The REAL originator of the modern day slasher film

Rating: 9/10 (14 July 2018)

There are a number of films that have been credited as the progenitor of the modern day slasher film. "Psycho," Italian Giallo films, and 70s's exploitation films like "The Town that Dreaded Sundown," "Black Christmas," or "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" are all often cited as early examples of slasher films, but it's really John Carpenter's "Halloween" that set the formula of the unstoppable killer dispensing with hapless oversexed teens. Those other films all had elements of the slasher film formula, but "Halloween" is the one that cemented the slasher film genre tropes (including but not limited to the final girl, don't have sex, and the masked emotionless killer). Set in the fictional everytown American city of Haddonfield, Illinois, the story takes place on Halloween night 15 years after the horrific murders by a young boy named Michael Myers. Myers (simply referred to in the credits as "The Shape") escapes from the mental institution where he's been housed since childhood to come back home with unprovoked murder on his mind. Jamie Lee Curtis (the real-life daughter of Psycho's Janet Leigh in her film debut) and her group of gal pals (including P.J. Soles) are babysitting and fooling around with their boyfriends on Hallows eve when Myers begins his rack up a body count. The story is lean and efficient, but it's Carpenter's masterful building of suspense that makes this films such a classic. Instead of relying on cheap scares and gratuitous violence (there's actually very little blood or graphic violence), Carpenter takes the time to develop his characters and to take the time to build suspense (Carpenter once derided jump scares, saying anyone can do that. Just run a hundred frames black and then insert one white frame with a loud noise and the audience will jump.) This focus on character and suspense elevates "Halloween" compared to most of it's ilk. Also worth noting is Nick Castle's performance as The Shape, giving an eerie performance that's better than you'd expect. On a side note, Castle went on to co-write "Escape from New York" with Carpenter and to also direct the very underrated comedy "Major Payne." Most slasher film simply cast a stuntman in these types of roles, but Castle brings something special to Myers (wearing what is actually a Captain James T. Kirk rubber mask sprayed white, with the eyebrows and sideburns removed). Many may discount Castle's performance and contribution to the film, but as fans of the Friday the 13th films know, Kane Hodder is by far the best of all the actors to play Jason Voorhees. Besides the excellent suspense and the frightening emotionless killer, Carpenter's score is the final crucial element that makes this film so memorable and such a horror classic. Carpenter's synthesizer heavy score is eerie, jarring, and terrifying all at once. Two of these three elements will be part of the 2018 Halloween sequel/reboot (Nick Castle returning as The Shape and Carpenter returning to score the film) and I'm hopeful the suspense will equal Carpenter's masterful touch. Subsequent sequels where Carpenter was not involved (part 4 onward) relied more on routine slasher violence and didn't bother to build much suspense, which was the downfall of the franchise, along with an overly complicated and ridiculous backstory for Myters (although I will say I was a fan of Rob Zombie's reboot films). Donald Pleasence as Myers' twitchy and terrified psychiatrist is also a standout in the film. Carpenter's also inserts all sorts of fun film nerd inside jokes throughout the picture, particularly if you're a fan of Howard Hawks films. Overall, "Halloween" is arguably THE most influential film on modern day horror cinema and although it's pacing can be slow and almost meandering at times, once it revs up, it's a suspenseful thrill ride that holds up to this day. FUN FACT! Donald Pleasence told John Carpenter the main reason he took the part of Dr. Loomis was because his daughter, who was a musician, loved Carpenter's score for his previous film, "Assault on Precinct 13."