Halloween (1978) VHS
For this review I watched the original, directed and scored by John Carpenter on VHS, and although I've seen this a few times it was a welcome refresher. The graininess and whirring sounds of the analog format brought me back to when I was a kid watching this for the first time in my parents dark living room in the wee hour of the night. The intro credits are classic, simple and haunting with that ever important piano music that creates tension from the start. That music continues through out the movie with variations on the main theme, but its the silences that really build up the suspense for me. The lighting is dark and shadowy and all the day time scenes are shot on an overcast day which really pulls you into the movie and you can almost feel the cool damp air of fall on your skin and smell the burning leaves in the wind. Boobs and blood are a staple for 80's horror and this movie set the standard. John Carpenter and his team tell a big story with such simple story telling and they were also able to frighten you with out showing a whole lot of blood. The way they framed shots like the one at the school where you only see part of Michael as he stalks the young child are truly scary and if your looking for a lesson on true frights just watch the stabbing scene in the kitchen. Michael Myers was able to scare the crap out of you with just a simple turn of his head. The ending is chilling with the screenshots of the house and neighborhood and sets up the excitement for the sequel. This film should be a lesson in horror for aspiring film makers as to how to set the mood and atmosphere and create fear with a less is more attitude. John Carpenter could be compared to great blues musicians in that it's the spaces in between the notes that matter. It's the silences, pauses and subtle flourishes that invoke emotion. This is a horror masterpiece! Absolutely essential watching!
Halloween (2007)
You may expect me to say forget this remake and that nothing can compare to the original. But, this is a close race because this isn't your average remake. This is a re-telling/re-imagining of the Halloween story and is worth a closer look and not to be written off as a sub par attempt to cash in on an old tale. I watched the unrated directors cut rented from Netflix which is a long movie so be ready to put some time into this one. Rob Zombies telling of Halloween gives you story elements of the original first and second movie and delves much deeper into the story of Michael as a child. The characters are a lot darker and grittier and the whole movie is awash with Rob Zombies personal style that sets him apart from other modern film makers. The music borrows from the original score but makes it's own statement and there is much more nudity, violence and blood in this adaptation. Daeg Faerch plays Michael as a child does a fantastic job and early on you get the sense that Mr. Zombie is trying to make a statement against bullying. The professional wrestler Tyler Mane plays the adult Michael and the way he is filmed makes him look absolutely huge and menacing. There are some scene for scene segments but there is a nice variety of creative scenes and camera angles that are used to tell parts of the story and overall this movie feels like a complete package. Rob Zombie has created essential watching material for casual horror fans and hard core aficionados alike.
So which is my favorite? You might have guessed it but it has to be the original. It was a close match though. Personally I prefer to view movies as they were originally intended and I like older movies in general. I have to say though Rob Zombies Halloween is one of my favorite remakes and if I was about 15 years younger it would have been my favorite of the two.
So which one should you watch? If you are a casual horror fan and just looking for something to watch this Halloween watch Rob Zombies remake. You'll get the whole story in a nice neat package with lots of action and gore and you'll most likely be left with your appetite for the macabre satisfied. If you are an avid horror fan and an aspiring film maker you have to watch the original. It's full of invaluable lessons on creative vision, how to scare with less, how to create tension and atmosphere and solid story telling. But then again if you are hard core about your horror and you haven't seen the original yet you might need to reconsider your interests.
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