Day 305: Halloween

Halloween

Who wants pumpkin pie?

C'mon, like I was going to review any other movie on Halloween. Sex In The City did cross my mind, but even I can't handle that type of unspeakable horror. While not the first in the slasher genre (Both Black Christmas and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre predate it), Halloween propelled the idea to the next level, spawning countless knock-offs, remakes, and sequels. It also helped make John Carpenter a household name in the world of horror. While Halloween was not intended to be a franchise based on Michael Myers, the character proved to be so popular that when the third Halloween had nothing to do with the killer, audiences reacted negatively. Rather than randomly picking a movie out of the franchise and possibly suffering through the one with Busta Rhymes, I figured it's best to start at the beginning.

Halloween is a 1978 slasher horror film written and directed by John Carpenter (They Live, The Thing). The movie stars Jamie Lee Curtis (Trading Places, True Lies) as teenager Laurie Strode and Donald Pleasance (Escape From New York, Prince Of Darkness) as Dr. Sam Loomis. On October 31, 1963 in Haddonfield, Illinois, a young boy named Michael Myers brutally murders his sister with a butcher knife. Michael is sent to Smith's Grove Sanitarium where he is placed under the care of Dr. Loomis. For almost fifteen years, Michael remains in an almost catatonic state, showing no emotion and never speaking. The night before Halloween, Michael escapes the sanitarium and Dr. Loomis desperately tries to track him down, believing he will head back to his childhood home. The next day, high school student Laurie Strode continuously has the feeling that she is being watched and followed. She is unaware that Michael Myers is the one stalking her. That night, Laurie babysits a young boy named Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews, Halloween II, The Great Santini) while her friend Annie (Nancy Kyes, Assault On Precinct 13, The Fog) babysits a young girl named Lindsay Wallace. Tommy is constantly afraid that the boogeyman is going to get him, but Laurie reassures him that there is no boogeyman. Dr. Loomis combs the streets with the local sheriff, searching in vein for Michael, who is going around the neighborhood killing people. Annie goes to see a boy and drops Lindsay off with Laurie, but is soon murdered by Michael. Will Dr. Loomis be able to stop Michael in time before he gets to Laurie and the kids?

It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a JESUS, LOOK AT THAT KNIFE!

This is the movie that started it all for slashers and it did so on the strength of it's story, not with a big budget or fancy effects. Made for around $325,000, Halloween manages to be scary and thrilling without the use of gimmicks. Carpenter weaves a story that is entirely realistic which helps give the movie a scary credibility. Setting the events in the suburbs and in people's homes brings the fear straight to the audience. The atmosphere is dark without drifting off into fantasy. The music is probably one of the most lasting parts of the movie. Everyone knows the classic theme music, but it's the simple 2-note piano throughout the film the truly creates tension. We know something is going to happen, just not what or when or where. The movie has a good amount of action with some fun and unique kills. There is a decent amount of blood, but nothing compared to today's movies. There are some truly great scenes like when Laurie continuously finds bodies in the house and when she fights Michael at the end.

The character of Michael Myers is the manifestation of all our fears. He is unstoppable in his singular goal of murder. There is no reasoning with him, no pleading for your life. He does not speak and his featureless mask (a modified Captain Kirk mask) allows the audience to project whatever they want onto the killer. Carpenter does a great job of drawing the audience in at the beginning and then paying off when it comes to the action. Jamie Lee Curtis is very good in her role and comes off as a believable heroine at the end. The movie does run into a little bit of trouble with the “annoying kid” factor, but so much is going on that it's easy to ignore. Donald Pleasance is great as Dr. Loomis, exuding an air of urgency while still remaining level-headed. It's his steely resolve that makes his mission seem all the more important. If he was frantic and terrified, it would have made the movie cartoonish and silly. Thanks to Carpenter's writing, the characters are all believable and enjoyable to root for.

