closures had drawn complaints from local businesses. The production moved 20 miles north to Petaluma, where things ran a bit more smoothly (at least in terms of interactions with the locals).
10. THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM SOLD 3 MILLION COPIES.
The concept of filling an entire soundtrack with nothing but preexisting popular songs (rather than an instrumental score) was still new, with Easy Rider (1969) having been the first major example. The American Graffiti double album included 41 of the 43 songs heard in the movie, arranged in the order they appear, missing only “Gee” by The Crows and “Louie Louie” by Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids.
11. THERE’S A REASON ELVIS PRESLEY IS CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT FROM THE SOUNDTRACK.
The reason, of course, is money. To mitigate the cost of licensing so many songs, Universal offered a flat rate to all of the labels involved. Everyone went along with it except for RCA, which meant no Elvis. The kids in American Graffiti are therefore probably the only teenagers in America who could listen to the radio all night in 1962 and never hear an Elvis song.
12. HARRISON FORD WOULD ONLY AGREE TO BE IN THE MOVIE IF HE DIDN’T HAVE TO CUT HIS HAIR.
The future Han Solo had become disenchanted with showbiz and was working as a carpenter to support his wife and two children when he got the American Graffiti audition. His character, Bob Falfa, was supposed to have a flattop, but since Ford didn’t care much whether he made the film or not, he issued an ultimatum: He wouldn’t do it if it required cutting his hair. A compromise was reached, and Bob Falfa wears a Stetson hat throughout the film.
13. THERE WERE A WHOLE LOT OF SHENANIGANS ON THE SET.
Lucas worked hard and fast, shooting anywhere from six to 10 script pages a night (twice the norm), but there was still a lot of downtime for the large ensemble cast of young, energetic actors. Harrison Ford (who turned 30 during the shoot and was one of the oldest people there), Paul Le Mat, and Bo Hopkins drank a lot of beer between takes and were said to have been kicked out of the Holiday Inn for things like urinating in the ice machines and climbing on the hotel’s rooftop sign. Someone set fire to Lucas’ hotel room. Le Mat threw Dreyfuss into the swimming pool one night, gashing his forehead. Adding to the carnival atmosphere were the hundreds of local gearheads who were paid $25 each to lend their classic cars to the production and who hung around every night, gawking at the actors and drag-racing on the back streets.
Additional sources:
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock ‘n’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood, by Peter Biskind
Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, by Dale Pollock
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50 Simple DIY Halloween Costumes For Last-Minute Planners
Looking for a simple, classic Halloween costume you can create at home with relatively little effort? Look no further.
ByEden Gordon|Oct 25, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Halloween is approaching fast. Do you have your costume yet?
There’s always the option of going out and buying a whole new costume, and unless you really know your way around a sewing kit, some looks are more likely than others to require that step. But there are countless amazing Halloween costumes that are pretty easy to create all by yourself, mostly using things you already have at home.
Halloween costumes may have their roots in the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, a time when the veil between the land of the dead and the living was traditionally believed to grow thin. In order to blend in with wandering spirits, people would often wear animal skins, masks, bones, and other disguises.
Today, Halloween costumes have become immensely creative and varied, though some patterns do exist. Monstrous creatures such as vampires and aliens remain common across the U.S., as do characters from pop culture. Costumes can be as elaborate or as simple as you wish, and if you’re looking to pull together a costume mostly using just what you already have in your house, there are plenty of options. A little creativity and ingenuity go a very long way here.
Here are 50 Halloween DIY costume ideas perfect for anyone with scissors and a dream.
- Classic DIY Halloween Costumes
- Food DIY Halloween Costumes
- Punny and Funny Halloween Costumes
- Pop Culture DIY Halloween Costumes
- Spooky DIY Halloween Costumes
Classic DIY Halloween Costumes
Ghost
Have a spare sheet lying around? Cut out eye holes, pull it over your head, and you’re all set to haunt.
Tourist
Grab a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, a camera, and a paper map, and you’ll look just like a dad seeing Bermuda for the first time.
Black Cat
A black shirt, eyeliner whiskers, ears made with Velcro, and a tail made from fabric come together to create this classic Halloween getup.
Nerd
A button-down shirt, suspenders, and taped-together glasses will have you looking ready to ace the upcoming math test.
Burglar
Prepare to steal the prize for best Halloween costume with a black-and-white striped shirt, a beanie, and a ski mask. (A black hoodie and a bag slung over your shoulder will also suffice.)
Cowboy or Cowgirl
A plaid shirt, overalls, and a cowboy hat are pretty much all this costume needs. (Turn it into a scarecrow costume with some hay and straw-style makeup!)
Detective
All you need is a trench coat, a magnifying glass, and a notebook to look like you’re ready to solve any case that comes your way.
Superhero
There are plenty of pop culture superheroes to choose from, but you can create your own with leggings, a leotard, a piece of fabric for the cape, and your own unique logo.
‘80s Icon
Indulge your ‘80s nostalgia with a classic ‘80s Halloween costume, complete with a leotard over leggings, leg warmers, and a matching headband.
Pirate
An eyepatch is most of what you need to make this costume recognizable, but a bandana, a striped shirt, a DIY sword, and a stuffed parrot perched on your shoulder will complete this look.
Food DIY Halloween Costumes
Bunch of Grapes
Tape a bunch of purple or green balloons to an outfit and you’ll look just like this ancestor of wine.
