On behalf of Skipsterfilms, welcome to the first review. As we are an independent film company, we thought it only fitting that the first review be of an independent film. As I have no desire to watch more than ten minutes of "The English Patient" just to review it, I have chosen probably the most successful (in terms of sequels at any rate) independant film of all time. Of course I am talking about none other than John Carpenter's 1978 classic, "Halloween". From the beginning to the chilling end, "Halloween" grabs hold of you and never lets go. The creepy theme, the grainy film quality, and atmospheric camera angles combine to make this film unforgettable, even for those of you who didn't like it. What makes this movie a hell of a lot more effective than other slashers are several things. One, there was no blood and *relatively* little nudity. This alone made it less offensive to real movie buffs, and more tolerable to Saturday evening movie goers. Two, unlike its clone, Friday the 13th, (which, by the way, I also enjoyed,)this one went for atmosphere. In the F13 films (mostly part 2 and on), all the kids save one or two get killed, look around, and then realize there's a killer out there. In "Halloween", while the kids don't see each other getting slaughtered, we have Dr. Loomis warning the police. Plus, there are only three other victims, not that difficult to kill quietly, as opposed to the half-dozen in F13. Three, camera angles, especially prominent in the closet scene. As subtle as they are, they establish the mood like you wouldn't believe. Four, the dark lighting. This helps, as it makes the viewer feel like they're in a dark place, and the dark is always frightening. Character development was not as prominent. Here, we are just expected to sympathize with the characters, which are played so we can actually identify with them. The only real complaints are Nancy Loomis' acting ability and the broken dialogue as Laurie and company are walking down the street talking. And P.J. Soles' constant use of the word "totally". Another important aspect was the music. Completely original, it borrowed nothing from Bernard Herrman's legendary Psycho score, unlike MOST other slashers *prominent glare at F13 yet again* Even the shocking (and overused) string shrieks were replaced. But Carpenter still did borrow something from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, mostly when someone walks upstairs. If you haven't seen Psycho, you wouldn't know what I'm talking about. All in all, this was a great film, comsidering the shoe string budget and lack of any real plot. This goes mainly on atmosphere, and it works. This is the cheap slasher film of cheap slasher films, an is probably the best you will get. My advice: don't watch the sequels. It goes the F13 way later on, and they try to add some plot and reason. It just doesn't work. Till next time, this is me wishing you all a great Halloween, and remember...make sure to check your closet, and make sure the Bogeyman is not hiding...
