Halloween (1978): A Perennial Classic

Rating: 8/10 (30 January 2019)

The perennial classic. The film that kicked sluggers back into gear and gave the genre a boost. The idea recarved years on by Mr Zombie and the one everyone knows even if they are not a horror fan.
Any reviews that exist for Halloween are by the dozen. Everyone tends to have an opinion and are not shy in expressing it.
There are copious reviews that cover it and certainly on every individual horror site that exists - in a way that makes it hard to write a review that hasn't been done before and probably to greater effect but it doesn't hurt to try!
Halloween is, on its own merits, a great effective chiller with strong performances across the board and a fun final twist that still is adapted and used today.
Synopsis: Michael Myers, a disturbed child, on a stormy, gloomy night kills his sister in a frenzy of blood and is promptly put away. Years on he escapes and makes his way to Haddonfield where Laurie and her friends are anticipating Halloween. Only this year the screams will be their own...
Jamie Curtis Lee, what can be said... this was her moment without doubt; one of the defining points of her career. And yes she plays it to beautiful, undercut effect.
As the shy, residing and intelligent soul from High School she's never too obvious, never too reclusive and because of this Curtis creates one of the best female antagonists in horror. Someone who becomes stronger and more self assured as the film builds and equally someone we genuinely will to survive. Curtis does not disappoint.
By the same stroke Dr Loomis played finely by Donald Pleasance is one of my favourite characters in this film. There's no overbearing nature to Loomis yet he's sharp eyed, quick witted and very personable.
His genuine concern feels honest which means you worry that something COULD happen to him and that's why Pleasance does a blinding job with the role.
In spite of the 18 certificate the gore, blood is not that prominent. More closer styled to Psycho in this regard than the more overt splatter fests we've seen.
Anything you do see happens by the shadow of night so we fill the blanks with our own fervent imagination
Actually I like the lack of any visible blood, a lot of films rely too heavily on the gore and scale back on story whereas Halloween combines both elements succinctly and that's something to be cherished.
Having spoken of many aspects; acting, story... I'd be remiss to ignore one of the most beloved aspects: the score! Always enjoyed, often emulated, never bettered.
It's partway creepy, that kind tickle of the ivory in the background, a treat to the ears. Even now the subtle beauty of the score can still make goosebumps shudder against our skin, that's how simple and powerful it is.
There's a real reason this film has stood the test of time: the characters are likeable, the story is simple and paced gorgeously and of course the now iconic...
Michael Myers. That soulless mask with no visible expression but one and the slow, confident walk toward his victims with no fear of what's to come, how easy it is to see why he earned a space beside Jason, Freddy in the horror annuls.
To anyone new to the genre, Halloween is one I'd highly recommend not least because it's a subtle film that uses suspense, tension to maximum effect. If you want Hitchcockian style thrills rather than the usual blood, guts and glory this fulfills that need perfectly.
It's effective, chilling; storytelling with soul accompanied by a truly unsettling score, Carpenter proving why he is and always will be a visionary in this field.
For a true slice of a real slasher, watch this. A gem.