Halloween

HALLOWEEN

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME
OF THE YEAR!

by pat

I don't suppose it's really necessary, if you've read the rest of the site, to say that this is one of my all-time favorites. I didn't even need to see it again to write this review. Of course, I did watch it again, because it's October, and I watch it every October, so that will help, or not, since what else would have suddenly popped up after twenty years that would change my opinion? After all, I already know that the trees are green in the fall because they filmed in the spring, that everyone in Illinois has California liscence plates, and the only place the director of "The Last Starfighter" isn't playing "The Shape," as Michael Myers is known, is when he actually removes his mask. I can point out when Carpenter was too close when smoking off camera during a take. I have seen the movie a bit too many times. I love it. Let's discuss.

Horror at the time leaned towards space, sci-fi, the unrealistic, as a result mainly of "Star Wars" being a runaway success, and horror in general being a product of what can make money. Further influences include the emergence of Italian horror, which was far gorier than what we were used to. The lines had been pushed hard, and there was a new freedom to forego suspense for shock or gross outs. "Halloween" was none of this. The film is quite anemic, with only four murders shown, others implied. It was a call back to basics, and certainly an homage to "Psycho." Donald Pleasance's character was named after "Psycho's" Sam Loomis, Michael preferred a butcher knife like Norman, etc. More importantly, it was scary, suspenseful, and kept you interested when there was no bloodshed.

First off, the killer is human. In the sequels he becomes exceedingly invulnerable, but here it is just a man. Not some monster, some beast far removed from our reality, but someone crazy, evil, let loose in Anytown, USA. It could happen, and actually has. You're just as creeped out after the movie, walkin gdown the street, jumping at noises, as you were while watching it. Also, since Myers, at least in this one, is patient and selective, tension grows and sustains throughout. Nowadays, if you see the killer, chances are somebody is about to die or at least be attacked. It takes the fear of it away if you write someone off at the beginning of the scene and just wait to see how it happens. By having the killer present through the entire film, lurking in the shadows, hiding behind trees, or driving and walking around in plain daylight, you don't know what to expect. He spends more time not killing, so when he does it has an impact.

Also different, and effective, is the way he's set up to be underestimated. By being silent he comes across as simple, and combined with the way he moves, he seems like a machine. While there's some truth in that, it's not as easy as that. He lacks basic knowledge of the world outside of the asylum where he's been kept for years, but is obviously fairly intelligent and has some reasoning skills above your typical film slasher. He quickly learns how to drive a car, knows when and how to stay out of sight and when to make his presence known, and even uses costumes and misdirection effectively, such as dressing as the one girl's boyfriend in a parody of the holiday, ironically as a ghost, since the guy is now dead. He wasn't going for a laugh, I'm sure, but he was clever at least. Also, while he becomes a cold, emotionless killer at points through the series, here he has a genuine curiosity about death. When he kills said boyfriend, he spends a long moment studying his face, curious at what one looks like when they die. He doesn't just slice them and leave them. It's as if when he snapped as a child, his childlike curiosity remained in the evil he'd become. It's no wonder he's one of the most successful villains in film history. He's actually interesting.

Additional things that are great in the film are Donald Pleasance, who admitted right out that he didn't understand the movie. Even so, he stepped into a role that would define him to a new generation. Jamie Lee Curtis kicked off her career as one of the all time great scream queens before semi-abandoning the genre for comedy. John Carpenter showed, on his third full feature, that he truly was a master of his craft, and one of the people that the scope format was created for. His use of space to present distraction, subtlety, and an odd agrophobic unease has been often imitated but rarely achieved, and usually in a far more limiting format. He da man.

One other thing to mention: there's some complaints about the supernatural elements of the later films, and I gladly partake in said complaining, but some of that was set up early. In the novelization of this film there are indications that Celtic legend and the concept of Samhain are at play here to some degree. There's further evidence with part two, which I'll get to directly...

MICHAEL STAYS UP EAGERLY AWAITING SANTA'S VISIT

WHERE DOES A CRAZY MAN GET A WRENCH TO BREAK WINDOWS?

BEHIND YOU, LOOMIS! BEHIND YOU!!!

2 A.M. AND STILL NO SANTA

CYPHERS AND PLEASANCE ARE AMAZED AT HOW SHORT PRODUCER DEBRA HILL IS

THE NIGHT HE CAME HOME BUT FORGOT HIS KEYS AND HAD TO WAIT ALL NIGHT FOR A LOCKSMITH