Best Horror Film Ever Made, Duh.

Rating: Null/10 (1 September 2007)

Starring:
Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode Donald Pleasance as Dr. Samuel Loomis Nick Castle as The Shape Nancy Loomis as Annie P.J. Soles as Lynda
Plot: Fifteen years ago Michael Myers murdered his sister Judith. He's now escaped and stalking a young group of teenagers in his old hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. His doctor, Sam Loomis, knows exactly what he is and has also returned to stop him.
What could I say that hasn't been said really? Halloween is one of the greatest horror films ever made. Carpenter took a small budget, a simple plot and a cast of mostly unknown people(with the exception of veteran Donald Pleasance) and crafted a masterpiece. With this review it's not a simple task of explaining what's good and bad, but informing you why exactly this movie is so great.
Let's start with the script. While it's a basic story(guy returns home to kill people) it works because of the subtleties within. Dr. Loomis is a very well-written character, and gets some good lines explaining why, in his view, Michael Myers is not simply a man, but pure evil. Those lines are delivered excellently by Donald Pleasance.
He gives you the very briefest of introductions of Michael, just showing him as some kid who killed his sister, without ever saying why. Then he escapes and you know right then that someone is going to get hurt. The teens he stalks are normal and look like everyday people. People that you could know, in a town that you could live in. Only on this night, evil has arrived. It's simple, sure, but it's the simplicity that makes it so damn scary. Would this have been as frightening if say, there was some giant monster with four arms killing people? Not really. This is a story that could ACTUALLY happen.
Carpenter's direction I feel is very top-notch. My favorite shot in the film is when Laurie is in the house, and you see a flash of white in the darkness..while you question what you could have seen, Michael slowly appears and attacks. Other great moments such as the Shape being visible, then disappearing, the killer POV shots and the entire opening sequence all add up to a very good visual style. The cast turn in good performances, including Jamie Lee Curtis who pretty much made her career off of this one movie.
What else is there? This movie doesn't rely on blood at all, which is superb. Coming from someone who enjoys his gore, I can say this doesn't need it at all. It relies on suspense and scares, which still can get you today, even if you know they're coming. It has a sense of dread just filling the entire thing and you know SOMETHING is going to kill these innocent kids. The score, which Carpenter himself provided, is haunting and is very memorable. The opening theme is easily recognized for a reason. It's very chilling.
You can probably already tell what rating I'm giving Carpenter's Halloween. I'm just explaining why. This movie deserves all the acclaim it gets, and it still holds up today. I couldn't imagine why you wouldn't have seen it(really, I can't think of a single reason). Go watch it again and relive the greatness. It's the night HE came home, after all.
Rating: *****