Reviews (633)

The Night He Came Home and Changed the Face Of Horror
In 1978, the world was introduced to a movie that has become a cornerstone in the horror genre. Independent filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill, largely unknown at the time, shot a movie that would become one of the top money-making horror films of all time on a budget of just over $300,000.00. They hired a cast of unknowns, drawing on talent that would become some of the top names in Hollywood. They set out to make a simple film, about a group of teenagers being stalked by a serial killer, and what was born was a movie that has challenged all other films of its genre-Halloween.

Set in the small town of Haddenfield, Illinois, it is the story of Michael Myers, a boy who murders his sister on Halloween night in 1963. Incarserated within the confines of the mental institution Smiths Grove, he is treated by Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasance) until he can stand trial as an adult for the criminal activities of that fateful night.

Fifteen years pass, and Myers is now grown. Loomis is assigned the duty of transporting Myers back to Haddenfield for his criminal hearing. On the eve of halloween, and badgered by a horrendous thunderstorm, Loomis travels the final distance to the gates of the institution with the aid of a nurse who has been assigned to him. Upon their arrival, they discover that the inmates have been set free to wonder about the confines of the sanitarium. Loomis, who has long since grown to believe that Michael Myers in the embodiment of pure evil, rushes to the gaurd post at the front gate. In his absence, Myers overtakes the nurse and steals the car.

Loomis cries out "He's gone..the evil has gone..."

And so begins Halloween.

The balance of the story takes place in Haddonfield, where a group of unsuspecting teens will have a fatal encounter with Michael Myers. Leading the cast is Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of veteran actress Janet Leigh (of "Psycho" fame), who plays Laurie Strode, a high-school student who begins seeing "The Shape", a non-descript man dressed in a blue coverall, wearing a white mask. She sees him again and again, through the classroom window at school, in her backyard, behind bushes.

For the majority of horror fans who have seen this film, I need go no further. For those of you who haven't, I should go no further, for the film is definitely more than the narrative I began above. It is a story that touches on the psychological truths that our society seems to function on. Whats more, it is a film that touches at our primal fears.

Unlike so many films in this genre, Halloween is genuinely frightening, not because of its use of graphic gore, or visually stunning effects (there really aren't any in this film) but because it plays on the things that scare us most. Whats more, Carpenter uses carefully placed light and shadow to really enhance the experience of his film. His soundtrack also underscores the film as a whole, bringing it to a level and intensity that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Carpenter went on to film two additional films in the franchise, the much more commercial Halloween II and Halloween III:Season of the Witch (the third installment having nothing to do with the Myer storyline). The Halloween franchise itself has given birth to a total of seven sequels, including the largely popular Halloween H20, in which Jamie Lee Curtis reprised the role of Laurie Strode. Still, it is this original film, a small budget, independent movie that was shot in the early spring (yes, leaves were brought in and scattered about to simulate the fall season) that has become a staple that is synonymous with the holiday which the movie was named after.

If you have reservations about this film, set them aside and watch it...but watch it with the lights on, because Michael Myers might be there, in the shadows, waiting. Halloween-the Night He Came Home-is worth the time and money. It is the film that really re-defined the horror/slasher genre, and it is the one film that really rises above the rest, setting a standard that no film that followed has ever matched.

Brilliant piece of suspense
"Halloween" is by far the best horror film I have ever seen and is also my personal favorite. The story is so simple: 6 year-old Michael Myers stabs his sister to death on October 31, 1963 in Haddonfield. He is locked up but 15 years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown, where he sets his sights on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends, Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P.J. Soles). His psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), is hot on Myers' trail before he kills again. This movie is so scary and suspensful, easily the best of the bunch. For Jamie Lee Curtis' first movie, she did an excellent job of acting. Veteran actor Donald Pleasence is also terrific, he is performance is convincing, you actually KNOW that Michael Myers is pure evil when he talks about him. What adds to the suspense and horror of the film is that Michael is hardly seen, he is always in the shadows, waiting to kill. The music is also fantastic. The main piano theme is one of the most famous to ever grace the screen. All in all, this is a terrific film, watch this with the lights off and guarantee you'll be scared!

What Else Can I Say About A True Classic
Halloween was the very first horror movie I saw as a kid, at age 4.Ever since then, no Halloween or anytime of the year is complete for me without Dr.Loomis, Laurie Strode, Sheriff Brackett, and of course the man himself, Michael Myers. This movie epitomizes everything that Halloween is..the bogeyman laying in the dark shadow of the room , waiting for the perfect moment to strike..It's got everything..From the typical American small town, horror movies in the city just don't work..The great horror flicks of all time:Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Amityville Horror, Last House on the Left, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, and Scream, they all took place in small towns or in the middles of nowhere..
Plus Halloween films for me have always somehow managed to get the intangible down:Atmosphere.They nail the Halloween , late fall atmsophere perfectly..I loved the whole bunch of them..I'm a sucker for horror though. I also love all the Friday the 13ths, Texas Chainsaws, Screams, and Nightmares.

The one that started it all!
Halloween is definitely the film that inspired the first wave of horror movies. It clearly inspired Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street.

When Michael Myers brutally murdered his sister Judith he was sent to a children's hospital for a life sentence. But after serving 15 years he escaped and travelled to the small town of Haddonfield where he stalks 3 young women Laurie, Annie and Lynda. It also happens to be Halloween night when he comes out of the shadows and definitely gives them a scare to remember!

Everything about Halloween is 1st class entertainment! John Carpenter doesn't rely on lots of gore to make this movie a classic. He relies on suspense which works like a charm! The music score is also terrifying and the now famous Halloween tune will haunt me forever after watching this film!

It's really fun to see a young Jamie Lee Curtis running around scared because in this day and age you don't think of her being able to play the virginal heroine! Clearly it was down to her that the stereotype was even created in the first place!!!

With excellent supportive performances from Donald Pleasence, Nancy Loomis and PJ Soles this film will always live on!

Halloween
This is the best horror movie ever in my opinion because it was the first to ever really scare me. ... Read more

Reviews (136)

Good For A Rent, But Not To Buy!!
Boogeymen The Killer Compilation seemed like a very cool idea to me, at first. I agree with another reviewer who stated that there should have been about 90 or 100 minutes of horror scenes. This movie (if that's what you call it) is only 58 minutes, less than one hour!! Some clips were great (A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and some were the worst movies of all time (The Guardian, Lepracaun). But I can not say I did not enjoy watching this the first time. It was cool seeing certain scenes from movies, and some I'd never even seen before! I quickley rented The Dentist after watching a clip from it on this. Wow, was The Dentist scary! Really, very freaky stuff. Other movies I just wanted to skip (The Guardian again, Leprecaun again). I'm really not sure what to say about this disk. I did feel quite dissipointed whwn I finished it. The clip of Jason (from Jason Goes To Hell The Final Friday) was not cool, mainly because Mr. Voorhees didn't slash anyone. The scene is where he chases that chick who's really an FBI agent. I felt they should have included a scene from Friday The 13th Part 3:3D instead. It'd be really cool to show that scene where he first gets his hockey mask, and shoots that girl, Vera, in the eye with a speargun. That's my favorite scene from the whole series. I was dissipointed with the Halloween clip as well. It was NOT widescreen. Halloween is a movie that MUST be viewed in widescreen to get the full effect. But this is ugly old Cropped format. I enjoyed the clip for Nightmare On Elm Street (where the clip was in widescreen). I also liked the clip for Phantasm. But, I felt that they could have removed I Know What You Did Last Summer for something like Evil Dead, maybe. I expected more like, MANY scenes from these movies, or from the whole series of movies. As for extras, dissipointment. Robert Englund's commentary was cool, but I was super duper hoping for a trailer for Jason Goes To Hell. Not here! And, no Nightmare On Elm Street trailer, Scream trailer, or a few others. Most of the trailers are for the bad movies. The "Name That Frame" game is OK, except it doesn't work on my TV. The "Flixfacts Animated Trivia" is not to interesting, basically just stuff we all know (like Brad Dourif is the voice of Chucky). For DVD Rom you get a pretty easy trivia game, and some sound files, or something. But, that's basically it. So, all in all, I do not recommend that you buy this disk. Rent it. It only takes a few hours (not THREE, as the cover says) to get through everything, and then you'll say "Why'd I buy that?"

