The
Night HE Came Home!
There are only two horror films that have every
TRULY scared me in my life.
The first was the masterful original "Texas
Chainsaw Massacre."
The second is John Carpenter's "Halloween," one
of the most suspenseful, haunting and vivid
films I have ever witnessed and one that, even
now after watching it, I will find myself
checking closets and leaving lights on after yet
another viewing.
The film opens innocently enough. We see a young
teenage girl and her boyfriend. It is rather
obvious they have just had sex and then,
suddenly, out of nowhere her six-year-old
brother enters the room and stabs both of them
to death.
He is institutionalized under the care of Dr.
Loomis (Donald Pleasence), however, he escapes
from the institution and returns to his old
neighborhood. He finds the babysitters still
babysitting, many of whom either know of his
story or were in the town at the time. They
include Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), Lynda (PJ
Soles) and others. "The Shape" (soon to be known
as Michael Myers in sequels) is portrayed by
Nick Castle, though he's always behind his
familiar mask.
"Halloween" works because it is an overwhelming
sensory experience. While it is graphic, it is
more suspenseful and haunting than it is
violent. Every aspect of the production is
haunting, from the musical score, to the
lighting, to the production design and
Carpenter's direction capitalizes on all of it.
Many directors spend all of their energies on
creating special effects or going over-the-top
with blood and guts. While I cannot immediately
dismiss their films, I always find them
unsatisfying. When I am watching a horror film,
I want my entire being to be altered by the
experience. I want to feel the fear, the chills,
the anxiety. I want to feel my chest beating and
my breath becoming disrupted because I don't
know the next move. Too many directors believe
that awesome killing and technology can take the
place of the emotional experience, but for me a
true horror film...a true masterpiece of a
horror film is a film that toys with the
emotions of the audience to such a degree that
it messes with one's psyche.
Twenty-five years after its release, "Halloween"
remains one of the most frightening films ever
released. It is the most powerful type of horror
film because it seduces the viewer to such a
degree that even when it is most frightening it
is impossible to not watch. With strong
performances from Curtis and Pleasence, and a
script that chooses suspense over violence, John
Carpenter has created one of history's greatest
horror films.
©
Written by Richard Propes
TC Candler's Comment
Nope...
never felt a chill.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
