Halloween 1978

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                                                  Halloween' 1978: The Times Finally Reviews a Horror Classic - The New York Times

 This is a photo that belongs to Compass International Pictures. I have made it to the 1978 original, the one I watch every year, on Halloween. (For the irony)

  In 1963, Michael Myers kills his older sister on Halloween. Fifteen years later he escapes the mental hospital, and  comes home wanting to kill again.

 This is an iconic film in so many ways, probably much more than one could even count. This film is what started it all in the slasher genre. The film was shot for three hundred thousand dollars and makes forty- seven million in the United  States. So, in the year of 1978, that was a huge hit. It is still considered one of the most successful independent films ever made. One could see why they would want to continue in any way they could.

What I get behind in this story, is it's simplicity. I do not  think that it is trying to show off, or be something that it isn't. There is a subtlety to what is done. As early as "Halloween 2", at least compared to the original, things get turned up to an eleven. When you try to be genuine in your scares, or even the gore people appreciate it more. I think the thing that made this film the most scary was the score. This is hands down the best horror score ever composed. It really all does come around to the subtlety of the film itself.

  Carpenter is a huge Hitchcock fan, so when he went looking for his leading woman, he wanted to pay homage to the great director. What better way to do so than hire the daughter of "Psycho" star Janet Leigh? Having said this, this point does bring me to my most negative aspect, of the film. Except for Donald Pleasence, it did feel like people really had trouble with conveying the kind of fear, in a believable way. As I have watched it through the years, I really have chalked it up to they were all either new or fairly new actors at this time. 

  The real question is, what has made this film stand the test of time? I like that there is no answer, it is different for everyone.

 GRADE: A-



  

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