By Bryce Wellenreiter
Fifteen years after killing his sister, Michael Myers breaks out of a mental institution and returns to Haddonfield to kill once again.
Halloween (1978) was one of the most influential films in the horror movie industry, particularly in the slasher genre. The movie would go on to inspire the making of many classic slasher films, including Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine, Scream, and many other generic slasher films.
The film shot over the course of 20 days, was created by John Carpenter on a budget of only $300,000. The cinematography of the film gives viewers some amazing scenes, like the first-person perspective of Myers stalking his victims, along with different camera placements to give some more good shots. This film also has one of the most iconic pieces of theme music of all time that can be instantly recognized by anyone. It was supposed to be the start of an anthology series telling different stories that take place during Halloween time, but people enjoyed the film and the character of Myers, so many more movies would be made.
Halloween is such a good film because it doesn’t follow a confusing story or any major twists, it has a plot that is smooth sailing from start to finish. Jamie Lee Curtis played the role of Laurie Strode, who is stalked by Myers throughout the movie. She played the role terrifically, making Halloween a fantastic start to her acting career. Donald Pleasence delivers some of the best lines in the movie as Dr. Samuel Loomis, another fantastic character. Dr. Loomis is the doctor of Myers, who tracks down Myers after his escape from the mental institution.
Of course, the best character in the film is Michael Myers himself, played by Will Sandin (Myers age 6), Nick Castle (Myers age 21) and Tony Moran (Myers while unmasked). which is not a surprise as he has been returning ever since with the most recent appearance Halloween Ends.
Myers is also one of the best antagonists in horror cinema. With his cheap mask, soulless black eyes, and absolute silence, he is seen as nothing but pure evil. He is described perfectly within the film by Dr. Loomis.
“I met him, 15 years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this… six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and… the blackest eyes—the devil’s eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil,” the doctor explained.
This line describes exactly how we see Myers in the film and introduces an amazing antagonist. I highly recommend watching this movie as it’s one of the best slasher films of all time.
From the soundtrack to the cinematography, it’s amazing—a perfect movie for the Halloween season.
