Monday, October 13, 2008

Halloween (1978, John Carpenter)


What is October without watching Halloween? Sacrilege, that's what. John Carpenter's horror classic has all the ingredients to make for a perfect Autumn slasher. Despite the fact that the movie wasn't filmed in Autumn and they had to use painted leaves, it's still the perfect spooky shocker for the season of Samhain.

Ok, if you've never seen Halloween, you need to get off your computer, go to your nearest Dvd retailer and buy a copy. Don't rent it because you will want to watch it every year. Halloween is the story of Michael Myers, the embodiment of pure evil. As a boy, Michael killed his sister and was institutionalized ("All I wanted was a Pepsi...", sorry, I got off track again). 15 years later, Michael escapes and goes back to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again. On his trail is Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), the only person who understands how dangerous Michael is. A teenage babysitter named Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut) and her two friends end up in the middle of Myers' killing spree. Will she and her friends survive?

Halloween has been called one of the first slasher films (following 1974's also holiday themed Black Christmas) and has spawned an infinite number of ripoffs (some good, many not). Seriously folks, it don't get much better than this. It's not very gory but it has some of the scariest moments in film history. The theme music is also classic and instantly recognizable. Throughout the whole last half hour of the film, you will be on the edge of your seat.

RATING: 5/5



No comments:

Post a Comment

The Blood Spattered Bride (1972, Vicente Aranda)

Just released from Mondo Macabro  is the 1972 Spanish Vampire film, The Blood Spattered Bride.  This is a film I have heard the me...