Fifteen years after brutally slaying his own sister on the night of Halloween in 1963, Michael Myers (Nick Castle) manages to escape from the mental institute that he was being held in, before returning to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, to murder once again. An all-time great horror flick and one that featured the birth of an iconic soundtrack that is still commonly known to this day. Halloween is currently streaming on Netflix.

Director: John Carpenter
Writers: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Starring: Jamie Leigh Curtis, Nancy Kyes, PJ Soles, Nick Castle

Released in October of 1978 to North American audiences and a little later to those around the world, Halloween still manages to stand the test of time as being one of the most effective Halloween based horror films of all time. Interestingly, Halloween was filmed in just twenty days with a rather modest budget of three-hundred thousand dollars, making its longevity and overall effectiveness even more remarkable. Since this release, a countless number of sequels and unrelated spin-offs have been created, including a remake named Halloween (2007), which will be reviewed on the website in the coming weeks.

As previously touched upon, Halloween featured the birth of one of the most iconic and timeless soundtracks of all time – one that manages to perfectly epitomise the feel of Halloween itself. The classic score consists of primarily a piano melody and was composed in just a few short days by the film’s director, John Carpenter. The soundtrack would later play a key role in the influence of the Synthwave music genre, a microgenre of electronic music.

In terms of the cinematography, the filmmaker managed to successful present an authentic suburban American feel, which the majority of its viewers at the time could relate to, along with the majority of newer viewers. The horror element mainly derives from the creepy atmosphere and tense scenes that linger throughout the ninety-one-minute runtime, with very little bloodshed, much to the disappointment of some viewers.

In terms of the cast, Jamie Lee Curtis adopted the role of Laurie, spearheading the majority of scenes, with support reigning in from Nancy Kyes and PJ Soles, who portrayed Annie and Lynda, respectively. Elsewhere, Nick Castle played Michael Myers, but a young, six-year old Michael Myers was also featured, this time with the role going to Will Sandin.

All in all, Halloween may not the scariest horror flick you’re liable to sit down and watch, but as a tribute to the event of Halloween itself, there aren’t many out there that are as effective and noteworthy as this one. As previously stated, Halloween is currently streaming on Netflix.

“There’s nothing to be scared of.”

Laurie – Halloween