The first, the best, the inspiration for the rest.

Rating: 10/10 (19 February 2004)

`Halloween' is, without any doubt in my mind, one of the classics of the genre and perhaps the most influential horror movie of all time.
**SPOILERS**
Young Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has a rather bizarre family history. His younger brother Michael Myers killed his older sister on Halloween night when he was six years old and she was sixteen. He has been in the care of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) for the past 15 years, and has developed a cold, murderous personality. He escapes on the 15-year anniversary of the crime and returns to his hometown, Haddonfield, Ill. At first, he stalks Laurie, keeping his distance from her and her friends, Annie (Nancy Kyes) and Linda, (P.J. Soles) never fully showing himself. Then, that night, he strikes, killing Annie, Linda, and her boyfriend in the neighboring house. Laurie herself is babysitting in the house across the street, which unbeknownst to her is Michael's house. Finally tired of the lies that her two children are telling her, Laurie goes across the street to see if the boogeyman really is there. She finds all of her friends murdered and a madman, Michael, after her. She manages to escape and flee back to her house. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis is valiantly trying to find Michael with the Chief of Police, Sheriff Brackett. (Charles Cyphers) Combing the streets, they are unable to find Michael. After Laurie makes it back home, she sends the two children out to get help, and run into the Sheriff and Loomis, who direct them back to Laurie, who is having a hard time trying to kill Michael, as he relentlessly tries to kill her as well. Loomis arrives at the nick of time, putting several bullets into Michael and sending him over a balcony. After checking on Laurie, he goes outside to find Michael has survived the bullets and the fall.
The good News: Where do I start? First of all, the music. Those notes have become one of the spookiest sounds in all of horror movie history. Add those notes to any other movie, (drama, action, porno, etc.) and that movie instantly becomes creepy. Like `Jaws' and `Friday the 13th' they will forever live on in the hearts and fears of movie lovers as horrors greatest signatures. The suspense in the movie is almost as effective as the score. The way the scenes build up to a monumental moment is staggering. The beginning, for instance, is one of the most original and shocking openings ever, as a young child, apparently, selects a clown mask, then a giant butcher knife, then walks up a flight of stairs. We hear music playing, and we enter the room of some teenage girl getting dressed up for a date. She spots the person in the room and alerts him, then he convienently stabs her. We then see that whoever did that was a young boy, but the whole scene transpires without us knowing who it is, or without a word of dialogue spoken. It comes as a giant shock to those who have never seen it, as we expect that the transaction was done by a man. The film does have some fantastic action scenes, including the whole last half-hour in the house. From one scare to the next, we are treated to a series of logical and well executed scenes that build up to a nerve-wracking climax. For the time, the acting is passable, and there is no hard gore, but there are a few scenes of blood-letting. Also, Michael has a small sense of humor in this film, as in the scene where he wanders upstairs to find Annie in bed after having dispatched her boyfriend covered in a towel. Her remark is pretty funny, but Michael steals it by simply standing there, then finally moving when he knows he might be caught. The strangling over the phone has become a scene that has shown in numerous horror films since.
The Bad News: Unfortunately, like my review for `Phantasm,' this is a film of its time. The clothes, the coloring, and the conversations are very distinctly 70s. Also, ever other film in the series has had more gore than this movie, which is a disappointment for those seeking to see a ton of blood from Michael's killings. However, Carpenter was working on a small budget, so he can be forgiven.
The Final Verdict: With knock-out scene after knock-out scene, `Halloween' is recommended viewing for horror fans of all ages, audiences, and tastes. No one should miss out on the chance to see the film that has launched more than 80 sequels, imitators, and homage's. Perfect for all occasions, but best scene with the lights off at night.
Rated R: Violence, Nudity, two sex scenes, some language and mild drug use.