Review by
Eric Hillis
Directed by: John Carpenter
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Nick Castle, PJ
Soles, Nancy Loomis, Charles Cyphers
While it can't claim to be the first slasher movie, having been preceded
by the likes of Peeping Tom, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Black Christmas, John Carpenter's Halloween is certainly the most influential. Laying down a new template for
the genre, it inspired countless imitations, none of which would come
remotely close to replicating its chilling atmosphere.
Carpenter had been approached by producer Irwin Yablans to write and direct a cheap horror movie, Yablans having been
highly impressed with Carpenter's work on the low budget
thriller Assault on Precinct 13. Enlisting the aid of then girlfriend Debra Hill, Carpenter
wrote a script in a few days, originally with the rather uninspired title
of 'The Babysitter Murders'. It was Yablans who came up with the title
change, mainly as a marketing gimmick (October was traditionally a slow
month for cinema releases). Producer Moustapha Akkad stumped up the cash and would become the guiding hand of the series
once Carpenter lost interest.
After being turned down by Peter Cushing and Christopher
Lee, Carpenter landed Donald Pleasence for the role of Dr
Loomis (named after a character from Psycho), the psychiatrist on the hunt for Michael Myers, the killer who escape
his care. Pleasence is fantastic and it's impossible to imagine the
original two choices being as effective. They lack the vulnerability he
brings to the role, too imposing for a character who is essentially the
most terrified person in the movie.
The casting of Jamie Lee Curtis was again somewhat of a marketing coup, being the daughter of Psycho star Janet Leigh (and Tony Curtis). This is not to undermine her, as she gives a fantastic performance as the babysitter stalked by Myers, which led to her being cast in every other slasher movie in the immediate years. In fairness to the actress, she's always been quick to acknowledge the debt she owes to this film and was happy to return to the role 20 and 40 years later, albeit with mixed results.
The real star of course is Carpenter himself, both as director and
soundtrack composer. In the latter capacity he recorded the score in just
three days, basing it on simple syncopated rhythms taught to him as a
child by his music professor father. It's a perfect score, flawlessly
employed in the film. The main theme has become iconic, as recognisable as
those of Jaws and Star Wars. What Carpenter also cleverly does, and a highly original idea at the
time, was to incorporate the music as a sound effect. Every time we see
Myers jump out from the darkness we get a stabbing sound, which varies in
tone for each situation. Like his earlier score for Assault on Precinct 13, it was entirely composed on a synthesizer, a method which would become
the norm for low budget films over the next decade.
Carpenter's direction is flawless, remarkable given the pressures of time
and budget imposed on the young filmmaker. To give it a higher production
value, he took the decision to shoot the film in Panavision, a widescreen
format usually reserved for epics and blockbusters. Carpenter uses the
wide frame to create numbing tension, Myers often appearing out of the
empty space at the corner of the screen. The Panaglide, an early form of
Steadicam, was employed as a way of filming movement quickly without
having to lay down tracks. It often serves as Myers' POV, as in the
brilliant opening sequence seen through the eyes of the eight-year-old
killer as he murders his sister. Later in the film Carpenter messes with
our heads by fooling us into thinking we're seeing the killer's POV, only
for Myers to walk into the frame. This lack of trust in the camera puts
the audience on edge throughout.
There's clever use of colour too. The movie's first half occurs in
daylight with a predominantly green theme making us feel reasonably safe,
and even the colour of Curtis' sweater matches the immaculate lawns of
suburban Haddonfield. Later however darkness falls and a blue backlight
(later to become a cliché in 1980s horror) pervades. Tellingly, Curtis
swaps her green sweater for a blue one, shedding her innocence as the
evening's horrific events plunge her into maturity. Kudos to the lighting
of Dean Cundey, who would go on to become one of Hollywood's
most in demand cinematographers.
The character of Michael Myers is one of cinema's most iconic, but it's a
ridiculously simplistic costume. The mask was actually a William
Shatner mask found by production designer Tommy Lee Wallace, who sprayed it white, cut holes in the eyes and tousled the hair to
give it the creepy look we know so well. Carpenter's friend Nick Castle played the killer, and his subtle movements add an extra dimension
of creepiness. Myers was also played by Debra Hill (the hands of the
eight-year-old Myers in the opening sequence) and Tony Moran (the face revealed when the mask is eventually removed).
Unlike the imitations which would follow, there's nary a drop of blood
spilled onscreen. Despite this, or arguably because of this, the movie is
absolutely terrifying. The final 20 minutes, in which Curtis is stalked by
Myers through the normally safe environs of a suburban street, is for me
the highlight of a hundred plus years of horror cinema. There's barely a word of
dialogue; it's visual filmmaking at its finest. Never have camera
movement, framing, lighting and editing been combined in such a chilling
manner. If an alien landed and asked me what makes cinema great, I would
simply show them the shot of Curtis framed in a doorway as Myers rises
from the dead behind her. That's cinema! That's John Carpenter!
That's Halloween!
Halloween is in UK/ROI cinemas from October 25th.