If you found my review helpful, please be sure and give me a vote. Thank you very much.

alright
this movie was alright, i wacted it twice. the quiz on the dvd is pretty good. they might make a squel with some thats on here and ones such as pumkinhead, the headless hourseman etc. if you like horror rent it, buy it. but if you don't then don't wast your time.

THE ULTIMATE SELECTION OF KILLERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This film gives us fans a look at horror movie villians.
There is Jason Voorhees, Wishmaster, Freddy Krueger, Chucky, Michael Myers, and More!!!!!

It shows a little skit from each movie and tells you the whole bio on the slasher you like!!!
The DVD also has commentary by Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger).
And Theatrical Trailers for most of the films!!!!!
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

boogeymen
I LIKED THE MOVIE ALOT, IT HAS PLENTY OF MOVIE SCENES AND THEY WERE ALL PRETTY GOOD, SOME OF THEM WERE EXCELLENT! SO WHOEVER IS READING THIS GO OUT AND BUY THE MOVIE, IT HAS PLENTY OF FUN STUFF LIKE TRIVIA GAMES AND SPECAIL COMMENTARY WITH ROBERT ENGLUND "FREDDY KRUEGAR" IT IS VERY CHEAP, $ 15.99 AND IS PACKED WITH IFORMATION I GIVE IT ***** FIVE STARS.

It wasn't hat I expected in length or quality!Cheesy!
Sure,It looks cool but looks aren't everything!Jason,Micheal,you
know!It was scenes from movies I have seen or have!I only havent
seen the Ugly and I don't want to!I have all the Freddys and Hellraisers!If you expect them fighting in a feature lenghth film wait until August 15,2003 for Freddy Vs. Jason! ... Read more

Reviews (633)

The Night He Came Home and Changed the Face Of Horror
In 1978, the world was introduced to a movie that has become a cornerstone in the horror genre. Independent filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill, largely unknown at the time, shot a movie that would become one of the top money-making horror films of all time on a budget of just over $300,000.00. They hired a cast of unknowns, drawing on talent that would become some of the top names in Hollywood. They set out to make a simple film, about a group of teenagers being stalked by a serial killer, and what was born was a movie that has challenged all other films of its genre-Halloween.

Set in the small town of Haddenfield, Illinois, it is the story of Michael Myers, a boy who murders his sister on Halloween night in 1963. Incarserated within the confines of the mental institution Smiths Grove, he is treated by Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasance) until he can stand trial as an adult for the criminal activities of that fateful night.

Fifteen years pass, and Myers is now grown. Loomis is assigned the duty of transporting Myers back to Haddenfield for his criminal hearing. On the eve of halloween, and badgered by a horrendous thunderstorm, Loomis travels the final distance to the gates of the institution with the aid of a nurse who has been assigned to him. Upon their arrival, they discover that the inmates have been set free to wonder about the confines of the sanitarium. Loomis, who has long since grown to believe that Michael Myers in the embodiment of pure evil, rushes to the gaurd post at the front gate. In his absence, Myers overtakes the nurse and steals the car.

Loomis cries out "He's gone..the evil has gone..."

And so begins Halloween.

The balance of the story takes place in Haddonfield, where a group of unsuspecting teens will have a fatal encounter with Michael Myers. Leading the cast is Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of veteran actress Janet Leigh (of "Psycho" fame), who plays Laurie Strode, a high-school student who begins seeing "The Shape", a non-descript man dressed in a blue coverall, wearing a white mask. She sees him again and again, through the classroom window at school, in her backyard, behind bushes.

For the majority of horror fans who have seen this film, I need go no further. For those of you who haven't, I should go no further, for the film is definitely more than the narrative I began above. It is a story that touches on the psychological truths that our society seems to function on. Whats more, it is a film that touches at our primal fears.

Unlike so many films in this genre, Halloween is genuinely frightening, not because of its use of graphic gore, or visually stunning effects (there really aren't any in this film) but because it plays on the things that scare us most. Whats more, Carpenter uses carefully placed light and shadow to really enhance the experience of his film. His soundtrack also underscores the film as a whole, bringing it to a level and intensity that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Carpenter went on to film two additional films in the franchise, the much more commercial Halloween II and Halloween III:Season of the Witch (the third installment having nothing to do with the Myer storyline). The Halloween franchise itself has given birth to a total of seven sequels, including the largely popular Halloween H20, in which Jamie Lee Curtis reprised the role of Laurie Strode. Still, it is this original film, a small budget, independent movie that was shot in the early spring (yes, leaves were brought in and scattered about to simulate the fall season) that has become a staple that is synonymous with the holiday which the movie was named after.

If you have reservations about this film, set them aside and watch it...but watch it with the lights on, because Michael Myers might be there, in the shadows, waiting. Halloween-the Night He Came Home-is worth the time and money. It is the film that really re-defined the horror/slasher genre, and it is the one film that really rises above the rest, setting a standard that no film that followed has ever matched.

Brilliant piece of suspense
"Halloween" is by far the best horror film I have ever seen and is also my personal favorite. The story is so simple: 6 year-old Michael Myers stabs his sister to death on October 31, 1963 in Haddonfield. He is locked up but 15 years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown, where he sets his sights on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends, Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P.J. Soles). His psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), is hot on Myers' trail before he kills again. This movie is so scary and suspensful, easily the best of the bunch. For Jamie Lee Curtis' first movie, she did an excellent job of acting. Veteran actor Donald Pleasence is also terrific, he is performance is convincing, you actually KNOW that Michael Myers is pure evil when he talks about him. What adds to the suspense and horror of the film is that Michael is hardly seen, he is always in the shadows, waiting to kill. The music is also fantastic. The main piano theme is one of the most famous to ever grace the screen. All in all, this is a terrific film, watch this with the lights off and guarantee you'll be scared!

What Else Can I Say About A True Classic
Halloween was the very first horror movie I saw as a kid, at age 4.Ever since then, no Halloween or anytime of the year is complete for me without Dr.Loomis, Laurie Strode, Sheriff Brackett, and of course the man himself, Michael Myers. This movie epitomizes everything that Halloween is..the bogeyman laying in the dark shadow of the room , waiting for the perfect moment to strike..It's got everything..From the typical American small town, horror movies in the city just don't work..The great horror flicks of all time:Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Amityville Horror, Last House on the Left, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, and Scream, they all took place in small towns or in the middles of nowhere..
Plus Halloween films for me have always somehow managed to get the intangible down:Atmosphere.They nail the Halloween , late fall atmsophere perfectly..I loved the whole bunch of them..I'm a sucker for horror though. I also love all the Friday the 13ths, Texas Chainsaws, Screams, and Nightmares.

The one that started it all!
Halloween is definitely the film that inspired the first wave of horror movies. It clearly inspired Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street.

When Michael Myers brutally murdered his sister Judith he was sent to a children's hospital for a life sentence. But after serving 15 years he escaped and travelled to the small town of Haddonfield where he stalks 3 young women Laurie, Annie and Lynda. It also happens to be Halloween night when he comes out of the shadows and definitely gives them a scare to remember!

Everything about Halloween is 1st class entertainment! John Carpenter doesn't rely on lots of gore to make this movie a classic. He relies on suspense which works like a charm! The music score is also terrifying and the now famous Halloween tune will haunt me forever after watching this film!

It's really fun to see a young Jamie Lee Curtis running around scared because in this day and age you don't think of her being able to play the virginal heroine! Clearly it was down to her that the stereotype was even created in the first place!!!

With excellent supportive performances from Donald Pleasence, Nancy Loomis and PJ Soles this film will always live on!

