Directed by:
John CarpenterCinematography:
Dean CundeyComposer:
John CarpenterCast:
Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P. J. Soles, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews, John Michael Graham, Nancy Stephens, Arthur Malet (more)VOD (1)
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The undisputed touchstone of cinematic horror, John Carpenter's Halloween has been admired and imitated for over 30 years. Original masked monster and enfant terrible Michael Myers continues to haunt the zeitgeist as one of the most terrifying and misunderstood creations since Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. On October 31, 1963 Police attend a disturbance at the seemingly quiet neighbourhood of Lampkin Lane, Haddonfield and discover 11 year-old Judith Myers lying in a pool of her own blood. Stabbed to death by her 6 year-old brother Michael, victim of a devastating fratricide, with ripples felt by an entire community, a legacy of terror begins. Institutionalized for 15 years, Michael breaks out to fulfil his insatiable bloodlust. The only person who understands the murderer behind the mask is psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence). He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield to wreak havoc once more, for tonight the residents of Lampkin Lane live and die in the long dark shadow of Halloween. (Umbrella Entertainment)
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Reviews (10)
A few years later, I have to add that fifth star, because Halloween is a unique film. The unsettling atmosphere escalates to a heart attack ending, John Carpenter does not take it easy on the characters or the viewer, uses edgy long shots from Myers's point of view and shows him as sheer evil, which you have no problem believing. That there is strength in simplicity is 100% true here. And Jamie Lee Curtis is amazing.
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The cornerstone of the slasher genre and its best representative to this day. At times I had trouble with the plodding pace, but otherwise this is a masterpiece; Carpenter revels in point-of-view shots, unpredictably placing the masked gorilla in a carefully staged and photographed environment, and impressively delaying the climax in favour of a moment of surprise and a crescendo at the end. And there is no need to add anything about the music, no one will ever compose a better horror main theme.
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It's admirable the simple means John Carpenter employs to create a convincingly eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. The first pillar is his own soundtrack and the second is the seemingly unremarkable shots of empty sidewalks with falling leaves. In Carpenter's hands, however, this is an immensely impressive spectacle that is pure mastery from a creative standpoint. One of John Carpenter's most accomplished (and commercially successful) films ever, it floats right in the middle of the A- and B-grade waters. This is perhaps its greatest strength, since it can seem too simple and cheap at first glance, while the opposite is the case.
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Halloween is undoubtedly a classic of its genre, it made Jamie Lee Curtis one of the most famous scream queens of all time, and even after forty long years since its premiere it still manages to evoke suspense and terror, even though the ravages of time have taken their toll. In addition to that, it features one of the most iconic horror soundtracks that manages to strain despite its simple theme and creates a truly uncomfortable atmosphere. A must-see film for fans of the genre, but even a mostly horror-uninitiated viewer like myself will find something to enjoy.
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A cult horror film that, despite decent direction by John Carpenter, never managed to entice me simply because I completely miss the point of these kinds of slasher films thematically. Few subgenres are filled with as many clichés and foolishness as this one. Only Scream and Scream 2 caught my attention in this field because of the ironic perspectives. On the other hand, if there has to be a slasher film, it should be in Carpenter's style. His followers often simply plagiarized him. Overall impression: 45%.
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