Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Flipping back the calendar to highlight Yesteryear's finus while exploring
the vast archives in cinema history. This is the Movie
Review Rewind Podcast on Nashville Movie Dispatch. Welcome back for
(00:34):
another episode of the movie Review Rewind podcast Right here
on Nashville Movie Dispatch. We are kicking off spooky season today.
That's right, five fridays in October five spooky themed episodes
of the movie Review Rewind podcast. Heading your way. Kicking
things off this season with a classic. We are heading
(00:57):
back to nineteen seventy eight for the Didginal Halloween, also
at the time advertised as John Carpenter's Halloween to be specific.
So if you're not familiar, I don't know, I don't
know who in this day and age would not be
familiar with this tale. But this is set mostly in
(01:19):
the fictional Illinois town of Haddenfield. The film follows mental
patient Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium for
murdering his teenage sister when Halloween Knight during his childhood.
He escapes fifteen years later and returns to Haddenfield, where
he stalks teenage babysitter Lourie Strode. And her friends while
(01:40):
his psychiatrist, doctor Samuel Loomis, pursues him. This is a
classic of the genre, inspiring one of the most iconic
characters in cinema history, and we are going to dig
into it today as we kick off Spooky season on
the Movie Review Rewind Podcast. Of course, I'm your host
(02:00):
here at Nashville Movie Dispatch, the eic at Sobrosnetwork dot com,
as well Big Natural Stoney Keeley. You can follow me
on Twitter at Stoney Keeley, collectively at Sobros Network on
all major social media platforms, and Nashvillemoviedispatch dot substack dot
com for all of our latest work. Joined as usual
(02:22):
by my co host for the Movie Review Rewind Podcast.
He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association
a board member of the Music City Film Critics Association.
He's our resident film critic mister big shot himself, Brandon Vick. Brandon,
how are you doing on this fine October Friday.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I love this season.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
I feel like we talk about it every year. We do,
but I just can't get enough of it.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
If you play back any October episode, I usually talk
about the weather, probably wearing.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Sweaters, hoodie seasons back.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
That's right, that's right. But yeah, I just getting ready
for a spooky season as you talked about, and just
thinking about how a lot of a lot of God's
and unanswered prayers are are a gift.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Yeah, that's an important reflection to make. It's a nice
and nice reflection to me.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
I think someone once told me one of God's ratest
guests or answer prayers, but I can't remember who.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I want to say, that's Garth Brooks. What's a song?
I don't know if he told you that.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, no, no, no, no, I keep hearing John Malcovitch
voices John Malkovich.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Is that Did he write unanswered prayers? Oh?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
He could have, He could have.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
We should look into that.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah. I definitely wrote Forever and Ever Amen for Randy Travis,
So it's impossible.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
That's I'm glad we've learned that today. That's new information
to me. And of course, back by popular demand, we
haven't heard from him since our episode on Faris Bueler's
Day Off back in August. Our Buddy Brett's back, Brett,
how are what are your thoughts? This is your first
all on the movie review Rewine podcast We Can Get
Away with you talking about fall, if you'd like.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yeah, hello, oh stop, you know what?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
That was better than that time I tried to do
the Dracula impression on the Halloween.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I will say it came out different than I heard
it in my head. It did like it didn't it wasn't.
It sounded very spooky in my head, and it almost
sounded like I was just surprised by something gross or
something when I actually started saying it out loud.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I don't know if that was spooky season.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
It was supposed to be like.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Yeah, that's right, Yeah, that's the dragon.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Yes, but when he has a blanket on his head.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah. But I'm with you, guys, this is a great season.
I think it's the best season of the year my family.
I don't know when we started this. I feel like
we started Spook Tober spook Timber in September and go
all the way through. I will say, depending on your taste,
(05:06):
I have found times where if I do it for
two months, at the end I'm like I need to
see something besides someone getting you know, I think.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
You start too early.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah, that may be a that may be a problem.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I will say I did that where you watch it
like a scary movie every day in our tone.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
But it was thirty one Days of Halloween.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yes, that's it. That is a thirty one days and.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
That's the governmental name.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Like yeah, I usually ask off for the whole month
because I don't want to stake the mark. I don't
want any interference. That's why I've missed a lot of weddings,
birthdays and funerals. But by the time I get to
the end, I actually like, I'm like, oh no, I
fuck this.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
I need to see a Christmas movie.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, I actually want to see Christmas or.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Because we don't want to skip over this, there are
a handful of very appropriate Thanksgiving thanks that's true.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yeah, I've got a pretty strict schedule. I have some
Fall movies and then some Spooketober movies, and then some
some movies that aren't quite Christmas movies, but they kind
of play into the magic of the holidays. Like I
like in November watching like National Treasure and like Night
(06:20):
at the Museum.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
Oh Night, the museums are good? Is National Treasure during
that time?
