Film: Halloween (1978)

pssst spoilers, she's a good girl

Before slasher-films truly took hold and became a household thing, the first one to truly steer the path was Halloween by John Carpenter. The 'rules' you've heard spoken of in Scream - if you were of that generation probably originated here, though this isn't so much horror as thriller. Slasher-films these days have turned gritty, besides bloodier and crammed to the brim with back-stories to explain away why people suddenly turn bad. They really don't make them like they used to.

Why Michael is scary you ask?

Because he was an ordinary kid.

It begins in 1963 where you see through the eyes of the murderer (literally) who turns out to be Michael. Everyone knows the story, but it was the first time I watched it myself. There wasn't any mean parents or cruel sister, as she just seemed to be having a visitor over (for you know stuff). Normal. Basically. That's what's actually scary. This is what horror these days forget - that sometimes you don't need an explanation - that the less you explain - the scarier it is.

let me just hang out here in the dark, ok?

When Michael escapes years later from a mental institution in 1978 -  he suddenly puts all his focus on Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends in his old neighborhood. Her friends are of course the smoking, sexually liberated types who have to change all their clothes when they make a spill. Of course this all made me very aware of the set of rules - 'virgins never die'. Here we've got Laurie who's clever and a baby-sitter, with friends who pretty much drop off the kids they're supposed to be watching over, while they go do it.

We've already established that Michael isn't very happy with that concept or well, I suppose he is, though it's not like he's big on talking. But it isn't the typical wham-bang sort of kills either, more quiet which is more unnerving. Of course there are quibbles like the theme-music popping up too often or some cringe-worthy acting, but you can't really flaw a classic. It was major for its time despite a very low budget and cemented the trope that good girls survive through severe horrors.

You can't really beat Laurie half-sobbing on the floor - "It was the boogeyman." 

6/10