Horror films are definitely a spectacle, to say the least. Bursting with cheesy acting, empty plots, jump scares and blood, you can be assured that these hellish crafts of cinema will elicit emotional reactions of all kinds.
Given the recent transition to October, the American Month of Horror, I have decided to take this opportunity to take a look at some of the most notable films that have made the horror genre what it is.
And what better way to begin than by taking a look at one of the pioneers of modern horror: Halloween.
Originally directed by John Carpenter and co-written by Debra Hill in 1978, Halloween is a prime example of what we in the modern day would refer to as an extremely successful indie movie. The film originally opened in only one theater, with extremely little advertising, and gradually spread out based on word-of-mouth success. While considered today to be one of the all-time classics of the horror genre, the film actually originally met with a very lukewarm reception, with critics claiming it lifted far too many elements from more successful films like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.
These critics were arguably correct. The film’s plot is itself incredibly simple and straightforward. The film opens on a six year old boy named Michael.
On Halloween night, seemingly unprovoked, Michael murders his older sister, stabbing her repeatedly with a butcher knife, before being rightfully whisked away to a mental institute. 15 years later, Michael breaks free from his hospital prison, returns to his hometown, dons a white mask and initiates a brutal killing spree throughout his old hometown. Meanwhile, Michael is being hunted by Dr. Samuel Loomis, a doctor from the hospital who realized that Michael ought never be released.
The plot itself is really nothing particularly special. It is ridden with clichés the likes of which have plagued the horror genre for years: mental institutions, silent psychopathic killers, masked men, helpless teenage girls and plenty of scenes at night.
Halloween is also notable for being one of the films to launch the Slasher subgenre of horror movies to the forefront. Compared to other movies of the time, Halloween featured an abundance of gory scenes; while commonplace in modern horror, brutal stabbings being on prominently featured on camera was relatively rare in 1978.
That being said, the murder scenes by today’s standards are nothing particularly special; most are extremely quick, only three utilize a knife, and a few even take place offscreen. Yet for all of its clichés,
Halloween has miraculously earned a nigh iconic status among horror films. Perplexingly enough, its prevanece of clichés quite likely is why the film has such a wide following even to this day. While it brings very little actually new to the table it utilizes all of the elements that a horror movie is supposed to have, which makes it significantly easier for audiences to digest. The horror scenes themselves are also relatively tame by today’s standards. Halloween is quite liberal in it usage of the “jump scare.” A jump scare typically refers to a scene with no music and seemingly mundane happenings, when suddenly the camera shifts to a “shocking” image, a loud, cacophonous music busts to life, and typically at least one character screams in shock.
While these scenes are potent for first viewings, subsequent viewings of the film naturally become less and less scary, as one knows precisely when all of the “big scares” are coming.
If a main character is alone for more than roughly a minute, it is pretty much a guarantee that the killer is outside the window, around the corner, or, if they are woefully unfortunate, right behind them.
With all of this mediocrity, however, three aspects of this film act as its saving graces, and are likely the sole reasons why this film retains its enjoyment value: the characters, the music and the familiarity.
Given that this is a horror film, many of the characters in the film clearly exist simply so they can be killed. Jamie Lee Curtis notably plays the female lead, in what was her first starring role in a feature film. She does a fine job playing the part of the terrified heroine, to be sure. However, the two actors who steal the show are Donald Pleasance as Sam Loomis, and Nick Castle as Michael Myers himself.
Pleasance, while playing a relatively small role, is crucial to the movie, as his character is the only means to see inside the killer’s mind. Michael Myers is a completely silent killer; while not particularly difficult to play, Castle, perfectly encapsulates the stereotype, with slow, lumbering movements, an ominous stance, and a silent gait that makes Myers into a very memorable villain.
However, in tandem, Pleasance and Castle strike a very interesting chord. Their characters are tied to one another, one insane, the other trying to reign in the insanity.
As Loomis grows more desperate to stop Myers, Myers becomes more aggressive, killing increasingly more people. The two act as perfect foils for one another, impressive given that Myers is completely silent throughout the entire film, and this unseen chemistry adds a layer of memorability to this film’s character roster.
In terms of musical quality, to be perfectly blunt, this film’s score could never be topped. While several background songs lay throughout the film, many of the scary scenes take place in silence. Where this film excels, however, is its theme. Its simple, minor key piano melody has reached a legendary status, which it has well earned. The simple beat, melding with even more ominous chords as the theme goes on, elicits images of stalking, fear and death. It really is perfectly ideal for this film.
The third greatest quality of this film is its familiarity. While much of its plot is comprised of horror clichés, these clichés actually work to this film’s advantage.
Unlike films such as the Saw series, Halloween doesn’t attempt to play for anything out of the ordinary. It isn’t over the top in its scare tactics, doesn’t feature excessive dismemberment, doesn’t feature supernatural creatures, and doesn’t use overly artistic filming techniques to emulate horror.
Rather, all of the horror derived from Halloween comes simply from the actions taking place on the screen. No scene overstays its welcome, the death scenes aren’t drawn out and each scare scene ends almost as quickly as it begins. The end result is a compilation of horror clichés that form a homogeny of parts that any viewer can recognize.
As a result, it is easy for viewers to identify with Halloween, as it appeals to the techniques that are familiar to its audience, and, consequently, is able to keep people interested even after years-worth of viewings.
In all, despite suffering from an abundance of clichés, particularly with its horror scenes, the memorable characters, familiar components, and absolutely stupendous theme music are what allow Halloween to survive as a Halloween classic.
For any fan of classic horror, this film is definitely worth a watch.
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