Halloween (1978) - John Carpenter

Plot-

On Halloween night of 1936, six-year old Michael Myers stabbed his older sister to death. After being in a 'mental hospital' for 15 years, Michael escapes and returns to Haddonfield to kill.

At the beginning of the film it shows typical technical codes of the horror genre. It begins on Halloween night 1936 in a dark house, the lighting is dark and our view is restricted, due to it being a point of view shot we are only exposed to the killer's perspective; in this case through the clown mask 6-year old Michael Myers is wearing. The sounds at the beginning of the movie is mainly either silent, Narrative or the sound of Michael's breathing in the mask; There is also parallel sound and music which is continued throughout the film meaning each time Michael is about to kill or is in scene a particular repetitive sound is played which becomes familiar to the audience and creates suspense. 

The setting of the film is typical for a horror movie; at the beginning of the film it is set in a dark isolated house with no parent's home which in most Horror's the absence of an authority figure is very common. The film is all based around a significant event; the night of Halloween. Other settings from Fifteen years later it cuts to a stormy night driving through a mental asylum, it is also mainly based on dark nights in dark isolated houses. Horror films use dark nights and scenes a lot which plays on a common fear of the fear of the dark which will add extra scare for the audience. 

 In Halloween there is a lot of iconography of innocence shown. This includes three of the main characters Laurie and the kids (Tommy and Lindsey). Laurie shows innocence compared to her friends Annie and Lynda through being virginal, this is shown through things such as the unflattering clothes and dull colour's she wears as well as her strong interest in academics rather than boys and parties. In another scene innocence is shown when Laurie sees some kids dressed up going Trick or Treating. 

The main impact the film Halloween had on the industry was that it was very successful making a huge profit due to it being cheap to make but making being a big hit with audiences. This inspired other Horror film producers to make slasher Horror films to try and compete with the success of Halloween. Here are just a few films that followed after Halloween including Friday the 13th, Prom night, Bloody Valentine and The burning. 

The four rules of the slasher film sub genre are-

1.  A traumatic event in the past creates a psychotic killer

2. The killer returns to the site usually on a specific date in the present day that allows the makers to        use a calendar Motif (e.g. Halloween) 

3. The killer stalks and graphically kills a ground of obnoxious teens of both genders, usually with         some kind of blade, often a garden or farm implement. 

4. A final girl survives, usually boyish and often virginal, to face the killer, although he is never entirely vanquished.

One of the main characters Laurie is seen as being androgynous this is shown through several different traits such as her appearance, she has a strong jaw line as well as a deep voice which is usually associated with men rather than women, she also wears clothes which are very prude and don't reveal much flesh in comparison to Annie and Lynda who wear clothes that show off their figures and can be sexualised. Laurie is the 'Final girl' in the film being chased by Michael Myers; instead of being helpless she fights back for example sticking a knitting needle in his neck and a coat hanger in his eye, showing she is capable to fight for herself.

In an extract it is stated that teens have "a reactionary sexual agenda";indicating that they are worried about how teenagers are acting, meaning that they are too distracted by things such as alcohol and sex and should be more focussed on what's happening in the world around them. In Halloween Laurie is the only one not distracted by these things, she notices what going on around her and as a result of this she is prepared and  is the only one to survive.

When the Director John Carpenter was asked if Halloween had a reactionary sexual agenda he replied with "I didn't mean to put an end to the sexual revolution!" he argues the fact that Laurie is a virgin but this doesn't stop Myers from trying to kill her.

My interpretation of why Michael Myers kills his sister is that it could be a possessive reason over his sister, although in the film the Dr. Loomis states his reasons, saying he is just pure evil and psychotic. Another interpretation could be that he is the 'Devil', he has no comprehension of what's right or wrong and when he looks to be dead on several occasions he somehow come back to life, possibly showing he is inhuman or immortal.

Here is the Trailer for the 1978 film-