Compass International
Directed by John Carpenter
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Anchor Bay)
After a prologue in which a young boy inexplicably murders his sister, 15 years later he escapes from the mental institution in which he was being treated by psychiatrist Donald Pleasence. He heads straight for his old home town on the anniversary of the original murder, Halloween. Teenage babysitters including Jamie Lee Curtis arrange jobs for the night while fretting about boys. Her two friends become the first victims, who then sets his sights on Curtis for the extended finale. Highly influential "slasher" film owes a lot to Hitchcock's Psycho, star Curtis is the daughter of Janet Leigh. Simple yet effective soundtrack by the director contributes to the menacing atmosphere. However, after multiple viewings over the years, the impact is beginning to wane. Instead, I begin to notice the gratuitous shots of teenage girls and their sexual escapades, but especially the lack of motive in the numerous killings. The endless sequels, and then reboot, will spend the coming decades trying, and mostly failing, to provide one.
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