A revisit ahead of the new offering

Rating: 10/10 (10 September 2018)

I had forgotten just how darn good this movie really is. You have to understand what life was like in 1978. No million channel cable TV package, no internet. No iPhone, no satellite radio. 3 channels on the TV, 4 if you could get good reception for PBS on a clear day. Your own little neighborhood was the entire world.
The writers here have crafted this thing skillfully because there was no slasher genre back then, no self-aware characters who would tell the final girl not to go in there.
The narrative thrust is simply an unstoppable evil with no real motive. 3 other movies are playing in the background throughout: Psycho, Forbidden Planet and The Thing.
The fear is heightened by the notion you are being watched. POV shots that may or may not be from the Shape's POV. The audience watching the movie is forced to see things through the killers eyes.
The musical score, also from Carpenter is beautiful in the simplicity - a simple melody that communicates foreboding.
The camera work is thrilling, especially when it's handheld.