"I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply...evil"
HALLOWEEN (1978)
Directed by John Carpenter
I know, obvious choice, but hear me out.
John Carpenter's "Halloween", the story of psychopath Michael Myers stalking, terrorizing and, ultimately, slaughtering a group of teenagers on October 31st, is a nearly perfect film. The budget is small and the story couldn't be simpler but, somehow, the director turns this little horror film into a masterclass of film aesthetics. Music, editing, fluid camera movement, flawless composition and innovative use of the widescreen frame all combine to create a masterpiece of sustained suspense. This is a director with an absolute command of the language of cinema.
The simplicity and skill of "Halloween" make this a movie I can revisit over and over again, usually right about this time of year. You can argue that Carpenter surpassed his work here with his brilliant version of "The Thing", a film that looks better with every passing year, but I still find "Halloween" his most compulsively watchable film.
Veteran character actor Donald Pleasence is inspired as the eccentric, Dr. Loomis but it's Jamie Lee Curtis' performance as Lorie Strode that has proved influential to this day. The character of the young woman who proves smart and strong enough to survive is still the template for contemporary horror movie protagonist and not likely to change anytime soon.
Despite it's worthy predecessors (which would include "Deep Red", the original "Black Christmas" and of course, Hitchcock's "Psycho") I belive that "Halloween" is still the supreme example of the unstoppable, knife-wielding killer movie. It has inspired a legion of mediocre imitators but that does not, in any way, detract from it's power or acheivement. It remains my favourite horror film.
So that's that, 31 horror films in as many days. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts and, maybe, discovered some new titles to consider. I don't know when I'll be back as I'm pretty busy these days. Maybe at Christmas time I'll write about how crappy most Santa movies are.
What do you think?
No comments:
Post a Comment