Speaker 1 (06:25):
No, But it's just like you know, the Spirit of Adventures.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
It's a Disney movie.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
The Museum is always I think kind of an underrated
like it it's perfect Clyis there's like snow in New York.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
I like the this is so stupid off topic. I
like the animated BeO Wolf movie in November too. I
think it plays pretty well. But I want to ask
you about this concept, Brett, because Brandon and I have
talked about it quite a bit. The Fall movie for me,
I love I kick off every Labor Day weekend with
(07:00):
an annual screening in my household of Dead Poet Society
because you know, the leaves outside are changing.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
You've got it on your shelf and that's the cover
I do.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, yeah, And you know, stuff like remember the Titans,
Friday Night Lights, the Football movies when Harry met Sally.
I think plays really well. During the Fall, Brandon's brought
up You've got Mail several times, stuff like that, like
I think, I think is a fun feed into spooky season,
(07:32):
which for me, I usually hold off until like maybe
halfway through September, and I'll start with Monster House something
like that, and then kind of ease my way into
it and go with stuff like the Wolf Man and
Sleepy Hollow stuff like that before I get into the way.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Sometimes when you explained, it is like making love. Like
I start with this and I'm just putting on the condom. Yeah,
I'm just by the time we get to mid October
and we're watching the Ring Poundtown Balls Buddy, and by
the end of October, you just need a cigarette, just
(08:19):
need a cigarette cigarette. Monster worn the skin off my
Speaking of sex and fucking Monster House is one of.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
The We've got an episode on Monster, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
We do, and it's great in October. But honestly, if
you said, hey, I'm gonna watch that towards end of September,
I would be like, Okay, I get it because it's
very fall, but obviously it is very much of a
of a Halloween one. But yeah, when Harry met Sally
I think is a good one. Uh that's recently coming
to play there.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
Yeah, I don't. I don't think I've really thought about
fall movies very much, but I'm like that, I like
that concept. I'd like Bainley Football movie. I think, Well,
when you first brought it up, I was like, I
don't know. Outside of weave recently in recent months talked
about When Harry Met Sally and that one like the
(09:13):
weather Fits and and that kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Like Goodwill hunting at that time too.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Yeah, something like that. But when you mentioned something like
remember the Titans, it was like, oh, yeah, that makes sense,
like that fits for that.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
And I will say again, and I mean, it goes
through a lot of seasons, but you've got mill is
a good one to start with because you kind of
get the fall, you kind of get it's definitely Christmas.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
It's a delight. I don't know if I told you
I've only seen it for the first time within the
last couple of months.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Oh really, Yeah, that's great. Oh my god. Now remember
we're doing this in October, but I think, uh, is
it just a couple of months August.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Yeah, he saw the first time Aust.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Yeah, I watched it too early. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
I just think it's a nice way to kind of
ease into some of the some of the or stuff.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah, that's fair, and especially once you get into it,
because there's there's the ones that, like Halloween, for instance,
is something I watch every I What I try to
do is I wait towards the end of the month
and I try to watch the seventy eight and the
is it twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Twenty eighteen.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Yeah, I try to watch those back to back because
I actually got those on Blu Ray together.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Yeah, I was gonna ask you guys for this one.
I know it is with you, But Brett, is this
in your like annual rotation every Halloween. You got to
try and work this one in.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Absolutely? Yeah it. And this is another one. I only
saw it all the way you know this is this
is one of those movies that you know, was kind
of in the water we swam in as kids and
for a lot of people for the last several decades,
you know who Michael Myers is, Like yep, all of
I mean, my kids now know who Michael Myers is
(10:54):
and they might never never seen they know him personally.
