Jamie Lee Curtis is shown in a scene from “Halloween.” (Photo credit: Compass International Pictures)
Original ‘Halloween’ a reminder how horror is done
With more than a dash of Hitchcock running through its terrifying veins, “Halloween” (1978) reminds us how thrilling, violent and just plain scary a movie can be. Which shouldn’t be a surprised when the psycho running around is called Evil Personified, right?
“Halloween,” directed by horror aficionado John Carpenter, blows away both predecessors and more modern movies trying to follow in its bloody footsteps. From opening with a crazed 6-year-old committing murder to chilling “Did I just see someone out of the corner of my eye?” scenes to scream-worthy jumps, we’re talking full-on terror, even in today’s gore-driven realm of horror movies.
More than 35 years after “Halloween” originally hit the silver screen, there’s little reason to delve into the plot in what should be common knowledge for those who love the occult of horror. (Shout-out: This reviewer first saw this movie when he was 11 with his grandmother, who also introduced him to Dr Pepper. What a combo.) Let it just be said there’s plenty of screaming and stabbing and blood and running and nightmare-inducing scenes to leave you shivering in fright.
But for those who are unaware, long story short: said crazy 6-year-old gets locked up in a psych ward, spends many years with a psychiatrist trying to help him, only for the doctor to realize he can’t help the young, broken man. Instead, the psychiatrist works to keep him locked up. However, as in most horror movies, that doesn’t work so much. So our killer escapes, returning to the same town where he committed his first murder — on Halloween, no less. He glides through the shadows as people unsuspectedly go about their days.
The rest you’ll have to watch for yourself. Because that’s the thrill in watching “Halloween.” It’s visceral and frightening. Whether you’ve seen it multiple times blanketed by the darkness or decide to watch it for the first time this Halloween, as long you want to find yourself scared senseless, you’ll be in for a good time.
Part of this fright emanates from the lack of hyper-realistic gore and imagery bombarding screens today. Yes, it can be fun to watch the blood, spraying from a just-slit neck, shimmers through the air as though the sun itself was created to light it. Is that necessarily realistic? Not so much.
Also, don’t expect much of a body count. (Later sequels take care of that.)
In the end, “Halloween” is a movie for people who want to be scared, who want to feel that tingle, that charge only fear can produced, no matter how safe you actually are. Oh, and that theme song. That theme song will haunt your dreams. Enjoy.
Four slasher stars out of five.
Following Silver Screening Reviews on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
Silver Screening Reviews 