How to do a Horror Film

Rating: 8/10 (25 March 2016)

John Carpenter's Halloween stands up in modern day as one of the most creative and unsettling horror films of all time. It first showcased Carpenter as a director that can make a cheap film look a million bucks and one who can craft an incredibly creepy atmosphere simply by what he decides to show, methods he would continue to use to such great effect in his later films. Despite so many films trying to copy its style and the 'slasher' sub-genre becoming popular in its wake, the film continues to comfortably standout from the crowd. It isn't gory or visually grotesque because the majority of the horror is left to what you can only imagine and that is where the scares come from. For such a simple story the film is enhanced by technical expertise, believable acting and a director who knows exactly what he is doing.
The idea of a crazed killer returning to his home town and killing off innocent people is pretty much the entire premise. It is a credit to the film that it uses this concept so successfully. Michael Myers randomly stalks teenager Laurie Strode and picks off her friends as they babysit, while we get very little insight into Myers' character (apart from a chillingly shot flashback to when he was a child) and this is actually one of the things that makes him so scary. He's a blank-faced killer and we have no idea what motivates him or if he will ever stop. He seems to be able to withstand great pain and the way in which his psychiatrist talks about him only adds to his threat.
For me what really makes the film so chilling is how it takes place in such a normal, quiet town to such believable people. A fair amount of the film takes place in broad daylight and the characters get quite a few glimpses of the killer, which shows you just how unnerving it is that darkness and shadows aren't always needed. The film understands what is truly scary, seeing glimpses of Myers slowly disappearing behind a bush or being in a garden one moment and gone the next are so much more disturbing than any amount of blood or gore. It's the sense of unease because both the audience and the characters don't know his motivations. The increasing sense of danger throughout the film as it builds is done masterfully.
The two main performances from Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence are both superb. A lot hinges on them given their key roles in the story and both deliver. Curtis is perfect as the soft- spoken, high school girl Laurie because she brings such believability to the role. She convinces you immediately that she's just normal teenager and that makes her struggle all the more terrifying. Pleasence is always a gripping screen presence and as Dr. Loomis he is excellent. Loomis is the only person that has any understanding of Myers, as Pleasence sells the sense of panic in his delivery and expressions alone. Both Nancy Kyes and P.J Soles as Laurie friends help add to the credibility given their grounded performances.
As noted Carpenter's directing is absolutely fantastic here. He masters the art of simplicity, keeping the movements appropriately basic and making everything that happens in the first half play on the mind of the viewer. He knows what to show and when, because you rarely see much blood in the film despite its premise. The dialogue is done very well. The way in which these girls talk to each other and interact with the children is so naturalistic, adding more and more to the genuine tone that the film carries. The score by Carpenter himself deserves a special mention. The main theme has rightfully become iconic and it fits the film perfectly, the spidery piano notes and icy synth adding to the eerie atmosphere.
For me Halloween is certainly one of the best horror films of its time. Not just for its ability to strike a sense of fear into people, but for how smartly it is crafted and how it understands where the scares come from. I think that is something most horror films (especially those in the slasher or stalker area) seem to forget. The idea that someone might be behind you but you don't know it or that you're powerless against something that won't stop is so much scarier that someone being tortured or carved open. Carpenter really set himself as a master of the genre (which we would later see again in a different way in The Thing) thanks to his great directing, while the acting and writing are both top notch which add to the terror unfolding. It shows that less can be more.