Rating: 
Summary: One of the best horror films ever made!
Review: Well, what can I say? "Halloween" is my favorite film of all time. It is full of suspense, fine acting, and a great musical score, even after 20 years. The plot is plain and simple: little six year old Michael Myers stabs his sister to death on Halloween night, 1963, in his hometown of Haddonfield. Fifteen years later he escapes the mental hospital, returns to Haddonfield and stalks 3 teenage girls: smart-mouthed Annie (Nancy Loomis), sex-crazed Lynda (P.J. Soles) and bookworm Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis in her first starring role). Michael's psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) knows where he is heading and spends the night with the help of Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) trying to find him before he kills again. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen and we get treated to some really suspenseful scenes, where we see "The Shape" appear, disappear and reappear, this time with a butcher knife in his hand. This all leads up to a heart-pounding scene with Laurie, as she tries to fend off Michael any way she can, until Dr. Loomis comes to help her. Sure, there are some flaws here and there, but the acting, music and atmosphere make up for them. "Halloween" was released in 1978 and was followed by six sequels over the course of 20 years. Most of them which do not capture the essence of this classic.
Rating:
Summary: "...the definitive horror movie of all time..."
Review: When I'm asked what my favorite scary movie is, I take no hesitation in the simple reply of "Halloween." And while by today's standards, this may fall into predictable and cheesy, when it came out, it was a ground-breaking cinematic experience into a new genre that inspired a seemingly endless string of imitators.
"Halloween" was made in March of 1978 with a simple budget of only $320,000. It was made by a group of struggling young filmmakers out to make a movie. And, at first, the movie wasn't doing that great. But after a few weeks, Halloween kept rising and rising, that it made a new box office record.
The plot? Simple, simple, simple. The storyline centers around an escaped maniac who fifteen years ago killed his sister on Halloween night. Now, he's at it again, as he relentlessly stalks babysitters in his hometown, pursued by his ever-determined psychiatrist.
And that's it. Composer-writer-director, John Carpenter, along with producer and co-writer Debra Hill kept it at a very direct and simple premise, allowing the film to build and build as it goes on. And boy, does it ever. Instead of focusing on blood, guts, and gore to get the audience to squirm, "Halloween" relies on suspense and atmosphere to get the fear across, and does possibly the best job a movie could do. Carpenter also added in one of the most memorable and truthfully frightening music scores in movie history that lived with me for awhile to make me scared to see this movie again.
Starring veteran actor, Donald Pleasance, who portrays Dr. Loomis, he puts on a memorable performance that made this probably his most famous film since the 007 hit, "You Only Live Twice." Co-starring, and introducing Jamie Lee Curtis in her first movie role, her character hit a fear chord with the vulnerable and hapless victim, Laurie Strode, adding a sympathy towards her in the most intense scenes.
"Halloween" had all the elements needed for the perfect horror film: the quiet little Midwestern town of Haddonfield to soon add in the new dimension of evil, put in with a great script.
Those memorable, tense scenes are ones that will always live with me and are known by horror films world-wide. The classic point-of-view from the killer as we enter the house and take a knife from the drawer all the way to the spine-tingling climax with a deadly battle in a bedroom closest.
We get a foreboding discussion on fate, as a teacher talks on and Laurie stares out the window seeing the killer, Michael Myers across the street:"...fate caught up with several lives here. No matter what course of action Collins took, he was destined to his own fate, his own day of reckoning with himself..." We also get one of the classic well-known movie lines, said by the Haddonfield Sheriff, Leigh Brackett, played by Charles Cyphers when he accidentally scares Curtis's character: "...you know it's Halloween. I guess we're all entitled to one good scare, huh?" Philosophical implications also include great speeches on evil wonderfully acted by Pleasance, as his character tries to convince the sheriff of that night's oncoming danger: "...with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and the blackest eyes, the devil's eyes...what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply evil...death has come to your little town, Sheriff..." For now and in my opinion, "Halloween" will forever remain the definitive horror movie of all time and the best in its series, always good to look back to when I need "one good scare."
Rating: 
Summary: Cult-Horror At It's Best!
Review: In 1963, a young Michael Myers kills his older sister, and is sent to a mental institution. Fifteen years later, he escapes, and returns to Haddonfield. He is pursued to Haddonfield by his psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis (Pleasence). There, he enlists the town sherrif (Cyphers) to assist him in tracking down Michael Myers. Meanwhile, Michael has been doing some tracking of his own. He's targeted three teenage girls (Curtis, Loomis and Soles), with particular interest in Curtis's charcter of Laurie Strode (who's Michael's sister). HALLOWEEN is unique in the slasher sub-genre of horror movies, as there is very little blood to speak of. The movie is moderately paced, but not slow to the extent of boredom. It just slowly builds up to a very intense ending scene, with the showdown between the terrified yet determined Laurie, and the seemingly indestructable force that is Michael Myers. That closet-scene is what HALLOWEEN is known for-- even if you're not a horror fan you have to be able to recognize this scene.
Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: I am not a Halloween fan, Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th series is my main man, but Michael Myers is a good watch. The story begins with litte Mike dressed as a clown for Halloween. He savagely kills his sister and her boyfriend while having sex (...)Anyway after that little Mike is sent to an asylum for the next 20 years. But evil does come home to roost. Jamir Lee Curtis stars in this flick as the heroine. She was always Hollywood's ugly duckling. I never found her attractive in the least, (...) The movies pays more attention to building up the character of Michael, rather than just brainless slayings. From his doctor we learn much about him, however the real ride begins in part II where we learn even more. I will admit though, of the three modern slashers (Jason, Freddy, and Michael) The Halloween series has the best theme music. That is a cool tune.
Rating:
Summary: "Evil On Two Legs"
Review: Dr. Loomis is the lone voice against releasing psychotic killer Michael Myers from the asylum - Myers murdered his sister with a knife when he was five on Halloween night, and hasn't spoken a word since. Loomis' warnings don't matter anyway, since Michael manages his own way out. He's on his way back to Haddonfield, Illinois, his old haunt, to carve out a new name for himself, and teenager Jamie Lee Curtis and her friends have become his new target... Considering John Carpenter made this movie for almost nothing, it's a masterpiece. The skillful direction and competent cast carry it all off, scaring the pants off the audience with old-fashioned tricks in fine style. Suggestion and stalking shots are the film's principal arsenal, with some good use of hand-held camera killer's POV shots. The movie is, in some places (especially toward the end), extremely violent, yet there is almost no blood anywhere. The photography is really quite good, given that most of the budget was eaten-up on star Donald Pleasance's salary, and the Carpenter and John Howarth theme music is hauntingly effective. Especially high marks go to newcomer Jamie Lee Curtis and veteran horror actor Pleasance. Curtis wasn't yet completely comfortable in front of the camera, but that mostly works in her favor, here, lending to her besieged character's vulnerability, and she is naturally quite likeable. Pleasance graces anything in which he appears, and he was at his best in this ongoing movie series, making such lines as describing Myers as "evil on two legs" sing, instead of stutter.
Rating:
Summary: The Night He Came Home
Review: Truly one of the most terrifying films ever made, Halloween is a masterpiece of sight and sound, the masterwork of director John Carpenter. It is an unrelenting nightmare, a frightening story well told, and an unforgetable trip into a dark, sinister film experience. After John Carpenter's creepy music score that will surely send chills up your spine, the horrifying tale begins on Halloween night, 1963 in Haddonfield, Illinois when a six year-old boy named Michael murders his sister with a butcher knife (this sequence is brilliantly photographed by Dean Cundey who used dim lighting and filmed it from Michael's point-of-view. This, combined with Carpenter's music, creates a horrific mood and tone). Then the film cuts to one year later in a mental institution and it is here where we meet Dr. Sam Loomis for the first time. Superbly played by Donald Pleasence, he is Michael Myers' psychiatrist and after close examination is convinced that the boy is pure evil. Fourteen years later, on the night before Halloween, Michael escapes and returns to Haddonfield to kill again... Halloween will scare you intensely. It will likely give you nightmares. It will make you wonder if there's an escaped psychopath lurking around your house. Don't believe me? See for yourself. If you do, I recommend that you not watch it alone.
Rating:
Summary: The "25th Anniversary Edition" DVD = A Superb 2-Disc Set!
