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Halloween

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Halloween (1978)

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Reviews Counted:42

Fresh:39

Rotten:3

Average Rating:8.4/10

Consensus: Scary, suspenseful, and viscerally thrilling, Halloween set the standard for modern horror films.

Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: Perhaps the most influential and successful independent film ever made, HALLOWEEN is the movie that put director John Carpenter on the map as a viable filmmaker. An exercise in simple, pure horror,... Perhaps the most influential and successful independent film ever made, HALLOWEEN is the movie that put director John Carpenter on the map as a viable filmmaker. An exercise in simple, pure horror, HALLOWEEN takes us into the world of a mad killer, Michael Myers, who at a very young age stabbed his older sister to death. Locked away for many years in a mental hospital Michael escapes one night and returns to his hometown to continue his killing spree. Jamie Lee Curtis, in her first role, plays the resourceful babysitter who is chased by the killer on Halloween night. Produced for very little money and a tight shooting schedule, HALLOWEEN was a stunning success when it was released. Written by John Carpenter and his longtime producer Debra Hill, the film set their careers on fire, with both of them working together many times over the next 25 years. The film also made a star out of Jamie Lee Curtis and turned the slasher movie into a viable, successful genre. HALLOWEEN has been copied, parodied and even turned into a franchise of its own, but the original is still considered the best of the bunch. HALLOWEEN was John Carpenter's first foray into horror, and remains the standard to which all other modern horror films are measured. [More]

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Arthur Malet, David Kyle, Nick Castle, Peter Griffith

Director: John Carpenter

Director: John Carpenter
Screenwriter: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Producer: Debra Hill
Composer: John Carpenter

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Halloween

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21 - 40 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

One of the first and the flat-out best of that ghetto of the horror film genre, the slasher movie.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
09/12/04
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

It's hard to get behind a main character who's so unexciting. But maybe Michael Myers is the real main character. In which case, mission accomplished: I'm freaked out.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment 1 Comment
11/29/03
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Even after repeated viewings, Carpenter’s minor masterpiece holds up as a staunchly effective thriller that will always stand head and shoulders above the cinematic progeny it spawned.

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
10/12/03
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

No review available.

comment Comment
10/10/03
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

It’s freaking scary. After a recent viewing, I was charged with going through the house and turning on all the lights.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
09/18/03
Mark Robison
Mark Robison
Reno Gazette-Journal

No review available.

comment Comment
09/01/03
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

very possibly no other seminal seventies film--not The Godfather, not Star Wars, perhaps not even Jaws--has had a greater influence on popular culture.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
06/18/03
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

No review available.

comment Comment
05/21/03
Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell
Movie Views

No review available.

comment Comment
03/27/03
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

A real trick and treat. Genuinely creepy stuff.

comment Comment
03/20/03
Gerry Shamray
Gerry Shamray
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

They should have broken the mold when they released Halloween, for when it comes to escaped-maniacs-on-the-loose films this one’s the real deal.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/10/03
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

Effective little thriller, but about as far from a great classic as you can get.

comment 1 Comment
02/02/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Arguably, the greatest horror film of the past thirty years.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
David Grove
David Grove
Film Threat

A ground-breaking slasher movie with superb use of music, editing and framing.

comment Comment
11/22/02
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
San Francisco Examiner

One of the more successful indie forays into the slasher/horror film genre.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
10/31/02
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The most significant triumph Halloween achieves is measured by the bulk of films that follow and emulate it.

Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | comment Comment
10/30/02
Rumsey Taylor
Rumsey Taylor
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

flawless for what it is: a completely immersive, visceral dynamo of stylistic belly-jiggling and spine-shivering.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
08/02/02
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Halloween remains untouched -- a modern classic of the most horrific kind.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
06/18/02
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

If you’ve only seen it on network television or it’s been more than a few years, do yourself a favour and rediscover this one soon.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
11/19/01
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
Apollo Guide

It's boring. It's not scary. There. I said it.

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment 22 Comments
11/02/01
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 >> >|
all

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