Man oh man do I love this movie!!!

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2017)

Halloween is one of the best and most intense horror films of all time, and it took me way too long to realize that. I first watched it ten years ago and enjoyed it, but I'd also been watching all the other slasher flicks and this one felt generic. But I revisited it recently to show it to my sister, and suddenly, all of the hype was very warranted.
I don't care that this was more or less the "first slasher." The fact that it was made on a shoestring budget is cool, but doesn't affect my rating of the film itself. What makes this film special is that it has the one thing that every single slasher after it has been lacking; Halloween has heart. It has REAL characters in a REAL place. The fact that Haddonfield is a lot like my own hometown, and the characters in the film are all like people I went to high school with makes this film hit very close to home and feel extremely genuine. Carpenter doesn't rely on gore or jump scares or special effects to scare you. He uses film techniques to create this feeling of suspense and pure terror.
What makes this movie a classic is that Carpenter uses music and actual performance and a sense of realism to convey what he wants the film to convey. He gives the town some heart and he makes us understand why we should feel fear. Michael himself doesn't look any more terrifying than Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorheis. What makes him scary is that he hits close to home.
I love this film. It holds a special place in my heart, and is always worth a watch around Halloween.