The perfect film to watch on Halloween.

Rating: 8/10 (22 November 2002)

"Halloween" gradually became a huge success at the box office in 1978, and it continues to be a perfect horror selection for any Halloween. The film has a simple story that had a lot of thought and care put into it, which makes it a seasonal treat: A small boy named Michael Myers had murdered his older sister in a small town on Halloween Night. The boy was then locked away for several years in a psychiatric hospital. Now a grown man (billed as The Shape, and played by Nick Castle), he escapes the confines of the hospital to go back to his boyhood hometown where the murder had happened. He seems obsessed on stalking a teenage girl named Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), the one who comes closest to the now dilapidated house where he murdered his sister years before. He watches her and follows her. He also watches and follows the young boy (Brian Andrews) she's talking to as she drops off a key to the dilapidated house. Laurie will be babysitting the boy later that Halloween Night. During the day she catches glimpses of the masked Michael Myers several times, and it kind of haunts her. In the early evening Laurie is picked up by her friend, Annie (Nancy Loomis), since they are both babysitting children in the same neighborhood. Their friend Lynda (P.J. Soles), plans on stopping at the house where Annie is babysitting, so she and her boyfriend can have some "quality time" in one of the bedrooms. Michael Myers had followed the girls to the neighborhood where they will be babysitting the children. He watches and waits until it is the right time to begin his murderous terror on Halloween Night. "Halloween" certainly has that small town feel, and there are visual details (leaves falling off trees, trick-or-treaters, carved jack-o-lanterns) that give the film the mood of Halloween Night. There are also audio details (creaking doors and floorboards, etc.) that enhance the mood of the film. Also giving "Halloween" that seasonal feel is the use of clips from older thrillers "The Thing From Another World," and "Forbidden Planet," which are being aired on television that Halloween Night. The music soundtrack to "Halloween" is simple, but now classic. Every Halloween you can hear the main theme of "Halloween" used as background music to radio and television commercials. There was even a 90's techno rendition of the theme. The music by director John Carpenter is dark and chilling, and is one of the film's greatest features. The film also features extremely effective lighting. The night atmosphere is perfectly set in the neighborhood where the girls are babysitting; due to porch lights and lit jack-o-lanterns. The interior lighting is good, and the use of blue lighting excellently helps with the atmosphere and shadows. The acting in "Halloween" is mostly very good, and Jamie Lee Curtis gave a great performance in her first feature film (she would again work with director John Carpenter in "The Fog.") Charles Cyphers (previously in John Carpenter's "Assault On Precinct 13," and also in "The Fog") turns in a very good performance. Nancy Loomis (also in "Assault On Precinct 13" and "The Fog") nicely plays Annie, and P.J. Soles put a lot of spunk into her role as Lynda. Even the children (Kyle Richards and Brian Andrews) turn in very good performances. Donald Pleasence plays his Dr. Sam Loomis character very well, and would later play the character again in the film's sequels. The makers of "Halloween" put in a lot of effort to create a chilling and atmospheric horror film, and that effort greatly shows. "Halloween" may not be a perfect film, but it is very entertaining and the perfect film to watch on Halloween. On a side note, I have seen the film "Black Christmas" (mentioned in other "Halloween" reviews) a few times, and feel there are not too many similarities between the two films. "Black Christmas" has its own style and story. I greatly prefer "Halloween."