Now correct me if I’m wrong but for me there is one particular genre that just really doesn’t age very well and that is horror. Maybe it’s because we become desensitised over time, maybe it’s because good horrors are often parodied, or maybe its because special effects evolve to such a point that to revisit old horrors just become laughable.

For a retro review with a seasonal feel, I thought I would check out John Carpenter’s 1978 classic film Halloween for a first time viewing. Yes, you read that right, a first time viewing.

Sometimes considered as one of the foundations of the slasher genre, Carpenter’s Halloween spawned a franchise spanning 40 years and 11 movies (so far), with another two in the pipeline for release in 2021 and 2022.

Director: John Carpenter

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance, Tony Moran, Nancy Kyes

Tagline: The night He came home!

It’s Halloween night in 1963, and the police are called to 43 Lampkin Lane where six year old Michael Myers has just murdered his sixteen year old sister for no apparent reason.

Having not uttered a word since that fateful night, many people underestimate the evil that resides within, except for Myers’ psychiatrist Dr Loomis. When Myers escapes the night before Halloween, fifteen years after being incarcerated, only Dr Loomis can guess that he is heading back home to Haddonfield.

Meanwhile babysitter Laurie Strode and her friends Annie and Lynda prepare for a night of pumpkin carving, scary movies and popcorn with their young wards, oblivious to the horror that is coming to them.

As someone who is not the biggest fan of slasher movies in general, Halloween was always going to be hard pressed to make much of a mark on me, and unfortunately I found it to be more funny than terrifying.

Scenes that were probably very tense and suspenseful back in 1978 just felt too forced and drawn out in 2020, like a typical Family Guy joke that goes on for too long it’s no longer funny.

And although I found Laurie’s friends to be annoying, shallow and very horror-cliche but it was clear to see how Jamie Lee Curtis got her title as Scream Queen, even from her feature film debut.

Although, for me, the film overall hasn’t aged very well, the same can’t be said for the iconic theme music. Composed by the director himself, the simple tune is what elevates the suspense and allows the film to maintain some of its intrigue and tension even after all this time.

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