HALLOWEEN

US, 1978, 91 minutes, Colour.
Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Loomis, Charles Cyphers.
Written and directed by John Carpenter.

In Psycho Janet Leigh had a harrowing time. Her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis has more terror as heroine in this macabre, knife-flashing murder story. Halloween in America is full of old magic, superstition and trickery. Cult director John Carpenter plays this smoothly and frighteningly for far more than it is worth and this will probably add to his reputation. He would have been gratified, after he had so laid on atmosphere and delaying suspense, to hear the screams and advice for the heroine bursting forth from the audience, for at the end there are shocks, terror and scares piled on - Halloween achieves very well and effectively the horror intended.

1. An effective horror film? The appeal, the nature of horror? Successful visual horror.

2. Why do audiences like to be afraid, to be scared and shocked? The impact of screaming heroines etc? The ability of the audience to identify? The experience of sharing such fear and its being solved?

3. The relationship of horror and violence? The visual presentation of violence, the suggestions of motion and the audience feeling the violence, e.g. the stabbings? Presentation, suggestion, the combined effect?

4. The focus of the title on Halloween? The overtones of the celebration? Superstition, the time of the year. A celebration, children, fear, dressing up and masks, the bogey man, tricks and fear?

5. The film's treatment of sanity and insanity? Its attitude towards Michael? Sympathy for him as a person, had he forfeited sympathy, his non-human state?

6. The contribution of colour, Panavision, the authentic Illinois atmosphere, America and the celebration of Halloween? The importance of the musical score, the use of silences, dramatic chords especially for shocks?

7. The prologue and the atmosphere of the Halloween celebration, the two petting and the subjective looking at them by Michael? The fact that the opening sequence was all subjective on the part of Michael? Was the fact presented vividly, his sister's death? Were his motivations at all clear - indicated by the subjective camera? The audience sharing the experience of his prying on his sister and killing her? The suggestions of his being dressed up? The arrival of his parents, standing with the bloodstained knife and our seeing him for the first tine? The tracking back and leaving the tableau of the family?

8. The transition to the second prologue with Dr. Loomis arriving at the hospital? The gap of fifteen years? The date, the weather. the rain? The discussion with the nurse and the indication of issues. Dr. Loomis' attitude towards Michael over the fifteen years? The law allowing him out? Stopping at the gate, the patients wandering in the rain. the suddenness of the attack on the nurse and Michael's taking the car? The preparation for the mayhem of the film?

9. Audience response to Michael after these two prologues - the revelation that he killed the garage man to take his clothes, his arrival at the old Myers house, taking the gravestone of his sister - and its later macabre use. His return to the house and its dilapidated state? His following of Laurie and Annie? Tommy's seeing him as the Bogey Man? His sudden appearances and disappearances? As a frightening presence, his shape, mask? The horror of Halloween ? The irony of the celebration of superstition and violence and trickery and its reality for this town?

10. Laurie as the focus of the film? Our introduction to her, the old house and the key, her friendship with Tommy? Michael following her,, her experience at school and her intelligence, looking out the window at him? Annie and Linda and the chatter about sex and the celebration? Her arrival at home and the fear of the phone call and Annie playing jokes - and the later use of this? Her going to baby-sit, the pot-smoking, the encounter with Annie's father? Her work with Tommy, sharing with him, reassuring his fear? Her worry about going to the dance? Her seeing herself as the Girl Scout whom nobody took out? How well did the audience identify with her?

11. The contrast with Annie and Linda - the detailing of their behaviour on the night, Annie and her work with the girl, television, the spilling of the butter and the laundry scene? The car keys? The violence of her murder in the car? Linda and Bob going home, the irony of the disguise by Michael after the sex scene? The horror of both their deaths? Annie being laid out as Judith and the others in the cupboards - for shock purposes as well?

12. Dr. Loomis and his anxiety, the help of the police, the irony of his missing the car at the beginning and seeing it at the end? His fear at the house, frightening the boys away? His coming in at the end and solving the problem - yet his puzzle? The police chief and the irony that his daughter was killed?

13. Michael's mounting violence - the presence of the dog and the killing of the dog, the brutality of Bob's murder?

14. How credibly did the film build up its suspense? The prolonged waiting for what Laurie would do, her involvement, searching of the house?

15. The confrontation with Laurie - in the darkened house, the horror of her discovery of the bodies, getting Tommy to open the door when she went home, putting the knitting needle in him, later the knife? Her hiding in the cupboard? Sending the children off and Michael's continued presence? Dr. Loomis' shooting and his disappearance? The Irony of the ending and the presence of the Bogey Man who goes off to murder and haunt? Suggestions for superstition?

16. Comment on the atmosphere of American celebration of Halloween, e.g. the pumpkins during the credits, The Thing and Forbidden Planet on the television, the overtones of horror films?