Still a good film, but doesn't completely stand the test of time

Rating: 7/10 (14 July 2003)

When I saw this movie for the first time, it scared the crap out of me. Now that I've seen it about 10 times, the film has kinda lost its edge. Other than the death scenes, the film pretty much bores me. But for those who haven't seen it before, it'll be a much more fun ride. John Carpenter did a fine job at directing, especially on a low budget and scaring audiences with the absence of gratuitous gore. The score, composed by Carpenter, still gives me chills. Along with "The Exorcist" theme, there has never been a scarier theme song to a horror movie. It's still creepy when you sit in a dark room and watch the opening credits with the theme playing over the image of a flaming Jack-O-Lantern. However, as I watch the film more and more, I notice more and more flaws. For example, the plot is pretty thin and the characters are uninteresting, except for Donald Pleasance's Dr. Loomis. The dialogue is bland, and (with the exception of Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis and Charles Cyphers) the acting is bad. But as a horror movie, it works out well. The cinematography is great, and there are some signature shots that lend inspiration to many aspiring horror directors. The opening tracking shot with Michael Myers (as a boy) murdering his sister is a classic. It's always great to see scenes like that which don't try to throw off the audience with frequent, unnecessary cutting.
My score: 7 (out of 10)