7 Reasons John Carpenter’s Halloween Has Aged Poorly (& 8 Reasons It’s Timeless)

There are plenty of great horror movies to watch during the Halloween season, but one film stands out among the rest. John Carpenter’s Halloween is a classic in the horror genre and one of the films that helped launch the slasher movie into popularity. There have been many sequels, remakes, and timeline reboots to the franchise, but most fans think the original 1978 movie is still the best.

It can be hard for a horror movie to remain effective after more than 40 years and it’s true that some aspects of the movie feel rather dated. But you might be surprised how well the original holds up even after all this time. Here are some reasons why John Carpenter’s Halloween has aged poorly and some reasons why it remains timeless.

Updated on October 18th, 2020 by Mark Birrell: Since the unstoppable Michael Myers is still slashing his way through victims on the screen, and will be for some time still, it seems only right to keep revisiting the movie that started it all. We’ve added an extra 5 things about the original 1978 slasher that have (and haven’t) aged well to make a total of 15 total, one for each year of Michael’s original incarceration.

15 Timeless: The Cinematography

One thing about the original Halloween that doesn’t get nearly enough credit is Dean Cundey’s brilliant cinematography.

The movie is a masterclass in getting what you need in one shot, to say nothing of its use of lighting in conjunction with the art direction. The overall look is very evocative of the expressionistic style of classic horror but the wide-open suburban setting, mixed with more modern handheld shots, creates something more free-flowing and strikingly contemporary. Even now, over 4 decades later.

14 Aged: Exploitative Nudity

One area in which Halloween is a bit tragically retro is its exploitative use of female nudity.

It ties into the themes of female objectification by the killer but it’s an aspect that makes it seem much more like the endless parade of cheap knockoffs that it inspired, rather than the unique horror experience that fans like to think of it as.

13 Timeless: Atmosphere

Though full of many shocks and surprises, Halloween is really all about its atmosphere and the movie cultivates it patiently throughout the entire story.

Simple things like the flickering light of an old movie on the TV or wind quietly blowing through the trees on an empty street has a profound impact on the viewer because the movie is interested more in creating an overall feeling rather than just moments.

12 Aged: Goofy Deaths

For all the eerie chills that the atmosphere brings, horror movies of Halloween‘s type are often thought of as revolving around their kills, and some of the murders look pretty goofy.

Bob’s death is already a little off as the kitchen knife that suspends him from the wall couldn’t possibly be long enough but both Annie and Lynda are actively ridiculous in their death throes.

11 Timeless: Subtext

Michael Myers’ motivation for his actions is a subject of debate even within the Halloween movies themselves but his purpose within the original movie is really quite clear.

Halloween, like many archetypal horror stories, metaphorically explores psychoanalytical themes such as guilt and anxiety over developing into sexual maturity. The cautious and shy Laurie Strode is perfectly pitched against the uncaring Michael, who takes what he wants when he wants from anyone, and the horror of becoming prey to a forceful stalking predator is a fear that most of us can quite closely associate with.

10 Aged: The Dialogue

For even the best horror movies, the dialogue is often a weak point of the script. Not many people are showing up to horror movies to listen to snappy dialogue but it is nice when the characters speak intelligently and like real people. In the case of Halloween, the dialogue is on the edge of being distractingly bad.

A lot of this could be a result of the era with some slang and phrases feeling especially outdated. While that is forgivable, it does get a little irritating at times, like when one character says “totally” in every sentence they speak.

9 Timeless: The Music

John Carpenter is not only an incredibly talented filmmaker but also a very talented musician. He has scored a number of his films, often creating iconic music that is remembered as fondly as the films are. His best score still remains the haunting score for this movie.

As soon as the score kicks in with the opening credits, it draws the audience into the story and gives a sense of foreboding. The music used throughout the film adds a lot to the tense and wordless scenes.

8 Aged: The Mythology

In one way, the fact that Halloween has lived on in so many different films is a testament to the brilliance of the first film. On the other hand, almost all of the follow-ups have failed to do justice to that original film and they actually distract from the original’s effectiveness.

The sequels introduced a lot of ideas dealing with the Myers family lineage, Michael’s origins, and even occult aspects. While the recent direct sequel sought to ignore all that and simplify things, it can be hard to wipe all that from your memory and just enjoy the original.

7 Timeless: Laurie Strode

Jamie Lee Curtis had her film debut in Halloween and it launched her status as the iconic “Scream Queen”. She played Laurie Strode, the innocent and strait-laced babysitter who becomes the final target of Michael Myers.

While some think of Laurie as the hysterical teen screaming and running for her life, she is a much stronger and smarter character than that. Even as one of the first “final girls” from slasher movies, Laurie sets herself apart for being brave, protecting the children she is looking after, and fighting back against the killer.

6 Aged: Outdated Jump Scares

There is no doubt that Halloween was a terrifying movie when it was first released. Unfortunately, times have changed since 1978, and horror movie audiences have become harder to scare.

The movie still has an incredibly effective creepy vibe throughout the film, but in terms of eliciting genuine scares, it does pale in comparison to modern horror movies, including the recent Halloween sequel. Perhaps audiences have just come to expect the kind of jump scares and reveals that Halloween helped to popularize in the first place.

5 Timeless: Less Is More

While the scares of Halloween might not match up against modern horror movies, it is an overall better movie that almost everything that comes out in the genre these days. That is less a knock against modern horror and more praise of John Carpenter’s skills as a filmmaker.

Halloween is so effective for how simple it is. Some of this is due to the film’s small budget, but this is also how Carpenter worked for his entire career. He is a director who can do so much with so little. He uses locations and setups to their full potential, drawing every last bit of tension from it that he can.

4 Aged: Slasher Film Tropes

Halloween was so effective as a horror movie that it resulted in a number of copycat films, or at least films that tried to emulate the style. This resulted in a number of tropes being established that became comically clichéd the more we saw them in horror films.

The teen couple having sex and immediately getting killed. The terrorized babysitter. The killer walking calmly towards his victims. These and many more were inspired by Halloween. While it’s not fair to the movie that introduced the tropes, it’s hard to watch Halloween and not see it as cliched.

3 Timeless: Lasting Influence

Though the clichés of the slasher genre might be evident when watching Halloween, it’s important that we don’t overlook the immense influence the movie had on the horror genre. While it wasn’t the first slasher film, the genre might never have become as popular as it did without Halloween.

From the music to the masked killer to the atmosphere of the film, Halloween showed filmmakers how to do these movies in an effective and exciting way. It may have inspired some bad movies, but it also inspired a lot of classics as well.

2 Aged: Repetitive Stalking Scenes

Early in the film, we see that Michael Myers takes a special interest in Laurie and begins following her throughout her day. This leads to the famous moment when Laurie looks outside her classroom window and sees Michael watching her only to disappear when she looks again.

It’s a great moment that has been copied many times. However, the subsequent four or five times it happens in the movie become less and less effective. It eventually starts to get repetitive and even silly, especially when Michael manages to disappear outside Laurie’s house even though she is looking at him the whole time.

1 Timeless: Michael Myers

One aspect of the film that helped make Halloween such an iconic movie was the character of Michael Myers. Michael has become one of the most recognizable villains in cinematic history and an iconic figure in the horror genre. Though he has appeared in many different films, he’s never been better than in the original.

From his silent stalking to his eerie and wordless persona, to that infamous mask, Michael is unforgettable. He is the kind of figure you have nightmares about and has inspired so many other cinematic killers. But nothing beats the original.

About The Author

Colin McCormick
(2030 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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