The classic film I've never seen: Halloween

By Nicholas Barber

 

‘Ineffectual’ … Tony Moran as Michael Myers in the 1978 original Halloween. Photograph: Falcon International/Allstar

 

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. 

 

Full Story: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/15/the-classic-film-ive-never-seen-halloween

Nor have I seen any that you mention...

 

And I would not classify any horror movie as classic... 

2 hours ago, kenk24 said:

Nor have I seen any that you mention...

 

And I would not classify any horror movie as classic... 

I wouldn’t classify any “slasher” movies as classics, but movies such as ‘The Shining’ with Jack Nicholson and ‘Alien’ with Sigourney Weaver would probably qualify as true classics.

9 hours ago, Airalee said:

I wouldn’t classify any “slasher” movies as classics, but movies such as ‘The Shining’ with Jack Nicholson and ‘Alien’ with Sigourney Weaver would probably qualify as true classics.

as I was writing that, I could see the image of Jack N's face in that clip of The Shining.. and though I imagine I would not enjoy the movie, that image is surely classic.. 

14 hours ago, kenk24 said:

Nor have I seen any that you mention...

 

And I would not classify any horror movie as classic... 

There's many horror films that are considered classics, like Psycho, Nosferatu, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Silence of the Lambs, etc, etc.

12 hours ago, Airalee said:

I wouldn’t classify any “slasher” movies as classics, but movies such as ‘The Shining’ with Jack Nicholson and ‘Alien’ with Sigourney Weaver would probably qualify as true classics.

Alien is certainly a classic. Pity that Ridley let Cameron make the sequel. Ridley never made another movie  as good and even made some clunkers such as the ghastly Robin Hood movie.

Once Weaver got her claws into it the series really went downhill. Thank goodness they never made another with her in it.

That scene where the monster erupts from John Hurt's chest has never, IMO been bettered.

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

There's many horror films that are considered classics, like Psycho, Nosferatu, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Silence of the Lambs, etc, etc.

I watched the Exorcist in London. I couldn't sleep for 2 days because the scene where her head spins around scared me so much. I saw it again in Singapore and it was not scary at all because they cut out all the good bits.

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

There's many horror films that are considered classics, like Psycho, Nosferatu, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Silence of the Lambs, etc, etc.

Still think The Exorcist has to be one of the greatest scaries of all times, and when I saw The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original) I thought it good.....but don't know how I would feel about it now?

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

And, until last week, I’d never seen the one which gets all the acclaim, Halloween.

That was pretty scary, but Jamie Lee Curtis's haircut scares me every time I see her in a movie now. What the <deleted> is she thinking?

2 hours ago, giddyup said:

There's many horror films that are considered classics, like Psycho, Nosferatu, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Silence of the Lambs, etc, etc.

Silence of the lambs was terrific.. not sure I would categorize it as "horror" - more psychological thriller... but either way - great movie... 

1 hour ago, kenk24 said:

Silence of the lambs was terrific.. not sure I would categorize it as "horror" - more psychological thriller... but either way - great movie... 

So butterflying one cop, and wearing another cop's face is not horror. So much for Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

I don't know whether it is considered as a classic, but Arsenic and Old Lace frightened the death out of me.  I was dragged out screaming by my furious mother.  I was 6 at the time.

On 6/17/2020 at 12:01 AM, Gillyflower said:

I don't know whether it is considered as a classic, but Arsenic and Old Lace frightened the death out of me.  I was dragged out screaming by my furious mother.  I was 6 at the time.

By that standard The Wizard of Oz is a horror film. The flying monkeys terrified me.