Critic Reviews
Halloween (1978) Rank 4 Reviews
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Joe Bob's Ultimate B Movie Guide (Joe Bob Briggs)
First slasher flick, and most profitable independent film in history. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Joe Bob's Ultimate B Movie Guide (Joe Bob Briggs)
Eccentric Cinema
Halloween night, 1963. Michael Myers, a disturbed little boy, murders his sister after catching her flagrante delecto... A judge declares the boy legally insane and he's locked away in a mental institution. Fifteen years later, Michael escapes and ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Eccentric Cinema
DVD Up Close (Bill Treadway)
It is hard for some people to grasp what a landmark film Halloween really was. Back then, the type of horror films that were popular relied on some type of gimmick, such as a moldy castle or horrific monster. What made John Carpenter’s film so ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVD Up Close (Bill Treadway)
Critic Doctor (Herb Kane)
When I think of a scary movie, my thoughts take me back to the year 1978, sitting on the edge of my seat in a movie theatre watching John Carpenter's "Halloween." It was the first movie (as a teenager) to startle me from beginning to end. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Critic Doctor (Herb Kane)
LivingCorpse.com (Ron Hogan)
The little movie that could, John Carpenter's classic Halloween is one of the most profitable movies of all time, and that's before you count up all the money the massive array of sequels have pulled in amongst themselves. Moustapha Akkad is one rich ...read the complete Halloween movie review at LivingCorpse.com (Ron Hogan)
Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips Jr.)
John Carpenter's Halloween was one of the first and the flat-out best of that ghetto of the horror film genre, the slasher movie. It is also arguably the best horror film ever made, and it is also a great movie on any scale. It causes an agonizing ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips Jr.)
Apollo Movie Guide (Scott Weinberg)
The film that started one of Hollywood’s longest running horror series stars Jamie Lee Curtis as a young woman trying to stave off death at the hands of the lunatic Michael Myers. John Carpenter wrote and directed. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Apollo Movie Guide (Scott Weinberg)
Empire (Chris Hewitt)
Turn off the lights. Put on the widescreen version, showcasing Carpenter’s masterful framing and chill-inducing, Michael Myers-concealing use of shadows. Crank up the sound, and be scared witless by horror’s greatest director. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Empire (Chris Hewitt)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
From a shock-and-suspense point-of-view, Halloween is the rival of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." With only a few arguable exceptions (such as "The Exorcist"), there isn't another post-1970 release that comes close to it in terms of scaring the living hell ...read the complete Halloween movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Stomp Tokyo
Every once and a while a movie comes along that is so successful, both artistically and financially, that it creates a new genre. With the current mini-renaissance that slasher films are experiencing, now is a good time to reassess the movie that started ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Stomp Tokyo
Brandon Herring
In other words I am completely and utterly obsessed with the film. It has changed horror movies forever and spawned six sequels with only 2, 4, and 7 being truly good. It also spawned several cheap imitations of the film that were offensive in some ways ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Brandon Herring
Arrow in the Head ("The Arrow")
From the dark "pumpkin" opening credits, I knew I was in for something special. The first 10 minutes where the director puts us behind the eyes of the killer are sheer brilliance and what follows is an atmospheric, simple, subtle thriller with ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Arrow in the Head ("The Arrow")
eFilmCritic
John Carpenter's well done scare ...read the complete Halloween movie review at eFilmCritic
Dustin Putman
I have probably seen John Carpenter's horror masterpiece, "Halloween," more times than any other film (the first time being when I was all of 4-years-old), and it will always be the best horror film ever made, in my eyes. None of its six sequels (and ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Dustin Putman
The Digital Bits
KQEK DVD Review (Mark R. Hasan)
John Carpenter's iconic horror classic returns in a new incarnation from Anchor Bay, replacing the label's two older full screen/widescreen flipper discs, and the THX-mastered 1999 edition (released separately, and also as a limited edition set, with the ...read the complete Halloween movie review at KQEK DVD Review (Mark R. Hasan)
Raging Bull (Matt White)
If there were one thing about Halloween that separates it from all the other "slasher" films, I would say it is the cinematography. This movie is almost an exercise in widescreen terror. Even more than most films, it really should not be viewed in pan ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Raging Bull (Matt White)
Film Threat (--)
"Halloween" is a creepy and terrifying film experience. For anyone who hasn't seen it, the description of the villain above is all that should be said. There is a boy, yes, with an angelic face, and back in 1963, he stabbed his sister to death, then was ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Film Threat (--)
