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October Horror Films 2011 | Day 31 #1 | Halloween (dir. John Carpenter; Compass International Pictures/Falcon International Pictures 1978)

Brief review:  The first film we watched on Halloween was John Carpenter’s Halloween.  This is another one that it’s difficult to say anything about that hasn’t already been said.  I know it’s not the first slasher movie, but I think it’s one of the best.  It certainly influenced all slasher films that came after it.

It’s about an escaped mental patient (Michael Myers) who, at age six, killed his sister on Halloween night.  Fifteen years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown.  Once there, he terrorizes a babysitter (played by Jamie Lee Curtis), killing two of her friends.  Myers is pursued by Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence, who is awesome), his psychiatrist.

Halloween is one of my favorite movies.  I first saw it in the early 1990s, and I think I like it more each time I see it.  I also notice new things, like the painting (a giant picture of a kitten) on the wall in the hallway of the Wallace house.  The music (also by Carpenter) adds a lot to the visuals (which are really good to begin with).  The pacing is great and some of the shots are excellent.  I recommend Halloween to fans of slasher films (and all films, really), John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Donald Pleasence.

Block:  Halloween!

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