Halloween
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Movie Reviews of Halloween
Movie Review: Are you scared yet...you will be...
Summary: 5 Stars
At just six years old young Michael Myers was a killer. On Halloween night he butchered his older sister Judith with a kitchen knife and was institutionalized. Fifteen years later he escapes. This starts what is known as one of the scariest and surely most influential horror film ever to be released. `Halloween' has been mimicked time and time again with far less appeal and or reaction than was garnered from this cult classic. This is also one of the films that cemented John Carpenter as one of the masters of American horror.
`Halloween' follows young Laurie Strode as she is stalked by Myers. Upon escaping custody Meyers returns to his hometown and catches a glimpse of Laurie outside his former residence. He follows her, appearing for brief moments in a yard, outside her school, behind her home; always briefly but the impression of fear is left indefinitely. Laurie starts to rationalize that she must be seeing things, that no one is really there, but we know she is wrong. On Halloween night Myers lurks outside the Wallace residence watching Laurie's friend Annie as she baby-sits young Lindsay Wallace. Laurie is directly across the street babysitting young Tommy Doyle. The body count soon thereafter starts to rise.
`Halloween' set the basic formula for just about every horror/slasher film to follow. The same general character development is recreated time and time again, at times with satisfactory results but most of the time with sub-par results. `Halloween', being the mother of all slasher films, doesn't have much a standard to reach and thus proves to be deliciously entertaining because all its flaws are forgivable. This is the movie that started them all. So when Laurie gets an edge of the killer and decides to run frantically instead of make sure Myers is really dead, and then stays dead, you think to yourself "that's where (insert movie) got that from".
The difference between this original film and the many copycats that have followed in recent years is that Carpenter realized the fundamental element to truly scaring his audience, and that is mood. He realized that less is more. The killings don't start till the film is nearly over yet we are already shaking in our skin. Why? Because Myers is everywhere and his `evil' is all around us. We can hear him breathe and feel him standing behind us. There is a scene in `Halloween', a famous still at that, where Tommy Doyle sees Myers from his window standing in front of the Wallace residence, the green fog capturing his awkward stance, and that scene alone made me want to assume the fetal position. Where horror films of today rely heavily on gore and severed limbs, classic's like `Halloween' and even `The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' put more faith and investment in creating an overall eerie feeling, a mood that permeated every scene and thus proved much more effective in chilling the audience. This isn't to say that horror movies of today can't succeed, for there are a few that really excel in this regard, but as a rule they try to hard in areas that are less and less effective.
As far as acting goes, `Halloween' is far from a goldmine. Jamie Lee Curtis did turn into a fine acting specimen but her debut performance is really not too impressive. The remaining actors like Nancy Loomis, P.J. Soles and John Michael Graham are the epitome of bad acting and Donald Pleasance, who plays Myers' psychiatrists Sam Loomis is just plain excruciating to watch. But this movie is not about the acting, it's all about the director who masterfully created a film that could scare anyone, and for that it deserves the attention and `cult' status that it has attained over the years.
Movie Review: [4.5] Turn off the lights, turn up the volume, and prepare to still be scared
Summary: 5 Stars
Thirty years later and this horror classic is still as scary as ever. In the Hollywood horror genre today over-run with blood and gore, it is refreshing to take a break and return to the old school when horror films where truly (and still can be) scary. There are many devices that has made Halloween a success. Number one is Michael Myers, perhaps one of the most memorable horror villains of all time. There is no motive for his actions. He seems to kill without cause - an emotion-less villain who has never spoken a word almost his entire life. One moment he appears out of nowhere, glaring from a distance, and the next moment, he's gone. No matter how fast his victims run, Michael is always right behind, ready to make the kill, stabbing his victims with his trademark kitchen knife.
Audio is one of the most important elements that can determine the success of a horror film, and above all else, John Carpenter's Halloween theme sets the tone all too well. Even at the opening credits the theme begins, instantly placing the viewer into a creepy horror state of mind. Slight variations of this simple theme are constant throughout the film, adding tension and suspense, and progressing scenes along nicely that might have seemed longer otherwise.
The usual weak dialouge and acting are certainly present here, as in most horror films, but I can't say it takes away from the fun, as it is to be expected (especially from a film made 30 years ago). Jamie Lee Curis does a memorable enough performance as her charcater Laurie, the babysitter who Michael has targeted on Halloween. Donal Pleasance does a decent job as Dr. Loomis, a man who basically becomes obsessed (and has every right to) on taking down Michael Myers. The remainder of the cast is unimpressive, but serve up well as Michael's victims.
Halloween has spawned off 7 sequals and even a recent remake. Though they don't match up to this original, it says enough that Halloween has become a popular sucess. I wish I could say for a movie that is 30 years old, it might be difficult for first time viewers today to appreciate, but the fact remains that this is from a different era of horror, a time when good horror films presented us with "less is more" Halloween is the perfect demonstration. There is less blood, less gore, less violence, and we know almost nothing of Michael's background, and the end result can be truly scary when we are not given details and must deal with the unknown.