Oh my god, and they and they've never seen one
of these movies. I hadn't seen this all the way
through at least, you know, sitting down and watching it
front to back until probably five or six years ago.
It's instantly become a I mean, we'll get there. But
(11:15):
you said it it's a classic, and for a reason, it.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Was the same for us. I actually saw the twenty
eighteen Halloween before I saw this one all the way through.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Oh I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
What helped me distinguish is twenty eighteen, which one drops Zombie.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
That's like two thousand and eight.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
We two well, and I know people don't love that one.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Like I'm just talking about Jamie Lee Curtis's character arc.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
I did so. I saw the Rob Zombie one before
I saw any of the original.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
And then after seeing the original, I've gone back and
watch the last few years. I've done two I think
the following year, and then I did Season of the
Witch last year.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Yeah, people have given more credit to Season.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Yeah, it's kind of a cult cult which is favoring.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
They wanted to do is try to have these Halloween
movies but not feature Michael Myers. But Season which was
such a disaster.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
They wanted it to kind of be like an anthology
kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Yeah, that makes sense, And honestly, I think that's very
much of like before It's time, like it was thinking
outside the box when people are like, wait a minute,
he's not in it.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
But but I've also gotten since then, I've gone back
and watched some of the more recent Jamie Lee Curtis ones.
Maybe the twenty eighteen you're referring, how many are there three?
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Yeah, that one Halloween kills, and they.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Have watched at least two of those, maybe maybe all three.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Halloween Kills was pretty controversial because it's basically just like, well,
after kill after kill, it's almost like an action movie.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, and they're just like kind of yelling.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
From maybe twenty eighteen's the Halloween revisited. I don't remember that.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, nothing really adds up to that legacy sequel of
twenty eighteen. Yeah, the others are fine, but it doesn't.
It doesn't. I don't know, it doesn't really add much
to it. But the but the whole thing of like
I love the seventy eight to twenty eighteen, Like I
like when you watch those back to back. That's that's
(13:13):
I think that's where it really kind of.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Forgive me for having to get an education on this
Live on the Airway.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Yeah, no good.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
But the twenty eighteen is not a reboot in the
sense that it's like the rob Zombie one was the
original over again. This is this is like a sequel
to the original.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Halloween of twenty eighteen.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Is sort of like I know I said, I've seen it,
but I'm asking a lot of It's like.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
The top Gun Maverick of.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Wasn't it framed as forget everything that happened between nineteen
seventy eight and now. Game is like a direct seat.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
David Gordon Green basically said, there's Halloween, and now we're
forty years in, and then he decided he was going
to do Halloween, Halloween Kills and Halloweenians. Now by the
time he finished that and thought, oh, I'll do something
like that for the Exorcist, he is not directing another
horror movie and might be directing something else that's not
(14:13):
in horror.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
But yes, Halloween End's was not well received.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
No, and Hallowan Kills was kind of like you said,
was sort of.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
It was iffy too. Yeah, and I think a lot
of the goodwill that that film has is a lot
of the goodwill that carried over from twenty eighteen's Allow.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yes, and a lot of it kind of really does.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I like Halloween Kills.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
It does from Jamie Lee Curtis, like, I mean, it
really does, which is kind of funny because within this
then she would go on to win an Oscar. But
but yeah, the seventy eight and the twenty eighteen or
I love watching those back to back because it does
show a change in and obviously the characters, but also
(14:56):
in the culture of it. And I thought it was
really well done, and you know, it made for a
radar movie. It made a lot of money. It was
a huge hit, so I don't blame them for continuing it.
But you know, I mean, that's kindally.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
I don't think I've seen any of the other Halloween
movies except for this one, the trilogy that started in
twenty eighteen, and the two rob Zombie Bombies. I don't
think I saw it.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I'll be honest. I have seen Halloween h two. Oh,
I have seen Halloween Resurrection and Halloween h two O
was sort of like in the in the peak of
like Josh Hartnett faculty and stuff, and she played and
he played her son in Resurrection, Jamie Lee Curtis died
at the beginning, so she did come back.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
For a couple Was she resurrected?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Uh No, she was not, But and a lot of
them are. I mean, it's kind of like with Nightmare
and Elm Street and especially Friday the Thirteenth, it's kind
of like, you you do it so much and it's
so watered down on it, and it's one of those
I think people would watch to laugh at and it's
not like scary him. Yeah, And that's why I honestly
(16:08):
like I don't blame them first, you know. And dam
McBride was a writer on these Halloween movies as well,
and David Gordon Green, who's he's worked with a thousand times.