Halloween
This is the best horror movie ever in my opinion because it was the first to ever really scare me. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The original 1960 version of Village of the Damned is regarded as a classic of science-fiction and horror, and it remains one of the creepiest movies of its kind. Directed with occasional flair by John Carpenter, this 1995 remake trades subtlety for more explicit chills and violence, but the basic premise remains effectively eerie. In the tiny, idyllic town of Midwich, a strange mist causes the entire population to fall asleep, and when everyone awakes the town physician (Christopher Reeve) discovers that 10 women--including his wife and a local teenaged virgin--have mysteriously become pregnant. Their children are all born on the same day, with matching white hair and strange, glowing eyes, growing at an accelerated rate and raising Reeve's suspicion that they're not of Earthly origin. These demonic brats can control minds and wreak havoc with the power of their thoughts--so of course, they must be destroyed! Only Reeve knows how to get the job done, and his performance (the actor's last big-screen role before his paralyzing accident in 1995) grounds this otherwise superfluous remake with enough credibility to hold the viewer's attention. But for the real chills, definitely check out the original version--it's 20 minutes shorter but twice as spooky. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (40)

An Excellent Thriller Film!!
John Carpenter's "VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED" is an excellent thriller film about who prevails in the "survival of the fittest". One day, a seemingly peaceful California town receives an invisible force which knocks every citizen into a long sleep. The answer to what caused the blackout remains a mystery. Soon after, ten women in the town find themselves pregnant. Dr. Susan Verner offers an allowance, provided by the government, to the people who decide to have their babies for study. Simultaneously, nine children are born. The tenth is a miscarriage, which is taken into Verner's custody. They all have platinum-blonde hair, slender fingernails, and strange eyes. Soon after their birth, a random number of accidents and suicides occur. Dr. Alan Chaffee, who's wife died of suicide, teams up with Verner to uncover the truth about these powerful children. We witness many accounts of people becoming possessed by the evil children's glowing eyes, to drive themselves to death.

Though not as promising as the 1960 original, the film makers have done an excedingly well job in creating a good scare for audiences. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good, psychological thriller. - Joey Layou Jr.

Yay for the demon kids.
Village of the Damned is a remake of a 1960 version, which is based on a book, The Midwich Cuckoos. Village of the Damned is about a small town in which everybody passes out. Nobody can get in or out. When they wake up, 10 women are pregnant, one a virgin. Only 9 of the children are born; one is stillborn. These children have platinum white hair and cool emotionless personalities. It turns out they can control bodies and read minds.
People seem to have mixed feelings about this movie. Some say it ..., and others say it was great. Some feel halfway. So, of course, my opinion might be different than yours.
I'm one of the people who loved it.
Most of the acting was good, like Christopher Reeve, who did a good performance as the father of Mara, the leader of the children, who was played by Lindsey Haun. Lindsey did a great job as the emotionless, cruel child. Thomas Dekker was good as David, the one good child, teetering between emotionless and being normal. The special effects are good, but this wasn't too scary; though it did have freaky moments that made you jump. It was violent and kinda gory at times.

"Hast thou eyes of flesh?"
". . . Seeist thou as man sees?"

These questions are asked in the Book of Proverbs and in John Carpenter's Village of the Damned, a remake of director Wolf Rilla's 1960 version, both adapted from John Wyndham's novel The Midwich Cuckoos.

Village of the Damned is the story of the simultaneous births of telepathic children to every woman of child-bearing age in the coastal village of Midwich, California. Carpenter's version is more bloody than the version set in Midwich, England, starring George Sanders (but, like many of Carpenter's movies, not as bloody as people think).

Carpenter's remake is more hopeful. Maybe the filmmakers wanted to leave the story open for a sequel, or maybe the survival of one of the children without his extraterrestrial mate is meant to show the possibility of union between the two inimical species. ("Are we to pity you?" asks Mara, daughter of the town doctor and leader of the alien children, as she explains the facts of cosmic evolution to her father.)

The woman quoting Proverbs is the wife of the minister killed by the children before he can shoot their leader. The minister's wife leads torch-bearing villagers who might have come from a forties Universal horror film. Though put to the children, the question (Are you human?) is also directed at the other villagers and at us.

This Village of the Damned begins with the same deliberate pacing of the original film, a mark of British horror. Something passes over Midwich and everyone blacks out for six hours. Not everyone wakes up.

If there's a theme it's what duty parents owe their children. Children often seem like alien monsters even when they weren't conceived in a blackout by an interstellar cloud. Children demand food and education about the world and ultimately they demand that their parents step aside - - die - - for them to inherit it.

Here there are good reasons for parents to feel uneasy about their soon-to-be-born offspring - - some women are virgins or have been separated from their husbands so the children couldn't have been conceived normally. But none of the parents reject the children for that reason.

The mothers have no choice. After the mass conceptions they all have dreams of carrying their babies to term - - the first telepathic action of the childrens' group mind. The men accept the children, too. The angriest husband, who's been away for months, at first leaves his wife, but then joins her in the huge delivery room where all the children are born on the same night.

After the children are born the adults, even their parents, aren't safe. The childrens' urge to survive and the knowledge that one species or the other will dominate causes them to play on the emotional bond that exists for the parents, especially the mothers, without being hampered by it themselves. This isn't much different than the biological adaptation normal infants have acquired to ensure their survival. David is the exception, the one whose ties to the group mind are weakest.

One of the children was stillborn and taken away by a government scientist (or was it?). She was to be David's partner. Mara tells David that his lack of a mate does make him less valuable to the group. As the children realize they have to escape the town and their parents' control - - grow up - - the town doctor, Mara's father, has the opportunity (and therefore the responsiblility) to try to save humanity. David, too, makes a choice.

Parents, especially ones with green-eyed children, might have some disturbing thoughts after watching this movie.

The Village People
Horror master John Carpenter's 1995 remake of the 1960 film, of the same name, takes the original premise and adds a modern spin. The first time I saw the film, I have to say that, I thought it was just OK. When I looked at the movie again recently, I found myself gaining new respect for the film. It may not be tops among Carpenter films, but Village Of The Damned, isn't a total wash either.

In the California coastal town of Midwich, a strange unseen force causes the entire town to be rendered unconscience. When the populace reawakens, it is discovered the pregnancy rate has increased. The locals are at a loss to explain the cause. Soon, ten strange children are born, at the same time. All of them possessing platinum blone hair, piercing green eyes and supernatural powers. The intelligent, quiet children are instantly disliked by the townspeople. When residents begin to die under strange curcumstances, the first suspects are the "special" children. It's up to Dr. Alan Chaffee (Christopher Reeve, before his tragic horse riding accident) and Dr. Susan Verner (Kirstie Alley) to discover the truth and stop the children from destroying the town.

Carpenter infuses the film with plenty of his usual touches. The performances from Reeve and Alley are solid and the effects pretty good. The "kids" are genuinely creepy, all of this makes the film better than I remember. The movie script does have a number of problems that are troublesome and its finale seems a bit contrived.

The extras on the DVD are pretty slim at best. Production notes and the theatrical trailer are all you get. While more substantial bonus material, would have been nice, given the final product--I can almost see why things ended up the way they did. Recomended as a rental or for rabid fans of Carpenter's work

"I Must Think of a Brick Wall"
If horror maven John Carpenter decides to do a remake of a classic sci-fi horror film, it should be safe for fans to assume that it's gonna be great. After all, this is the groundbreaking filmmaker who turned Michael Myers into a slasher-film icon in HALLOWEEN (1978) and directed the highly revered THE THING (1982), itself a remake of the classic 1951 film THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. So when Mr. Carpenter's 1995 remake of the classic 1960 thriller VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED came out, it should've been a fantastic cinematic experience for horror and science-fiction fans. It should've been. Sadly, it wasn't.