Acting - 2.5
Characters - 4
Horror - 4.5
Music - 5
Story - 4
Overall - 4.5
Movie Review: Satan Has A Son And His Name Is Michael Myers
Summary: 5 Stars
HAPPY THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY, MICHAEL MYERS!!! Thanks to you, Halloween will never be the same.
"Halloween" is a modern horror classic. To date, it has spawned seven sequels, one remake, and a host of imitations including some of the best holiday slasher fare. I was a freshman in high school when "Halloween" was released thirty years ago on an unsuspecting America. My classmates were hailing it as a great horror film; they couldn't stop talking about it. This film went down in history as one of the top grossing independent films.
Expertly directed by John Carpenter and Debra Hill (who also brought us "The Fog" - a creepy ghost story), "Halloween" shocked America with its chilling plot. What would possess a six-year-old boy from a normal, middle class family and make him stab his teenage sister to death? Satan possessed him! Fifteen years later, when the grown Michael Myers escaped from the psychiatric hospital, his psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (horror icon Donald Pleasance of "The Flesh and the Fiends," "Raw Meat, and "Phenomena") insisted he was pure evil, and no longer a human. This would explain his ability to survive being shot, stabbed, and set on fire.
Jamie Lee Curtis (daughter of "Psycho" star Janet Leigh) made her film debut as babysitter Laurie Strode; she and her high school friends are stalked by Michael Myers on Halloween. Curtis gives an outstanding performance as the injured teen who desperately flees the maniac while pleading for help from the neighbors who turn off their front porch lights. She quickly realizes there really is a Boogeyman.
It is a delight to watch the beautiful P. J. Soles when she plays her usual role as a mischievous, free-spirited girl. She was a tom boy in "Carrie" and a cheerleader in "Halloween."
Granted, ""Halloween" is not a gory, high body count slasher flick. However, it does have nail-biting suspense, memorable theme music (on a par with "Jaws" and "Friday the 13th"), and history making originality. "Halloween" proved that monsters are still real. They can be the boy next door - the one who killed his sister.
If you haven't seen the original film "Halloween," you're in for one of the best Halloween treats in history. I envy you!
Movie Review: Halloween - It Set the Standard
Summary: 5 Stars
Halloween-the ORIGINAL-was released in 1978. I don't think I've ever had as much fun at a movie as I did when I first saw this. The entire audience was mesmerized by what was unfolding on the screen. We all screamed, shouted instructions to the people on the screen, and held our breath through every scene. The tension was unbelievable. John Carpenter (who has never come close to topping this one) proved he was a master at building suspense and definitely chosing the "less-is-more" type of violence. Why it was labeled as a "slasher" film is still a mystery because there is little to no blood shown.
The original Halloween was an independent film and shot on a shoestring budget. With really no known actors (it did introduce Jamie Lee Curtis) and a still wet-behind-the-ears director, the film at first only received a limited distribution. But word-of-mouth took care of that, and soon the film was everywhere. Roger Ebert gave it 3-1/2 stars (out of 4) and his review said, "[I]t will have you screaming."
You all know the story: babysitter Laurie Strode battles the indestructible and masked Michael Meyers, and the audience is treated to one of the best rollercoaster rides they'll ever experience. The music used in the film is just as memorable as the screeching violins used in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." Not to be confused with the damning remake by Rob Zombie, this is a must-see for any horror buff. Comparably tame to anything released today, the movie last 92 minutes and is rated R for brief nudity, violence, and some adult language.
The true test of any classic movie is "can it withstand the tests of time?" Halloween (the original) has indeed done that. I never miss when it's on television and I also own several of the movies. As is most cases, the original is always the best. The plotline of this movie has been copied by just about everyone in the horror genre. The majority of those films failed miserably because all they were interested in was the body count.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Movie Review: The Standard Until Saw
Summary: 5 Stars
From 1978 to 2004 (the year "Saw" was released), John Carpenter's "Halloween" set the standard by which all horror flicks both emulated and came to be judged by.
For a basic plot summary, "Halloween" tells the story of psychotic killer Michael Myers, who (15 years after murdering his sister in cold blood) escapes a mental institution and returns to his old stomping grounds to wreak havoc once again, this time on a group of young teenagers on Halloween night.
Basically, everything you are accustomed to seeing in a horror film has its roots here, including:
-The blood-curdling score, which has never quite been duplicated.
-The terrifying, weapon-wielding antagonist who knows nothing but murder.
-The standard prey, that being young, sex-crazed teenagers who are so caught up in themselves that they become oblivious to their surroundings.
-The "jump scenes" (often accompanied by loud music crescendos) that make your heart skip a beat, whether true or fake-outs.
What's really impressive about this movie, though, is the fact that it was THE standard of horror films for such a long period of time. Until "Saw" changed the game with its graphic violence and outwardly moral musings in 2004, "Halloween" was the kind of scary movies. "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" may have had their followings, and "Scream" did a great job of poking fun at the genre, but it was this flick that still remained on top of the heap (it helps to have your own built-in holiday, too!).
Thus, if you are a fan of fright fests whatsoever and haven't yet seen this film all the way through (hard to believe, I know), it is a must-see. Or, if you don't have trick-or-treating responsibilities on October 31st, then settle in for another go-round of the seminal horror event.