It wouldn’t be October without Halloween — the 1978 John Carpenter classic that is! Like most Reviews of Future Past, I review a film before its sequel/prequel releases. This is a very special one. Not only does Halloween has a sequel set to release this weekend, but October of this year — October 25th to be precise — marks the 40th year anniversary of the film!

It’s only right to look back at the classic 40 years later and just before the sequel, also titled Halloween, hits the big screen!

Directed by: John Carpenter

Written by: John Carpenter and Debra Hill

Starring: Donald Pleasance, Jaime Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews, and Nick Castle

Studio: Compass International Pictures; 2.39:1

On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith’s Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.

John Carpenter is known for his horror stories but Halloween isn’t necessarily a horror film. It’s more of a mystery/psychological thriller. For most of the film, there are no jump scares or anything found in a horror film these days. Halloween works slowly with the story to make the tension high and the fear builds up.

That’s what makes Halloween such a great film, it knows how to get the audience for a scare. This terrifying story about this insane man escaping from where he sentenced and on the hunt for new blood alone can make anyone anxious! Questions keep coming up of who is Michael; why does he kill; what happened that made him the way he is; etc. The mystery and suspense are the real fun to be had here, not jump scares. John Carpenter’s direction of the movie is a mystery/psychological thriller turned out for the best.

Carpenter’s direction meets the film’s suspense perfectly. Michael Myers is back in his hometown, for example. Even when he is not on screen, there is a feeling of something eerie and that builds to the suspense of when Michael will strike. The feeling of isolation is a factor as well. The setting of this small town gives such a small room to be relaxed, especially when scenes are in the house and it’s dark and quiet. Aspects like that help give the audiences more fear in them.

The film’s writing as a whole is really good. From the start, we are put in Michael’s perspective and see what went down. Opening the film like that is very unique and from the get-go, we know that Michael means trouble. The film then takes it’s time developing the characters and sets up a night of terror. There was never a time where the film felt long because of how the story moves slowly to feel ominous.

Performances are not the best in this film, but at the time I bet people were raving about them. However, Jaime Lee Curtis did steal the show, and it wasn’t because she would later become the face of the franchise. Curtis as this smart, teenage girl clueless about the history of her neighborhood played out really well. The look of her being startled whenever she sees Michael in a distance is good, it doesn’t appear she’s just staring into the distance. The best of her comes in the third act when she goes face to face with Michael. Everything that built up to it, paid off. She did a great job at showing fear and going against Michael.

Nick Castle as Michael Myers, or “The Shape”, was amazing! While he didn’t much of a speaking role or expressions shown, he did have his presence felt in every scene he was in and even the scenes he wasn’t in. Whenever Castle’s heavy breathing would be heard, the connection was instantly made that something was going to go down. Castle was the perfect fit for the role.

The costume for Michael Myers is frightening! The pale white mask with black holes for eyes would give anyone a scare! It also helps that Nick Castle is really tall, it adds to the menacing look. The famous dark blue coverall that Michael wears was perfect! It adds to his trait of being stealthy, being able to hide anywhere in the dark.

The classic score by John Carpenter is iconic by now and everyone knows it. The main theme just sends chills through the body. The film is often quiet to build suspense, thanks to the sound mixing crew, and when the main theme is heard is where the tension begins to rise. Cinematography by Dean Cundey was great, especially wide shots of Michael from a distance. The film is edited quite well and the pace never drags, it keeps the story steady.

No real issues to be found here but as a slasher film, it could have used more slashing and more blood. Films that fall in the genre use more shots of characters getting killed and their blood all over the place. Films like A Nightmare on Elm. Street and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for example. While the end product turned out to be fantastic, it felt that it was missing something. That something was the violence and gore. The film released early when horror films were changing so it isn’t anything big to nitpick on. Just something to think of what could have been.

In the end, Halloween is always a must watch in October. 40 years later and it still holds up. John Carpenter delivered a fantastic mystery/physiological thriller that would be remembered for years to come. Excellent performance from then up and coming star Jaime Lee Curtis and The Shape himself Nick Castle. A film with tension and suspense and everyone will enjoy. Now is time to see how David Gordon Green and Danny McBride will bring to the table this weekend with Halloween!

80/100