My Favorite Scary Movie
Its no secret that John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece Halloween is my all-time favorite film. Groundbreaking, I know, but its true. Like most kids of the 80’s we feared and adored Michael, Freddy and Jason but as I grew up my devotion to Michael remained strong and ever present for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, Halloween ‘78 is a nearly perfect film. I know there’s the cigarette smoke swirl in the hedge scene and we all know Lynda trips over the dolly track as she’s heading up to the bedroom but these mistakes are minor and mainly attributed to a lack of budget. Had there been more time and money these scenes would have easily been reshot and corrected. For me, much like the storm trooper bumping his head in the original Star Wars, these tiny errors further endear the film to my heart; and I’m a picky bitch. Really, ask anyone!
The film’s strength lies in its simplicity. Its a very straightforward plot, easily believable and perfectly executed by John Carpenter and a very capable cast. Jamie Lee Curtis sealed her place in horror history with the role of Laurie Strode, an iconic final girl who is both extremely vulnerable and tough as nails. The suspenseful atmosphere created is top notch and completely bolstered by that score! Plus there’s Michael Myers himself. An unstoppable force of evil who revels as much in playing with his victims as he does in killing them. He terrified me as a kid. One of my favorite Halloween memories from childhood was when my brother, my cousins and I were packed in the back of my dad’s station wagon to go trick or treating and some dude in a Myers mask gave us ‘the look’. There were screams, tears and all sorts of upheaval but it was epic!
Obviously, as a horror fanatic, the holiday of Halloween gives me great joy so I am sure that also plays a part in my reverence for this film. For me, the movie captures the feeling of the holiday really well. When Laurie leaves her house with the pumpkin to wait for Annie there’s a gust of wind, the leaves start to blow and the music kicks in. Its perfection, an audio and visual translation of the day in 5 seconds of film. There’s also so many small moments of eerie quiet in the film that are used to create tension but instead remind me of the spooky possibilities present around every dark corner on All Hallow’s Eve.
Of course there’s a piece of nostalgia in my adoration of the film too. I briefly dated a young man in my early twenties who loved this movie. His room was filled with posters and fan art that he was able to get signed by PJ Soles and Nancy Loomis. His passion for the movie and his stories of meeting the stars at conventions and what the movie meant to him only helped to deepen my love for it and solidify it as my all time favorite. He was a depressed guy and was struggling with coming out and somehow, Halloween brought him hope and strength. The movie helped him to fight his own boogeyman which speaks to the absolute genius of John Carpenter and Debra Hill’s creation. I recently found out that this guy lost his battle with the boogeyman. We had lost touch many years ago but I always thought fondly of him and I always appreciated how he transformed Halloween 78 from a movie I liked to a movie that I loved and deeply appreciated. I’ve been wanting to write this in his honor since I found out about his passing and so here it is. Rest well my friend and thank you.
Halloween will always be my favorite movie, for the reasons listed here and more. I have been a devout fan of the entire franchise and I am so excited to see the story continue this year in Halloween Kills. I cant wait to see what happens next!