On H List of Movie Reviews

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Halloween (1978)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 12/05, 3/08

12/05: Halloween is universally regarded as one of the best suspenseful horror movies made, and I agree with it.

John Carpenter's setup of the atmosphere is brilliant. So is his idea of putting on a simple white Shatner mask over Michael Myers' face. He's like a robot with no feelings. Jamie Lee Curtis is the indisputable queen of scream. Her name will live forever in the annals of horror cinema.

All in all, Halloween is a John Carpenter masterpiece.

3/08: Dropping my rating of '10' to '8' for Halloween, the movie is an imbalanced tale.

The first seventy-five minutes is tedious to sit through, forcing me to wait for something to happen. It's all about the buildup. Finally, the last fifteen minutes is what Halloween is all about which is very good and masterful.

A couple of questions: One, why did Laurie Strode either drop or not try to procure the killer's knife despite thinking that she killed him? Two, can I at least be acquainted with Michael Myers' psychiatric file? It'll clear up some of the mystery. Dr. Loomis' platitudes such as "The evil has escaped" and "He had the devil's eyes" aren't helpful. Cementing her status as the "scream queen," Jamie Lee Curtis gives the best performance, probably of her career.

All in all, Halloween is the mother of all teen slasher flicks and remains inimitable.

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