HALLOWEEN

Halloween Night: Michael Myers, a 6-year-old child dressed as Pierrot, stabs his older sister to death. 15 years later, he escapes from the psychiatric hospital where he was interned, to return to his hometown and kill again. Dr. Loomis, who has had him in care for all those years, sets out on his trail to stop him: Michael's target this time is a shy babysitter… "Halloween - The Night of the Witches" is a 1978 film directed by John Carpenter, made with few resources (the screenplay is only 24 pages long) and immediately became a cult worldwide, considered a true public and critical success and opened the dance to a long and endless (still evolving) chain of slasher-movies, thanks mainly to the invention of the character Michael Myers, boogeyman characterized by a mechanic's suit, a white mask that reproduces the features of William Shatner (Captain Kirk of "Star Trek" and the TV show "Hooker") and the inevitable knife. In fact, this figure is not only a serial killer, but can be interpreted as a sort of "moralizer" of customs, as he kills teenagers who have or are about to have sexual relations. Many believe that the sociological analysis in a film of this kind is superfluous, but when talking about a director like Carpenter, such statements are not out of place. Another characteristic of Michael is his slow and progressive walk, which nevertheless allows him to reach his victims and will become a peculiarity of the boogeymen of the future, starting with Jason Voorhees of "Friday the 13th" (declaredly inspired by this film) and Freddy Krueger of "Nightmare". This film also had the merit of launching the very young Jamie Lee Curtis (daughter of Janet Leigh "Psycho") into the world of cinema, who received the nickname from the critics of "Scream Queen", continuing her career playing leading roles in other horror films, including "Fog", "Don't Go in the House" and "Terror Train"; moreover, the film presented to a very wide audience the superb performance of Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis, a character obsessed with the life and personality of his patient Michael Myers. "Halloween" is considered a cornerstone of the entire horror genre, a film that boasts numerous sequels and many imitations (vain attempts to copy a masterpiece). This film continues to this day to transport viewers into an exceptional chilling atmosphere almost surreal and magical: the flashback set in 1963 with the subjective shots of the killer is extremely effective from a directorial point of view, and although it is not a novelty (Argento in Italy had already experimented with this technique), it certainly makes "Halloween" the first American film in which the killer's subjective view is used perfectly. The splendid sets, the obsessive music (composed by the director himself) and the extraordinary performances of the characters contribute to making a film that will forever remain in the memory of all genre enthusiasts and not only. A simple but immortal feature film, signed by Carpenter. What more to say? Just wish everyone a good viewing... Curiosity: The actresses Nancy Loomis and P.J Soles became part of the cast of other horror films, in particular Nancy Loomis will appear the following year, wanted by Carpenter himself, in "Fog", while P.J Soles appeared before "Halloween" in the masterpiece "Carrie" by Brian De Palma. Dr. Sam Loomis, on the other hand, bears the same name as the lover of Marion Crane in "Psycho" by Hitchcock: an evident tribute to the master of suspense.