Well done

Rating: 10/10 (17 July 2003)

HALLOWEEN was a well done, low budget horror movie. It had one of, if not the greatest influence on its genre. Donald Pleasence did an excellent job as the paranoid Dr. Loomis, portrayed through his elaboration of the dialogue and use of body language, and other animators. Pleasence definitely had the best performance, but Jamie Lee Curtis put in a good one as well playing the meek high schooler, Laurie Strode. Her charismatic personality of her character was well-portrayed by Curtis, and in turn, you felt that she was more real than a movie character. Nick Castle, who didn't have any lines, still delivered a solid performance as the villain, The Shape, otherwise known as Michael Myers. His movement and actions fit the role of the smooth psychotic serial killer perfectly, and added to the level of fear portrayed in the movie. The majority of the acting was good, especially considering the low-budget and independent status of the film, but other elements were the highlights of this film. The plot was original and cleverly thought, yet was even better on screen than on paper, due to good direction and fine cinematography.
Writer/director John Carpenter took the characters he had and helped develop them to their full extent possible in the 90-minute time frame. While this development isn't necessarily Oscar-worthy, it was excellent considering the minimal amount of dialogue or screen time for some characters. The style he brought to HALLOWEEN was excellent, portrayed through his creative direction and writing, and without Carpenter, HALLOWEEN would not be HALLOWEEN.
The lighting, which is some of the best night-time lighting I've seen, fitted the movie perfectly, and added to the horror effect in the film. Camera work was good as well. It was quite simple for the most part, but accompanied by good lighting and proper usage, it was very good. The main highlight of the camera work was the opening scene, a one-shot, multiple-minute, first person angle. Definitely done well, and use appropriately.
To sum it up, Halloween was a well-made film as well as an influential horror film. It shined mainly through its cinematography and plot, but direction and acting were good as well. No doubt enjoyable and eerie, HALLOWEEN is a must-see for any movie-goer.
3 and 1/2 out of 4 stars