Review: 1978's "Halloween" never seems to grow old, or stale, or tiresome, or "dated" .... no matter how many October 31st viewings you are subjected to. I'd call it a "fine wine of cinema" -- it seems to get better each year. (This is possibly due to the fact that very few films of equal stature, within the "horror" genre, have been released since "Halloween's" debut in October 1978.) Director-Writer John Carpenter was able to make "Halloween" on the shoe-string budget of only $320,000. The film has since grossed approximately 175 times that figure -- earning more than 55 million dollars worldwide since its 1978 original release! Talk about a great return on your investment! Amazing indeed. There have been seemingly a million imitations and carbon copies of this low-budget thriller, but not many (if any at all) can prey on a viewer's fears and anxieties the way this motion picture can do. And none of the subsequent slice-and-dice, teenager-laden imitators and sequels can hold a candle to the incredible music score that John Carpenter came up with for the original "Halloween". Is it possible *not* to get a few chills upon hearing that music start up? It's such an amazingly-simple composition by Carpenter; and yet so incredibly effective. That music MAKES this movie THIS good. "Halloween" has many memorable moments that evoke chills and a few shivers, even after repeated viewings -- such as:
>> Loomis' (Donald Pleasence) creepy description of Michael Myers' "evil" black eyes. .... >> Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) looking out her schoolhouse window and seeing Michael for the first time, just standing there, creepy as all get out just by doing nothing but standing by the station wagon and staring at Laurie (ooohhh, what a shiver-inducing scene it is!). .... >> Loomis discovering the headstone missing in the cemetery. Followed by his appropriate line of dialogue: "He's come home." .... >> The Myers-driven car popping up in view behind Laurie & friend while they are driving. .... >> Michael's "head turn" toward Laurie at the end of the film. (Now just WHY Laurie hasn't headed for the hills and away from that house at this point is another matter. Why she is sitting there, crying, with her back to her attacker is anyone's guess. But, it's good for the script at any rate.) .... >> Is he or isn't he behind that hedge?? .... >> Loomis spies the abandoned station wagon parked on a dark street. And then, implacably, that music starts yet again. Carpenter's constant use of that eerie musical score was a stroke of horror genius, in my opinion. Each time we hear it, an inevitable feeling of unease is certain to follow. .... >> And my very favorite "creepy" moment -- the stormy, rain-soaked scene where Loomis (and a female assistant) first drive up to Michael's "institution". The nurse with Loomis says, "Since when do they let them walk around?" Then Director Carpenter cranks up that music. A standout and unsettling moment. I don't even mention any of the killings here, because (IMO) the "anticipation" of the evil-doings to come is much more unsettling and scary than the actual killings themselves. "Halloween" was filmed in the nice, wide aspect ratio of 2.35:1; and that's how we see it on this DVD. Disc # 1 contains the movie only, in enhanced Anamorphic 2.35:1 Widescreen, and three different soundtrack choices (four if you count the one Commentary Track). You can listen to the film in Dolby Digital 5.1, 2-Channel Dolby Surround, or 2.0 Dolby Digital Mono. The fourth track available is the Audio Commentary, featuring three participants: Jamie Lee Curtis, John Carpenter, and Producer Debra Hill. In addition to the 3-person Commentary Track, this 2-Disc Anniversary Edition includes many other excellent bonus features (all located on Disc # 2), including the comprehensive, feature-length, 87-minute behind-the-movie documentary called "Halloween: A Cut Above The Rest". This stellar bonus documentary is very nearly as long as the movie itself (with the movie clocking in at 91 minutes). Another mini-featurette is included --- "On Location: 25 Years Later" (length: 10.5 minutes). Other extras include ..... 1 Theatrical Trailer; 2 TV Spots; 2 Radio Spots; An extensive "Poster & Still Gallery"; 3 detailed text-only "Talent Bios" (on Director John Carpenter and stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence); and some DVD-ROM features for your computer -- the complete screenplay and 2 screen-savers. An impressive array of features here (IMO). And all of this bonus material has been "enhanced" for widescreen monitors (anamorphic), which is always kind of nice. This includes even the Menu screens, which seem (to my eyes) to be anamorphic as well. So there's no need to constantly switch ratio settings on your TV from one bonus item to the next. The "Cut Above The Rest" documentary even has multiple soundtracks to choose from -- Dolby 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 Surround. This extra is not broken into multiple "chapters", however. There's also a high-quality 16-page booklet included in this package, which is packed with a good deal of information about the making of the film, a chapter list, and some good-looking photos. This is one of the more impressive "paper enclosures" you're likely to find with any DVD release. There have been several different DVD versions of this ultra-creepy horror classic to hit the home video market, with this two-disc 25th Anniversary Edition (released originally by Anchor Bay Entertainment on August 5, 2003) being my favorite -- so far anyway. :-)
Rating:
Summary: One of the best horror films ever made!
Review: Well, what can I say? "Halloween" is my favorite film of all time. It is full of suspense, fine acting, and a great musical score, even after 20 years. The plot is plain and simple: little six year old Michael Myers stabs his sister to death on Halloween night, 1963, in his hometown of Haddonfield. Fifteen years later he escapes the mental hospital, returns to Haddonfield and stalks 3 teenage girls: smart-mouthed Annie (Nancy Loomis), sex-crazed Lynda (P.J. Soles) and bookworm Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis in her first starring role). Michael's psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) knows where he is heading and spends the night with the help of Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) trying to find him before he kills again. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen and we get treated to some really suspenseful scenes, where we see "The Shape" appear, disappear and reappear, this time with a butcher knife in his hand. This all leads up to a heart-pounding scene with Laurie, as she tries to fend off Michael any way she can, until Dr. Loomis comes to help her. Sure, there are some flaws here and there, but the acting, music and atmosphere make up for them. "Halloween" was released in 1978 and was followed by six sequels over the course of 20 years. Most of them which do not capture the essence of this classic.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Horror Film Ever!
Review: This is the best film i have ever seen. It is scary, funny, and is entertaining throught. This film couldn't of been made better. See and you will agree.
Rating:
Summary: A very good horror film
Review: Halloween is a very scary movie. I really enjoy it with a very youing Jamie Lee Curtis. I think that the plot was thought out and written good. It may be considered boring and dumd in today's standards, but I think it tis one of the best movie's ever made
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