Paper beats rock, gun beats giant butcher knife

While it wasn't the first slasher, Halloween may be one of the most important horror movies. It is proof that you don't need a big budget to make a lot of money and have an impact on future generations. The story is highly enjoyable and treats the audience as equals. Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis are both very good in their roles and help make the movie more complete. The action is solid and the kills are fun to watch. The movie has the right kind of atmosphere, thanks largely to the great, simple music. While a little tame compared to today's standards, Halloween still has a lot of frights and a genuine feeling of horror. Once you're done trick or treating and partying, turn off the lights, curl up on the couch and watch the horror classic.

10/10

Day 303: Terror Train

Terror Train

“If you've heard this story before, don't stop me, because I'd like to hear it again”

I hope all of you are safe and sound if you're dealing with Hurricane Sandy. If you're not, I hope you're having a lovely day, possibly watching cartoons and eating tacos. Either way, stay safe and hopefully the power stays on so I can keep posting my reviews. During the height of the slasher boom of the late 70's and early 80's, horror movies were forced to get a little creative. I mean, not too creative, it was the 80's after all. There's only so many movies you can make based at a summer camp or in a house. We have slashers set in high schools, college, malls, aerobics gyms, boats, and, of course, trains. Well, at least this movie has Jamie Lee Curtis in it.

Terror Train is a 1980 slasher starring Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, Trading Places) as college student Alana Maxwell. During her freshman year, Alana played a prank on awkward fraternity pledge Kenny Hampson (Derek McKinnon, Family Motel, Breaking All The Rules), making him think she wanted to have sex with him. Instead, he finds a woman's corpse inside their bed and is so scarred by the incident that he is committed to a psychiatric hospital. Three years later, Alana and the frat members who arranged the prank are taking a having a costume party on a moving train. As the train moves through the snowy wilderness, an unknown killer moves throughout the cabins, killing everyone involved with the fateful prank. Alana thinks something is amiss, but bodies keep getting moved. The train conductor Carne (Ben Johnson, The Wild Bunch, The Getaway) tries in vain to track down the murderer while keeping the party goers unaware of what is happening. The killer continuously switches costumes, making him difficult to capture. Will Alana survive and just who is the killer?

"I'm sorry about the "train of thought" pun!"

Terror Train is your run-of-the-mill slasher movie. You pretty much know exactly what is going to happen, but it's OK, because you know what you're getting into. Beyond taking place on a train, the movie doesn't offer much in the way of creativity. The train setting does give a small sense of claustrophobia that other slashers lack. It takes away the option for the characters to just “run away”. There are some good long hallway shots and the special lighting in the train. I do also like that the killer continuously switches costume, adding a bit of shock and surprise to certain scenes. Unfortunately, the movie goes to the well a few too many times and the music swells and jumps become tiresome. Terror Train spends a large amount of time focusing on both Carne and a magician that is performing on the train. The movie is almost unsure if Carne should be the hero or not, never fully committing to the character. The magician is a misdirect, but still gets way too much screen time.

For being a slasher in the early 1980's, the movie has a surprising lack of blood and gore. The kills are nothing special and there doesn't appear to be a central weapon used either. While over the top gore and blood isn't necessary for a slasher, it's odd that the movie decided not to go all out like similar slashers. When you take away the fun violence, you're just left with a mediocre train mystery. Jamie Lee Curtis plays her role well and has far more emotion than in Prom Night. The rest of the cast is fine and the direction is good enough to keep the movie going. The movie includes a lot of different characters, which is great for upping the kill count, but it's hard to keep track of who is who. It also cuts down on the attachment level and the audience no longer cares since they have interest in who is being killed. 

Hey, it's 80's era Mick Jagger, complete with bloody cocaine-nose!

Terror Train does have it's place in the slasher heyday of the late 70's and early 80's, but is ultimately a second-tier movie. It lays out like most other slashers with just a change in location. The acting is fine and it's always fun to see Jamie Lee Curtis in a slasher film before she really hit it big. Probably the biggest disappointment with the movie is the lack of blood and gore. It would have made the movie much more interesting than it was. Terror Train isn't a bad movie, it's just nothing special. If you've seen a slasher movie before, you've pretty much seen Terror Train. It's nice for a nostalgic factor and good to mark off on your checklist, but don't expect to be blown away.

