Horror films have been around since the beginning of cinema, but the real development of what they could become started in the 1970s. The real high point of the last century in horror came in 1978 when John Carpenter directed a film that would go on to become one of the biggest independent films of all time, and also one of the best horror films of all time—Halloween. On first glance this may just look like another dumb slasher flick, but on closer inspection, one will find that it’s brilliant. Halloween is terrific because of many numerous factors, all of which come together to form a perfect scary movie.
Halloween Transformed the Face of Horror Films
The decade that really changed horror would be the 70s, because there had never been such a vast selection of well-made, scary films in any previous decade. The first breakthrough was The Exorcist, a masterful look into the life of a young girl who becomes possessed by the Devil. It was remarkable because for the first time a horror film was recognized by both audiences and critics alike, and was even nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.
It proved that horror could be much more than just a secondary genre that merely scares individuals, but one that can reach all ages and offer ideas about humanity. The next big horror film was Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Like Night of the Living Dead, it was shot on a shoestring budget and yet all the more terrifying because of it. The film has a documentary-like quality to it that makes it feel authentic, especially considering that none of the actors in the film became recognizable names.
Halloween, however, would prove to be the pinnacle film of the genre. The film, directed, co-written, and co-produced by John Carpenter, has a fairly simple plot. The movie opens with a young boy named Michael Myers killing his older sister Judith on Halloween night, 1963. The late Donald Pleasance stars as Dr. Sam Loomis, an intelligent, obsessive individual who treats Michael in a psychiatric ward for fifteen years. One night, when Michael is to be taken to a different mental institution, Michael hijacks Loomis’s car and heads for his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois—Loomis follows close behind.
Meanwhile, in the seemingly peaceful town of Haddonfield, Halloween has arrived, and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, in her film debut) is looking forward to a night of babysitting and carving jack-o-lanterns. Her best friends Lynda (PJ Soles) and Annie (Nancy Loomis) are outgoing, confident, and beautiful young ladies, while Laurie is more of an outcast who never seems to fit in.
The Film is Filled With Memorable Performances
Throughout the course of her day, she begins to see an ominous figure with a white mask and overalls on outside windows and beside bushes. She begins to think she’s hallucinating when no one else sees what see sees. Later that night, Laurie, finally getting a break from babysitting, goes to the house across the street thinking there might be trouble, only to find the bodies of her two best friends. She is attacked by Michael, but Michael is shot off of a two-story balcony by Loomis, who arrives just in time to save Laurie’s life. Michael disappears into the night, as Loomis looks down to see his body gone.
The actors in the film are not meant to win Academy Awards; instead, they act like real people who are really talking and are vulnerable in any given situation. Donald Pleasance plays his role as if he doesn’t have a lot going for him in his life. He portrays Loomis as somewhat of a lost soul who is completely swept up in Myers, as he has been seeing him every day for fifteen years and knows that there is something deeper inside of him that the world doesn’t wish to see. He gives the performance a small intensity that always stays subtle and never goes over the top.
Introducing... Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is wonderful in her first movie role because she doesn’t overdo the performance. She creates a protagonist who we want to see beat the bad guy because she displays human qualities throughout the movie that everyone can relate to, and she partakes in everyday events, like going to school, babysitting, and chatting with her friends about boys. Curtis has gone on to maintain an honorable career that includes such films as A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies, and Freaky Friday, and she has to owe it all to the start—Halloween.
Many of the supporting actors are terrific as well, and they all contribute performances that make the movie even better. Charles Cypher, as Sheriff Brackett, is the straight man to Loomis’s more obsessive personality. He sits back as Loomis rambles on about Michael and doesn’t really care, but he listens anyway. It isn’t a showy performance, but it’s necessary in order to give the character of Loomis someone to discuss the antagonist with.
PJ Soles is Hilarious as Laurie's Friend Lynda
Possibly the most memorable performance of the film is by PJ Soles, who plays Laurie’s other friend Lynda. She is the crazy girl of the group, one who is always busy with boys and dances. It’s memorable because it’s flashy, but it’s also a sharp performance because Soles knows the character inside out—she played a similar character in Carrie.
And then there's Nick Castle as The Shape. The manner in which the villain is presented in a horror film makes or breaks it, and the sheer apathy that Myers displays through his blank visage gives the movie its terror. Particularly noteworthy is the manner in which Myers looks at his victims. He turns his head to the left and then to the right, almost as if he’s analyzing a piece of art.
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