You can't kill the boogeyman...

Rating: 10/10 (18 January 2005)

This movie is probably one of the most underrated masterpieces of our time. There are a few movies that are so undeniably original and perfect in terms of composition that they are either too much to handle for some people or too simplistic for others. This movie could go either way in my opinion. The really amazing aspect of this movie is the extremely low budget that created this masterpiece of 70's cinema. I am only 16, so I just saw this the whole way through this past Halloween night. Unfortunately, I wasn't scared by this movie at all, but man do I love it. It works on so many levels. First, there's the story of repression coming back to haunt people that were the re-pressers. Also, there's the basic slasher plot of damsels in distress, except for this time we care about the characters and their ordeals. Still another subplot is the one of the Boogeyman, and that you can't kill him. The way Michael Myers moves is also something to be commended on behalf of Nick Castle. Myers chooses to walk and move slowly, not run after his enemies. This adds to a bit of the creepiness. It makes you wonder why he doesn't get the killing over with. The scene where he knifes up PJ Soles boyfriend and looks at him as if it were his butterfly collection kind of explains this. He obviously enjoys murdering and the thrill of the kill. Myers subtle movements are also extraordinarily good. This movie has many nods to Psycho as well. The idea of Janet Leigh's daughter playing the main protagonist was one. Another was the knife that Myers uses to kill. Still another is a shot where Myers knife just brushes the side of Laurie's arm but still cuts it. In the shower scene in Psycho, a similar thing happens when the knifer tries to stab Marion. The knife just brushes the side of her stomach rather than actually going in on camera, but it's implied that the knife made a cut. One other similarity is Dr. Sam Loomis. In Psycho, Marion's boyfriend is named Sam Loomis. If there is one thing that I really love about this movie then it is John Carpenter's direction. He manages to keep his Boogeyman on the screen right from the beginning of the movie so that we always know that we're not safe for long. There is one truly genius shot in the movie right before Laurie's encounter with Michael. She is crying, leaning up against the wall, when Myers' head slowly becomes visible in the shadow, as if our eyes are getting used to the dark and we're beginning to see Myers, even though he's been watching "us" since we got in the house. The acting in this movie isn't great on all parts, but Donald Pleasance is remarkable. The last shot of the movie, when he looks out is one of my favorite looks from an actor in any movie. It's pure genius. People pass off this movie as a slasher movie, and it is. But this is a slasher with a brain. The idea was truly original as well, so this is highly recommended to any film aficionado.
Rating: 11/10 Yes, it goes to 11