John Carpenter's Halloween (1978)
A film made on a small budget, a cast of unknowns, a director no one ever heard of before (and was to become a popular name in the horror field). It only took 21 days to film, it became a cult hit and received praise from many notable critics and is considered the ultimate 'slasher movie' and it probably is.
A kid killed his sister, he went to a mental institution... Later he escaped and came back with a mask to terrorise innocent babysitter Jamie Lee Curtis, graphically kill a few unlucky teenagers and became an icon in the world of horror and popular culture.
Halloween is effectively frightening, sequential and an important part of the horror genre.
My rating of the film, a mere 7/10 maybe considered as a low rating by some, but when I assess the whole motion picture, I am not compelled or magnetised enough or even thrilled or excited enough to award an 8 a 9 or a 10 (which is an extremely high rating for a slasher flick). Others disagree; maybe some appreciate the film in other ways I fail to see. I will agree that it is a solid, redefining horror film but will not go that far as to call it a masterpiece or a film of power or rare importance. On the calibre of horror films I award this film 9/10, because it is a good, worthwhile horror film with all the ingredients and props for a Saturday night fright.
7.0/10
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