31 Days of Halloween: All Hallow’s Eve

Well- I didn’t achieve my goal.  That fickle bitch Sandy (and preperations before hand) threw a curve ball into the ‘movie a night’ plan for October. But no worries, all are safe and minimal damage here in my neighborhood. I hope this post finds all those who were in the path of Sandy well, and my prayers go out to those hardest hit.

However, had to post the last of my reviews come hell or high water….actually, they both came, but (double entendres aside) I had to post the review for the last one.  Saved this for Halloween night and I’m sure you’ve guessed which story it is.

Before the review, I will mention that the Word Count Podcast WILL return in November, as well as a very special post regarding an upcoming short story anthology where a story of mine will be published.  So stay tuned!  Meanwhile…

Halloween (1978 – rated R in the US for frightening and intense scenes, violence, gore, nudity and my thoughts about a young Jamie Lee Curtis)

Summary (from IMDB):

The year is 1963, the night: Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that 15 year old Judith Myers has been stabbed to death, by her 6 year-old brother, Michael. After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out on the night before Halloween. No one knows, nor wants to find out, what will happen on October 31st 1978 besides Myers’ psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it’ll be too late for many people.

This is John Carpenter at his finest. This Godfather of slasher movies was made on absolutely minimal budget (the cast wore their own clothes).  Carpenter’s use of lighting and suspense building set the bar for a generation of flicks–and he didn’t need a massive special effects budget to do it.  Lighting techniques, sounds, camera angles, moving shadows, and a haunting score.  Little touches that clue in the audience while the characters are still clueless.  Fantastic stuff.

The character of Michael Myers  is such a phenomenal monster in this movie that he inspired scores of imitators, such as Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th), The Miner (My Bloody Valentine), and Charlie Puckett (The Night Brings Charlie), to name but a few.

The acting is surprisingly good. PJ Soles provides much of the films limited humor (and one of the best deaths), Nancy Loomis turns in a decent performance and then there is the young “queen of scream” herself, Jamie Lee Curtis. Her performance at first seems shy and un-assured, yet you quickly realize that it is perfect for the character, who is herself shy and un-assured and not at all prepared for what she is to face. And of course there is the perfectly cast Donald Pleasence as the determined (perhaps a little unstable) Dr. Sam Loomis.

This is a classic that is still imitated today, nearly 35 years later.  If you want to see an oldie, but a goodie and the one that really started the genre, then put the candy out doors for the kids, turn out the lights and enjoy.

Happy Halloween!

Peace