Written by Josh Brewer, October 28, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. Tweet to: @theJWBrewer
Title: Halloween
Director: John Carpenter
Writer(s): John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Release Date: October 28, 1978
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Nick Castle, Nancy Kyes, P. J. Soles
Halloween Cliff’s Notes
Fifteen years after murdering his sister, Michael Myers escapes from Smith Grove Mental Institution and begins to stalk the teenage Laurie Strode. The only person who might be able to stop him is his doctor, Loomis. Greatness follows.
Lecture
The godfather of the slasher flick, Halloween stands as one of the highlights of not only the genre, but of film in general. The uses of space, lighting, color, pacing, tracking shots, and violence combine to create one of the great genre films. There are few films that come close to matching Halloween’s nightmare logic, and even fewer that match its effect.
Much of the strength of Halloween comes from its simplicity. The plot is simple. So simple, it seems almost like there’s nothing to distract from the horror that in enveloping the screen. Even the daytime scenes- usually a slasher movie weak-spot- manage to pull the tension closer. There are no unnecessary characters or beats, we’re either watching Laurie’s life collapse around her or Loomis trying to control the monster that has awaken. The result shines.
It would all be for not if there wasn’t a fantastic group of artists at work. Luckily, the cast and crew of Halloween rock. The cast is perfect, from the brooding, neurotic Loomis to the driven Laurie to her harmless, and helpless, friends. Likewise, Carpenter gets the most out of his limited budget and astonishing crew. The film looks like a million dollars – it was shot for a third of that – and each and every moment is so well realized that the film seems to exist on its own separate plane.
Acting
Curtis’ first film role rocks. She carries the film in the best way, giving the audience both a fully-defined character and surrogate. There’s a reason she ended up a star and it’s on display here.
Pleasence plays his character as two steps from crazy and it works perfectly. Few people have been able to match intensity and determination with this level of neurotic. Cyphers, Keyes, and Soles do what they have to, though I could use a little less of the latters laughing. Castle plays the shape as a human, empty monster. His little physical touches rock.
Directing
Carpenter shows off his mad skills and the horror world gets better for it! His angles, pacing, and visuals are a highlight (if only other horror directors would follow his example) and the combination of his style and the script birth a fantastic, genre-defining moment. His use of restraint is superb, but he manages to knock the ball over the wall with a few heavy-hitter moments.
Script
Halloween plays it light in terms of plot and development. With only a pair of storylines – Laurie/Michael and Loomis’ search – to focus on, Halloween reads as a kind of perfect way to say “Boo.” Most of the character work falls to the actors, who do more than enough to give their characters three dimensions. The pacing of the story shines as nearly flawless, only highlighted by Carpenter’s directing, and really aids the film.
Effects
Halloween is light on the red stuff, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. There are a few solid kills and a knife impaling, so we’re not going without on the holiday.
Highlights
The closet scene is the closest thing I can think of to an actual nightmare. Despite all of the awesome that makes up this flick, that’s the part that sticks in my mind the most.
Lowlights
Um… in some twisted way, this flick lead to Part 6 and Part 8?
Halloween -iness
Loomis, Michael, and Laurie in their purest form, the Carpenter visuals, and one hell of a holiday set up, this puppy is oft imitated, never equaled. It’s like a Halloween syrup, pure, distilled, and super strong.
Final Thoughts
A perfect example of directing, acting, and horror coming together to knock the audience’s socks off, Halloween is, by far, one of the best horror films out there. A genre classic, this is the best way to spend the 31st. See it!