The definitive slasher movie...

Rating: 10/10 (29 April 2008)

This is what all slasher movies should strive for; good writing, acting, a true feel for directing, and some creative retelling of common mythology. In the case of Halloween, giving an actual face to the Boogey-man of lore. If you don't know the general story you've been comatose for quite some time, please ask someone to check your pulse. A young boy named Michael Myers kills his teenage sister, subsequently he's sentenced to a lifetime of sanitarium care until the supervision of a brilliant psychologist named Dr. Loomis. This is another excellent performance in the long and illustrious career of character actor Donald Pleasance. Unfortunately for the actor this role would also define his career. Not that the performance was bad, quite the contrary, this role is one of the most exacting and nuanced an actor could attempt to tackle. But rather, Pleasance has had so many great performances, that it's a shame to sum up his whole career in this singular note. Imagine focusing on Jack Nickolson's role in Batman as his benchmark. Not bad, but think of all the other great roles he's had, from Jake Gettes in Chinatown, the devil in Witches of Eastwick, the crazy in One Flew over the cuckoos' nest, etc. Loomis is a man haunted by his work with the now adult Michael. A silent presence, but one that Loomis is certain will emotionally explode at some time. His estimations of Myers' state of being prove true, as Michael frees the inmates of the Sanitarium into the outer grounds of the institution, using this distraction to liberate himself entirely. This first meeting, we the audience, have with Michael is truly terrifying because this is our first glimpse into the being that is to become our modern day interpretation of the Boogey-man. A silent, unstoppable monster. He leaves a bloody path back to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. Why he's returning, we don't know, (and his motivations for this won't be revealed until the slightly less likable sequel) but to be sure, we take notice. Several clever false alarms, really maximize the true scares. The now clichéd inspecting a suspicious noise only to find a mischievous cat, is used to the ultimate effect here. Carpenter is a director that really uses all his creative juices to get the best out of everything at his disposal. Lighting is moody and perfect for a scary setting, his antagonist isn't silly and overused. This is a stalking, menacing silent hulk with one mission, death. This depiction of a killer is truly genius because it muddies the definition of man and beast. Sometimes man and beast are interchangeable. A scary thought, for to be beast, means not catering to the moral compass that is the domain of man alone. Another great portrayal is that of Jamie Lee Curtis, whose defenseless babysitter, is now a Slasher genre staple. But here, we get a heroine, rather than a strapping lad as hero. She uses all her grit an wile to overcome what all others could not. A refreshing take on what it means to be heroic. No longer were women to be merely damsel in distress, but sometimes could be the salvation of all others in the film. A standard setting film, which all horror films should strive for, Excellence in every aspect of the film making process will lead to an excellent film.