HALLOWEEN (1978 - HORROR / SLASHER) **** out of ***** or 8 out of 10
(Trick or Treat, bitches...)
CAST: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Loomis, P.J. Soles, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Stephens, Brian Andrew, Kyle Richards, John Michael Graham.
DIRECTOR: John Carpenter
(WARNING: Some SPOILERS and compelling reasons to stay indoors on Halloween night - straight ahead)
IT'S LIKE THIS: It must suck to live in Haddonfield, Illinois. Actually, to be more specific, it must suck to live in Haddonfield, Illinois... on Halloween night. You see, 15 years ago, some six-year old brat named Michael Myers killed his sister Judith, and was carted off to some mental institution. For years after that, Halloween in Haddonfield was synonymous with "buzz kill". A brutal murder will do that to a place.
Then, 15 years later, just when Haddonfield was getting over the memory of that heinous act of violence perpetrated on Halloween night, who should bust out of that mental institution, wanting to make up for lost time? Well, if you answered anyone besides "Michael Myers" then you should go back to watching crappy Jennifer Lopez romantic comedies because the Horror Genre is not for you, buddy.
So, yeah... Mikey M. engineers some sort of breakout from his asylum, catching his visiting psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), completely unaware when he gets out of the car he's driving to unlock the asylum gate. With Dr. Loomis is nurse Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens), whose reaction to the sight of Michael jumping on the roof of their car is... to get out of it and run. Sweetie, let's talk about survival techniques when you get a chance. But let's at least clarify for right now that what you did is not one of them. Stupid cow.
Anyhow, because of Marian's boneheaded move, Michael Myers is able to commandeer the car that she vacated and guns it out of there. The next day, the head of the Asylum scoffs at Dr. Loomis' assertion that Michael Myers actually drove off in the car. "He doesn't even know how to drive!" whines the asshole. To which Dr. Loomis basically says, "How do you know? Did you administer a fucking driving test lately?" Or something like that.
Cut to - you got it - Haddonfield, Illinois, where the town is getting ready to start the Halloween festivities. We meet our three heroines: (1) virginal Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), sweet and smart chick who really needs to get laid; (2) sarcastic Annie Brackett (Nancy Loomis), snarky and mouthy chick who really needs to get gagged; and (3) slutty Linda Van Der Klok, loose and easy chick who really should change her last name to "Van Der Kok".
Our three lovely lasses are ready for an exciting night of... babysitting. Wow, from all their chatter and drama earlier, I thought they had a party to go to. Even a boring one, at least. Nope. Turns out Laurie and Annie are babysitting kids at houses on opposite sides of the street. And Linda, well, let's just say she's living up to her shoulda-been-last-name with her boy-toy Bob (John Michael Graham). In other words, same ol', same ol'.
Just when you though this Halloween night couldn't get any more dull, our boy Michael Myers finally shows up, wearing some weird mask that looks like Captain Kirk suffering from that rare condition called "I Need A Fucking Tan". And he's carrying a knife so big, vegetables probably run screaming from it. But let me clear up right now that Michael is not back in his hometown to cut up some carrots. He's got more special plans than that. And their names are Laurie, Annie, Linda, and Bob.
Ooooooooooooooooo-weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-ooooooooooooooo!
So... why has Michael Myers come all the way back home to Haddonfield after 15 years? What is his agenda? And what happens when Dr. Loomis shows up in Haddonfield, correctly surmising that Michael is back for a bloody homecoming? Will he be able to stop Michael in time? Who will survive Michael's rampage? Laurie? Linda? Annie? Bob? Dr. Loomis? The Great Pumpkin? Will any of these nitwits make it to Thanksgiving?
Guess again.
BUT SERIOUSLY: As we've talked about many times before, the impact that HALLOWEEN has on the horror genre cannot be overstated. It kicked off the initial wave of American slasher films that started around 1978, intensified in 1980 with the subsequent success of FRIDAY THE 13TH, and continued past the mid-80s with the successes of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET films and APRIL FOOL'S DAY.
Of all those films, though, HALLOWEEN remains the best because of one important distinction: it emphasizes suspense, atmosphere, and dread - instead of blood, guts, and gore. Many people have been tricked into thinking this movie is bloodier than it is. The reality is, it is almost blood-free. Carpenter simply fools you into thinking you've seen more than you actually have, through the power of his suggestive filmmaking.
In fact, it's Carpenter's "technique" that is the real star of this movie, technique which was partly inspired by Dario Argento's Giallo films. Carpenter's long gliding shots, widescreen angles that make terrifying use of negative space, and judicious use of silence - then sudden sound - are what what make this film as memorable as it is. Carpenter has often said in interviews that he was at his most passionate and energetic during the making of this film, and that he hasn't had quite the same exact drive and intensity since.
Personally, my favorite John Carpenter film (and favorite horror film along with ALIEN, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, and THE STEPFORD WIVES) is THE FOG, which came two years after HALLOWEEN. It's a more narratively-complex and nuanced film, with one of the best final shots in any horror film ever. HALLOWEEN, while being a very good film to me, is a tad too simple, plotwise. Had anyone else besides Carpenter directed this movie, it would've been barely an average film. The difference is Carpenter's talent.
Carpenter also supplied the iconic music soundtrack, which is instantly recognizable to 9 out of 10 people. This singularly creepy synthesizer music has been copied in many other films since. I like it even better in HALLOWEEN 2, where it receives a "gothic" orchestral punch. Terrific, classic music that elevates the film in many ways.
Contrary to popular belief, this movie didn't immediately make a star out of Jamie Lee Curtis. It made her a "Scream Queen" which made it easy to get the lead roles in PROM NIGHT and TERROR TRAIN. However, it wasn't until she consciously chose to leave the horror genre behind that she got the female lead in TRADING PLACES - and received mainstream recognition. Nevertheless, HALLOWEEN put her on the map, and it's easy to see why. Curtis clearly inherited the "charisma" and "acting" genes from her famous parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Leigh, it should be noted, played ill-fated Marion Crane in PSYCHO. So I guess you could say that "Scream Queens" run in the family.
In the end, HALLOWEEN is an undisputed classic - a nifty little film that bridges the gap between Italian Gialli and American Slasher films. While I will always choose THE FOG over this film for my own reasons, HALLOWEEN is no slouch by any stretch of the imagination.