5/10

Day 146: Prom Night

Prom Night

Does that mean the limo costs extra?

It's prom season across the country and high schoolers everywhere are spending too much money on fancy clothes and stretch Hummers. What recession? Despite my cynicism and general hatred of most things, I went to my high school's prom and actually had a good time. Go figure. What better way to celebrate girls wearing inappropriate dresses and guys wearing lime green tuxedos with matching fedoras than with a horror movie?

Prom Night is a 1980 cult classic starring Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, Trading Places) as Kim Hammond. When she was eleven, Kim's younger sister Robin fell to her death after being taunted by classmates Wendy, Jude, Kelly, and Nick. All four swore not to tell anyone what had happened. Police blamed her death on a known sexual predator and pursued him until he crashed his car. He was badly burned and institutionalized. Six years later, Kim is now dating Nick, much to the dismay of Kelly. Prom season is upon them, with Kim and Nick being crowned king and queen. Wendy, Jude, Kelly all receiving mysterious threatening phone calls. Kim is harassed by a meathead named Lou who gets into a fight with Kim's brother, Alex. The school's principal and Kim and Alex's father, Mr. Hammond (Leslie Nielsen, The Naked Gun, Creepshow), suspends Lou. Kelly, still hurting from being rejected by Nick hatches a plan with Lou to get back at Kim. The threats continue, but the girls ignore them and attend prom night. There, a masked figure goes about brutally killing each of the girls while Lou and his cronies tie up Nick and takes his place as prom king. The killer walks up behind him and chops his head off, sending it down a runway. Who is the killer and what will happen to Kim and Nick?

Kids are assholes

Despite occasionally receiving the “classic” title attached to it, Prom Night is anything but. It's a mixed-up late 70's throwback with a confused story and very little horror to speak of. The main character in the movie is presented as Kim Hammond, but it's not really clear why. We know she isn't the killer early on, so why make her the focus of most of the movie? It's not like the killer is going after her because he's clearly going after the people who killed Robin. If anything, more time should have been given to Wendy, Jude, Kelly, and Nick. The movie strings the audience for far too long, trying to misdirect everyone into thinking who the killer might actually be. That's fine and makes for a fun little mystery, but it takes up most of the movie. The killing doesn't start until the last 25 minutes or so. The movie was only an hour and half long, but felt like it was closer to two and half hours. Another major problem was that the movie was incredibly dark. The version I watched was on DVD, but it had not been remastered and looked to be a direct copy from a VHS version. It's kind of like when you listen to a CD from the early 90's that was transferred from a record. A lot of the detail in the movie is missed simply because you can't see anything. Despite being in the dark, you should still be able to see what the hell is happening. There is some blood and violence, but not enough for a slasher flick.

The acting is decent throughout with Jamie Lee Curtis unsurprisingly putting in the best performance. It was nice to see Leslie Nielsen in a serious role, but he wasn't in it enough. The movie is deeply entrenched in the 70's, down to the hideous furniture, feathered hair, and leisure suits. The real horror in Prom Night comes in the form of the prom's theme: Disco Madness. That's like watching a horror movie 30 years from now where Dubstep is the theme. My senses were assaulted with terrible disco music and a light up dance floor. The cherry on this shit sundae was an unnecessary disco dance scene with Jamie Lee Curtis. She's got moves, don't get me wrong, but it served absolutely no purpose and comes across as unintentionally funny through 2012 eyes. 

 What a pointless decade

Prom Night doesn't hold up to the test of time like some other horror movies do. The story is particularly weak and entrenched in 70's culture. The acting is decent and there are some creative camera shots and direction. It might have been the copy I watched, but the movie is incredibly dark and a the action, where there isn't a whole lot of, is missed. For a slasher movie, there isn't nearly enough violence and blood. The ending is pretty predictable and disappointing. The movie is worth watching just to catch a strange glimpse into the past and watch a young Jamie Lee Curtis, but beyond that, Prom Night isn't anything special.

3.5/10