Halloween (1978)

The first time I saw John Carpenter's 'Halloween' was well over ten years ago. I had heard so much about it, especially from my mom who saw it on the big screen when it first came out in 1978, and my expectations were high. For my mom it was a traumatic experience at the time and in her memory it has remained the scariest movie she has ever seen. This build-up made my first viewing of 'Halloween' somewhat anticlimactic.  The movie had a very slow pacing and I didn't find it very scary compared to other movies like 'The Shining'. This year I did however want to give it another chance.

The movie starts of in 1963 on Halloween-night where a 6-year-old Michael Myers stabs his older sister to death with a kitchen knife while he's dressed up as a clown. 15 years later, Michael escapes from the mental institution where he's been locked up since the murder. Dr. Loomis, who is the only one who understands what Michael is capable of, assumes that he's heading back to his old home in Haddonfield to go on a killing spree, and sets out to stop him. 

Not surprisingly I enjoyed the movie quite a bit more this time around. First if all I didn't expect the scariest movie ever made and secondly I've grown very fond of a slow pacing in movies. The build-up is just perfect and I love the introduction to the different characters. Dr. Loomis is my favorite character and Donald Pleasence is simply amazing in the role. He's sort of a tragic hero and is the only defender against the evil of Michael. Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode is also exceptionally good. She's a very sympathetic and we really care about her and want her to survive. 

I love the looks of Michael Myers with his boiler suit and white mask. I do however think he is most frightening when we don't see much of him. The way he stalks the teenagers in the first half of the movie without showing himself too much is very creepy. The second half of the movie is also very good, but suffer a bit from being copied and parodied so many times. Michael also appears weaker and more fragile than one would expect him to be. This was of course before the idea of sequels became a thing and they made min into a supernatural entity of evil. 

The soundtrack is nothing less than a masterpiece. It's simple but very effective and creates the perfect atmosphere for the movie. It has a nightmarish quality to it and must be one of the most recognizable soundtracks ever created.

All in all 'Halloween' is a true horror classic in every sense of the word.  It's obviously a must see for any horror fan and really put John Carpenter on the map as one of the greatest horror directors of all time.