Halloween Research Paper

Okay, so the title is a straight up lie.
The 1978 John Carpenter classic Halloween is my all time favorite film, both inside and outside the horror genre. Nothing in the Halloween franchise can come close to touching it, and although it does have some pretty impressive rivals in the form of Alien, The Shining, Scream, and It Follows, Halloween in my opinion still comes out on top as the best modern horror film in history. It's influence and ability to captivate and terrify, not to mention the craft and simple but elegant plotting behind it, are the reasons for its' lasting legacy. However, all of that aside, the 1978 original was not the first horror film I watched as a kid, or even the first Halloween film I watched. The title belongs to
Remember, I was nine years old, and had never seen a true horror film, let alone a slasher film. As Michael chased down his young niece Jamie, played by the underrated Danielle Harris, and killed anyone who got in his way, I never once took my gaze away from the screen. Even during commercial breaks, I refused to get up to go to the bathroom, afraid to miss even a second of Michael's rampage. I had no context for what was happening as far as story went, as I had not seen any of the other Halloween films at this time. I wasn't even aware of Halloween as a movie. I hadn't even seen someone wear a Michael Myers mask for Halloween before. But as a nine year old, story and plot didn't mean much to me. However, the simple but effective story struck a chord with me, as I used to get really awful night terrors about being chased by monsters and madmen, and therefore really identified with the sheer terror young Jamie felt during her ordeal. I loved the motley crew of characters the film featured, most notably Dr. Loomis, played by the late Donald Pleaseance (R.I.P), who reminded me a great deal of my lovable Grandpa Jack. The iconic theme, which I had heard at haunted houses and various other places before, bore itself into my ears and would not go away. I was completely absorbed into the moody atmosphere of dread and evil. I constantly search the screen, looking for where Michael would show up next. As the film reached its terrifying climax, with Jamie's sister Rachel, played by Ellie Cornell, trying to escape Michael in a very well shot and paced sequence inside a truck, I watched with such single minded determination that I'd never had before. When the police finally arrived and blew Michael to kingdom come, I breathed the first sigh of relief since I started watching. Jamie and Rachel were saved and Michael was