An iconic 70s horror film lauded as ‘one of the greatest slasher films ever’ has arrived on Shudder via Amazon Prime.
Released in 1978, John Carpenter’s Halloween is often considered one of the most influential horror films and remains one of the most profitable indie films ever.
It follows iconic masked killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle), who is committed to a sanitarium after murdering his teenage sister on Halloween when he was a child.
Fifteen years later, he escapes the facility and returns to Haddonfield, where he stalks teenage babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends.
The film also stars Donald Pleasence as Dr. Samuel Loomis, who pursues Myers in a bid to put an end to his murderous rampage.
Halloween spawned a franchise that includes 13 films, novelisations, video games, and a comic book series, among other merchandise.
In 2006, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.;’
It boasts an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus reading: ‘Scary, suspenseful, and viscerally thrilling, Halloween set the standard for modern horror films.’
In their review, The Age wrote: ‘Carpenter’s 1978 slasher classic has inspired a million imitations as well as sequels, but few that demonstrate so clearly that a disreputable genre movie can also be a pure, rigorous work of art.’
Time Out heaped praise on Curtis as iconic final girl Laurie, saying: ‘It’s left largely to the cast to lend the film personality, which they do in spades: Jamie Lee Curtis’s casting was almost accidental (Carpenter wanted someone else) but the film might not have worked at all without her grounding, relatable presence.’
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Austin Chronicle mused: ‘Who could have predicted that the low-budget pic Halloween would have a profound influence on an industry, not to mention on the concept of Halloween itself?’
They continued: ‘They should have broken the mold when they released Halloween, for when it comes to escaped-maniacs-on-the-loose films this one’s the real deal.’
Curtis bowed out of the role of Laurie in 2022 when Halloween Ends hit cinema screens, but despite her character’s tragic ending, she didn’t totally rule out a return.
Speaking in a statement, she said: ‘I have hung up my bell-bottoms and my pale blue button-down shirt, and I have relinquished [Laurie] to the ages with a warm, ‘aloha,’ and a thanks for all the years and memories.
‘And yet, if I’ve learned anything in my 65 years on the planet, it’s never say never. Goodbye.’
Halloween is available to stream on Shudder via Amazon Prime Video
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