Film Threat (--)
eFilmCritic.com (Dr. Isaksson)
One hour and eight minutes. That's how long it takes -- more than two-thirds of the way through a 91-minute movie -- before we finally get a clear, unobstructed view of the killer. He's wearing a mask, of course, though that comes off near the very end, ...read the complete Halloween movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Dr. Isaksson)
Tail Slate (Horror Guru)
Only a handful of films are able to almost single-handedly jumpstart an entire genre. In horror, many experts feel Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho fits this description. George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead in 1968 actually created an entire sub-genre: ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Tail Slate (Horror Guru)
MovieJustice (Pablo Hernandez)
B-Movie Film Vault (Jordan Garren)
Mike Bracken's Horror Films (Mike Bracken)
Twenty-one years after it exploded onto the horror scene, John Carpenter's seminal slasher flick, Halloween, still stands as one of the most vital and terrifying films ever made. Forget the lame sequels that came later, forget the weak and imitative ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Mike Bracken's Horror Films (Mike Bracken)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
flawless for what it is: a completely immersive, visceral dynamo of stylistic belly-jiggling and spine-shivering. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
A nearly flawless thriller. Everything a film in this genre should be: intelligent, stylish, and horrifying. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)
very possibly no other seminal seventies film--not The Godfather , not Star Wars , perhaps not even Jaws --has had a greater influence on popular culture. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)
iAfrica.com (Andrew Burden)
The message in ‘Halloween’ is simple — evil is inexplicable and can find you in the safest place you can think of — the home. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at iAfrica.com (Andrew Burden)
The World's Greatest Critic! (J.C. Maçek III)
Let's face it... John Carpenter has made a few stinkers in his long career! He's had his ups and downs, but heed facts, for every Starman there's a Vampire$ and for every Memoirs of an Invisible Man there's a Dark Star! He's also had some real winners, ...read the complete Halloween movie review at The World's Greatest Critic! (J.C. Maçek III)
Popcorn Pictures Review
Halloween stands the test of time and is one of the most defining and influential films in horror in modern cinema. Wrongfully brandished as one of the cheap splatter films of the time, Halloween quickly grew to become the most commercially successful ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Popcorn Pictures Review
Modamag.com - 25th Anniversary Edition DVD Review (Kage Alan)
What’s this? How can I give “Halloween” an “A” when I just gave “The Hours” an “A”? Easy. Each is a very different film and falls under different genres, so I rate them based on how well they perform as a whole within their genre. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Modamag.com - 25th Anniversary Edition DVD Review (Kage Alan)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
John Carpenter�s Halloween is a stripped down, primal horror movie. Made on a shoestring budget in the late 1970s before �slasher movie� was a worn-out derogatory phrase, Halloween went on to become the most economically successful independent ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)
This is the film that started the era of slasher films. The story is about a serial killer named Michael Myers, who killed his sister, when he was only six, and has now escaped from his mental institution and returns to his home town to wreak havoc. He ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
John Carpenter directed this movie on a low budget, patterned after Psycho and other great horror movies, and made a fortune. Halloween brilliantly uses its widescreen frame, a lot of hand-held camerawork, and scary foreground and background action. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
B-Movie Film Vault (Jordan Garren)
Jamie Lee Curtis! Young babysitter who's savagely attacked by Myers at the movie's climatic ending. She gives the seemingly unstoppable killer a run for his money though. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at B-Movie Film Vault (Jordan Garren)
Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
That is the way John Carpenter opens his horror classic Halloween -- with an entire stalking and murder done through the eyes of the killer up to the revelation of his true identity. Halloween has become a monument of horror/suspense in the slasher age ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
Entertainment Insiders
John Carpenter's "Halloween" is a classic of American cinema. The low-budget film has scarred audiences for a quarter century. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Entertainment Insiders
Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
John Carpenter's Halloween was one of the first and the flat-out best of that ghetto of the horror film genre, the slasher movie. It is also arguably the best horror film ever made, and it is also a great movie on any scale. It causes an agonizing ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Goatdog's Movies (Michael W. Phillips, Jr.)