For those of you unfamiliar with the basic plot of both films, here's a quick summary. In the middle of a seemingly average day, all of the residents of a small village mysteriously fall unconscious, and anyone attempting to go into the slumbering village also passes out. When the folks finally awaken, most everything seems to be perfectly normal. Normal, that is, with the exception that all of the women of the village capable of bearing children are pregnant. The mystery children are all birthed nine months later, and as they grow, it is very apparent that all of them have eerily similar physical characteristics. Also, they mature and learn much faster than the average child, which is creepy enough. But the real terror begins when they start exercising their preternatural psychic powers.

In the original 1960 film, it was always tacitly implied that the strange children were fathered by extraterrestrials, but nothing occurs in the film to blatantly prove such. This actually adds to the mystery of the origin of the children, which in turn heightens the suspense and terror...and the fun for the audience. Unfortunately, Carpenter's 1995 remake loses most of this fear-of-the-unknown suspense when it is revealed that one of the children had miscarried, and the aborted fetus, which has been preserved in the office of the village doctor, looks like the stereotypical sci-fi alien, complete with bug-eyes and an almond-shaped head.

The original film stars British actor George Sanders as the astute "father" of one of the mystery tots who eventually infers the evil nature of the village offspring and ultimately saves the world. Sanders was an accomplished veteran of both the British and U.S. cinema, and his talent and experience add a great deal of credibility to the film's fantastic plot. But for some reason, John Carpenter chose to cast Christopher Reeve as the lead in his remake. Though Reeve is an adequate actor who did a fine job as Clark Kent and his titular alter ego in SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978), he just simply does not have the range or depth of Sanders and is therefore unable to pull off a convincing average-Joe hero. Add to this the tepid performance of supporting actress Kirstie Alley (TV's CHEERS)--here grossly miscast as a government scientist--and it becomes impossible for the audience to suspend its disbelief and surrender to the fantasy of this film.

Carpenter's remake of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED is not without its moments, however. Gore hounds and fans of slasher films like Carpenter's HALLOWEEN will enjoy the scene where a man lies roasting on a barbeque grill. And though they are not as genuinely eerie as the children in the original film, the evil kiddos in Carpenter's remake can often be creepy little brats, and some of their scenes are quite scary.

Overall, the 1995 remake of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED is a disappointment, and true horror fans should avoid it and instead push harder for the original 1960 film to get the DVD treatment. In the mean time, fans who want to spend an evening with John Carpenter will probably get more satisfaction from viewing one of his other films like THE FOG (1980) or THEY LIVE (1988). ... Read more

Description

Just a quick nap and weary stock analyst Nick Halloway is sure he'll emerge good as new. Instead, he wakes up good as gone. Vanished. Poof. Thin air. A nuclear accident has made Nick invisbile.

The laughs and visual effects are out of sight when Chevy Chase headlines Memoirs of an Invisible Man. Invisibility makes it easier to spy on agents (particularly chief adversary Sam Neill) who've put him in his predicament. And he can romance a lovely documentary producer (Daryl Hannah) in a way she's never "seen" before. John Carpenter (Halloween, Starman) directs and the Industrial Light and Magic dream weavers conjure up eye-opening effects as Nick embarks on his manic quest. Seeing is believing. And enjoying. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Finally coming to DVD
The last John Carpenter film to be released on DVD, "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" bombed at the box office during it's early 90's theatrical run. Shame too as it's a better film than some think.

The special effects were outstanding, and Sam Neill stole the show as the villian. Chevy Chase tries his best but even semi-dramatic roles are just not his thing.

The DVD will be 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (as all Carpenter films should be presented), and will have a behind-the-scenes featurette, outtakes, and the film's trailer. The sad thing is, no Carpenter commentary track. Why Warner Brothers never bothered to ask Carpenter to take part, we can only guess.Buy this DVD and complete your John Carpenter collection!

The Finest Work of Chevy Chase
If you ever thought that a comedian like Chevy Chase doesn't deserve an oscar, than you haven't seen "Memoirs of an Invisible Man." An outstanding performance by Chevy Chase under the expert direction of cult icon John Carpenter makes this film a must own. Heavy on amazing special effects, and Daryl Hannah (No CGI here; everything is flawlessly done with blue/green screen technology).

Decent all the way
This comedy directed by horror maestro John Carpenter is actually pretty decent. The special effects still look amazing.
The plot is thin, but who cares? It's well acted (it would be better if you're a fan of Chevy Chase) and hilarious in some places. Slows a bit down in the second half but picks up for a good finale.

It's better then average movie....
This is actually a pretty good watchable movie, even though it did not so great at the movies, people kind of discovered the picture when it came to video. Fairly simple story, Chevy Chase plays a investment banker who gets exposed to fusion energy and becomes invisable. Daryl Hannah plays a TV/film maker who discovers what happened to him, and falls in love with him (the romance is actually pretty honest and not cliched). There are some good ILM effects work and the ending is not a tragic one like 1941's the Invisable Man where Claude Reins played the part.
Buy and watch it. It's a comedy with a bit of heart,

Underrated movie!
I really enjoyed this movie when it came out and was quite surprised by all the bad reviews. I had read the book several years before I saw the movie and thought they did a great job of transfering it to film.

The funny thing is that most reviews criticize the film makers for their wierd story choices, but the film was just following the book.

Others criticize that the movie doesn't know whether to be a comedy, action thiller or an adventure story? The book was the same way and I thought the book and film did a great job of juggling these different styles. ... Read more

Reviews (121)

"Whoever has the gold, makes the rules"
So says one character in "They Live," a witty, incisive satire aimed at Reagan-era politics and delivered by an unlikely source: genre director John Carpenter, who takes the commentary and blends it seamlessly with elements of action and science fiction.

The story revolves around a drifter (ex-wrestler Roddy Piper) who stumbles upon X-ray specs that reveal the literal ugliness under the skin of upper-class Americans. As it turns out, everyone is 'selling out' in an effort to snuff out the lower class, until Piper and fellow struggler Keith David join up with a resistance movement to tear down the system.

"They Live" shows Carpenter in top form. He takes the material in many different directions, dabbling in action, sci-fi (the black-and-white POV shots are creepy and effective), and even physical comedy (the drawn-out streetfight in the middle of the film is a riot), all while keeping the underlying satire the main focus. If this film was misunderstood upon its initial release (which Carpenter says it was), now is the time to rediscover it, seeing as how the issues it addresses (television as a form of mind control, the increasing importance of wealth if you hope to survive in the world) have only snowballed into the 1990s and will no doubt continue well into the future.

Classic Cult..
They Live is a sci-fi movie about aliens trying to take over the world and colonizing it through the media. It starts slow but when Piper's character finds a pair of special sunglasses that allows him to see the reality of society, that's when the fun starts and never lets up. The story is excellent and the script reflects well with some of the best one-liners .."I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum". The ending though is abrupt and makes little sense and the cast is more or less forgettable with the exception of Roddy Piper and Keith David who give great performances. They stage one of the longest, and best fight scene in movie history. Overall, an enjoyable 80's sci-fi flick that really gets you laughing. They Live is one of Carpenter's best films definitely a must see for everyone!

Strong philosophical and religious undertones
Made as the Reagan era came to a close, this film not only has strong political undertones, but religious and philosophical connotations as well. Carpenter emphasizes the B-film aspects of his movie - outrageous violence (and a well-known wrestler to play the main character), elaborate make-up effects, aliens, etc. as much as he can, so that the film's subversiveness is sufficiently hidden. Masquerading as a routine invasion story, it portrays a society whose members blindly accept all of the implicit materialist/capitalist messages thrown their way; the only resistance is offered by those who don't fit in that money-oriented mold - a blind preacher, the poor, some dissident intellectuals. Many religious and philosophical grids can be used to read this movie - Hinduism's doctrine of maya, Plato's cave, Gnosticism: an unlikely visionary (Piper) realizes that the 'real world' is in fact full of illusions; convincing others of his discovery proves to be difficult (witness the famously extended fight scene, at once hilarious and revealing), and a battle soon begins between two secret fraternities - one determined to maintain the illusions, the other eager to dispel them. This is one of Carpenter's best films.