But it's it's amazing because to me, like, yeah, you know,
I kind of don't blame him for kind of being like, yeah,
there's seventy eight and then there's twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Yeah, let's just get it.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
And I think, but it's appealing in the way that
Halloween twenty eighteen came off, it was kind of like, oh,
like I remember when I watched it and did a
review on it, it was kind of like, oh, this
is why Michael Myers was the shit, Like it's it's
brutal and it's simple, and that's what John Carpenter did, So.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
He was that bitch.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Yeah, say yes exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Yeah, he was that much.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
I do I do like that idea of that period
in between then just I know, I said, I've seen it,
and I'm pretty sure I have. I'm pretty sure I have,
but I'm really interested and I'm gonna watch it.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, it sounds like you have just heard this for
the first time.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
To Brett's point, I too saw this the nineteen seventy
eight version for the first time within the last few years.
The atmosphere that night was awesome. It was like a crisp,
cool fall night where it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Like when you first watched the seventy eight.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
When I first watched the seventy eight, it was my
wife and I in the house that we're in now
cool enough to where we could open up the windows
and let the breeze flow through the house.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
I'm already scared by you just saying that that you
opened the windows where while watching this movie.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
We had all of our Halloween decorations up. It was,
you know, probably a week or two into October. I
had a pot of apple chili in the crock pot,
and so we decided, hey, we've never seen this movie
and it's you know, it's place in cinema history. She had, Yeah,
it is that.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
That's amazing to me that neither one of you have
ever even was.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
It's kind of one of those things where we were like, hey,
have you seen this? No? Have you No, I haven't.
We need to fix that. So it was like the
perfect fall night. And I just I keep such a
sharp image of that night in my head. Is like,
this is what it's all about, man, Like a breeze
flowing through the living room. We've got apple chili in
(18:31):
the croc ponds, decorations are up. Yeah, we had blankets
after after dinner. My wife made hot chocolate. We poured
a little vodka in it. It was a fantastic evening.
I can't say what else happened that night.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
No, I don't know, but I think that involves a
booty hole.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Well no, no, oh, I jumped the gun. Yeah, and
not not anyway, I can't speak. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
You don't know what happened.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, I can only speak for me and my wife,
not the cat.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Well you know. But this is what's funny is that
i'm him at least a few years ago. And I've
told everybody the story because I fell in love with
Maine when we when my wife and Niowen and I
will tell you, and we went in October. And even
though this was what it's it's done in Illinois, it is,
(19:34):
but the town's in Maine made it it. I was
kind of reminiscent of like what I remember seeing of
the way the the film opens up and the town
that they're in, and it's kind of like Halloween decorations.
It's that perfect fall weather the leaves everything, And honestly,
I associate that with Maine. Every time I watched this movie,
(19:54):
I'm like, I, that's Maine, well.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
In that part of the country, something like hocus Pocus,
you know, outside of Boston like that, that kind of thing,
like it's in that area very much tracks with Yeah, Halloween.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Movie and I but I like, the only way I
can explain it is I'll make you know when you
kind of see the opening of it, that's sort of
what Maine was like. There's these little things and of
course Stephen King is a big presence in that, and
so I always think about that when when I watch
the movie. But this movie holds up so well, and
it really does. Crazy because a lot of it does
(20:28):
not a lot of the movies made within this time
seventies and eighties, it just seems cheesy, and but this
really does. And I think because it's so simplistic that
it's very much of like we're not going to dive
into everything that you know that they ended up wanting
to kind of expand this Michael Myers universe, but it's
(20:50):
so like he was from there, this is what happened
his family. He's back and it but it does fit
in because it kind of does start this thing of
like teenagers and sex and this rebellion and then there's
somebody coming in and you know, this is before Jason
Voorhees and Freddy Krueger and I don't know if a
(21:10):
lot of people realize that Michael Myers is the really
kind of the og where John Carpenter said this is
what well.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I mean, there are a lot of film analysts that
credit Halloween with being like one of, if not the
first true slashers.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Sure yeah, And I mean and and the fact but
the fact that you can watch it like you like
you guys, like within two, three, five years ago whatever,
it's still it's still got it now. Obviously the gore
and stuff is different, but I mean, the the point
of it and the way that it's made and everything
I thought was is it still fascinates me that I
(21:48):
can watch it and be like, oh, you know what
that like There's very few movies that I kind of
watch now that first like opened up in the seventies
a'es and I'm like, you know what, that would be scary,
Like I could see where some I could go in
that theater and watch and be like, damn, that was
that was crazy.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Well you said it, but I think the fact that
we've only seen it in the last few years. And
you know, there's plenty of things that you see that
were zombie classic at some point or you know, revered movies,
but you go back and watch them and you say,
I can tell this was made fifty years ago, and like,
I can understand why people used to like it, but
(22:25):
it doesn't. But this one really holds up. I mean,
you you mentioned this, but to me so personally, I
am not like I want to see every slasher movie
that comes out. Like I know, there's plenty of people
like that is just their thing and they love it.
