every now and then a movie advertise itself a scary or frightening and though they usually aren not . most modern horror movie fit into this category . then there be those movie that do not simply cause the tension and adrenaline to pump through your vein hard than usual . they actually frighten you to a level that you have never experience . halloween be such a film . it take so many risk that would make most movie producer cringe . but nearly all of them work . halloween be awe inspire in it simplicity and and terrify a a whole . the story be simple . laurie strode ( jamie lee curtis ) be babysitting some kid on halloween night and while a madman be on the loose after escape from a mental institution after brutally murder his older sister 15 year ago . of course and the madman and later know a michael myers and begin kill the local teenage population and and eventually he come after laurie . sound familiar and right . just another brainless slasher fill with dumb teenager and gob of gore . not a chance . i think james berardinelli put it perfectly in his review of halloween represent because of it title and halloween have frequently be group together with all the other splatter film that populate theater throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s . however and while halloween be rightfully consider the father of the modern slasher genre and it be not a member . he have a point and and for a number of reason . first and foremost and it downright terrify and whereas most entry into the teen slasher genre be dumb gore fests ( one could argue that many recent one be tongue in cheek and but most of those fail as well ) . second and there be almost no violence ( very little of which be bloody ) . john carpenter know that violence do not equal scary and and he rely very little on it ( actually and the body count be pretty low ) . in fact and one can argue that this isn not really a horror movie and at least not by today standard of have the most death that can be cram into a single movie and each gory and more sadistic than the last . he rely on idea for scare and and also skill . third and while some of the character may do stupid thing ( that sometimes seal their fate ) and they do not do them because theyre dumb . the character be real people and so instead of think that the character die because theyre idiot and be frighten because theyre make a mistake . one of the main reason why halloween be so scary be because it be so easy to believe that it real . nothing be hard to swallow in this film . there no supernatural and there no ridiculously creative plot element and or inventive murder and or whatnot . instead and all the set piece and camera work ( save the opening sequence ) be simple . carpenter just set the camera in place and say action . what we get be the feeling that be actually see a murder take place right in front of u . horror movie be probably the most difficult film to make because in order for something to be scary and everything have to be perfect and and idea never work twice . it a hit or miss game and which be why if i be to tell you all the good idea that carpenter have ( which i be not ) and they would seem primitive ( particularly since they have be repeat with less effect over and over again through the year ) . act here be not a plus point because it doesn not need to be . this be a movie about scary idea and not a movie about dramatic and conflicted character . the actor act like real people and not character from a story . nothing more . the exception to this be whoever play the shape and or later know a michael myers . it can be scary to have a person say nothing and simply kill and but it hard to pull off ( and even hard to keep people from ask why ) . but the guy pull it off and and the result be terrify . this be carpenter movie through and through . he direct it and co write it and co produce it and and write the chill score of it . this be a man of brilliance and and his late movie the thing support this statement and though the thing be not as scary a halloween . unfortunately his success have dramatically diminish and a it happen when the lure of big money for less freedom be take advantage of once big time producer recognize your potential . as good a this film be and it not without flaw . the famous opening scene be disturb and but not very scary . and not many of the scare work for the first part of the movie . it not that it bad and it just that there no good reason to fear the shape . luckily and carpenter mostly use this time to set up a relationship between the character and the audience . while there no intimacy in this relationship and it fit the purpose . we grow to know the character and but not so much that it dishearten when they die . but once the film get to halloween night and that when carpenter kick thing into high gear and it never stop until you get to the end . while halloween may be flaw and it be only slightly so . it be an immensely terrifying film and and a must see for anyone who love scary movie . be warn though and this movie will scare the living hell out of you .