The paranoid are always right!
Carpenter's classic 1988 film, THEY LIVE, can be seen as an(other) inspiration to Chris Carter's "The X Files" with its conspiracy of like-minded aliens and humans manipulating the masses of Earthlings. Roddy Piper, as an out-of-work working class hero, stumbles upon sunglasses which allow him to see the reality behind the facades, the messages beneath the billboards, the subliminal under the overt, and, more eerily, the strangely Dan Quayle looking creatures under the human masks. (Appropriate for 1988--after all, Quayle was vice president at the time.) Piper's efforts to alarm the general public and infiltrate this conspiracy make up most of the middle third of the film, and it ends, appropriately, with guns ablazing and things exploding.

Fortunately, this movie doesn't take itself too seriously, otherwise it might have been disastrous. (In mood and tone, THEY LIVE is first cousin to 1989's TREMORS.) A good dose of campy humor keeps THEY LIVE from becoming a diatribe on capital versus labor, rich versus poor, etc. Instead, THEY LIVE is a classic, sci-fi B movie whose heart is in the right place.

elite, parasitic sub-society exploits American workers
Elite, parasitic subsociety exploits American working class--reflects real American society?

This movie is not so much about aliens who are hiding among us, but instead it taps into the deeply submerged suspicions of most of us that we are being manipulated and taken advantage of by the elite of American society, by our leaders, by the rich, etc. Also, we sometimes feel that we are manipulated and programmed (in a subtle way) to respect hierarchical authority ( e.g., the "OBEY" subliminal command from the movie).

Some leftist thinkers might say that human societies are in a way being parasitized by the elite of their societies, and that the elite operate as a parasitic sub-society, living off of the lower classes. America might be said to be operated more in such a fashion (i.e., parasitized by the elite) than are the countries of western Europe. Obvious examples of this parasitic behavior are the "golden handshakes" and backscratching exchanged between corporate CEO's and the Boards of Directors of their companies. But it is far more pervasive than just that.

_They_Live_ uses the invisible alien elite as a proxy for our suspicions about how we are all being exploited by the elite of our real-life society, and how these elite are subtly programming us to accept this exploitation.

So, the major theme of the movie is not, as another poster correctly pointed out, about being manipulated to be good little consumers in a crassly commercial world. No, it is far more profound than that. Instead, it is more about how the working class Americans in _They Live_ are being exploited by the elite upper crust, who, in the movie, happen to be aliens. Also, this movie is not relevant ONLY to Reagan's time, or to Reaganomics, but it is more relavant today than it was when it was released.

Unfortunately, this movie only explores this exploitation theme in a somewhat superficial way, and the movie itself has an unintentionally comic air to it sometimes. Still, the exploration of that theme is so rare in pop culture, and that theme is so profound, and reaches so far into what American society is, was, and is becoming, that this movie is a Must-See for anyone with an interest in politics and sociology. ... Read more

Reviews (203)

This movie rules!! Long live Jack Burton!!
John Carpenter once again teams up with Kurt Russell to direct this awesome action/kung-fu/comedy. This is not your typical John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, etc.) flick, but I can't get enough, I've literally seen this over 100 times. Don't take this movie seriously, just sit back and enjoy the fun. Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton a trucker who stops in Chinatown for a little wholesome gambling. After winning everything but the kitchen sink from his buddy Wang Chi, Jack Burton goes for a ride with Wang expecting to collect his winnings. They stop at the airport to pick up Wang's girlfriend with green eyes, Miao Yin. Miao Yin gets kidnapped by a group of kung-fu thugs, and Jack Burton is forced to go along with Wang Chi to try and save her. They end up in the middle of a gang war in Chinatown, meet the main villain "undead" Lo Pang and his three spirit warriors: Rain, Thunder, and Lightning. (they inspired Rayden, the Mortal Kombat video game character) After running over Lo Pan, leaving Jack's truck and escaping Lo Pan and his cronies, Jack teams up with Wang, green eyed reporter Gracie Law, (Kim Cattrell) and friends Eddy and Egg to save Miao Yin and Jack's truck. (the Porkchop express) Many wacky and supernatural things happen along the way, and the plot just gets crazier and funnier. Kurt Russell is the standout in this movie, he has some incredibly funny lines, but the other characters especially Lo Pan are funny as well. Highly recommended to any Kurt Russell, 80's comedy, or kung-fu fan with a sense of humor. Just remember have fun!

What more can I say but, DAMN!
Listen. Stop right now and definitely don't even think about buying this if cheesy acting, even cheesier visual effects and music as well as gaping plot holes greatly affect your movie-viewing experience.

Kurt Russell, with his loud mouth antics and John Wayne swagger plays Jack Burton, a California truck driver who, as it turns out, really doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. It gets him into a whole mess of trouble (hence the title) in San Francisco when his little Chinese buddy Wang loses his girl to a bunch of thugs.

Wouldn't you know these thugs happen to be the minions of an ancient evil spirit, and when Wang and Jack, with a little help from some friends, try to take down this evil sorcerer with a little magic of their own, all hell breaks loose and the results are electrifying and hilarious.

Definitely for fans of the Troma genre, Big Trouble in Little China demonstrates that all you need is some kick-ass fight scenes, Kurt Russell with a knife, and Kim Cattrall in a wet shirt and you have what I am proud to say is my favorite movie to watch on "a dark and stormy night."

The Ox (the_ox@hungover.com)

Greatest movie ever made
This is the single greatest movie ever made. Kurt Russell is a demi-god. All of his movies kick ass and when he teams up with John Carpenter, it's twice the action. David Lo-Pan is the greatest villain of all time. See this movie now

Double-disc edition is the only way to go for "Little China"
This is one of those movies that just holds such a special place in my heart that I couldn't even try to play this review from an impartial standpoint. When I found out that they were putting out a double-disc special edition of it, I raced out and bought a DVD player. John Carpenter's modern-day Western with Russell as a big-mouthed hog trucker who gets caught up in San Fransico's Chinatown is just a tour de force of martial arts fantasy that never tries to take itself too seriously. Russell's Jack Burton is the hero who doesn't quite have what it takes to be a hero (ala Bruce Cambell's "Ash" from the Evil Dead movies) and he plays it perfectly. When his buddy's fiancee is kidnapped by Chinese mobsters and sacrificed to Little China's overlord, the evil David Lo Pan (a tremendously over-the-top James Hong), it's Jack to the rescue. If nothing else, "Little China" is a movie that knows how to have fun. It is an absolute blast from start to finish.

A Carpenter-Russell collaberation.
John Carpenter's "Big Trouble In Little China" is an odd ball film in the Carpenter collection. It is a comedy first of all. Kurt Russell plays Jack Burton, a truck driver who's ego far exceed his skills. He is always in way over his head as the very anti-Ramboish hero. The film involoves Burton and his Chinnese-American friend going into San Francisco's Chinatown underworld looking for two kidnapped women. Burton, as I said, is the bumbling hero, and Kurt Russell is great at it. The movie is funny from beginning to end. It is also very ahead of it's time as far as kung-fu and Eastern Mystisism in American culture (way before "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"). Kim Catrall also dose a pretty good job as the romantic interest with a suprise at the end. The commentary is very funny to litsen to as John Carpenter and Kurt Russell talk about everything from the movie in question, to the TV mini-series they did together in 1980, "Elvis", and some slightly less relevent trivia. Their converstaion is very easy to listen to. They are friends and you can tell they really like each other, and that explins why their frequent collaberations are pretty good, if not always successful. But this is one of Carpenter's more underrated movies, and that isn't fair. They did not set out to make a serious movie, just a goofy, fantasy kung-fu adventure, and they pulled it off well. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Halloween is as pure and undiluted as its title. In the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, a teenage baby sitter tries to survive a Halloween night of relentless terror, during which a knife-wielding maniac goes after the town's hormonally charged youths. Director John Carpenter takes this simple situation and orchestrates a superbly mounted symphony of horrors. It's a movie much scarier for its dark spaces and ominous camera movements than for its explicit bloodletting (which is actually minimal). Composed by Carpenter himself, the movie's freaky music sets the tone; and his script (cowritten with Debra Hill) is laced with references to other horror pictures, especially Psycho. The baby sitter is played by Jamie Lee Curtis, the real-life daughter of Psycho victim Janet Leigh; and the obsessed policeman played by Donald Pleasence is named Sam Loomis, after John Gavin's character in Psycho. In the end, though, Halloween stands on its own as an uncannily frightening experience--it's one of those movies that had audiences literally jumping out of their seats and shouting at the screen. ("No! Don't drop that knife!") Produced on a low budget, the picture turned a monster profit, and spawned many sequels, none of which approached the 1978 original. Curtis returned for two more installments: 1981's dismal Halloween II, which picked up the story the day after the unfortunate events, and 1998's occasionally gripping Halloween H20, which proved the former baby sitter was still haunted after 20 years. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (633)

