one of the best horror movies ever made

Rating: Null/10 (6 November 2001)

i've been a fan of "halloween' for quite some time now, and i'm still not sure why people think of it as a 'slasher' film. there are violent deaths in this movie, but they are relatively few and the effectiveness of carpenter's masterpiece is due more to atmosphere, suspense and suggestion than to gore or brutality. this misconception degrades a movie that, as roger ebert himself said, can hold it's own with any of hitchcock's best stuff. over the years carpenter has become less and less exceptional and at the present moment at least i see him as a sell out and a charlatan, luring people into his derivative and mediocre movies on the strength of his reputation as a master of horror, which he no longer deserves. nonetheless, you have to hand it to him for this one, a terrifying tale of a seemingly invincible psychopath who is absolutely determined to kill his other sister, a young jamie lee curtis. from the start of the movie where michael brutally murders his sister to the end where he is shot repeatedly and falls of a balcony, this will keep the intelligent horror fan riveted to his/her seat. this movie is shown on TV constantly (particularly in october) and talked about even more by movie buffs, and yet is not in the slightest bit overrated. donald pleasance in particular gives a stunningly convincing performance as michael's tortured psychiatrist, dr loomis, and jamie lee curtis is at the top of her game as a shy but shrewd young woman who does not realize she is adopted or that she is the target of myers' rage. a must see.