So, you're stuck home alone during a thunderstorm while a deranged killer tries to kill you...
you'll be totally fine as long as you keep the doors locked, never fall asleep or host
a movie review show...
// This is Movie Night!
/// Ahhhh!!
Hello and welcome to Movie Night.
I'm your host, Jonathan Paula.
To celebrate Halloween next week, tonight we'll be reviewing the three original slasher
classics of American cinema - all three of which have resulted in numerous sequels, and
21st-century remakes.
We'll begin tonight with the original, "Halloween".
This John Carpenter classic was released in late October of 1978... grossing seventy million
at the box-office, over two hundred times its meager budget of $325,000.
The eerie and iconic theme music sets the mood for the quick 91-minute horror film,
which opens with a horrifying flashback scene of a small six-year-old Michael Myers murdering
his sister in cold blood with a large kitchen knife.
No motivation or explanation is ever provided for the reasons behind Myers' gruesome slayings:
and that is undeniably the charm of this - at times - almost quaint teenage story.
The masked, mysterious killer doesn't have any reasoning... he just wants to kill, and
move on: and the fact that he does so on a chilling Halloween evening in a typical suburban
neighborhood make the events all the more terrifying.
The quintessential slasher film, and arguably the grandfather to the entire subgenre of
widely successful horror films, "Halloween" is at worst slow-paced, and at best, incredibly
unsettling to watch.
In her first ever role, Jamie Lee Curtis is magnificent as the teenage babysitter who
slowly realizes her friends down the street are being murdered one at a time by the masked
murderer: the angst, worry, and fear is expertly conveyed through her emotions.
Donald Pleasence is the steady voice of reason, Myers' former doctor before the deranged killer
escaped from a nearby mental hospital, who warns the townsfolk, "You must be ready for
him...
If you don't, it's your funeral."
All of the gory violence takes place off camera, with Carpenter implementing the immensely
effective technique of letting the audience imagine the deadly sights for themselves.
The claustrophobic filming style, often switching to Myers' first-person perspective as he stalks
his prey makes for some tense moments in the dark homes and streets of this sleepy Illinois
town.
With the scariest moments not appearing until late, the first hour of this picture almost
feels like a fun coming-of-age teenage drama, with Curtis lamenting over her babysitting
duties, and her friends attempting to hook her up with a boy from their school.
These scenes work well to develop the characters, and the writing is strong... but honestly,
you want to see blood and death, not high school gossip.
The first movie in an incredibly successful franchise, that would spawn seven sequels
and two remakes: this is a low-budget, slow-moving horror film that still sends chills up your
spine, even 35 years after release.
The equally enjoyable1981 sequel picks up immediately where this picture leaves off,
making for a great three-hour experience next time you watch them alone with the lights
off.
Required viewing for all slasher-fans, "Halloween", has "Terrifying thrills, with simplistic delivery".
Now let's read some of your YouTube comment reviews.
Here's our scores on the new rate-o-matic... a NINE and an EIGHT.
Calling it influential, unexpected, and most importantly: scary, you really enjoyed this
film, and appropriately scored it an AWESOME.
Horror films have never been my thing, but once this one gets going, it delivers the
scares, especially impressive given its age.
I thought it was a GREAT movie.
Tonight's second slasher flick is "Friday The 13th".
Released in May of 1980, this 95-minute horror film from director Sean S. Cunningham grossed
over seventy-times its paltry half-million dollar budget.
Adrienne King leads a cast of twenty-something counselors at Camp Crystal Lake, prior to
the start of its summer season.
One by one, these sexually promiscuous meatbags, including a hammy performance from a young
Kevin Bacon are murdered in bloody executions, from an unseen first-person stalker.
The unrealistic dialog and its stilted delivery don't do much in the realism department, nor
does a comically ridiculous town-crazy who keeps warnings, "You're doomed!
You're all doomed!".
One of the few X-rated films to receive mainstream success, this movie shamelessly incorporates
all of the stereotypical horror tropes: a full moon, thunderstorm, power outages, a
cut phone line, stalled truck engine, and plenty of screaming and running.
Since none of the characters realize they're in actual danger until the 70 minute mark,
there's very little tension involved - with nothing driving the empty narrative except
a voyeuristic need to see flesh and blood.
Slow tracking shots slowly ramp the anxiety in each of the gruesome death scenes... all
witnessed from the killer's relentless perspective.
From beheadings, to archery-inspired murders, to throat-slits, and machete slices... the
frequent on-screen deaths stay decently inventive, and are basically the only thing that kept
me interested.