Fried Egg
This costume can consist of a large egg-shaped blob cut from a piece of white cardboard or fabric, plus a yellow blob on top for the yolk, all attached to your shirt (or jacket, depending on the Halloween weather).
Milk Carton
A cardboard box painted white with the word “Milk” on it and a hole cut through it come together to turn you into a convincing milk carton. Feel free to add as many (or as few) details to the box as you’d like.
Pineapple
A yellow shirt plus a green crown made from paper or felt are all that’s required for this costume.
Popcorn
A cardboard box with red and white stripes painted on, with crumpled-up yellow paper on top make you look like the perfect movie theater snack.
Cosmic Brownie
You can look like this classic Little Debbie sweet treat with just a brown shirt with some colorful cotton balls taped or pinned onto it.
Strawberry
Look like this beloved berry by simply cutting out some seed-shaped bits from felt and attaching them to a red dress, and adding a green hat.
Tropical Drink
This one might require a trip to the corner store, but bear with us: dress up like a poolside cocktail with a pink dress, a parasol, a lemon-shaped headpiece, and a straw-shaped appendage attached to a headband!
Gumball Machine
Just grab some superglue and attach a bunch of colorful ping pong balls to a white shirt.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Glue some white yarn onto a red T-shirt, and pair it with meatballs made from balls wrapped in fabric, and you’ll be looking like this classic dinner dish in no time.
Punny and Funny Halloween Costumes
Cereal Killer
Attach some miniature cereal boxes to a shirt, and add a prop feknife and some fake blood. (To make it even simpler, carry around a bowl of cereal and a knife.)
Ceiling Fan
You’ll need a few pom-poms, plus a shirt with the message “Go Ceiling!” on it.
Identity Thief
Covered in a bunch of name tags with different names on them and voila.
A Formal Apology
A fancy dress and a banner reading “I’m sorry” complete this punny costume.
Copycat
Just add a stack of photocopies or a sign reading “CTRL+C” to your black cat costume.
Blessing in Disguise
Put a trench coat, sunglasses, and a fedora over a white dress complete with angel wings and a halo.
French Kiss
Pair a French-inspired striped shirt and beret with makeup done in the style of the band Kiss. (Croissants, French flags, and electric guitars optional.) Even simpler: drop the Kiss makeup and simply paint your lips bright red.
Chef’s Kiss
Dress up as this popular Gen Z slang term for Halloween with a white chef’s jacket stamped with lipstick kisses.
Freudian Slip
Wear a slip dress and write or attach Sigmund Freud-related words like “id” and “ego” to it, and you’ll have Freud himself rolling in his grave.
When Life Gives You Lemons
A trip to a grocery store is pretty much all you need for this one, which requires wearing a nametag that reads “life” and carrying a basket of lemons.
Pop Culture DIY Halloween Costumes
Wednesday Addams
A black dress, black stockings, braided pigtails, and a deadpan expression will turn you into a dead ringer for this classic Addams family member.
Dwight Schrute
Turn Halloween night into an episode of The Office with just a mustard button-down shirt, brown tie, glasses, and a large mug.
Barbie
Don a pink outfit, cute accessories, and bright makeup and you’ll be ready to embody this famous doll.
Indiana Jones
Get ready for intrepid Halloween adventures with a fedora, brown jacket, satchel, khakis, and a homemade whip. (Rope will do.)
Men in Black Agent
A black suit, white button-down, and sunglasses will have you ready to track alien activity.
Mary Poppins
A white blouse, dark skirt, red bow tie, and an umbrella will have you ready to offer spoonfuls of sugar to every trick-or-treater.
Joel Goodsen in Risky Business
A large button-down white shirt, neutral undergarments, dark sunglasses, white socks, and a candlestick are all you need; the classic dance moves are optional.
Bob Ross
A denim jacket, a curly wig, and a paint palette come together to create the perfect impression of this lovable TV artist.
Dolly Parton
The late, beloved Dolly Parton will definitely be one of the biggest costumes of 2026. Join the party with a blonde wig, a pink hat, cowboy boots, a guitar, and anything sparkly.
Marty McFly
The classic Back to the Future protagonist is an easy one to replicate if you have a skateboard (or hoverboard) on hand; just pull out a puffer vest over a jean jacket and add jeans.
Spooky DIY Halloween Costumes
Vampire
Dark clothes, a homemade cape made from a sheet, pale makeup, and homemade fangs will have you looking like Dracula (or Edward Cullen, depending on your taste).
Mummy
Drape some strips of white fabric over neutral clothes.
Fortune Teller
Layered clothes, chunky jewelry, and homemade tarot cards complete this look.
Grim Reaper
Pair a black robe with a homemade scythe made from wood and cardboard.
Swamp Monster
Dark green and blue clothes, plus fake moss and leaves, and green makeup, will have you looking ready to crawl out of a swamp.
Haunted Doll
Vintage dress, pigtails, pale makeup with rosy cheeks and a red lip, and painted-on cracks will ensure that you terrify anyone with a fear of dolls.
Devil
This one’s an instantly recognizable classic and requires just an all-red outfit, plus homemade red horns.
Zombie
Get ready to look very undead with old, torn-up clothes, pale makeup, extremely dark circles under your eyes, and some bloodstains made from corn syrup and red food dye.
Mad Scientist
A lab coat, lab glasses, some wildly teased hair, and a few jars filled with colorful water come together for this zany look.
Witch
It doesn’t get more classically Halloween than this costume, which comes together with just a black dress, a broom, and of course, a pointy hat.