This is the shining example of what an atmospheric horror film should be. John Carpenter has always been the master at creating a good, rich atmosphere and it really shows here. The film takes place on Halloween night in 1978 and the darkness of the night overshadows the film, creeping into every corner so that the main antagonist can really be just about anywhere, he could jump out from any darkened corner or room and anyone is fair game.
If you don't know by now, the main antagonist is Michael Meyers (not to be confused with Mike Meyers the comedian). Halloween is truly his film above anyone else's and it is within these confines that he ultimately emerges as an unforgettable horror icon. He will not stop, he will not rest, until he finishes off the target of his killing spree: Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis). In Halloween, Michael is portrayed as an unstoppable force of evil and also as an engine of fate. Here, he is almost a supernatural force, as he pops up and disappears in short bursts (this effect is a bit overdone but it sure does drive the point home). I like that Michale isn;t really given a backstory here and is just an unhinged being that is driven to kill others for reasons we may never fully understand, and I LOVE that about him (if only all killers in films were handled this way). Another interesting to note about Michael is that, while he's not above killing off males, his primary targets seem to be teenage females. This raises an interesting question: Is Michael turned on by these girls and is killing them his way of attempting to rid himself of his sexual desires (was he turned on by his older sister when he killed her as a child, maybe Michale himself is at the mercy of his sexual desire, a driving force that he himself may not understand. Could Michael himself be a twisted victim of sorts as well?)
One of the film's main themes (as it is subtly pointed out in an earlier scene) is fate and how it cannot be avoided. No matter what you do, your fate will always catch up with you and so it goes for Laurie.
There isn't much story to Halloween. A crazed psychotic madman escapes from an insane asylum 15 years after he murdered his sister as a child and heads for home with the determined psychologist, Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance), hot on his trail. Unfortunately, nothing can stand in Michael's way as he slowly and methodically kills off each of Laurie's friends before finally making his way to Laurie herself.
Halloween has almost become a sort of modern day fable....a classic story that can be told around a campfire late at night. Due to it's numerous sequels and the reboot films made by Rob Zombie Halloween has become deply rooted in just about everyone's psyche...as it well should.
On display here are just about every trope we have come to know and loe in moder day horror films. Dark, creepy houses; a crazed knife happy killer (even though Michael likes to use his hands too); sexually loosed teen females, and the virginal pure girl that is destined to be the only one left to fight the monster in the end. The only trope this film misses is nudity, which I find curious. There are several scenes of implied nudity and there are some pretty hot sexually suggestive shots of the females in here, but in reality the film doesn't need nudity to make it good. It does raise one question though: What film helped to create the trend of naked girls in film?
Halloween may not be outright terrifying but I DARE you to try and have a peaceful night's rest after seeing this film. It's pretty much the definition of a psychological horror film. Set in a small town pretty much like yours or mine, the horror that inevitably occurs here feels like it could also occur where you are at the current moment and because of Michael's tendency to hide in dark shadows it's just about a guarantee that a night light will be required to get a full nights rest. This film will crawl under your skin and lodge itself deep inside the recesses of your subconscious...it's unforgettable.
Halloween is not only an important horror film since it helped to revitalize the slasher genre, it's also one of the more effective ones that can be sampled today. It makes for strongly recommended Halloween night viewing. Feel free to give the re-boot and it's sequel a viewing just as long as you see the original one FIRST.
5 STARS
So just like that, my fright Fest has come to an end. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Here's wishing all you ghosties and ghoulies out there a very happy Halloween. Until next time, stay safe
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