Timeless spook

Rating: 9/10 (14 October 2014)

This review for Halloween is nothing more than a drop in the ocean of praise for a timeless classic like this. A movie that kicked off a series of sequels and spin-offs and remakes of varying quality, and that has become one of the most famous slasher/horror flicks ever made.
When you think about it, Halloween is a very simple film. Michael Myers stalks and murders teenagers on Halloween after escaping from the high security facility that used to hold him. That's all there is too it, as the masked murderer goes on a spree in an otherwise very calm and silent town.
What makes this seemingly simple slasher into such an uncomfortable horror movie is, for me anyway, mostly in the way it's been shot, combined with the music and sound effects used. With long, steady shots instead of the jump cut-like shots that seem to be so much more popular in more modern horror films. Sure enough, there are a couple jump scares where Myers will pop up right next to someone or appear behind a door, but the scary scenes are where you see his shadow appear briefly behind one of the future victims. Or when you finally spot him in a steady shot of the street. Most of the scenes are shot in a rather dark setting, often accompanied with an eerie ambient music that really helps set the mood.
The acting is overall pretty good. The only actor I felt really did a particularly great job was the late Donald Pleasence in his portrayal of Dr. Sam Loomis, Myers' doctor for many years. This slightly unstable, desperate doctor's hunt for Myers, whom he firmly believes cannot possibly be human, really adds a whole lot to the movie. Jamie Lee Curtis' portrayal of the shy teenage girl Laurie Strode was at times a bit off, though she mostly really managed to pull it off.
Absolutely an easy recommendation to anyone remotely interested in horror, with a warning that the sequels are, for the most part, not worth the watch.