SpielbergFan2001
11-04-16, 04:03 AM
Film Info
Directed by: John Carpenter
Produced by: Debra Hill
Written by: John Carpenter and Debra Hill
Starring: Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J Soles, and Nancy Loomis
Rated: R
Release Date: October 25, 1978
Runtime: 91 minutes
Budget: $300,000-$325,000 (conflicting reports)
Box Office: $70 million
Review
This film has been called the definitive scary movie to view around Halloween time. This film, one that kicked the slasher trend into high gear (though Black Christmas and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre preceded this film) and became one of the most imitated. The film was, for a time, the highest grossing independent film of all time. The film helped launch the career of Jamie Lee Curtis and made a horror anti hero of out Michael Myers.
The film begins on Halloween night in Haddonfield in 1963. Young Michael Myers murders his older sister Judith at the family home. He is arrested and sentenced to a psychiatric hospital under the care of Dr. Samuel Loomis. The film then flashes forward to 1978. Michael escapes the hospital in the middle of a transfer and begins to make his way back to Haddonfield. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode is planning to spend her night baby sitting the young boy Tommy Doyle whilst her friends plan to spend their evenings having sex with their boyfriends. While Laurie is baby sitting Tommy, her friend Annie drops off the little girl she is supposed to be babysitting, Lindsey Wallace, to go have sex with her boyfriend. Unbeknownst to everyone, Michael has returned. Michael murders Annie and her boyfriend. Upon investigation by Laurie, she is attacked by Michael who wounds her. She makes her way back to the Doyle house where she sends Tommy and Lindsey to get help. Laurie manages to incapacitate Michael for a small amount of time, however he attacks her again but is stopped by Dr. Loomis who is alerted to the commotion by the children. He sends Michael over the balcony with shots to the chest, however Michael has survived and escapes.
The film was the brainchild of John Carpenter and Debra Hill who set out to make an incredibly scary film. During the writing of the film, they decided that the scariest thing imaginable would be something so innocent as a babysitter being attacked by the boogie man. They fleshed out the concept into what the film eventually became. The film had to be made on a minuscule budget, so the film was populated with mostly unknown actors. The budget became so tight that the main villain, known in the scripts and the credits as simply "The Shape", had to be portrayed by the films primary stunt man, Nick Castle. The films score came courtesy of John Carpenter who played the score on a piano. The score is attributed to being one of the many effective elements in the film that scared audiences.
The film is surprisingly intensely heavy and unnerving throughout, and even down right scary in the final act of the film (from Laurie's discovery of Annie's murder to the end of the film). The film blends the shadowy cinematography, haunting score, and incredible acting performances so seamlessly that the film becomes truly upsetting. The film, unlike a majority of films in the slasher genre, did not rely on gore to elicit a response from it's audience. Several of the scenes, especially the murder scenes, stick with you long after the initial viewing. It is astonishing how much this film actually manages to scare you, even upon repeat viewing. The scares aren't all physical, it distorts you psychologically with it's teasing glimpses of the murderer through the picture.
Perhaps the most amazing sequence in the film is it's opening. The long, uninterrupted POV shot of the murder that opens the film is one of the most brilliant openings of not just a horror film, but any film. This single shot sets up the mood of the film so well, making you question who the perpetrator is, and then shocks you with the reveal that it is the work of a child.
The film is a slow burn which could become tedious to the viewer. The sections of the film devoted solely to Laurie and her teenage friends can become a tad boring and are very dated due to clothing and dialogue. The characters outside of the main trio (Michael, Laurie, and Dr. Loomis) are very shallow which makes it hard to care about their ultimate end.
Overall, this film truly worthy of the praise it has received over the years. The film is truly scary and delivers on so many levels. It never feels low budget due to how polished everything is. A lot rode on this film for it's cast and creators and gladly, it was a massive success that allowed them to move on to more incredible things.
The film get's a well deserved 4
Directed by: John Carpenter
Produced by: Debra Hill
Written by: John Carpenter and Debra Hill
Starring: Donald Pleasance, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J Soles, and Nancy Loomis
Rated: R
Release Date: October 25, 1978
Runtime: 91 minutes
Budget: $300,000-$325,000 (conflicting reports)
Box Office: $70 million
Review
This film has been called the definitive scary movie to view around Halloween time. This film, one that kicked the slasher trend into high gear (though Black Christmas and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre preceded this film) and became one of the most imitated. The film was, for a time, the highest grossing independent film of all time. The film helped launch the career of Jamie Lee Curtis and made a horror anti hero of out Michael Myers.
The film begins on Halloween night in Haddonfield in 1963. Young Michael Myers murders his older sister Judith at the family home. He is arrested and sentenced to a psychiatric hospital under the care of Dr. Samuel Loomis. The film then flashes forward to 1978. Michael escapes the hospital in the middle of a transfer and begins to make his way back to Haddonfield. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode is planning to spend her night baby sitting the young boy Tommy Doyle whilst her friends plan to spend their evenings having sex with their boyfriends. While Laurie is baby sitting Tommy, her friend Annie drops off the little girl she is supposed to be babysitting, Lindsey Wallace, to go have sex with her boyfriend. Unbeknownst to everyone, Michael has returned. Michael murders Annie and her boyfriend. Upon investigation by Laurie, she is attacked by Michael who wounds her. She makes her way back to the Doyle house where she sends Tommy and Lindsey to get help. Laurie manages to incapacitate Michael for a small amount of time, however he attacks her again but is stopped by Dr. Loomis who is alerted to the commotion by the children. He sends Michael over the balcony with shots to the chest, however Michael has survived and escapes.
The film was the brainchild of John Carpenter and Debra Hill who set out to make an incredibly scary film. During the writing of the film, they decided that the scariest thing imaginable would be something so innocent as a babysitter being attacked by the boogie man. They fleshed out the concept into what the film eventually became. The film had to be made on a minuscule budget, so the film was populated with mostly unknown actors. The budget became so tight that the main villain, known in the scripts and the credits as simply "The Shape", had to be portrayed by the films primary stunt man, Nick Castle. The films score came courtesy of John Carpenter who played the score on a piano. The score is attributed to being one of the many effective elements in the film that scared audiences.
The film is surprisingly intensely heavy and unnerving throughout, and even down right scary in the final act of the film (from Laurie's discovery of Annie's murder to the end of the film). The film blends the shadowy cinematography, haunting score, and incredible acting performances so seamlessly that the film becomes truly upsetting. The film, unlike a majority of films in the slasher genre, did not rely on gore to elicit a response from it's audience. Several of the scenes, especially the murder scenes, stick with you long after the initial viewing. It is astonishing how much this film actually manages to scare you, even upon repeat viewing. The scares aren't all physical, it distorts you psychologically with it's teasing glimpses of the murderer through the picture.
Perhaps the most amazing sequence in the film is it's opening. The long, uninterrupted POV shot of the murder that opens the film is one of the most brilliant openings of not just a horror film, but any film. This single shot sets up the mood of the film so well, making you question who the perpetrator is, and then shocks you with the reveal that it is the work of a child.
The film is a slow burn which could become tedious to the viewer. The sections of the film devoted solely to Laurie and her teenage friends can become a tad boring and are very dated due to clothing and dialogue. The characters outside of the main trio (Michael, Laurie, and Dr. Loomis) are very shallow which makes it hard to care about their ultimate end.
Overall, this film truly worthy of the praise it has received over the years. The film is truly scary and delivers on so many levels. It never feels low budget due to how polished everything is. A lot rode on this film for it's cast and creators and gladly, it was a massive success that allowed them to move on to more incredible things.
The film get's a well deserved 4