The concept is simple, and it is executed with impeccable skill

Rating: 10/10 (29 January 2010)

In spite of this essentially starting the entire horror sub-genre of the slasher flick, one can't completely place this film in that category. It does not obey all of the infamous "rules", and this was done intentionally. This is, to quote the pun, a cut above the rest. The idea is not complex and takes no explaining to understand. This uses the voyeurism that lies within us all, much like Rear Window, albeit in a considerably creepier manner. Myers watches. Waits. Carpenter masterfully builds atmosphere, suspense and tension in this way; one cannot expect anything that comes out of the blue to intimidate audiences. At most, that provides a shock. This does contain jump-scares, but on the whole, the fear is generated by the fact that we *know* he's there. It comes from the inevitability of it, from how little we see him(he is not overexposed, so we never get used to him, and only gradually do we get to see more of him), and from how beautifully undefined his appearance is. We are afraid of what we don't know or understand, and the realization of that is put to magnificent and powerful use here. The plot is straightforward, and easy to follow. This has perfect pacing, there isn't a single dull, rushing or superfluous moment to the tight 90 minute running time. The acting is nearly flawless; seriously, even the kids are quite convincing, and not particularly annoying. All of the characters are credible, and you can relate to them. The dialog is well-written, and every word spoken by a teenager or child actually sounds like something someone of that age would say. This has excellent cinematography and editing. The music is really effective and well-composed(if minimalistic in its arrangement). This scores extra points for me personally because it's a successful indie, and I find that those are often far superior to studio pictures; however, frankly, if you didn't know that this was made on a shoestring budget, you wouldn't be able to tell. The camera-work and the rest of the production is professional. This has pretty good comedy, in that the material usually works, it doesn't detract from the otherwise unnerving tone, and the jokes, like nearly everything in this(save for maybe hair, some sayings and clothes), are not dated. I would not really suggest checking out any of the sequels(and while I have not seen the remake myself, I feel fairly confident that it goes for that, as well; I have no problem with Rob Zombie, I like songs of his, and though his brand of terror may be good(haven't caught any movie of his, not outright trying to avoid them), it certainly isn't right for this franchise); not unless you *need* a fix of Michael. None of them add(much less anything positive or interesting), and this in no way requires a follow-up. Thank god they could not force John to have anything to do with many of them, and that he could get out of directing any other entries in the series than this. There is a bit of moderate(not all that graphic) violence, a little blood and brief, arguably gratuitous, nudity and sexuality. The DVD contains informative trivia and the original trailer. I recommend this to all fans of frightening cinema. 10/10