Halloween

I just finished watching “Halloween” (1978) and it’s honestly a perfect horror movie. I’m going to be watching this entire franchise in the month of October—and this is a banger way to start this franchise. John Carpenter’s direction is insane and the way he built tension was unreal. Great performances all round. Michael Myers has always been my favourite horror icon ever since I was a kid. I remember myself dressing up as him for a couple Halloweens, so I was very pumped but also nervous to dive into this horror franchise. Seeing him on screen for the first time, knowing he’s the ultimate silent killer, was terrifying and so satisfying at the same time. I adored the camera work in this movie—so many different ways the creepiness was shot, whether it be POV shots, tracking shots down hallways, close-ups, or just lingering shots of empty streets and quiet rooms. Every shot added to the tension in a different way, and the town itself felt like part of the horror, with leaves blowing, doors creaking, and kids trick-or-treating. The atmosphere is incredible, and the vibe of the town made me fall in love with this film. The music is probably the only thing I knew about this franchise going in, which is a good thing because I was 95% blind. It’s iconic for a reason, the best horror score of all time, and nothing will ever probably beat it. Honestly, it’s just one of the best scores for a movie ever, and the craziest part is John Carpenter did it in 3 days. Every note, every moment it comes in, it made me feel tense and on edge like nothing else—just some of the greatest horror sequences ever ate in this move, making it fantastic. It’s very scary and has such a great use of Michael as a background creep. Some very memorable shots that I really enjoyed. I really like Laurie Strode as a final girl. I felt very invested in her as a character, and the way she reacted to everything made me root for her the whole time. The kills are good, the jump-scares are effective, and the suspense is consistent throughout. Honestly, I found it hard to think about anything I disliked—maybe a couple of the smaller characters were a bit stupid, but it’s not a big deal and really doesn’t affect the movie for me. One scene that stood out to me the most was when Laurie is alone in the house and Michael is slowly approaching her in the background while she’s checking the windows. The tension is insane—the music, the shadows, the POV shots that make it feel like Michael is right there behind her—and then when he finally strikes, it hit so hard. That scene perfectly showed how Carpenter used suspense, the camera, and music together to make you feel every second of terror. What’s crazy to me is that slashers can so easily be bad or boring—Most I’ve seen just rely on cheap kills or dumb characters, and have bad camera work. But this is just not that at all. This is the greatest slasher I’ve ever seen, and honestly it feels like it might just be the greatest slasher ever made for me at least. It balances everything perfectly: atmosphere, characters, music, and horror. Tick, tick, tick, tick. Nails it all. It is the ‘Halloween’ movie. It’s a horror film that I’ll be revisiting every October for sure. I love horror movies that are set around this time because, at the end of the day, that’s where all this scariness came from—the holiday that America really loves and isn’t as big in my country, Australia. Such a cool vibe that adds to everything. I’m curious to see where the sequel takes this franchise because I’ve heard it can get confusing with all the timelines and continuity, but I think it will make sense as I go along. For now, though, this first movie is flawless. Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, the music, the camera work, the atmosphere, the tension, the jumpscares—it all just works perfectly. And as far as my horror journey goes so far, this is easily my favorite film I’ve seen. It hits every note I love about the genre and proves why horror, when done right, is unbeatable. John Carpenter is a legend. Michael Myers is a legend. This movie is iconic, terrifying, and unforgettable.