The film kick-started a genre that carried through the 1980s, launched the career of Mr. Carpenter who went on to make such cult favorites as The Fog, Escape from New York and The Thing and remains a Top 10 horror film on lists the world over, sharing company with other must-sees like The Exorcist and The Shining.
So how to trumpet this immortal classic on its 35th Year of Phenomenal-ness (a word I just made up)?
How about a theatrical re-release to terrorize new audiences and give fans a chance to see the film as it was originally intended: projected on the big screen, in the dark, with those who love to be scared?
Yes, please and thank you.
That's right, HALLOWEEN will be returning theatrically to a theater near you this month.
So why go see something that's readily available on DVD and Blu-ray?
Here are my top three reasons:
1) It's gorgeous: John Carpenter and Dean Cundey went out of their way to make this little independent horror film look big. The frame is filled with all sorts of information and the shot composition is beautiful. You'll see Michael Myers standing menacingly in the background with leaves blowing and jack o' lanterns smiling. Things you'll miss watching on your home screen and god-forbid if you've only seen it in Pan and Scan. --shudder--
2) It's like seeing the film for the first time: You already know how this movie terrified me before I'd even seen it. If not, you can read that tale HERE. For almost 20 years, the television pan and scan version was the only version I had seen. It wasn't until I saw Halloween in a revival house, projected on the screen that I saw the film in all its glory. If you've never seen Halloween theatrically, you haven't seen it.
3) A great film to see in October, that isn't too intense for non-horror movie watchers.
As compared to modern horror films like Saw and Hostel, Halloween is practically bloodless. It's a slow-burn of a movie that's chock-full of atmosphere and with a Twilight-Zone-esque twist ending way before M. Night Shyamalan was even a glint in his father's eye.
On top of all of the above, there's a short documentary that airs before the film called You Can't Kill the Boogeyman: 35 Years of Halloween.
So that's my pitch.
Go find a theater before theaters go the way of dinosaurs.
Check out HalloweenOnScreen.com HERE to see if it's playing in your state.
3 comments:
My wife and I got tickets a couple of weeks ago. CANNOT wait to see it on the big screen!!!
Umm... 34 years, actually. ....right? :/
-Eric
Joe: Let me know how your screening goes!
Eric: Stop doing math. Enjoy the film. ;)
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