What else is one to watch on Halloween, but this 1978 masterwork?
My favorite scene is still when the Myers parents come home, and their son Michael, in clown costume and mask, stands outside, holding a bloody knife. The mask is removed, a baby faced Michael looks catatonic, the father asks, "Michael?," and the ominous music flashes to the Myers what the viewers know--this child has murdered his sister, on Halloween, back in 1963.
Part of me wishes the film had gone on to explore Michael's juvenile psychopathology, as that topic fascinates. But, then, there wouldn't be the humorous scene where Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes) is screaming in the car, from the garage, being attacked by Michael. She screams "Lindsay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!," who is her babysitting charge, Lindsay Wallace, played by Kyle Richards, younger sister of Kim Richards, who played Prudence on "Nanny And The Professor." Lindsay is so rapt with attention on the 1951 horror classic "The Thing," in front of her, on TV, she has no other idea what is going on. The way this scene is shot and edited is how Carpenter often takes the edge off the disturbing quality of the film, making it as humorous as it is grim.
Of course, darlings, you don't have to watch it. Would I tell any of you to do anything???????????? Of course not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But, in our house, there is just no better film to celebrate this day!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I always *plan* to watch "Halloween" on Halloween, but never quite do: ever since originally seeing it in a theater with my family in 1979, I find I prefer watching it in a group setting (which rarely presents itself nowadays). It seems to unduly disturb me if I watch it alone, really gets under my skin, but in a group I'm able to detach more and enjoy more of the pitch dark humor. This is also stalling my ability to view the latest sequel "Halloween Kills": it seems rather pointless to watch alone, yet it will be weeks before an opportunity arises to watch it with friends.
ReplyDeleteSoooo.... I've decided to opt for "silly" this year. Our dear "Elvira" came out of retirement this month to present a mini-revival of her curated annotated movie series. She streamed restored prints of "House On Haunted Hill", "Horror Hotel", "Messiah Of Evil" and her own camp classics "Mistress Of The Dark" and "Haunted Hills". My Hallows Eve is booked our with busty bewigged sister (who along with her new series just came out as bisexual with a lesbian partner).
ReplyDeleteMy Dear,
Did I ever tell you my "Halloween" story?
It bears repeating. On this night--Nov. 1
--in 1978, before my world unraveled, as I
was living at home, and my parents were both
alive, I drove to the nearby Middlesex Mall
where the film was playing. I sat through
it, and walked out into an empty parking lot
afterward. I was so scared I gunned the gas
petal, and I swear I sped home so fast I
drove up our driveway, through the yard,
crashing into our neighbors' bushes. My
parents came running out to see what was
wrong!