Whenever you come across a list of “essential” horror movies, Halloween is typically right there at the top. And with good cause, too. Not only did it bring the slasher genre to life (Black Christmas had been overlooked by the mainstream) but it’s simply a damn good horror movie on all fronts.

The plot is simple-enough. Incarcerated lunatic, Michael Myers, escapes from Smith’s Grove psychiatric hospital and makes his way back to his hometown, Haddonfield. When Michael was only a boy, he brutally murdered his older sister at random. Now he’s come home. However, his doctor, Loomis (Donald Pleasance) is hot on his trail. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is babysitting that Halloween night in Michael’s old neighborhood and she and all her friends fall victim to the mask-wearing psychopath.

The synopsis may not sound very complex, but it’s the simplicity of the concept which makes the movie work so well. John Carpenter takes something so standard, and with his trademark use of sound and lighting, turns it into a horror masterpiece.

Carpenter’s use of light and shadow is possibly the best in his career. Michael materializes in and out of dark corners and shadows like a specter, leaving the audience never quite sure just where in the room he’s hiding; and it’s usually where you least suspect. This method of stalking from the darkness is enhanced by the movie’s theme of “the Boogeyman”; the childhood monster that lurks in closets and under beds. Michael Myers really does embody the concept of the Boogeyman from head to toe.

Then there’s one of my favorite elements from John Carpenter’s movies, the score. Back in the “classic” days of Carpenter’s career, the one thing you could always expect was a haunting electronic melody to provide a creepy atmosphere no other director could match. Carpenter’s Halloween theme is by far his most well-known work, and next to likes of Psycho, is possibly the most famous of horror movie themes.

Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis, in two of their better roles, bring a welcome sense of professionalism to the movie, keeping Halloween above the typical scorn slasher movies receive from the general audience. Michael Myers (or as he’s credited, “the Shape”) is really the star of the show, however. One would never expect that a William Shatner mask could possibly be so scary. Apparently, Carpenter’s original intention was to use a clown mask; the repainted William Shatner mask was a last minute change. A change for the better, I’d say, as the blank, featureless face lends a completely different kind of unsettling appearance to the character.

Halloween is a horror movie that takes a number of elements and blends them together into virtual perfection. Definitely one of the “essentials” not just for horror fans, but for fans of any kind of cinema.

Grade: A

Comment posted by Child’s Play 2 - Movie Reviews Blog
at 8/16/2007 6:46:33 PM

[…] melody ranking up there with the ones heard in Friday the 13th, a Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween. It’s a great theme, and most regrettably, is never heard in any of the following films. A real […]

Comment posted by Friday the 13th: the Final Chapter - Movie Reviews Blog
at 11/30/2006 1:11:05 PM

[…] Feldman’s character of Tommy Jarvis would prove to be one of the only returning characters of the franchise, starring in his own three-movie “story arc”. Tommy Jarvis has remained a very popular character amongst the fandom and is the closest thing Jason ever had to a “nemesis”, kind of like Michael Myers and Loomis from Halloween or Freddy Krueger and Nancy from A Nightmare on Elm Street. […]

Comment posted by Halloween 666: ‘the Producer’s Cut’ - Movie Reviews Blog
at 11/30/2006 12:53:21 PM

[…] The general plot for the Producer’s Cut is nearly identical to that of the theatrical version. Basically, the Cult of Thorn has been controlling Michael since day one. He is destined to kill his family as a sacrifice to the Celtic gods of Samhaine. However, once Michael achieves this goal, a new child of Thorn must be selected. The Cult has their eyes set on Danny, a boy living in Michael’s old house. Tommy Doyle, survivor of the first Halloween, is charged with protecting Danny from the Cult as well as Michael’s illegitimate son. […]

Comment posted by Halloween III: Season of the Witch - Movie Reviews Blog
at 11/27/2006 1:48:31 PM

[…] Halloween III is widely regarded as the worst film in the Halloween franchise, which is quite an accomplishment, considering how bad many of the later installments are. I mean, it may have lacked Michael Myers, but at least it didn’t burden the audience with Busta Rhymes. And therein lays the number one complaint from most: no Michael Myers. The reason for this is that John Carpenter’s initial vision for the franchise was an anthology series of original Halloween-themed horror films every few years, not a slew of predictable slasher episodes. Halloween III was their attempt to fulfill this vision, and regrettably, the audience did not approve. Perhaps they would have been better off dropping the film’s numerical placement and simply called it “Halloween: Season of the Witch”; the number three unfortunately implied a return of the William Shatner-faced maniac. […]

Comment posted by Halloween II - Movie Reviews Blog
at 11/10/2006 1:54:50 PM

[…] Not everyone immediately appreciates Halloween II, and I suppose I can’t really blame them for not being extensively impressed with the film. At a glance, the lead criticism is that, while the original Halloween was an original horror masterpiece, Halloween II brought very little to the table. John Carpenter’s original vision for the franchise was a series of individual Halloween-themed films every few years. However, the demand for more Michael Myers action led to this sequel, which was meant to conclude his story. The end of this film makes it expressly clear that neither Michael or Loomis were ever meant to make a comeback. Rick Rosenthal does a fine job emulating Carpenter’s directorial style, and indeed, many mistake this film for having been directed by Carpenter himself. Never-the-less, it’s all just a little too…boring. […]

Comment posted by A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: the Dream Warriors - Movie Reviews Blog
at 10/18/2006 10:09:49 PM

[…] Usually considered the second best film in the franchise, as well as often being referred to as the “true” sequel to the original (Freddy’s Revenge not having been well received). The Dream Warriors was written by Wes Craven, writer and director of the first film, and his presence in the story and script is immediately felt. The return of Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon also adds to that sense of this being a “real” sequel to the original. Although Langenkamp would only star in a total of 3 Nightmare on Elm Street films (with Wes Craven’s New Nightmare actually taking place in a different continuity), the character of Nancy is considered Freddy’s arch-nemesis. The “Loomis” to his “Michael Myers”, in a way. […]

Comment posted by In the Mouth of Madness - Movie Reviews Blog
at 10/11/2006 3:44:48 PM

[…] When people are asked what their favorite John Carpenter film is, typically, they’ll respond with the usual “Halloween”, “Escape from New York”, “The Thing”, “Christine”, “The Fog” or other classic Carpenter films. However, while it’s a tough choice due to the filmmaker’s magnificent career, my response will always rest on “In the Mouth of Madness”. […]

Comment posted by Black Christmas - Movie Reviews Blog
at 9/2/2006 3:51:39 AM

[…] When most people think of “the first slasher film”, typically they’ll think of John Carpenter’s Halloween. And yes, it’s true, Halloween is what really kicked the sub-genre off and got it recognized by mainstream movie-goers. However, 4 years before Halloween, there was this little gem starring Margot Kidder (the Amityville Horror) and John Saxon (a Nightmare on Elm Street). Because Black Christmas predates the slasher genre it really has more in common with suspense-thrillers like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and has an overall higher quality to it than slasher flicks like Slumber Party Massacre and Sleepaway Camp. […]