Jason Overbeck
Halloween is as good a film as Psycho, if not a better one. They are both terrifying, both caused many rip offs - none of which were as good, and both invented the mad slasher films. Halloween builds tension so wonderfully and keeps it so well that you ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Jason Overbeck
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
In late 1978, a small horror film opened in Bowling Green, Kentucky (before moving on to Chicago and New York City) that would change the face of the genre. Initially dismissed by many serious critics as unworthy of attention or praise, the motion ...read the complete Halloween movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Dustin Putman
I have probably seen John Carpenter's horror masterpiece, "Halloween," more times than any other film (the first time being when I was all of 4-years-old), and it will always be the best horror film ever made, in my eyes. None of its six sequels (and ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Dustin Putman
BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
As one of the most imitated and influential horror films ever made, "Halloween" has struggled in recent years to retain impact. It's familiarity, coupled with horrible tired old prints used for TV and video releases, have dated the film badly. If any of ...read the complete Halloween movie review at BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
John Carpenter scored major points by nailing the essence of middle American terror. Halloween's Michael Myers struck fear in the hearts of moviegoers with an embodied Evil that made short work of suburban serenity. Responsible for jump-starting Jamie ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Deep Focus (Bryant Frazer)
Tail Slate ("The Horror Guru")
DVD Authority.com (Shane Martin)
My original thoughts going into the movie were that a movie this old can't be scary, it is just another slasher flick with crummy music and bad acting. I guess I had remembered the last time I watched a "scary" movie (Blair Witch) and came out bored. Was ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVD Authority.com (Shane Martin)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
So does John Carpenter. “Halloween” is an absolutely merciless thriller, a movie so violent and scary that, yes, I would compare it to “Psycho.” It's a terrifying and creepy film about what one of the characters calls Evil Personified. Right. And ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Mutant Reviewers From Hell
easily one of the best horror films ever made. And notice how William Shatner is tangentially involved? Shatner rules! ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Mutant Reviewers From Hell
Apollo Guide (Scott Weinberg)
There’s a reason why you’ll rarely see a review of Halloween with fewer than four stars attached to it: it’s a freakin’ classic. As The Godfather is to gangster movies and Star Wars is to sci-fi, the original Halloween is much more than just a ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Apollo Guide (Scott Weinberg)
Justin Felix
A challenge was made to me: watch and write a film review for a movie that's actually good. I decided that this movie couldn't be something too obvious, like an epic that won a billion Academy Awards, but it still had to be a genre classic of some sort ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Justin Felix
HorrorWatch
Michael Myers is a six-year-old boy who kills his sister on Halloween for no apparent reason and gets committed to a mental institution. Fifteen years later he escapes while en route to a hearing where his shrink is trying to have him locked up for good ...read the complete Halloween movie review at HorrorWatch
IndependentCritics.com (Richard Propes)
The film opens innocently enough. We see a young teenage girl and her boyfriend. It is rather obvious they have just had sex and then, suddenly, out of nowhere her six-year-old brother enters the room and stabs both of them to ...read the complete Halloween movie review at IndependentCritics.com (Richard Propes)
DVD Net (Paul Dossett)
I've had the luxury of listening to the commentary track of the Criterion SE laserdisc of Halloween, and Carpenter states that his intention was to emulate Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, but draw the key moments of suspense out for the entire film. For the ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVD Net (Paul Dossett)
DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
Fifteen years ago, a young Michael Myers murdered his older sister on Halloween night, and has been locked up in a mental institution ever since. The tale of the young Myers is well known, but has pretty much become part of the legend of the town, as if ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
