Halloween (1978)

Date Of Release: 25^th October 1978

Director: John Carpenter

Producer: John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Kool Lusby, Irwin Yabians, Moustapha Akkad

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J Soles, Nancy Loomis

Running Time: 91 minutes (original theatrical version) 103 minutes (extended edition)

Distributor: Compass International Pictures

Review
 

This film is the first in what turned into the Halloween franchise. For what was a small budget film, it turned into one of the most profitable independent films ever made. It was the first in a long line of slasher films and went on to influence future horror.
The film is about a young boy called Michael Myers, who on Halloween night kills his older sister. 15 years later, he escapes the psychiatric hospital and returns home, stalking Laurie Strode and her friends. His psychiatrist, Dr Loomis, follows him to try and prevent him from killing. I remember watching this as a kid, and even though it doesn’t scare me the way it used to, I still love to watch it, especially on Halloween.

 

The first thing you notice straight away is the infamous intro music, which John Carpenter randomly came up with on the piano himself. It is chilling and memorable. Considering the era in which it was shot and the budget they had, it is very well made. No special effects here, the movie has a very realistic feel and the characters are very believable. The antagonists’ weapon is a kitchen knife, which if used in films these days, it would be deemed as boring, but for this film it is perfect. Simplicity is what this film is about. It has all the right scares in the right place without going over the top. It has a few iconic moments such as a young Michael standing in the front yard after having killed his sister, but the one that I always remembered most was the part were Laurie was hiding in the wardrobe and, after thinking she was safe, Michael comes bursting through the doors. The film is predominantly dark (then again, what did you expect??). The plot runs smoothly and the story gets straight to the point. The image of Michael will always stay with you too, this brooding tall man wearing a creepy, expressionless mask (which was actually a William Shatner mask painted white!).

No one ever thought that this film would be that much of a success but 34 years later it is still one of the most influential and most popular horror movies out there. Ask any director and any actor and they will tell you the same thing. This is a horror essential and essentially a masterpiece!

 

Rating: 10/10 – Hallo! Where have you ween all my life??