Halloween (1978) Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
It's October and that means that Halloween is around the corner. During this time, there's going to be a lot horror films shown on t.v. and some are going to be released in theaters. That's the reason I like this month as much as I do. Like me, most people may consider themselves to be fans of scary movies. Whether you can watch them on your own or you need others there with you. Some of us just love the feeling of being frightened or believing there is a chance of being frightened. Others love the blood and gore that comes with a good portion of these films. I haven't actually gotten scared or anything while watching these movies since I was a kid, but that was never the only reason why I watched. The main reason why I love horror films is because I love the whole aspect of not knowing and experiencing the suspense that might come with it. I've seen quite a few scary movies over the course of my life and out of all the ones that I've seen, there are some that I hold in high regard. One of those is a movie called Halloween.
After killing his sister on the Halloween of 1963, a six-year-old Michael Myers (Will Sandin) is institutionalized and placed under the psychiatric supervision of Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasance) at the Smith's Grove Sanitarium. Myers escapes from the sanitarium and goes back to his hometown the day before Halloween in 1978. It is there that he sees Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and follows her. While having multiple victims on his mind, Laurie becomes Michael's main target. While this is happening, Dr. Loomis fears that Myers will go on a killing spree and decides to track down the psychopath with the hope of stopping him.
Being an independent movie, Halloween didn't have a lot of resources to do much. That's probably one of the main factors in the movie being done so well. This film was created with a smart and simple structure that couldn't go overboard like a lot of other films have (including some of the Halloween sequels). It stays the course and adds a deliberate but spooky feel to a normal everyday environment. I'd also need to give credit to director John Carpenter and his co-writer Debra Hill for knowing how to build a movie like this. Using an actress making her debut (Jamie Lee Curtis) and a silent, crazy, and dangerous masked man, they were able to craft a horror film that still stands out today.
Halloween is a horror classic and is one of my personal favorites. One of the things that I've always appreciated about this movie is that they made a legitimate horror film without using any blood and very little gore. I have no problem with blood or gore in movies, but some films just seem to purposely go overboard with it as it seems they are trying to replace the scares with too much of the blood and guts with the hopes that no one notices the difference. This film was something that relied on suspense to scare you more than anything else and they did a wonderful job with their approach. It contains the right amount of suspense that seamlessly guides the horror in the right direction and lets the actual film speak for itself.
Michael Myers is used in a way that he kills in silence and his arrival always seems to come out of nowhere. This (and the music) helps to create an atmosphere that is perfect for the story. Add that to the detail that is in place throughout and you have the makings of a great and influential horror film.
I don't have too many criticisms of this movie and the one I do have doesn't really have anything to do with the actual story. As you see when you watch the movie, Michael Myers drives back to his hometown in order to get there. The strange part about that is that he was locked up since he was six years old. How and when did this dude learn how to drive? It's not that important in the grand scheme of things but it's something that always catches my attention when I watch it. At least most of the rest of the film makes sense and I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching it.
Score: 8/10
Rating: R
Director: John Carpenter
Cast:
Donald Pleasance
Jamie Lee Curtis
Nancy Loomis
P.J. Soles
Nick Castle
Release Date: October 25, 1978
Film Length: 93 minutes
Distributor: Compass International Pictures
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Halloween-(1978)-Review&id=6610002] Halloween (1978) Review