So tight is the stranglehold which John Carpenter's 'Halloween' has on our culture that if you watch it for the first time, you will be convinced that you have seen it before, and if you watch it again, it will still seem as relevant as when it first ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel)
DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
Fifteen years ago, a young Michael Myers murdered his older sister on Halloween night, and has been locked up in a mental institution ever since. The tale of the young Myers is well known, but has pretty much become part of the legend of the town, as if ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
Matt Dalton (--)
Member Reviews - 99% ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Matt Dalton (--)
Time Out
A superb essay in Hitchcockian suspense, which puts all its sleazy Friday the 13th imitators to shame with its dazzling skills and mocking wit. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Time Out
Jerry Saravia
Just as the original "Psycho" sired the slasher genre, John Carpenter's "Halloween" solidified the genre that became more shock for your buck than genuine scares. Amazing that so few directors followed Carpenter's model - atmosphere to spare and a ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Jerry Saravia
DVD Verdict (Patrick Naugle)
I have the feeling that if you looked up the words "Halloween" and "DVD" on Yahoo, you'd find about a gazillion matches. Why? Because as of this writing Anchor Bay has released what seems to be dozens of editions of the horror classic on DVD, laserdisc, ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVD Verdict (Patrick Naugle)
SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
In 1974 director John Carpenter emerged with Dark Star (1974), made while he was still only a student at USC, an hilariously snide take on the whole “boldly going” space exploration rhetoric of Star Trek (1966-9). Carpenter then bummed around ...read the complete Halloween movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
DVD Times- Halloween 25th Anniversary SE
Halloween is, hands down, the greatest exploitation film ever made. I hope the use of the word â€exploitation’ doesn’t sound pejorative because I certainly don’t intend it to. Exploitation cinema frequently throws up some of the very worst trash ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVD Times- Halloween 25th Anniversary SE
Movie-Vault.com (John Ulmer)
You can thank William Shatner for "Halloween." It is his face, after all, that the infamous Michael Myers (Nick Castle) wears in the shadows of "Halloween," spray painted white and its hair frizzled up in all directions. Michael is always in the shadows, ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Movie-Vault.com (John Ulmer)
Chicago Reader (Dave Kehr)
Carpenter displays an almost perfect understanding of the mechanics of classical suspense; his style draws equally (and intelligently) from both Howard Hawks and Alfred Hitchcock. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Chicago Reader (Dave Kehr)
Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
There’s no more appropriate movie for Halloween night than this John Carpenter original. They should have broken the mold when they released Halloween, for when it comes to escaped-maniacs-on-the-loose films this one’s the real deal. If nothing else, ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
"One of the more successful indie forays into the slasher/horror film ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Not Coming to a Theater Near You (Leo Goldsmith)
Halloween, arguably, might have given birth to the slasher genre, but I have never felt it to be of that genre. John Carpenter’s role models in filmmaking were (and still are, for that matter) Howard Hawks, John Ford, Orson Welles, and other masters of ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Not Coming to a Theater Near You (Leo Goldsmith)
Kult Movie Maximus
Probably the best of all slasher films with the exception of Hitchcock's Psycho. Those uninitiated into horror films probably don't recognize the Halloween series as well as Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. In fact, many think that Michael ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Kult Movie Maximus
Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
All through his career Carpenter has taken a beating from critics for being associated with the most maligned of all cinematic genres- namely horror. Well, as far as I am concerned both John Carpenter and horror movies have been treated unfairly by ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
PreViewed DVD
When looking back on a movie that has spawned, directly or indirectly, dozens of bad imitators, the tendency may be to dismiss the original movie. After all, if it caused the creation of so much crap, isn't it likely to be crap in the first place? But ...read the complete Halloween movie review at PreViewed DVD
