{"id":38015,"date":"2016-10-22T21:59:48","date_gmt":"2016-10-23T04:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=38015"},"modified":"2020-12-10T13:25:15","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T20:25:15","slug":"halloween-1978","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=38015","title":{"rendered":"Halloween (1978)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Death has come to your little town, sheriff.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Poster-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-38020\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Poster-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Poster.jpg 393w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA psychiatrist (Donald Pleasence) is deeply disturbed to learn that his &#8220;evil&#8221; patient (Tony Moran) has escaped from an asylum and returned to his home town, where he killed his sister (Sandy Johnson) 15 years earlier as a six-year-old (Will Sandin). On Halloween, masked Moran quickly sets his murderous sights on a trio of friends: bubbly Lynda (P.J. Soles), wise-cracking Annie (Nancy Loomis), and straight-laced Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Donald Pleasence Films<\/li>\n<li>Horror Films<\/li>\n<li>John Carpenter Films<\/li>\n<li>Psychopaths<\/li>\n<li>Teenagers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nWhile he&#8217;s &#8220;not as sold&#8221; on John Carpenter&#8217;s cult &#8220;horror thriller&#8221; as are &#8220;many of its <a href=\"http:\/\/halloweenmovies.com\/\">cultists<\/a>,&#8221; Peary nonetheless asserts that <em>Halloween<\/em> is the &#8220;scariest horror film since <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5177\"><em>Psycho<\/em><\/a> and the most imaginatively directed&#8221;. He describes how Carpenter &#8220;builds tension by repeatedly using a subjective camera; quick editing; driving, piercing music (which he composed); and the creative use of light and shadow and color (particularly black and white).&#8221; He adds that Carpenter &#8220;blends the dark, spooky atmosphere essential to Val Lewton; the humor and suspense that go hand in hand in Hitchcock; the cheap &#8212; but fun &#8212; tricks and shocks found in William Castle films; and the graphic violence that is the staple of the post-<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=13027\"><em>Night of the Living Dead<\/em><\/a> American horror film.&#8221; He writes that while he finds it a treat &#8220;watching the three Middle American teenagers&#8221; &#8212; who are &#8220;smart&#8230; witty, and appealingly unconventional&#8221; &#8212; &#8220;jabber away about boys, school, dates, sex, etc.&#8221;, he finds it &#8220;regrettable that even this film &#8212; like its many inferior imitators &#8212; thrives upon the deaths of sexually promiscuous, half-dressed young women&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m in agreement with Peary&#8217;s review &#8212; and I appreciate his intriguing analysis of serial killer &#8220;Michael Meyers&#8221; (who would return again and again &#8212; and again &#8212; in most sequels and remakes to come). Peary writes that he doesn&#8217;t &#8220;think the intriguing Michael is <em>evil<\/em>, just insane. There&#8217;s that six-year-old inside a man&#8217;s body, and everything he does &#8212; including his murders &#8212; is part of a mischievous game.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"834\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis.png 1920w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis-1024x445.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis-1536x667.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Meyer-Curtis-604x262.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He points out that while Michael &#8220;could kill his victims quickly&#8230; he prefers to hide behind bushes and in closets, peer into windows, scare them, tease them with loud noises&#8221; &#8212; and, in a notable scene, &#8220;before he attacks Soles, he stands in the bedroom doorway with a sheet over his body and glasses on his covered face.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary2-1024x445.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"278\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-38022\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary2-1024x445.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary2-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary2-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary2-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary2.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, &#8220;in his never ending struggle with Curtis&#8230; he pretends to be dead several times, only to rise and resume his attack&#8221; &#8212; a decidedly unique take on the &#8220;never assume he&#8217;s dead&#8221; trope of horror movie victims.   <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Curtis.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Curtis-1024x445.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"278\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-38019\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Curtis-1024x445.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Curtis-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Curtis-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Curtis-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Curtis.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Highly atmospheric direction and cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography-1024x445.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"278\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-38018\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography-1024x445.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"834\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2.png 1920w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2-1024x445.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2-1536x667.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Cinematography2-604x262.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many effectively scary moments<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary-1024x445.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"278\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-38017\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary-1024x445.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Halloween-Scary.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, of course, as a classic of the genre. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0077651\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/series-halloween.html\">Greatest Films Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/horror\/halloween-1978.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s4302hall.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/index.php?page=review&#038;id=2943\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/halloween\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Death has come to your little town, sheriff.&#8221; Synopsis: A psychiatrist (Donald Pleasence) is deeply disturbed to learn that his &#8220;evil&#8221; patient (Tony Moran) has escaped from an asylum and returned to his home town, where he killed his sister (Sandy Johnson) 15 years earlier as a six-year-old (Will Sandin). On Halloween, masked Moran quickly sets his murderous sights on a trio of friends: bubbly Lynda (P.J. Soles), wise-cracking Annie (Nancy Loomis), and straight-laced Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis). Genres, Themes,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=38015\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38015"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56801,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38015\/revisions\/56801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}