To me, a big part of the appeal for this
one is the simplicity and is the it's not just
(22:46):
as gory as it can't Like a lot of it
is a kid looking out the window saying there's the
Boogeyman and is just across the streets standing there like
that creeps me out at that time.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's an aspect of this
film that is just it kind of speaks to, Okay,
the the filmmaker's toolkit, like what can I use to
build suspense? What can I use to create this feeling?
Like I made a note rewatching this for this show,
like even when nothing's happening, you feel like you keep
(23:21):
waiting for him to just pop out of nowhere.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Yeah, well, especially like you know the baby, she's watching
the other kids, and you know Kyle Richards in this
for Housewives of Beverly Eels and and but it's those
things too, where like the kills are coming right and
you're so saturated on like okay, but even like the
kills are good from I mean from seventy eight, and
(23:45):
it's kind of like, you know, you do kind of
have them as like, oh, you know they're gonna get frisky,
you know they're gonna get whoopee.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Some there I mean, listen, there's some there's some titties in.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
The yeah there are, Yeah, but you know what, Michael
Myers doesn't care no, And but I really I really
like the way that it kind of is like you're
just waiting and there is I mean, you know some
of the best horror films are the ones that like
they don't have to show me blood and guts and
everything like that, like the terrifying movies. But it's just
it's just dread. It's just the dread of like, Okay,
(24:18):
he's here, and like some stuff is in broad daylight, yeah,
where they have him like driving by and stuff like that,
which which there is I have to say I was
telling Brett, which I don't know if you know this
or not, but there's a story and I don't know
who of the film crew, but one of them while
they're shooting one of the scenes where he's in the bushes,
right and he shows up, is smoking. And in one
(24:41):
of the scenes where they show her, you see his smoke,
like the smoke is is there, and it's and it's
one of the crew members who is literally just smoking.
And and there's also one where I wish I knew
the whole story. I can't remember, but I know that
(25:01):
like in the closet where he starts stabbing through the closet,
that there was at least two or three different people
dressed up as Michael Myers, and one of the people
that was like literally on the film crew dressed up
as him to do like that scene, and like the
way it was done where it shouldn't have been a success,
(25:22):
it should it should be just some kind of cheap,
sewn together thing has stood the test of time.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
I mean, this film had a budget of three hundred
thousand dollars, yeah, I mean even for nineteen seventy eight,
and then it went on to have a run of
seventy million at the point.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
And I mean, and that made Jamie Lee Curtis right,
that's her first movie and this she would go on
to do a couple of horror films before she would
kind of branch out. But it's just amazing that journey
of the way this film has. And the thing is
is like, no matter how many sequels came after it,
Rob Zombie did a couple and then David Gordon Green thought, Okay,
let's do my own trilogy with Jamie Leek heard of.
(26:00):
So the thing is is that in so many ways
nothing beats the original.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yeah, and I think it goes to John Carpenter kind
of utilizing various things from the toolkit to build that suspense. Like, yeah,
the theme song for for the Halloween movies is world famous.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
I love listening to it during spooky season.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, I love it. Yeah, you find a good techno
remix of it too, if you want to dance.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Oh, I've heard a lot, but I do. It's that
one in Ghostbusters.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
It's no synth wave nos faratu, but that's kind of
hard to come by, right.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
But the other pieces of the score too.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
There's the strike of a synthesizer, yes, where it just
feels like that that music kind of dictates your emotion
in those moments. Stuff like the the first person shots
where you're kind of seeing the the events unfold through
his mask, kind of building that suspense.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
You know, Nature did that.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Yeah, yeah, Violent Nature the most boring horror movie I've
ever seen in my life, except for that one kill.
