Halloween (1978) Directed by John Carpenter

Part of Greatest English Language Horror

Review by Brendan Peterson: Every year, a lot of crappy horror movies see release. But once in a while, maybe every eight to ten years or so, a horror movie leaps off the screen and changes everything. I’m talking about films like “Psycho,” “Night of the Living Dead,” and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”—movies that are copied and discussed endlessly. John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece “Halloween” is one of those movies. Credited with launching the modern day slasher film, “Halloween” came out of the gate with slight expectations. This was a low-budget flick featuring an unknown 19-year-old actress and starring Donald Pleasence. Don't get me wrong, Donald P. is fantastic, but back in 1978 he wasn't exactly a box office draw for the kids. And then, Michael Meyers appeared, and there was no going back. With mixed reviews and strong word of mouth, “Halloween” became one of the most profitable independent horror films of all time and was responsible for dozens of copycat films well into the 80s. “Halloween’s” association with some of these lesser films—I’m talking to you, “Friday the 13th”—meant it was often written off as simplistic schlock for degenerates. Of course, some of my favorite movies are simplistic schlock for degenerates. But "Halloween" was always so much more than that; and, with time, this subtle, beautifully made, scary-as-hell movie earned the respect it deserved.

So, where to start with “Halloween”? How about at the beginning: we hear the quick, urgent piano of the film’s iconic music, composed by Carpenter. It's 1963. The story unfolds in small-town Haddonfield, IL on Halloween Night. We're made to see the action from an unknown character’s point of view, strolling along as this mystery person enters a house and brutally stabs a half-naked teenage girl. Moments later, in one of the greatest beginning-of-a-movie reveals of all time, we see the killer is a young boy in costume; it's Michael Myers, and he's just murdered his sister. Cut to fifteen years later. Myers has escaped from the loony bin. His doctor, Sam Loomis (Pleasence), who knows Michael will go home, is hot on the killer's trail. Pleasence is wonderful as the manically worried, shifty-eyed Doctor who knows too much. After fifteen years with his silent patient, Loomis tells anyone who will listen: “This is not a man.” And we soon learn that he ain’t lyin'.

On the windy, tree lined streets of Haddonfield, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) lives the life of a goody-two-shoes high school student. Bookish and straight-laced, Laurie’s puritanical behavior is repeatedly referenced in the film's opening scenes. Ironically, this doesn’t preclude her from smoking a fat joint and listening to Blue Oyster Cult before a babysitting gig. But in “Halloween,” Laurie’s goodness is all about her “virginal” qualities. When Laurie expresses mild interest in a boy at school, her friend giggles, “Laurie, I didn’t think you thought about things like that.” Unlike her loose friends, Laurie is pure at heart. And, as it turns out, Laurie gets off easier than her promiscuous friends. Over the years, Carpenter has denied that this is a morality play, but it’s hard not to notice the overtly wholesome qualities of what writer Carol Glover calls, "the final girl.” Jamie Lee Curtis is wonderful in her film debut: sweet, smart and surprisingly tough, Curtis finds the right balance of innocence and inner power to make this potentially clichéd character convincing. Meanwhile, Michael Meyers cruises Haddonfiled in a stolen government-issue station wagon. He’s on a mission, and Laurie and her friends are destined to be part of it.

From the get go, it's clear that Michael is unlike any other movie monster: calm and childlike in his mannerisms, he floats through scenes quietly and pops in and out of frames like a character from our dreams. We know he’s human, made of flesh and bone, but he operates like something else. Imagine Frankenstein’s Monster without the stitches. While he's fascinating to behold, his violent, sudden outbursts signify a character that is “beyond evil.” So what makes “Halloween” scary? It’s not ultra-violence or power tool mayhem. It’s a simple Boogieman story. But here we see this story from the perspective of the Boogieman; that means not only being in on the killer's actions, but also unwillingly identifying with him through the subjective camera. Of course we root for Laurie as she scuffles with Michael, but our point of reference remains with the crazy killer. The film’s final 20 minutes are as tense and suspenseful as they come. Michael and Laurie engage in an epic, terrifying battle of good versus evil that leads to an ending so creepy that I need to change the subject before I start sweating.

John Carpenter works overtime to cook up a menacing mood that's hard to shake. And although he wasn’t the first filmmaker to use his camera in the service of a first person perspective, Carpenter understood that syncing the audience's POV with that of the antagonist would make for an exhilarating experience. In the years that followed, this subjective device became popular in many slasher films. But Carpenter’s mastery of suspense has more in common with the thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock and Brian DePalma than with the depraved visions of Wes Craven or Tobe Hooper. Whether it’s the recurring shots of little kids watching Howard Hawks' “The Thing,” the scene where Michael gets silly, donning a sheet and glasses to fool a young woman, or a beautiful camera fade towards the end as Michael’s face floats in behind Laurie, Carpenter consistently finds ways to create an emotional response. If you’ve seen “Halloween” once, see it again; you’ll recognize its influence in many horror films that came after and appreciate details you've never noticed. If you haven’t seen it and you're a fan of voyeurism, teenage sex, kitchen knife murders, escaped mental patients, Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, or extraordinarily great scary movies, snuggle up with that special someone, put yourself in Michael’s shoes and get ready to watch a flick that will haunt you for years to come.

Last Word: One of the greatest horror movies of all time, featuring the brilliant filmmaking of a one-man-band named John Carpenter. Surprisingly subtle and consistently creepy, this is a movie that rewards multiple viewings.