Ah, were we ever so young?
I know what you’re thinking. What a timely review!! But sometimes you want to examine something obscure that no one’s ever heard of.
In this film, there’s a event that horrifies everyone who witnesses it, or even just hears about it. People then tell themselves it’s over and try to get on with their lives. But then, 15 years later, it happens again. I don’t know why, that just seems to speak to me right now.
It’s the scariest and most horrifying Michael Myers this side of the one in The Love Guru, as we learn what awaits the unwary on Halloween.
#1 by B. Wood on November 27, 2014 - 11:18 am
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Halloween? But… this is Thanksgiving?
#2 by kbegg on November 27, 2014 - 11:22 am
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Well, it’s something I’m thankful for.
#3 by The Rev. on November 27, 2014 - 1:15 pm
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Here I expected you to review a turkey for Thanksgiving, and instead you’re doing a rare review of a good movie.
Of course, two of your best pieces featured good movies, so this is in no way a bad thing. Looking forward to this!
#4 by The Rev. on November 27, 2014 - 2:43 pm
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Naturally, it was a great piece.
More importantly, it turns out it’s kicking off another of Ken’s series pieces, which have been among his best works.
However, my excitement is tempered with unease. You see, earlier this week I reread his bar-setting Jaws series reviews. I am also three deep into an slasher movie binge. And here comes Ken with the start of a series breakdown, featuring a slasher franchise.
Lyz, it’s happening again…and it’s only funny when I do it to you!
#5 by RogerBW on November 27, 2014 - 4:27 pm
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Interesting, thank you. As someone who came to these films well after they’d become a joke, I particularly appreciate the artificial perspective of the film on its own in its original era. It helps even more to remember that some of the big films of 1978 were Grease, Superman and Animal House. The Deer Hunter took five Oscars. Oh yeah, Star Wars Holiday Special.
Wasn’t Carpenter married to Adrienne Barbeau between 1979 and 1984? (And it’s Debra Hill, not Deborah.)
(I quite liked Ghosts of Mars; it’s certainly not vintage Carpenter, but it’s better than a lot of the alternatives.)
#6 by kbegg on November 27, 2014 - 6:56 pm
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Thanks, Roger. And dammit, I caught every ‘Deborah’ but the first one. Sadly, I completely mismanaged my time this month, and it was either get the piece up this morning before family stuff or miss the November deadline. So I apologize to everyone for a piece that is no doubt even more poorly written than usual.
Carpenter indeed married Barbeau, who of course starred in The Fog and Escape from New York for him. EDIT: Ah, I get you! Yes, I mistakenly asserted that Carpenter was married to Hill before that. I think I was conflating them with Gale Ann Hurd and James Cameron. Thanks!
Mileage varies on any film, of course, but I always liked Precinct 13 too much to view GoM as anything but a lame retread.
#7 by Cullen M. M. Waters on November 27, 2014 - 9:51 pm
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I think lame retread might well be entirely too kind.
#8 by RogerBW on November 28, 2014 - 4:26 am
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Yes, I realised after I’d posted that I’d messed up that section – I think I’d mentally put Halloween in 1980. Sorry about that. I did enjoy the piece, especially the historical context, and I have a fascination akin to Lyz’ for the films that are regarded as starting off a trend or genre but aren’t really part of it because the codified tropes haven’t quite gelled into their final form.
#9 by El Santo on December 1, 2014 - 9:57 am
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“•In Christine…OK, I don’t remember, but the car probably comes back to life or something.”
Christine definitely fits the pattern. The boy who buys the car dies after being twisted into a hateful lout by its influence.