Halloween Horror in Haddonfield

Rating: 9/10 (25 October 2008)

This movie must be the cinema's most memorable Halloween classic with a great story, haunting music, and chilling atmosphere from beginning to end.
It marks the beginning of Jamie Lee Curtis's career and it is a fine performance with Jamie Lee playing the strong and level-headed young woman who is stalked by the "bogeyman" - the phrase turns up on the lips of children and becomes a reality on this Halloween night. Donald Pleasance, as Dr.Loomis, the doctor for the psychopathic killer, is almost as chilling as the evil he is fighting. For him, the escaped killer is the essence of evil, who doesn't qualify as a human being. His eyes gleam with fear when he speaks in morbid and hushed tones. He is not someone you would want to meet in a dark alley but in this movie, he is the good guy, trying to prevent the inevitable slaughter that will follow in the trail of the convicted killer.
The movie doesn't have a lot of blood and gore, as one might expect. It has murder and there is blood but the film is not particularly graphic. It doesn't depend on visual effects and sensational shots to achieve its goal, which is to frighten the audience. The suspense keeps us on edge until the killer and the target get to the final match-up. There were a few oversights that I noticed: there are never any parents at home--only kids or baby sitters; and while there are cutaways to children in costumes, we never see them trick or treating. Most of the time, the streets seem eerily quiet.
There are many characters in the movie but only three really count--Laurie, Dr. Lomis and the killer. We never see the killer's face, except as a seemingly-innocent child but his presence stalks the audience throughout the movie. A very good horror movie that has stood the test of time.