Except for that one kill and the one where he
puts the guy in the machine, that was like it
oddly took too long to get I don't.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Want to get sidetracked. But the way that he got
his uniform, I thought, Okay, yeah's all right, that's fine.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
But still, but yes, this stuff like the slow if
you watch, like there's a scene where Lourie's coming out
to her car and the camera's just kind of very
slowly zooming in and it kind of feels like you're
just watching something using those technical aspects and using things
like the score and the and the music and the
(27:40):
cinematography of it, the way things are shot where it's
that less more you may see something that the characters
in the film don't necessarily see, and it builds that
sort of dread, like something's coming.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I just thought it was a masterful job of filmmaking
that kind of reflected a level of care that not
a lot of horror movies have mastered the way this
one did.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Yeah. Well, And what's even I think more kind of
mind boggling is that it is a people still can't
really do it.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Yeah, So it's.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Like, damn, he figured it out then and has gone
on to make, you know, all these different iconic horror movies.
But it's it's just kind of funny. But what's what's
even more to me, what I think people don't really understand,
is what this movie did for the genre. Yeah, and
(28:35):
the and what everybody has borrowed from it, and it lasts.
It will always be in something that we see. It
does not matter what it is. But that's why I
really liked and you know, I didn't really think much
of it, but since and I have, I mean, I
(28:56):
watch it. I try to watch it every October. But
I do, like I said, I do save it towards
the end. It's kind of like the like, okay, this
is the finale.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Well that was gonna another question I wanted to ask
you guys, like, is this one of the main events
close to Halloween.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
I don't. I don't watch it at the beginning or anything,
because I can't say I watch it on Halloween, but
that twenty A twenty nine three. I will watch both
of them back to back because I.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Could also see where this is one that's kind of
a tone setter. You watch it early on, you're like, okay.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
I can see where if you want to kick off
to it. But I kind of ease into it. But
I do enjoy and if I can, I do try
to watch. I do try to watch both. It's a
lot of fun. If your son watches it and screams
and screams and screens okay, because how scary it is, obviously,
but that's but I love I I that's a tone center. Yeah,
(29:46):
yeah it does. But I really I like watching at
the end. But I love just the way that the
way that John Carpenter kind of establishes things from the
beginning and you know.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
What's they jump right in Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
And you know it's funny is that no matter what
kind of remakes, reboots, legacy, whatever, there, they don't really
change a whole like you kind of set the standard
in seventy eight and everybody's just kind of figuring it
out as as they've as they've gone on. And and
I know John Carpenter doesn't really have much to do
with much of these anymore, and I think he really
(30:21):
gives a ship. But but it's amazing the things that
like the little things. And one of the one of
the things that pops up is and and there's a
hole behind the scenes thing and they and I can't
remember there used to be this TV show where it
kind of took you behind the scenes. It was kind
of like off the page or something. They did Jaws
and Halloween and stuff. But one of the things, and
(30:41):
I don't know the full story I forgot, but is
how innovative it was to show the pumpkin reverse as
it goes through the credits and it doesn't show it
actually shows it going you know, going up before it
goes in like that to me, like that's a little thing.
(31:01):
But now when I watch it, I don't fast forward
past in you. I want to hear the music. I
want to hear that score. I want to I want
to see that pumpkin like it's all, it's all part
of it.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
It's it does such a fantastic job. And talking about
the setting of the film as well, the fictional town
of of Illinois, it does such.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
A face excuse me, a fictional Illinois real.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
The hadden Field, the fictional town of hadden.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
I'm sorry, I wanted to clear that up.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
That's a cash mistake. How passionate you get about defense.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Of the State White Sox.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Yeah, so I don't even remember what I was gonna say.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Sorry, but yes, it is a made up tim that
is Oh yeah, that is true.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Like the ambiance, like leaning into the lore of like
what's Halloween, the jack O'Lanterns, kids are trick or treating.
