"Halloween"- One of the greatest experiences in horror ever crafted.

Rating: 10/10 (30 October 2016)

"Black cats and goblins and broomsticks and ghosts... Covens of witches with all of their hosts... You may think they scare me, you're probably right... Black cats and goblins, on Halloween night... Trick or treat!"
Those words, a comparatively adorable and childish rhyme, usher in the beginning of one of the greatest experiences in horror ever crafted. Deliciously terrifying and capable of chilling you to the very core, John Carpenter's iconic classic of mayhem and murder still stands tall nearly forty years later as perhaps one of the greatest films ever made. I am of course referring to the legendary film known as "Halloween"- a pioneering achievement that not only created virtually every trope and cliché of the slasher-film genre that we know today, but also showed how they could all be performed with craft and class.
Set 15 years after a six year old child named Michael Myers murders his older sister without reason on Halloween night, the film follows two relatively disconnected story lines. When the now 21-year-old Myers escapes his captivity in a mental institution, his obsessive Psyichiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) begins tracking him back to his home in Haddonfield, Illinois, sure that his former patient has only the most deadly of motivations in returning. At the same time, a group of teenage girls including the somewhat sheltered Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) are about to embark on a Halloween night of babysitting, unaware that they will become prime targets in the violent homecoming of the deranged and inhuman Myers.
While perhaps antiquated by today's standards, Carptenter's film is one that has continued to enthrall and thrill audiences even to this day. The script co-written by Carpenter and then-girlfriend Debra Hill is amongst the most finely-tuned in the slasher film genre. It is a carefully assembled machine where every single sequence is expertly written to contribute towards the furthering development of story, character or atmosphere, without the need for excessive filler or meandering diversion. It's a perfectly constructed puzzle, with all of the pieces fitting just into place, as it builds throughout a 90 minute runtime towards a heart-stopping climactic showdown.
I've always been a fan of Carpenter's visual direction. The man has a knack for storytelling and a grand, old-fashioned approach to his camera-work and composition. And here, he excels with perhaps the best work of his career. Combining his slow and methodical, flowing camera movements with the masterful lighting of cinematographer Dean Cundy, Carpenter is able to increase tension and drama with each passing moment, like a high tension wire ready to snap at any instant. Carpenter also perfectly compliments his beautiful imagery with a haunting and freakish musical score that he composed himself, with chilling piano compositions and some delightfully dated-but-eerie synthesizer riffs that just ooze of atmospheric thrills.
The performances are uniformly magnificent and further aid in elevating the film to its highly-regarded standard as one of the greats. Donald Pleasence is just stunning as the troubled Psychiatrist Sam Loomis, giving him a great deal of pathos and depth in the role that went on to define his career. Pleasence solidifies himself as acting royalty here, and nothing will ever be able to top what he does with the character. Curtis is a revelation as Laurie Strode- her breakout role. Now considered one of the great "Scream Queens" of the big screen, Curtis does a fantastic job at creating a highly identifiable and relatable heroine that all can see themselves in. Nick Castle- the man behind the mask as Michael Myers- also is able to build such a menacing and devious presence in his role, despite having no dialog and having his face hidden by the iconic William-Shatner-mask-painted-white. Castle, who is a filmmaker in his own right and helmed the wonderful "The Last Starfighter", creates a grand character through only physical movement, which is highly commendable and exciting. Supporting roles by the likes of Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles, Kyle Richards and Brian Andrews also all similarly knock their material out of the part and are a great addition to the story.
The other really fascinating thing to mention is just how influential a film that "Halloween" was, and how big an inspiration it became to the numerous other copy-cat films to emerge after its release. This is the movie that essentially defined the slasher sub-genre of horror. Every cliché... every trope you can think of was started here. The idea that "sex is danger"... the fact you never say "I'll be right back"... the false scares proceeding the real jump... the fact you don't drink or do drugs if you're underage. "Halloween" is the movie that established all of these unwritten "rules" of horror. There is sort of a tragedy to this, however. As its style was continually emulated in film after film (including most notably "Friday the 13th"), audiences became increasingly familiar with the ideas established, and they became the new clichés. And I do think it's sad... plenty of new audiences will not be able to experience them for the first time as audiences did back in the 70's, and a degree of impact may be lost as a result. Despite being a 90's child, this was one of the first horror films I was allowed to see uncut, and I am happy that this was the one that was chosen, as I could experience it in a "pure" sense without it being spoiled by other films.
At nearly forty years of age, "Halloween" still exists in a league of its own. Not only as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. But as one of the greatest films ever made, period. And it most certainly and easily earns a perfect 10 out of 10 from me. Worth seeing to all fans of cinema.