Beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (6 November 2003)

One of the simplest and most beautiful horror films ever made, `Halloween' still manages to impress, especially now that its worst imitators are thankfully starting to be forgotten. The young John Carpenter understood that truly stylish filmmaking need not grow out of self-indulgence (unlike, say, Brian DePalma), and the gracefulness of the picture's style comes largely from his directorial restraint. Well, he didn't really have much of a choice; he had no money, and so the pure-and-simple road was the only one available for him. Thank goodness for that. The film remains as gorgeous and watchable as ever, with the inspired lighting, tense set pieces, and incessant minimalist score being only a few of the notable technical elements. It also features two marvelously authentic performances, one by the young Jamie Lee Curtis (still perhaps the best one of her career), and the other by non-actor Nick Castle, whose eloquent body language makes the Shape more frightening than that blank mask alone ever could. So many years down the road, it may not be the scariest horror movie you've ever seen, but you'll be hard pressed to find one more elegant. 10 out of 10.