Classic Slasher Films

          It is Halloween season, so I decided I should watch some horror movies (obviously).  But I wasn't sure which ones.  Then I realized that I have never seen the classic slasher films.  So I decided to change that.

Halloween (1978)

          Halloween was one of the first slasher films and paved the way for others.  While I did like Halloween, I did not find it scary at all.  I really liked the idea and the story, but it wasn't frightening.  Michael Myers is suppose to be evil incarnate.  And for the most part he succeeds as that.  However, there are a few things that pull him down from that level.  If he is evil embodied, don't give him a face.  By giving him a face, he becomes a man.  His face is seen twice, but they could have easily not have shown it.  And there are some other parts that make him look like a kid, kind of innocent.  At one point Michael kills somebody and then looks at the body quizzically. I really liked the shot and thought it was cool, but it almost made him look like he was puzzled that the guy died.

          The movie starts off strong with a cool POV shot.  And it ends with a powerful montage with the theme playing over.  And the THEME SONG is awesome.  It really adds to the film.  Overall, I liked it.  I just didn't find it scary, though I'm sure it was for it's time.

Friday the 13th (1980)

          I was a little disappointed with this one.  Once again, I wasn't scared and I didn't find the story engaging or interesting.  I wasn't invested in any of the characters.  And, though I knew they were going to die, I never really worried for them.  I didn't know how I was suppose to feel about the ending.  Was it suppose to me a twist and subvert my expectations?  I didn't think it led to that.  But, then again, I did know the ending and who the killer was and why; so maybe that ruined it for me.  I imagine that the ending would have been more of a shock if I went in unawares.  I'm glad I watched it but I don't see myself watching it again anytime soon.  I am also curious how this movie led to the Friday the 13th we know today; it seems like an interesting evolution.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

          So, I finished off with Elm Street.  I felt about this one the same way I did about Halloween:  I liked the idea and concept, but I wasn't scared.  But, I imagine that is what happens as movies and audiences evolve over time.  I really liked the idea of not sleeping in order to avoid Freddy; but I didn't think that it was played up enough.  The TRAILER for the remake actually looks really scary and I am curious how they handle the property.

          And there were a few things that bothered me.  The 80s synth music is distracting.  And I did not like the ending.  The final confrontation between Freddy and our heroine makes Freddy look as threatening as one of the three stooges.  It reminded me of Home Alone.  But, overall, it was a good movie.

          With these movies I can certainly see why they are classics (though, I personally didn't like Friday the 13th).  And while they didn't scare me, I can easily imagine them being terrifying to the audiences of their time.  And seeing how each movie spawned a gazillion sequels, I am interested to see how they evolved over time.

     But that's just my opinion...