Video Graveyard
This horror classic was the highest grossing independent film of all time (and rightfully so) until The Blair Witch Project took the title twenty years later. Along with Friday The 13th this was reponsible for the slasher movie glut of the early 80s yet ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Video Graveyard
The Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)
Halloween (1978) is a genuinely scary, stylistic and tasteful, extremely well-crafted slasher/horror classic from young film director John Carpenter (who had previously directed two cult cinema classics, the sci-fi film Dark Star (1974) and the riveting ...read the complete Halloween movie review at The Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)
Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)
“Damn, this is one great ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)
DVDork.com (Ryan Keefer)
John Carpenter had a wacky idea, filming at night, using the daughter of a star of one slasher movie, and putting her in her own slasher movie, against a guy who doesn’t talk, and wears a Captain Kirk mask that’s spray painted white. Made for ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVDork.com (Ryan Keefer)
David Wilcock
In this likeable slasher movie, a seriously disturbed boy (who, although he's called Michael Myers, has nothing to do with the Mike Myers of Waynes World's fame!) kills his sister, gets locked up in a mental home, and, thirty years later, escapes, ready ...read the complete Halloween movie review at David Wilcock
AIN'T IT COOL Movie Review
Amazing, I've seen this film about 40 times now in my life. I know every twist, every shadow, but the movie can still hold my mind enthralled at 2am. I'm pretty sure it's because of two characters you never see in the film. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at AIN'T IT COOL Movie Review
Daily-Reviews.com (Chuck Dowling)
Fulvue Drive-in
In the late 1970s, there was once a fine film magazine called Cinemonkey. Yes, Cinemonkey. Their spring 1979 issue was focusing on the films of 1978, including remarkable films like Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter, Paul Schrader’s Hardcore, ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Fulvue Drive-in
movie reviews
I saw this movie for the first time only this year; I'm still a surprisingly big chicken when it comes to horror movies. It was so good I had to resee it, and I can easily imagine myself seeing it again before the end of the year. 20 years after it came ...read the complete Halloween movie review at movie reviews
Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)
One of John Carpenter's best films, I first saw HALLOWEEN when I was 13-years-old and it scared the bejesus out of me. I was not and am not a big horror movie fan because I relish my sleep far too much. This is the ultimate "bogeyman" flick and I've ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Crazy for Cinema (Lisa Skrzyniarz)
DVD Journal
You've heard it all before: a mute, faceless maniac stalking sexy teenage girls. The reason you've heard it all before is John Carpenter's Halloween, the 1978 slasher flick that launched a new sub-genre of horror — one that quickly grew to define it. ...read the complete Halloween movie review at DVD Journal
Boxoffice Magazine
A full quarter-century after it was made, "Halloween" still ranks among the best of its genre. As Freddie and Jason have now drifted into self-parody, Michael Myers is as menacing and fearsome as ever. Much of that, admittedly, has to do with now famous ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Boxoffice Magazine
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Donald Pleasence's performance is calculated and chilling, and I like it. Jamie Lee Curtis doesn't do much but scream (though not as much as she's famous for -- only three real screams in this film), and it's hard to get behind a main character who's ...read the complete Halloween movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Filmtracks
(John Carpenter) Unequivocally one of the most renown and effective horror movie theme, the simple-yet-unsettling Halloween main title theme composed by John Carpenter for his third feature film has remained to this day unsurpassed. It is funny that our ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Filmtracks
Doug Skiles
Alright, here's the deal. Back in October of 1997, a nice little theater here in the St. Louis area, the "Mid Rivers 6" (one of those little mall theaters) decided to show the original HALLOWEEN film on one of its big screens - you know, like they say ...read the complete Halloween movie review at Doug Skiles
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