# Halloween (1978)

### reviewed by
Brandon Herring

    Rating: * * * * out of * * * *

Rated R for intense violence, sexuality and some nudity.

    Running Time: 92 minutes

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance, Nancy Loomis, P.J. Soles. Once in a great while a brilliant horror film will come out, this year we've had the new classic 'The Blair Witch Project' which has been hailed as the scariest film ever made. While one of the scariest, Halloween still reigns supreme as the most horrifying movie ever put on film strip. It's whole approach to horror movies are the most amazing thing of the film is that it needs no gore, no explicit violence and no excess blood to scare the hell out of us, instead it relies on genuine scares and atmosphere to make us pee our pants with fright. The score of the film is also a big thing too. Sometimes the score is what scares us the most, along with Michael Myers we have no mercy from this terrifying motion picture masterpiece.

The film starts out with a creepy opening sequence to which has the now classic and creepy score by Writer/Director/Producer John Carpenter who in my mind is a brilliant director, he really is. He wrote this film, he directed this film, he produced this film and he made the excessively creepy score to this film. I think he is and always will be famous for this classic which after 21 years has not lost it's popularity or it's ability to scare the wits out of people. I think I have seen 'Halloween' over 100 times and each time I find something new and brilliant, and each time I am scared even though I know what is going to happen. I own three different versions of the film: A VHS regular version that came with a limited edition 20th Anniversary t-shirt, a boxed edition VHS in a hardcover case digitally re-mastered with the original theatrical widescreen presentation, in a nifty plastic picture decorated box with a numbered snow-globe.

In other words I am completely and utterly obsessed with the film. It has changed horror movies forever and spawned six sequels with only 2, 4, and 7 being truly good. It also spawned several cheap imitations of the film that were offensive in some ways to a true Halloween Fan. Since I heard about Halloween being released on DVD in a limited edition of 30,000 copies, I knew I had to buy one no matter what! I did and man to me it's the best DVD ever manufactured with the brilliance of the film. No words can describe the DVD.

In 'Halloween' Michael Myers is a evil person whom killed his sister in cold blood 16 years ago in 1963. Now in 1978 grown up and in a mental hospital Michael Myers escapes to go back to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, followed by his past doctor Sam Loomis. The person Michael is targeting is Laurie Strode who is played by Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut. Why is he stalking her? Check out Halloween II it explains it all. On this unholy night on October 31, 1978 Laurie Strode and her two friends are going to have the time of their lives, which is trying to stay alive. The whole film is filled with terrifying moments most coming from just seeing Michael Myers walk. Nick Castle who played The Shape in the first movie did an incredible job, and no other person in any other Halloween flick can do what he did.

What John Carpenter did in 1978 is made a ground-breaking new film, with scares, wit, and style. The movie is flawless if not perfect. No other movie or sequel has lived up to this one, and in my opinion never will. 'Halloween' will be like 'Psycho' and still be extremely popular even almost 40 years later. I just hope someday 'Halloween' will be released in a new Dolby Soundtrack with the 4 extra scenes on the DVD edition. 'Halloween' isn't just another slice-and-dice horror flick, it's an intelligent, horrifying and best film experience ever made. See 'Halloween' and be scared....then watch it again! Reviewed by Brandon Herring October 7, 1999.

Ratings for the other Halloween Movies:

Halloween II- * * *½ Halloween III- Zero Stars Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers- * * * Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers- * * Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers- * * Halloween: H20- * * * * Brandon Herring Movie Review Heaven (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/movie/3160/moviereviewheaven.html

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