“I met him fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No conscious, no reason, no understanding. Even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six year old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face…and the blackest eyes…the devil’s eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely…and simply…evil.”
-Dr. Sam Loomis
It is dark and cold. A young woman is cowering in the corner of the closet as a shadow glides across the camera. A madman enters with a large kitchen knife as she screams. Can you guess what movie you’re in? That’s right. You’re in "Halloween." Even though there were movies before it that captured gut-wrenching terror, such as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Black Christmas," Halloween is the film that started it all. It was scary, suspenseful, and nightmarish, and it still is to this day. It gave birth to countless imitators, a legion of dedicated fans, over 9 movies, including a remake, and a movie villain that would forever haunt us….a villain by the name of Michael Myers.
In 1963, a little boy named Michael Myers murders his promiscuous sister, Judith, on Halloween night with a sharp knife. He is then confined to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium for 15 years. Fast forward to 1978, and right before October 31st, he escapes and returns to his ordinary hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. While his psychologist, Dr. Sam Loomis, struggles to find his dangerous patient, the madman sets his sights on three teenage girls: Laurie Strode, an innocent, sweet young lady, and her party-animal pals Annie Brackett and Lynda van der Klok. Tonight is Halloween, and Laurie and Annie are scheduled to babysit while Lynda decides to mess around with her boyfriend, Bob. What the teens don't know is that a phantom is in their midst, and he has plans for them tonight. This is one Halloween nobody is going to forget.
Roger Ebert has called "Halloween" "a movie so scary, I'd compare it to Psycho." I couldn't agree more. This classic gem is effective, terrifying, suspenseful, and downright creepy. And you get all of those words when you have John Carpenter at the camera. Carpenter's style is fresh and smart, and he makes sure that "Halloween" never reaches the point of campiness.
Michael Myers has always been a marketing icon. Kids wear costumes resembling the masked slasher, and everyone knows who he is. Until they watch "Halloween" for the first time, and find out that this monster is a lot more than an icon. Michael Myers really is the most terrifying boogeyman in the history of horror films. Why? Well, first off, he has no motive. A villain is so much scarier when he or she doesn't have a reason for the way they are. When Michael attacks, he doesn't hesitate. He gets right down to business. Second of all, he is unstoppable. You can shoot him six times, poke his eye out, stab him to death, etc., and this guy still keeps coming back. He also blends in with the setting. He appears when you never think he can. And third of all, his mask is one of the creepiest masks in horror history. The mask has no expression, and when you look into his eyes, you see nothing. Only blackness. For these reasons, he is called The Shape.
Donald Pleasence, who went on to star in other "Halloween" movies, stars as Dr. Loomis, and this role is the one that everyone remembers. Screw the James Bond movies! It's all about Dr. Loomis. Never, absolutely never, does Pleasence's performance come off as hammy or exaggerated. He plays this character with subtlety, which is why his performance is so great. Jamie Lee Curtis, in the role that made her famous, is perfect as Laurie. They don't call her The Scream Queen for nothing. When Jamie Lee has to scream, she gets it right. But her performance as Laurie is one of the best in her career. She makes this character human and real, persuading the audience to care. Nancy Loomis and P.J. Soles are great fun to watch as Annie and Lynda. And Charles Cyphers is very good as Sheriff Leigh Brackett, Annie's father.
And last but not least, the music is so effective. John Carpenter's music shows a sign of utter dread and fear. As Alan Howarth(composer for "Halloween 2," "Halloween 4," "Halloween 5" and "Halloween 6")once said, "it signifies terror. It signifies that something is coming." Tyler Bates did a good job with the music for the remake, but it's always been about Carpenter's unforgettable score, which brings chills to the spine without needing to watch the film.
At a low budget of only $300,000, John Carpenter and his partner, Debra Hill, had the least expectations for "Halloween." After getting panned by critics, Carpenter caught wind of an upcoming success with the film after hearing that it got re-reviewed by The Village Voice. Sooner or later, the film brought in over 55 million, making it the highest-grossing independent film until the release of "The Blair Witch Project."
With a great cast, scares throughout, a simple story done in a great way, one of the most notorious villains in cinema, superb direction and music that is probably as scary as the movie itself, "Halloween" will always be a genre-defining classic. It still holds up 30 years later, and it certainly shows no sign of aging.
No comments:
Post a Comment