The Night He Came Home and Changed the Face Of Horror
In 1978, the world was introduced to a movie that has become a cornerstone in the horror genre. Independent filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill, largely unknown at the time, shot a movie that would become one of the top money-making horror films of all time on a budget of just over $300,000.00. They hired a cast of unknowns, drawing on talent that would become some of the top names in Hollywood. They set out to make a simple film, about a group of teenagers being stalked by a serial killer, and what was born was a movie that has challenged all other films of its genre-Halloween.

Set in the small town of Haddenfield, Illinois, it is the story of Michael Myers, a boy who murders his sister on Halloween night in 1963. Incarserated within the confines of the mental institution Smiths Grove, he is treated by Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasance) until he can stand trial as an adult for the criminal activities of that fateful night.

Fifteen years pass, and Myers is now grown. Loomis is assigned the duty of transporting Myers back to Haddenfield for his criminal hearing. On the eve of halloween, and badgered by a horrendous thunderstorm, Loomis travels the final distance to the gates of the institution with the aid of a nurse who has been assigned to him. Upon their arrival, they discover that the inmates have been set free to wonder about the confines of the sanitarium. Loomis, who has long since grown to believe that Michael Myers in the embodiment of pure evil, rushes to the gaurd post at the front gate. In his absence, Myers overtakes the nurse and steals the car.

Loomis cries out "He's gone..the evil has gone..."

And so begins Halloween.

The balance of the story takes place in Haddonfield, where a group of unsuspecting teens will have a fatal encounter with Michael Myers. Leading the cast is Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of veteran actress Janet Leigh (of "Psycho" fame), who plays Laurie Strode, a high-school student who begins seeing "The Shape", a non-descript man dressed in a blue coverall, wearing a white mask. She sees him again and again, through the classroom window at school, in her backyard, behind bushes.

For the majority of horror fans who have seen this film, I need go no further. For those of you who haven't, I should go no further, for the film is definitely more than the narrative I began above. It is a story that touches on the psychological truths that our society seems to function on. Whats more, it is a film that touches at our primal fears.

Unlike so many films in this genre, Halloween is genuinely frightening, not because of its use of graphic gore, or visually stunning effects (there really aren't any in this film) but because it plays on the things that scare us most. Whats more, Carpenter uses carefully placed light and shadow to really enhance the experience of his film. His soundtrack also underscores the film as a whole, bringing it to a level and intensity that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Carpenter went on to film two additional films in the franchise, the much more commercial Halloween II and Halloween III:Season of the Witch (the third installment having nothing to do with the Myer storyline). The Halloween franchise itself has given birth to a total of seven sequels, including the largely popular Halloween H20, in which Jamie Lee Curtis reprised the role of Laurie Strode. Still, it is this original film, a small budget, independent movie that was shot in the early spring (yes, leaves were brought in and scattered about to simulate the fall season) that has become a staple that is synonymous with the holiday which the movie was named after.

If you have reservations about this film, set them aside and watch it...but watch it with the lights on, because Michael Myers might be there, in the shadows, waiting. Halloween-the Night He Came Home-is worth the time and money. It is the film that really re-defined the horror/slasher genre, and it is the one film that really rises above the rest, setting a standard that no film that followed has ever matched.

Brilliant piece of suspense
"Halloween" is by far the best horror film I have ever seen and is also my personal favorite. The story is so simple: 6 year-old Michael Myers stabs his sister to death on October 31, 1963 in Haddonfield. He is locked up but 15 years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown, where he sets his sights on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends, Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P.J. Soles). His psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), is hot on Myers' trail before he kills again. This movie is so scary and suspensful, easily the best of the bunch. For Jamie Lee Curtis' first movie, she did an excellent job of acting. Veteran actor Donald Pleasence is also terrific, he is performance is convincing, you actually KNOW that Michael Myers is pure evil when he talks about him. What adds to the suspense and horror of the film is that Michael is hardly seen, he is always in the shadows, waiting to kill. The music is also fantastic. The main piano theme is one of the most famous to ever grace the screen. All in all, this is a terrific film, watch this with the lights off and guarantee you'll be scared!

What Else Can I Say About A True Classic
Halloween was the very first horror movie I saw as a kid, at age 4.Ever since then, no Halloween or anytime of the year is complete for me without Dr.Loomis, Laurie Strode, Sheriff Brackett, and of course the man himself, Michael Myers. This movie epitomizes everything that Halloween is..the bogeyman laying in the dark shadow of the room , waiting for the perfect moment to strike..It's got everything..From the typical American small town, horror movies in the city just don't work..The great horror flicks of all time:Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Amityville Horror, Last House on the Left, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, and Scream, they all took place in small towns or in the middles of nowhere..
Plus Halloween films for me have always somehow managed to get the intangible down:Atmosphere.They nail the Halloween , late fall atmsophere perfectly..I loved the whole bunch of them..I'm a sucker for horror though. I also love all the Friday the 13ths, Texas Chainsaws, Screams, and Nightmares.

The one that started it all!
Halloween is definitely the film that inspired the first wave of horror movies. It clearly inspired Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street.

When Michael Myers brutally murdered his sister Judith he was sent to a children's hospital for a life sentence. But after serving 15 years he escaped and travelled to the small town of Haddonfield where he stalks 3 young women Laurie, Annie and Lynda. It also happens to be Halloween night when he comes out of the shadows and definitely gives them a scare to remember!

Everything about Halloween is 1st class entertainment! John Carpenter doesn't rely on lots of gore to make this movie a classic. He relies on suspense which works like a charm! The music score is also terrifying and the now famous Halloween tune will haunt me forever after watching this film!

It's really fun to see a young Jamie Lee Curtis running around scared because in this day and age you don't think of her being able to play the virginal heroine! Clearly it was down to her that the stereotype was even created in the first place!!!

With excellent supportive performances from Donald Pleasence, Nancy Loomis and PJ Soles this film will always live on!

Halloween
This is the best horror movie ever in my opinion because it was the first to ever really scare me. ... Read more

Reviews (633)

The Night He Came Home and Changed the Face Of Horror
In 1978, the world was introduced to a movie that has become a cornerstone in the horror genre. Independent filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill, largely unknown at the time, shot a movie that would become one of the top money-making horror films of all time on a budget of just over $300,000.00. They hired a cast of unknowns, drawing on talent that would become some of the top names in Hollywood. They set out to make a simple film, about a group of teenagers being stalked by a serial killer, and what was born was a movie that has challenged all other films of its genre-Halloween.

Set in the small town of Haddenfield, Illinois, it is the story of Michael Myers, a boy who murders his sister on Halloween night in 1963. Incarserated within the confines of the mental institution Smiths Grove, he is treated by Dr. Loomis (played by Donald Pleasance) until he can stand trial as an adult for the criminal activities of that fateful night.

