John Carpenter’s 1978 original slasher film isn’t scary at all – it’s too clunky for that
I’m a wimp when it comes to horror films, as anyone who has ever sat next to me in a cinema while I’ve been yelping my head off will tell you. I’ve forced myself to watch some of the classics, and I’ve loved some of the new ones such as Get Out and A Quiet Place. But I’ve succeeded in avoiding Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and the other slasher movies of the 1970s and 80s. And, until last week, I’d never seen the one which gets all the acclaim, Halloween. I knew it was important, of course. I’d spotted the references in everything from Scream to Baby Driver, and I’d heard of Rob Zombie’s remake, as well as David Gordon Green’s sequel. But whenever I thought about braving the 1978 original, which was directed by John Carpenter, I’d always leave my DVD in its shrink-wrapped box and pick up a romcom instead.
So here’s what surprised me about my long-overdue viewing:
Halloween isn’t scary at all. It’s too clunky for that. It may terrify teenagers at a sleepover, but watching it in broad daylight in middle-age brings a sort of patronising respect for the plucky low-budget film-makers who managed to get 90 minutes out of a handful of actors, two clapboard houses and a wisp of plot.