Halloween Movie Countdown #2: Halloween

 Fear can take many forms. In fact, fear is such an interesting topic because it can be very different for each person. In one of the most terrifying films of all time, fear takes the form of a masked killer. A relentless, chilling killer, one that knows no limits. Michael Myers will get you, it is that simple.

John Carpenter's 1978 film Halloween captures fear perfectly. The plot is simple; a masked man is attempting to kill you. I think it is safe to say that would bring fear to just about everyone. Laurie Strode, played by a young Jamie Lee Curtis, is living her life as normal, when, on Halloween, she continues to see a strange masked man. This masked man appears in several locations, including Strode's own backyard, where he is standing staring up into her window. Strode is concerned, but continues on with her plans, which include babysitting the neighbor's child for Halloween night. The masked man, revealed to be Michael Myers, continues to haunt Strode throughout the night, killing off her friends one at a time, before coming for her.

While the storyline is chilling enough as it is, Carpenter's product must be viewed in order to be fully appreciated. The film instills fear in the viewer, making them feel as if they are in the place of Strode. Jamie Lee Curtis does a phenomenal job in her first feature film portraying Strode. We are presented with a good, clean teenager, as opposed to her friends who can be seen engaging in appropriate behavior. We find ourselves "rooting for" Strode, to the point that we almost become her in the film. When Michael Myers comes after Strode, we really feel he is coming after us.

The fear of Michael Myers comes from two main things, both of which John Carpenter can be credited for. Halloween set the stage for the common horror film, both through it's general storyline and through it's scene style. Carpenter uses camera angles and atmosphere to portray horror and gore, rather than flat out showing it, as one might fin in a horror film of a more recent decade. Carpenter was able to create the right atmosphere in each scene, telling the audience what was happening without actually having to show it. This style of storytelling creates an even stronger sense of fear for the audience. By keeping Myers unexplained and undeveloped, Carpenter is able to create a figure that can be feared by all. Myers' appearance and characteristics create a horrifying figure, one that the viewer wants to stay away from, both physically and emotionally.

While the image of Michael Myers is terrifying enough, the music associated with him brings about it's own sense of fear. The score, composed and performed by Carpenter himself, is relatively simple, perhaps explaining why it is so perfect. The simple piano melody added to the image of Michael Myers slowly moving towards his victim will send chills down your spine.



Halloween captures the feeling of complete horror so perfectly. The audience is afraid of what will come next, where Michael Myers will be, what he will do. John Carpenter places the audience in the shoes of Myers' victims, and the audience, whether they realize it or not, fears for their own lives. Not only do they want Laurie Strode to get away, they don't want Michael Myers to get them. The film ends, the horror is over, yet the viewer is left with an utter sense of fear. Michael Myers is coming for you.