Fifteen years pass, and Myers is now grown. Loomis is assigned the duty of transporting Myers back to Haddenfield for his criminal hearing. On the eve of halloween, and badgered by a horrendous thunderstorm, Loomis travels the final distance to the gates of the institution with the aid of a nurse who has been assigned to him. Upon their arrival, they discover that the inmates have been set free to wonder about the confines of the sanitarium. Loomis, who has long since grown to believe that Michael Myers in the embodiment of pure evil, rushes to the gaurd post at the front gate. In his absence, Myers overtakes the nurse and steals the car.

Loomis cries out "He's gone..the evil has gone..."

And so begins Halloween.

The balance of the story takes place in Haddonfield, where a group of unsuspecting teens will have a fatal encounter with Michael Myers. Leading the cast is Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of veteran actress Janet Leigh (of "Psycho" fame), who plays Laurie Strode, a high-school student who begins seeing "The Shape", a non-descript man dressed in a blue coverall, wearing a white mask. She sees him again and again, through the classroom window at school, in her backyard, behind bushes.

For the majority of horror fans who have seen this film, I need go no further. For those of you who haven't, I should go no further, for the film is definitely more than the narrative I began above. It is a story that touches on the psychological truths that our society seems to function on. Whats more, it is a film that touches at our primal fears.

Unlike so many films in this genre, Halloween is genuinely frightening, not because of its use of graphic gore, or visually stunning effects (there really aren't any in this film) but because it plays on the things that scare us most. Whats more, Carpenter uses carefully placed light and shadow to really enhance the experience of his film. His soundtrack also underscores the film as a whole, bringing it to a level and intensity that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Carpenter went on to film two additional films in the franchise, the much more commercial Halloween II and Halloween III:Season of the Witch (the third installment having nothing to do with the Myer storyline). The Halloween franchise itself has given birth to a total of seven sequels, including the largely popular Halloween H20, in which Jamie Lee Curtis reprised the role of Laurie Strode. Still, it is this original film, a small budget, independent movie that was shot in the early spring (yes, leaves were brought in and scattered about to simulate the fall season) that has become a staple that is synonymous with the holiday which the movie was named after.

If you have reservations about this film, set them aside and watch it...but watch it with the lights on, because Michael Myers might be there, in the shadows, waiting. Halloween-the Night He Came Home-is worth the time and money. It is the film that really re-defined the horror/slasher genre, and it is the one film that really rises above the rest, setting a standard that no film that followed has ever matched.

Brilliant piece of suspense
"Halloween" is by far the best horror film I have ever seen and is also my personal favorite. The story is so simple: 6 year-old Michael Myers stabs his sister to death on October 31, 1963 in Haddonfield. He is locked up but 15 years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown, where he sets his sights on Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends, Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P.J. Soles). His psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), is hot on Myers' trail before he kills again. This movie is so scary and suspensful, easily the best of the bunch. For Jamie Lee Curtis' first movie, she did an excellent job of acting. Veteran actor Donald Pleasence is also terrific, he is performance is convincing, you actually KNOW that Michael Myers is pure evil when he talks about him. What adds to the suspense and horror of the film is that Michael is hardly seen, he is always in the shadows, waiting to kill. The music is also fantastic. The main piano theme is one of the most famous to ever grace the screen. All in all, this is a terrific film, watch this with the lights off and guarantee you'll be scared!

What Else Can I Say About A True Classic
Halloween was the very first horror movie I saw as a kid, at age 4.Ever since then, no Halloween or anytime of the year is complete for me without Dr.Loomis, Laurie Strode, Sheriff Brackett, and of course the man himself, Michael Myers. This movie epitomizes everything that Halloween is..the bogeyman laying in the dark shadow of the room , waiting for the perfect moment to strike..It's got everything..From the typical American small town, horror movies in the city just don't work..The great horror flicks of all time:Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Amityville Horror, Last House on the Left, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, and Scream, they all took place in small towns or in the middles of nowhere..
Plus Halloween films for me have always somehow managed to get the intangible down:Atmosphere.They nail the Halloween , late fall atmsophere perfectly..I loved the whole bunch of them..I'm a sucker for horror though. I also love all the Friday the 13ths, Texas Chainsaws, Screams, and Nightmares.

The one that started it all!
Halloween is definitely the film that inspired the first wave of horror movies. It clearly inspired Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street.

When Michael Myers brutally murdered his sister Judith he was sent to a children's hospital for a life sentence. But after serving 15 years he escaped and travelled to the small town of Haddonfield where he stalks 3 young women Laurie, Annie and Lynda. It also happens to be Halloween night when he comes out of the shadows and definitely gives them a scare to remember!

Everything about Halloween is 1st class entertainment! John Carpenter doesn't rely on lots of gore to make this movie a classic. He relies on suspense which works like a charm! The music score is also terrifying and the now famous Halloween tune will haunt me forever after watching this film!

It's really fun to see a young Jamie Lee Curtis running around scared because in this day and age you don't think of her being able to play the virginal heroine! Clearly it was down to her that the stereotype was even created in the first place!!!

With excellent supportive performances from Donald Pleasence, Nancy Loomis and PJ Soles this film will always live on!

Halloween
This is the best horror movie ever in my opinion because it was the first to ever really scare me. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Early Brilliance
Much like George Lucas' THX-1138, Dark Star had its beginnings as a film school project which was later expanded into a full-length movie with the help of later investors. However, while Lucas became far less serious when he started working with big budgets, the opposite phenonmenon occured with Dark Star's creators Dan O'Bannon (later scripter of such hits as Alien and The Abyss) and John Carpenter (later director of such hits as The Thing and Halloween). In fact, Dark Star often seems to make fun of elements found in Carpenter and O'Bannon's later works, as if they knew what directions they would later be taking and decided to parody themselves before anyone else got the chance. For example, there's an alien that looks like a blown-up beachball bouncing around the ship and causing trouble, providing a very silly alternative to the insect in Alien. Of course, other classics are billiantly parodied in this movie as well, especially 2001 with its out of control, intelligent computer and in the scene of astronauts floating off into space.

Much like Monty Python, the humour works on many levels. In addition to slapstick, you get rather intelligent and philosophical humour. Not all of it works, but there are enough hits to make up for all the misses.

Given the original budget of the film, don't expect a visual spectacular. Comparing Dark Star to the creators' later works is like comparing Lord of the Rings to Peter Jackson's first film, Bad Taste. This first film has a sort of roughness and lack of polish to it which really emphasizes its moments of brilliance. Too bad the film isn't longer.

Cult classic, off the wall, Carpenter's finest
So, I thought I would show this movie to my fiancee and a friend of hers, both of whom I would definitely say are picky and typically like the empty flashy movies that draw in money, but have no substance. She was laughing very loudly by the end (and so was her friend, by the way).

John Carpenter may be known for his other really big hits (Halloween, In the Mouth of Madness [his best, in my opinion], or Vampires), but before fame arrived, he was a student. This was his film. Along with co-conspirator Dan O'Bannon, the two made this student film with zero budget (the chest plate on the star suit is a muffin pan), until it was viewed by a producer. $60,000 and a few extra scenes later, it was released and immediately picked up a cult following. I first saw it on PBS, back in the days when they showed such classic films.

Funny, irreverent, and strikingly enough, deep and meaningful. Don't look for famous actors here, go rent a Bond flick for that. Look for insight into the human spirit, the plight of the isolated, and one of the most humorous sci-fi movies ever made! I highly recommend it for fans of a good comedy or science fiction flick. You won't be disappointed!

Boredom Has never been so funny!!!
Made with their own money! John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon made this quite bizarre tale of boredom in space. The crews mission is to blow up planets but other than that they have no life, they have been doing this for so many years they can't even remember their first names. Their captain is dead, well frozen!, They have a beach ball for a pet, and their ship is falling apart. One of the most interesting bits in the film is when they have to philosophise with a talking bomb to stop it from blowing up the ship. The score is excellent and the special effects....well they were made on the cheap. :)

Jack Harris wanted the original college film to be extended to 90 minutes, so that he could release it. So, John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon completed the film but unfortunately their friendship did not survive the involvement of Jack Harris.

