Halloween

At the beginning, Carpenter dives headlong into it, without much hesitation, immersing himself in a suspenseful theater with murderous interludes. However, as he initially steps on the gas in all directions, unfortunately, halfway through, he takes his foot off the pedal, and with a slowed pace comes an undeniable feeling that what was originally supposed to be suspenseful (and it really could have been) starts becoming boring. While the absence of a plot may be forgivable, especially in the case of masterful formal execution, Carpenter failed to handle it here. If only the scenes had a slightly better flow, giving it a perfect review wouldn't be a problem. In this way, Carpenter's attempt at a perfect slasher film with one of the most mysterious and psychopathic killers in cinema remains slightly unfinished. However, considering the relative perversity of the audience and the acting skills of some of the performers, it is possible to become a fan of the film. (12/25/2005)

It's admirable the simple means John Carpenter employs to create a convincingly eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. The first pillar is his own soundtrack and the second is the seemingly unremarkable shots of empty sidewalks with falling leaves. In Carpenter's hands, however, this is an immensely impressive spectacle that is pure mastery from a creative standpoint. One of John Carpenter's most accomplished (and commercially successful) films ever, it floats right in the middle of the A- and B-grade waters. This is perhaps its greatest strength, since it can seem too simple and cheap at first glance, while the opposite is the case. (07/12/2020)

A cult horror film that, despite decent direction by John Carpenter, never managed to entice me simply because I completely miss the point of these kinds of slasher films thematically. Few subgenres are filled with as many clichés and foolishness as this one. Only Scream and Scream 2 caught my attention in this field because of the ironic perspectives. On the other hand, if there has to be a slasher film, it should be in Carpenter's style. His followers often simply plagiarized him. Overall impression: 45%. (01/21/2009)

A few years later, I have to add that fifth star, because Halloween is a unique film. The unsettling atmosphere escalates to a heart attack ending, John Carpenter does not take it easy on the characters or the viewer, uses edgy long shots from Myers's point of view and shows him as sheer evil, which you have no problem believing. That there is strength in simplicity is 100% true here. And Jamie Lee Curtis is amazing. (11/21/2020)

The cornerstone of the slasher genre and its best representative to this day. At times I had trouble with the plodding pace, but otherwise this is a masterpiece; Carpenter revels in point-of-view shots, unpredictably placing the masked gorilla in a carefully staged and photographed environment, and impressively delaying the climax in favour of a moment of surprise and a crescendo at the end. And there is no need to add anything about the music, no one will ever compose a better horror main theme. (08/02/2018)