John Carpenter’s Halloween

Directed by John Carpenter, John Carpenter’s Halloween follows Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode as she’s stalked by a murderous madman (Nick Castle’s Michael Myers) in the hours leading up to the title holiday – with the movie also revolving around said madman’s psychiatrist’s (Donald Pleasence’s Dr. Loomis) ongoing efforts at tracking him down before he kills again. Filmmaker Carpenter certainly does an effective job of immediately drawing the viewer into the proceedings, as John Carpenter’s Halloween kicks off with a now-indelible opening credits sequence that leads into an engrossing prologue detailing Myers’ first kill – with the film, past that point, seguing into a deliberate yet consistently striking narrative focused mostly on Laurie’s run-of-the-mill exploits (eg Laurie meets her friends, Laurie does a favor for her father, etc). There’s little doubt that John Carpenter’s Halloween benefits substantially from Carpenter’s superior directorial sensibilities, as large swaths of the proceedings have been hard-wired with a memorable (and frequently iconic) feel that heightens the tense atmosphere on a continuing basis – with the movie’s various elements, including Dean Cundey’s arresting cinematography, Carpenter’s singular score, and Curtis’ sympathetic performance, certainly conspiring to create a classic entry within the horror genre. It’s worth noting, however, that John Carpenter’s Halloween does hit something of a demonstrable lull in its final third, as Carpenter and cowriter Debra Hill prove unable to keep the tension and momentum going through to the admittedly engrossing finale – which is somewhat disappointing, yes, but is ultimately unable to diminish the picture’s place as a superior (and prototypical) slasher flick.

*** out of ****