1978 classic ‘Halloween’ still delivers effective suspenseful thrills

For the past few weeks I have been going through some great horror classics for the spooky season - some of which were also seen during the Dietrich Theater’s Spooky Fest. And, with my Halloween review series now wrapping up, I figured the best film to help conclude this series is John Carpenter’s 1978 classic ‘Halloween’

On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally killed his 17 year old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years.

But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21 year old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith’s Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, where he looks for his next victims.

John Carpenter’s classic ‘Halloween’ is one of those horror classics that are timeless. This 1978 film remains one of the most genuinely suspenseful horror films ever made.

Forty-six years later and ‘Halloween’ will still do a remarkable job giving us many thrills and really effective scares. Carpenter showed that he can make a simple little concept and make it really frightening. There are quite a few moments where the film’s atmosphere can get really creepy and can also feel rather tense.

‘Halloween’ also has some scenes that are incredibly shot and the filmmakers use a few POV (point of view) shots really effectively. The most iconic POV shot in the film are the opening minutes where we see everything in 6 year old Michael’s point of view. And, of course, Carpenter’s iconic theme and musical score also helps give the film an sinister feeling, which always works!

The Laurie Strode and Sam Loomis characters are really compelling and help keep the film going. Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis really gave great performances, which can be seen in some of the film’s intense moments.

This iconic film has been a staple for the spooky season and always will be. The film features many stand out moments that help make it really iconic, especially the ending! Let me know on my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook what your favorite ‘Halloween’ film is in the series.

John Carpenter considered the hiring of Jamie Lee Curtis as the ultimate tribute to Sir Alfred Hitchcock, who had given her mother, Janet Leigh, legendary status in the 1960 classic ‘Psycho.’ Carpenter also approached horror legends Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee for the role of Dr. Sam Loomis before Pleasence was eventually cast.

‘Halloween’ is a widely influential film within the horror genre; it’s largely responsible for the popularization of slasher films throughout the 1980s.

The 1978 film also spawned a huge franchise, which consists of numerous sequels and reboots, which also create many separate timelines since a few of the sequels have ignored others. The recent trilogy of films (Halloween 2018; Halloween Kills; Halloween Ends) have had many different reactions from critics and fans. In fact, I have recently re-visited this trilogy and will also have my thoughts on those as well!

‘Halloween’ is rated R and has a running time of 91 minutes. You can also see this John Carpenter classic on the final day of the theater’s Spooky Fest on Halloween night!