When the climax nears, and a clear protagonist finally emerges, there is a laughably prolonged
battle as the lone survivor fights for their life.
Slow and campy by today's standards...
this film is entertaining only as a curiosity for fan's of the genre, interested to see
the humble beginnings of this 12-picture franchise.
Harry Manfredini's score is perhaps the one thing that holds up well... the eerie "ki
ki ki... ma ma ma" echoing in the background, suggest more than uneasiness in the air.
Besides the oft-repeated first-person killer cam, the visuals here are largely uninspired,
resulting in some unfortunately predictable scare-moments.
Although it's interesting to see where it all began, this is not a movie I plan to watch
again... and most viewers today are likely better off with the 2009 remake.
"Friday The 13th", "Cheap scares, but enjoyable gore."
Now let's see what you had to say in the YouTube comments.
Now, our scores for "Friday The 13th"... a FIVE / FOUR split.
You applauded the setting, music, and atmosphere, but enjoyed little else - rating it an ALRIGHT.
With such a basic premise, I was disappointed more wasn't done here... the cool death sequences
aren't enough for me to recommend it.
I thought it was MEH...
Our final review tonight is for "A Nightmare On Elm Street."
Earning 24 million in profit when released in November of 1984, this R-rated slasher
from acclaimed horror director Wes Craven was so successful, it managed to single-handily
save its distributor, New Line Cinema, from bankruptcy.
Heather Langenkamp leads a group of sexually promiscuous teens as they're slowly, and mysteriously
terrorized by a deranged killer from within their dreams, only to wake in the real world
with mortal wounds.
This original concept is literally the stuff of nightmares... a scary looking burn victim
with bad fashion sense murdering people whenever they fall asleep.
Langenkamp's delivery fluctuates between annoyingly cheesy and decently believable, but despite
her inconsistency, she's the best actor of the group, which includes a young and handsome
Johnny Depp in his first ever role, John Saxon as the unnamed town's piss-poor police chief,
and Robert Englund as the en-igmatic dream-killer, Fred Kruger.
Although the classically trained Englund would go on to reprise this iconic role in the franchise's
next seven sequels - his participation here is limited to only a smattering of grunts,
and attacks.
Even still, he convincingly plays the relentless nightmare stalker with a gleeful passion - and
is plenty frightening as a result.
As the well-paced, but familiar story of privileged, white suburban kids getting killed one-by-one
plays out, the adults around them respond with a frustrating lack of urgency - seemingly
unconvinced of the true threat, with one parent rather ironically scolding, "You are going
to get some sleep tonight if it kills me."
The $1.8 million dollar budget allows for some more inventive and expensive special
effects like flipping an entire bedroom upside-down, and filling it with 500 gallons of blood...
in one of the 91-minute picture's more unsettlingly scenes.
Although some of the blood looks decidedly fake, the many deaths here are awesomely gruesome,
and fun to watch unfold.
The music by Charles Bernstein is, emotionally speaking, like nails on a chalk board...
a constant sort of grating that leaves you perpetually on edge.
The birth of a classic Hollywood villain, and a successful nine-picture franchise, this
picture should have no problems frightening children for generations to come.
"A Nightmare On Elm Street", "Haunting imagery with helpless characters."
Here, now are your reviews from the YouTube comments.
"A Nightmare On Elm Street" on the rate-o-matic... the audience scored it GREAT, while I rated
it a COOL.
You applauded the inventive, scare-inducing bad guy, giving this an EIGHT.
Slow and frustrating at times, this picture gave us Freddy Kruger, and I have to score
it a SEVEN just for that.
Finally tonight, let's read some Tweet Critiques to see what you're saying about films currently
playing in theaters.
If you see a new movie in theaters, Tweet your review with the #JPMN hashtag to have
it featured on the show.
And be sure to follow me on Twitter or Facebook for updates between episodes, and to help
decide upcoming reviews.
Next week, we'll take our first stab at catching up on films we missed over the summer, starting
with "The Internship", brand new on DVD this week...
"Man Of Steel", the big-budget reboot of the Superman franchise, as "R.I.P.D.", the supernatural
comedy starring Ryan Reynolds.
Once you've seen these films, share your opinions by voting in the polls below, or by leaving
a comment review.
And please subscribe to the Movie Night Archive channel for exclusive trailer commentaries,
and an organized library of all our past reviews.
Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula - thank you for watching Movie Night, I hope to see
you, right back here for the next episode!