Halloween is here, which means delicious candy, hilarious costumes, and thrilling slasher films are swarming us all! Not going to lie, I am a little biased toward this holiday and I always have been. Growing up, my entire family watched horror films during the entire month of October and dressed up no matter how old we were. We even helped my cousin run her own haunted house for the neighborhood kids for a few years: Halloween is a family matter.
So, there was no surprise when I became a horror film enthusiast of sorts. I have seen more scary movies than I can probably count: slasher, ghostly, demon-oriented, etc. You name it, I’ve seen it. But no matter how many films I’ve seen, in a range of topics, taking place in several time periods, not a single movie can compare to the absolute thrill of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” (1978). Now before movie junkies jump down my throat, I have some pretty sound reasons as to why this movie remains my favorite over many years.
1. The Simplicity
In 1978, when Carpenter set out to direct this film, there was no major backstory or plot line. As of right now, there are ten Halloween franchise films; none of which were intended thirty-eight years ago. And while I enjoy the backstory that developed in the second film, toward the end of the series it became too far-fetched and a little ridiculous. So that is my first reason for loving the original film, the simplicity behind it all. There was no “Michael Myers,” or weird sibling chase. In fact, the killer in this film is never even called Michael Myers (except once in the very beginning), but is rather referred to as “The Shape.” There is something so horrifying about a random man in a mask killing teenagers randomly. Not to mention, the amount of gore and effects are minimal, adding to a realistic fear factor.
2. The Cinematography
The first time I watched Halloween, I was too young to appreciate this aspect of the film. Of course, I was eight and scared out of my wits, but the older I am, the more I appreciate the way Carpenter shot this film. For a long time, I could not put my finger on what was so eerie about the film and the aesthetic. Simple streets with kids trick-or-treating, leaves dancing on the ground, houses straight out of suburbia. But when I watched a documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film, everything made sense. Carpenter talked about how he watched Chinatown (1974) with his production crew to draw inspiration for the cinematography. He explained how they used a little bit of a blue-hue, and once I watched the film after hearing this, everything fell into place. The colors in this movie all have a weird tint to it, just adding to the chill factor. As an audience, you can tell that something is NOT right just by looking at the screen.
3. The Music
Any person who knows anything about horror films knows about the iconic theme from Halloween. Of course, the simple few beats on the piano are totally bizarre and send chills all over my body whenever I hear it, but I believe the score for the entire first film is amazing. Any time the main character Laurie Strode appears on the screen, a certain theme would play in the background. The ghostly piano music that plays throughout the entire 90 minutes makes up for the lack of gore in this film. Blood is minimal in this movie, but Carpenter (who wrote the score on top of directing) knew what he was doing by creating his devilish themes.
4. Jamie Lee Curtis
When I thought of my final point, I thought of wording it as “Cast.” But I remembered, there was one actress that really made this film top notch. Jamie Lee Curtis is known now for Activia commercials and Freaky Friday, but her first role is my favorite role she has portrayed. The main character in this film, Laurie Strode, is played by a young Curtis in her very first role. The character of Laurie represents all things kind, caring, and brave as she fights against the terrifying killer and keeps the children she babysits safe. Curtis portrayed this role with a fresh face and youthful taste, making her character relatable to a lot of the audience. After the film boomed in the box offices, Curtis was offered many roles as the heroine in other horror films, deeming her a “scream queen.” But in an interview from the early 2000s, Curtis said Halloween was one of the best roles she was given and she wears her Laurie pin with pride.
If these reasons do not sell you, or you have not seen this iconic slasher film, you have a chance to catch it on air! Tonight (October 31st), the 1978 version will be airing on AMC’s Fearfest at 10 pm eastern time!
