her innocence as the evening’s
horrific events plunge her into
maturity. Kudos to the lighting of
Dean Cundey, who would go on
to become one of Hollywood’s
most in demand cinematographers.
The character of Michael Myers
is one of cinema’s most iconic,
but it’s a ridiculously simplistic
costume. The mask was actually
a William Shatner mask found by
production designer Tommy Lee
Wallace, who sprayed it white,
cut holes in the eyes and tousled
the hair to give it the creepy
look we know so well. Carpenter’s friend Nick Castle played
the killer, and his subtle movements add an extra dimension
of creepiness. Myers was also
played by Debra Hill (the hands
of the eight year old Myers in
the opening sequence) and Tony
Moran (the face revealed when
the mask is eventually removed).
Unlike the imitations whi ch
would follow, there’s nary a drop
of blood spilled onscreen. Despite this, or arguably because
of this, the movie is absolutely
terrifying. The final 20 minutes,
in which Curtis is stalked by Myers through the normally safe
environs of a suburban street,
is for me the highlight of a
hundred plus years of cinema.
There’s barely a word of dialogue; it’s visual film-making at
its finest. Never have camera
movement, framing, lighting and
editing been combined in such a
chilling manner. If an alien landed and asked me what makes
cinema great, I would simply
show them the shot of Curtis
framed in a doorway as Myers
rises from the dead behind her.
That’s cinema! That’s John Carpenter! That’s Halloween!
5 stars out of 5
NewJerseyStage.com
2015 - ISSUE 10
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