Let's get back to basics! I guess cramming a bunch of slasher movies in the past 2 days made me nostalgic for the movie that started it all and made me fall in love with slashers in the first place. I've loved this movie since I was a kid, and I still try to watch it often because it still holds up surprisingly well even all these years later, and watching it always gives me the warm, fuzzy feeling and puts me in the Halloween spirit.
This is one of those seminal movies that has influenced a zillion other movies over the years. It's not the first slasher ever made, but it's one that changed the face of horror with its success. Even a lot of people who don't like horror movies have seen this one or are familiar with it and its killer, Michael Myers. He kills his sister, gets put in an institution, then escapes after he turns 18 and returns to his hometown to go on a killing spree again. Some local teen girls plan to spend the night babysitting, watching horror movies, having sex with their boyfriends, typical teenage stuff. Unfortunately Michael Myers throws a wrench into their plans (or a butcher knife) and starts killing them. Can anyone stop him?
Donald Pleasance gives a great performances as Michael's psychiatrist who is the only one who seems to understand the evil Michael is capable of. He returns to Michael's hometown trying to warn the townspeople, but they are skeptical of his claims. Meanwhile, we get to see Michael do his killing, and he really does seem more animal-like than human. Not a good sign.
It's funny how the world has changed so much from back when this movie takes place. I hear people arguing now about whether a 12 year old is old enough to stay home alone, meanwhile when I was 12 I was watching other people's kids as well as myself. The teenage girls in this moviewander back and forth between houses and leave the kids alone (with an open door no less!) That's just what you could get away with back when this movie was made.
There were no cellphones, no hanging around playing on the internet, just watching old black and white horror movies, carving jack-o-lanterns, and pigging put on candy. Those were the days. Of course, being so nonchalant with safety doesn't work well for the teens in this movie, since they all pretty much get killed by the boogeyman. Plus that opening theme music is amazing. You could have someone clipping their nails with that music playing in the background, and it would still be creepy. I just love this movie, and I never regret checking it out.
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