A gem in the rough is still a gem
What's also amazing is the sensitivity to characters and personalities in this movie. Each crew member is different, and has his own unique coping mechanisms (or none at all) for the sheer boredom of space.

The ongoing diary of Bill Froop is a hilarious peek into one character's personal journey and transformation. You'll find a much more intriguing storyline here than in any of the last few Star Trek movies combined - unless you're a baby boomer reminiscing about your Half Moon Bay hippy commune days, that is.

Make a big batch of popcorn and settle in for a lot of fun!

Only for John Carpenter fans
If you're a John Carpenter fan (Starman, Alien, etc.), you might be interested in seeing his early work, but if not, skip this DOG of a film. The one laugh I did get from the film was from the use of the muffin baking pan as part of the spacesuit design. It was so tacky that it was funny. ... Read more

Reviews (121)

"Whoever has the gold, makes the rules"
So says one character in "They Live," a witty, incisive satire aimed at Reagan-era politics and delivered by an unlikely source: genre director John Carpenter, who takes the commentary and blends it seamlessly with elements of action and science fiction.

The story revolves around a drifter (ex-wrestler Roddy Piper) who stumbles upon X-ray specs that reveal the literal ugliness under the skin of upper-class Americans. As it turns out, everyone is 'selling out' in an effort to snuff out the lower class, until Piper and fellow struggler Keith David join up with a resistance movement to tear down the system.

"They Live" shows Carpenter in top form. He takes the material in many different directions, dabbling in action, sci-fi (the black-and-white POV shots are creepy and effective), and even physical comedy (the drawn-out streetfight in the middle of the film is a riot), all while keeping the underlying satire the main focus. If this film was misunderstood upon its initial release (which Carpenter says it was), now is the time to rediscover it, seeing as how the issues it addresses (television as a form of mind control, the increasing importance of wealth if you hope to survive in the world) have only snowballed into the 1990s and will no doubt continue well into the future.

Classic Cult..
They Live is a sci-fi movie about aliens trying to take over the world and colonizing it through the media. It starts slow but when Piper's character finds a pair of special sunglasses that allows him to see the reality of society, that's when the fun starts and never lets up. The story is excellent and the script reflects well with some of the best one-liners .."I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum". The ending though is abrupt and makes little sense and the cast is more or less forgettable with the exception of Roddy Piper and Keith David who give great performances. They stage one of the longest, and best fight scene in movie history. Overall, an enjoyable 80's sci-fi flick that really gets you laughing. They Live is one of Carpenter's best films definitely a must see for everyone!

Strong philosophical and religious undertones
Made as the Reagan era came to a close, this film not only has strong political undertones, but religious and philosophical connotations as well. Carpenter emphasizes the B-film aspects of his movie - outrageous violence (and a well-known wrestler to play the main character), elaborate make-up effects, aliens, etc. as much as he can, so that the film's subversiveness is sufficiently hidden. Masquerading as a routine invasion story, it portrays a society whose members blindly accept all of the implicit materialist/capitalist messages thrown their way; the only resistance is offered by those who don't fit in that money-oriented mold - a blind preacher, the poor, some dissident intellectuals. Many religious and philosophical grids can be used to read this movie - Hinduism's doctrine of maya, Plato's cave, Gnosticism: an unlikely visionary (Piper) realizes that the 'real world' is in fact full of illusions; convincing others of his discovery proves to be difficult (witness the famously extended fight scene, at once hilarious and revealing), and a battle soon begins between two secret fraternities - one determined to maintain the illusions, the other eager to dispel them. This is one of Carpenter's best films.

The paranoid are always right!
Carpenter's classic 1988 film, THEY LIVE, can be seen as an(other) inspiration to Chris Carter's "The X Files" with its conspiracy of like-minded aliens and humans manipulating the masses of Earthlings. Roddy Piper, as an out-of-work working class hero, stumbles upon sunglasses which allow him to see the reality behind the facades, the messages beneath the billboards, the subliminal under the overt, and, more eerily, the strangely Dan Quayle looking creatures under the human masks. (Appropriate for 1988--after all, Quayle was vice president at the time.) Piper's efforts to alarm the general public and infiltrate this conspiracy make up most of the middle third of the film, and it ends, appropriately, with guns ablazing and things exploding.

Fortunately, this movie doesn't take itself too seriously, otherwise it might have been disastrous. (In mood and tone, THEY LIVE is first cousin to 1989's TREMORS.) A good dose of campy humor keeps THEY LIVE from becoming a diatribe on capital versus labor, rich versus poor, etc. Instead, THEY LIVE is a classic, sci-fi B movie whose heart is in the right place.

elite, parasitic sub-society exploits American workers
Elite, parasitic subsociety exploits American working class--reflects real American society?

This movie is not so much about aliens who are hiding among us, but instead it taps into the deeply submerged suspicions of most of us that we are being manipulated and taken advantage of by the elite of American society, by our leaders, by the rich, etc. Also, we sometimes feel that we are manipulated and programmed (in a subtle way) to respect hierarchical authority ( e.g., the "OBEY" subliminal command from the movie).

Some leftist thinkers might say that human societies are in a way being parasitized by the elite of their societies, and that the elite operate as a parasitic sub-society, living off of the lower classes. America might be said to be operated more in such a fashion (i.e., parasitized by the elite) than are the countries of western Europe. Obvious examples of this parasitic behavior are the "golden handshakes" and backscratching exchanged between corporate CEO's and the Boards of Directors of their companies. But it is far more pervasive than just that.

_They_Live_ uses the invisible alien elite as a proxy for our suspicions about how we are all being exploited by the elite of our real-life society, and how these elite are subtly programming us to accept this exploitation.

So, the major theme of the movie is not, as another poster correctly pointed out, about being manipulated to be good little consumers in a crassly commercial world. No, it is far more profound than that. Instead, it is more about how the working class Americans in _They Live_ are being exploited by the elite upper crust, who, in the movie, happen to be aliens. Also, this movie is not relevant ONLY to Reagan's time, or to Reaganomics, but it is more relavant today than it was when it was released.

Unfortunately, this movie only explores this exploitation theme in a somewhat superficial way, and the movie itself has an unintentionally comic air to it sometimes. Still, the exploration of that theme is so rare in pop culture, and that theme is so profound, and reaches so far into what American society is, was, and is becoming, that this movie is a Must-See for anyone with an interest in politics and sociology. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Halloween is as pure and undiluted as its title.In the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, a teenage baby sittertries to survive a Halloween night of relentless terror, during whicha knife-wielding maniac goes after the town's hormonally chargedyouths. Director John Carpenter takes this simple situation andorchestrates a superbly mounted symphony of horrors. It's a movie much scarier for its dark spaces and ominous camera movementsthan for its explicit bloodletting (which is actually minimal). Composedby Carpenter himself, the movie's freaky music sets the tone; and hisscript (cowritten with Debra Hill) is laced with references to otherhorror pictures, especially Psycho. The baby sitter is playedby Jamie Lee Curtis, the real-life daughter of Psycho victimJanet Leigh; and the obsessed policeman played by Donald Pleasenceis named Sam Loomis, after John Gavin's character in Psycho.In the end, though, Halloween stands on its own as anuncannily frightening experience--it's one of those movies that hadaudiences literally jumping out of their seats and shouting at thescreen. ("No! Don't drop that knife!") Produced on a low budget,the picture turned a monster profit, and spawned many sequels,none of which approached the 1978 original. Curtis returned for twomore installments: 1981's dismal Halloween II, which pickedup the story the day after the unfortunate events, and 1998's occasionallygripping Halloween H20, which proved the former baby sitterwas still haunted after 20 years. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (633)

The Night He Came Home and Changed the Face Of Horror
In 1978, the world was introduced to a movie that has become a cornerstone in the horror genre. Independent filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill, largely unknown at the time, shot a movie that would become one of