Halloween (1978)

Plot Synopsis:

Fifteen years after murdering his sister, Michael Myers escapes from a mental institution, and returns to his hometown on Halloween night, where he sets his sights on a teenage girl named Laurie Strode. Meanwhile, Michael’s therapist, Dr. Sam Loomis is hot on his trail.

Positives:

I think the best thing this movie has going for it is its simplicity. For example, the characters are fairly simple. Michael, Laurie, and Loomis are still beloved characters almost fifty years later. Now, I personally will have more to say about Laurie specifically in a different section of my review. The opening scene is one of the absolute best opening scenes in a horror movie ever (perhaps rivaled only by Scream and Jaws). Something I appreciate far more as an adult than I did when I first watched the movie as a teenager is the movie’s pacing. It’s actually fairly slow paced a good chunk of the runtime, but I think that actually works. It feels more like it’s ratcheting up the tension. The kills are another example of how this movie excels in its simplicity. The movie doesn’t rely on gore, and yet, a couple of the kills are among the most iconic of the franchise. You also can’t talk about this movie without discussing the score, which almost feels like a character in and of itself. It might be the most recognizable horror theme (again rivaled only by Jaws).

Mixed Aspects:

Okay, this is where I want to discuss Laurie Strode. Going by just this first movie, I think she’s just serviceable as a final girl. She’s only of the earlier examples of the trope. So, I don’t really feel as though she comes into her own as a character, or as a final girl, until the trope is much more well established. If I’m being honest, every time I watch this first movie, I’m always much more invested in Loomis. Again, that isn’t to say I think Laurie’s a bad character. I think a good comparison to make is Ash in the original Evil Dead. Both are iconic, but I don’t necessarily think the first movie offers the best version of either character. 

Negatives:

I really only have one negative with this movie, and it’s a very minor one. I have never understood the scene where Laurie sees Michael staring up at her through bedroom window. She sees him. We get a glimpse of Michael staring at her. We never see Laurie break eye contact, and when we cut back Michael is gone. The fact that he basically vanishes right in front of her is never brought up. Again, this is a very minor issue in the grand scheme of things.

Final Thoughts:

I think the existence of later sequels that really try complicating and expanding lore really shows how effective this movie is on its own, and just how well this works as a simple concept. While I love many of the sequels the follow, this is a movie I think would still be hailed as one of the all-time greats even if it stood on its own. 

My Rating:

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

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