Halloween 1978 Review: Horror and Simplicity At It's Finest

Rating: 10/10 (31 October 2018)

Its a dark night in Haddonfield, 1963 in more ways than one. No one in this compact suburban town could even begin to imagine the unspeakable terrors that would haunt Haddonfield for years to come. The fact that it all began on Halloween, 1963 with a small little boy named Michael Myers is part of the simplistic brilliance of the film. Just think about it! The films commencement includes the sound of children speaking in a monotone voice, amidst the simple image of a traditional 60s home. That's it! Yet, between the sound of the cheering children and the realization from the viewer that you are walking into a horror film, the average viewer will feel frightened and nervous about what's to come. By the time the scene ends, (only five minutes into the film) a six year old kid wearing a mask has murdered his sister, his parents have come home, and have found their son with a bloody knife in hand. These images are not confusing, they don't reveal a lot about what's happening or who anyone is, all we know is some little kid has brutally killed his sister. The fact that an event such as this could happen in actuality, and that the scene isn't drowning in confusion is what makes the scene so effective. This streak of simplicity that continues throughout the film, combined with the phenomenal performances from the main cast, and the haunting cinematography is part of what makes this film a classic.
The horror genre is always in desperate need of help. Questions frequently asked are, when is enough enough, when do supernatural elements become too confusing, and how much development should a character have? Halloween makes you care for it's characters, it has no supernatural elements, which is part of what makes it so effective, and it features barely any blood. These three things combine to make a much better film than if it featured a plethora of blood, one-domensional characters, and confusing supernatural subplots.
In the horror genre, it's always interesting to see how the director asked the director of photography to move the camera. Should the camera move slowly, without any movement to try to replicate a POV shot? Or maybe they should shake the camera excessively, which makes the viewers full of annoyance? Halloween does a little bit of POV wotk which is great, but the main type of cinematography that John Carpenter uses is what would now be considered the Steadicam. When this movie was being filmed, the Steadicam had not yet been invented, but a similar technique was used called the Panaglide. Throughout Halloween, the camera is constantly moving to show the fact that there are a multitude of different perspectives as to the sinister actions that are taking place. Many people walk outside when they hear something unusual, while the camera starts moving with the character. But the movement of this film's camera is unlike that of a dolly or film crane, which often moves too fast to actually be able to enjoy what you are witnessing. In this film, (even though this was during a time when the image was grainy) you can clearly make out what's what, which I can't always do in a modern action movie! This simplistic movement is an immense part of what makes this movie so effective.
Generally, the acting in horror films feel cheesy, generic and honestly, just a big hunk of meaningless crap. There's no better way to say it. However, for Halloween and a few others, I make an exception. The acting in this film makes you feel like you are in real life, watching real people talk about an evil maniac with a mask. The conversations between the characters, especially Donald Pleasance, are enjoyable because of the true range of emotion that these actors give in their performance. Pleasance really is what makes Halloween such a classic 40 years later. He's such an experienced actors, and gives several essential and brilliant monologues on evil, and Michael. The best thing about his performance is several of his conversations are incredibly to the point and (yes you guessed it) simple! Hell, you could give this guy a two page script to memorize about how to brush your teeth and it would be interesting. Why? Because of his knowledge, his impeccable use of words, and his cool voice. No one could ever surpass his radiance and intellect.
All of these topics have at least one thing in common. The cinematography, acting, and plot of the film are all done with attention and in a facile nature. Simple is always best, especially in the horror genre. Halloween has defined the true essence of the horror genre because of it's creation of teens getting stabbed to death, slasher killers, and a multitude of other horror tropes. This film is currently the brightest-shining star in the already bright world of horror movies. Welcome home Michael...