Halloween: Tonight he comes home
I was a teenager when Halloween first came out, I remember watching it at the cinema with my older sister. It was the first horror movie I ever saw and just within the first minutes of the movie I was hooked, as the audience is introduced to the film via a POV shot of the killer (very reminiscent of Psycho) lurking in the shadows and entering the victim's house in order murder a young lady; I remember being shocked and gasping when we are revealed that the killer is just a little a kid, Michael Myers. In just these first 5 minutes, John Carpenter, the director, is able to make us feel both shocked and terrified.
Simple Plot, Terryfing Story.
Halloween is a 1978 slasher film directed and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with producer Debra Hill.
The main plot is quite simple, telling the story of Michael Myers, a psychopath that is committed to the sanitarium after killing his sister on Halloween when he was a kid. Fifteen years later he manages to escape and terrorizes the neighborhood as he begins his killing spree.
This movie popularized many of the most well-known tropes of the genre, such as the main female character (final girl) and the killing of promiscuous teenage characters. It also introduced the idea of a villain theme song, as the director made the iconic soundtrack for the movie and implemented it whenever Michael Myers would appear as if to let the audience know he was there.
A Low Budget Film with Massive Success
Part of what makes the production of this movie so interesting is the fact that it was made with a really low budget. John Carpenter was able to craft one of the most well-known slasher film classics of all time with only $300,000, which even back then was a small amount of money.
Everyone that worked on this movie did it as a passion project, as even the actors weren't paid a large amount and also had to help out in other activities that had nothing to do with acting. This low pay was what made many actors that were first asked to take a part in this movie to turn it down (something they would grow to regret).
The iconic soundtrack, one of the movie's greatest strengths, was composed by the director, and as such, there was no need to pay anyone else to do it. Even the terrifying costume of Michael Myers was made at an extremely low budget as the mask was a James Kirk mask they bought for a couple of dollars and then painted entirely white, they also added some details to it, like making the eyeholes larger, and that was it.
Michael Myers, Pure Evil
I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and, the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. - Dr Loomis.
The director, John Carpenter, was able to create an iconic villain that is still remembered in years to come: Michael Myers.
Even though in latter installments of the franchise Michael Myers became a caricature of himself, in his first appearance he made a great impact on the audience, as in the first minutes of the movie we were familiar with what he was capable of doing as a mere child, we were left in wonder and horror what else he'd do now that he had the hight and build to do worse things.
He is the embodiment of pure evil, we are left in the unknown as we fear what he could do, not having any motive to do so.
The movie does not care about the reason as to why Michael Myers is a killer, he was just born evil, with blank emotionless eyes. There is something very disturbing in the idea that a evil is born and not created. Michael Myers walks on a thin line between being human and a supernatural being, always making us wonder if he is truly human.
A Slasher Movie Classic
Halloween feels brutal, dripping tension and dread from every pore. We fear for the protagonist as she faces a seemingly unstoppable force of evil.
This movie represents the start of the popularization of the slasher film genre, its massive success inspiring many other film directors to make other iconic movies.
Halloween grossed over $70 million in the box office, making it wildly successful, especially when taking into account that it had a budget that was not even half a million dollars.
Carpenter showed us that an amazing director is able to make a classic out of a small budget. His creativity, masterful shots, and amazing soundtrack composition deserve all the respect he has earned in the industry.
Halloween solidified itself as a cult classic and is a must-see if you are a fan of the genre.
This is an entry for League of Movies (HIVE WRITING CONTEST): Third Edition | Week 01 - "Behind the Mask" sponsored by
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