Horror Classic

Rating: 10/10 (7 March 2007)

What can be said about Halloween that hasn't been said a million times before well lots actually, this has to be one of the all time favorite horror movies, I first saw this when I was eight and it scared the hell out of me, and it's still scary now even by today's standards, it's just a pity they don't make them like this anymore.
The plot. Well, the plot doesn't really matter. HALLOWEEN is one of the few films where lack of plot isn't a hindrance; in-fact it's the complete opposite- it's one of its strengths. Carpenter's film is a lean mean shock machine that soars precisely because he jettisoned needless exposition. What's left is the very bare bones of a story. A six year old boy stabs his sister to death and, fifteen years later, on the anniversary of her murder- Halloween, he escapes and returns to his home town to carry on an apparently motiveless killing spree. That's it.
Directed by John Carpenter who've made brill cult movies "The Thing" and "Assault On Precinct 13", has done a stupendous job with this movie and this definitely his best yet.
It's the characters who make this movie work, and are completely believable from Jamie Lee Curtis's portrayal as the geeky virginal final girl Laurie Strode, bubbly airhead Lynda (PJ Soles), and the sarcastic but amiable Annie (Nancy Loomis), who all become the focus of Michael Myers murderous intentions. Donald Pleasance's portrayal of the brilliantly unhinged Dr Loomis, Myer's doctorThe only other adult inhabitants of Haddonfield of any note are Lynda's boyfriend Bob (John Michael Graham) and Annie's Father- Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Charles Cyphers), who both seem curiously disposable. However, on a night that has been relegated to providing entertainment for children, paradoxically it is the two kids that Laurie Strode ends up baby-sitting- Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews) and Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards), that are the first residents of the sleepy town to recognise the true nature of the night- and the terrifying reality of the Boogey Man.
It is a pity that none of the other sequels were as great as this one, even though Halloween 2 get's slagged off a lot, it's still enjoyable but doesn't have the likable characters this one has.
It's easy to see why this was a massive hit and spawned 7 sequels and this movie remains cherished It's incredible that it can still seem so vibrant and engaging- it's ability to grab the viewer and scare them shitless is resolutely undiminished. None of the films that followed in its wake are as effective , and with boogey men (and women) of their own) are as good- but then again, how could they possibly top near perfect film making? Having said that, many of those films are highly enjoyable (be they cheesy or classy) and are, indeed, things to cherish themselves (well, at least if you're anyone like me!); but Carpenter's film remains a cut above.