There's a festive quality to it, that kind of it
adds a timeless sort of quality to the film, where
like this is something thing that people can watch today
and feel like, oh, that's the good old days, which
(32:05):
is is kind of weird because there is a sort
of dissonance between that and the events that unfold in
the movie.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Yes, but you know what, and it's you're right, it's
such an odd term, but like that's I think that's
I think that's why a lot of people enjoy Christmas Story,
even though it's not my personal favorite.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Sure, but for me, if I watch Christmas Vacation, it's like, oh,
family coming over and oh they're getting the lights and stuff,
like there is something about it. And I think Halloween
is one of the is a rarity in the sense
that it does give you, it does give you these feels,
but it is a horror movie and I and me personally,
(32:44):
I don't really buy horror movies, Like I don't really
watch them because nothing really it gives you that same
feeling again because you've seen it, but every now and then,
and Halloween is one a quiet place is one I
want to because there's just a feeling you get and
it's that atmosphere and it's that tone. And for the
(33:06):
for Halloween location, location location, because it is it does
make you feel like it's a small town and there's
innocence to it and it's not like it's some strange killer.
It is someone who's actually from there, and they briefly
tell you like, well, this is what happened, and you know,
there's no real explanation about it. Yes, and and you
(33:28):
have to think and the first one, it's not the
whole kind of spiritual thing is not addressed. It's just
a kid who's.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Simple up and it's simple yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:39):
You know, and except when you bring in oh my god,
what's his name, Lupis Loomis Lumish. When you bring him in,
it's which we've talked about where I think he's he's
on a different.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
Level, but he's at a twenty five out of town.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Yeah, like everyone's like, hey, you, this is what we're doing.
I heard Shakespeare and he went for it.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
I feel like, I mean, you know, it's all kind
of like predicated on he's had all this experience with me,
but in the character character. But it also feels like
that guy probably just wouldn't be a good hang in general,
like even if he had never met Michael Myers, like
he's just and.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
I think he's a British actor. And I do remember
and I wish I remember this show, but it was
basically like I mean, he was a serious actor that
kind of took on something that obviously was not familiar
to him and didn't know and John, you know what
is what is he not? I mean, no one's famous
in the movie. He's probably the most well known if
you know him. But there are times where it does
(34:42):
feel like he's reading these lines and the delivery is
not quite what you would expect. And I feel like
in this day and age, someone said, hey, let's like
put let's pump the brakes in a minute.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
But there's times it felt like he was should be
on stage somewhere.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yeah, Like I mean, it's so theatrical that it's like, oh,
like but we're like in a movie that's like you said,
like it's three hundred thousand dollars, quite sure where we are.
But then there's other times where it's like, oh, you know,
he he kind of brings like yeah, like it's kind
of like, oh, like shit, yeah, you.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Know, there's a sense of urgency, yeah, brings the.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
Way yeah yeah, yeah, he he walks So Michael Caine
could run in a puppet Christmas good. Yeah, you were talking,
you were talking about you guys were talking about the
timeless nature. One thing to me that stands out is
just the genius of a killer movie being set on Halloween,
(35:41):
and because there's a line in the movie where Loomis
says the sheriff is saying, I'm gonna call the station,
get them to alert everyone of what he looks like
he's out here, Loomis says, I don't want you to
do that, because they'll see him on every corner. And
I think for us, every year that you go out
and everyone's walking in the neighborhood, there's still that question
(36:04):
of like, is that him, Like, yeah, is one of
these people him?
Speaker 2 (36:08):
Again, I think, I think I know the difference between
a movie and reality, but.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
But I think that's that's what sparks the fear and
keeps it going because and you have to think.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
And to your point, Like when we were kids, I
remember Michael Myers being a sort of legendary thing. So
like to the younger generations, it is kind of like, oh,
he's out there somewhere.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
That And I feel like Jason Vories was always like
the go to like yeah, you know, it was the
Mask or the Hockey.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Mass, the Mask, the Jim Carrey movie.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
But him too, him too. I was thinking of Jamie Kennedy.
Did you see that one?
Speaker 1 (36:45):
I did not see that.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Can we do a rewind on the Mask?
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:51):
I actually have watched it within the past like five
to ten years, and it's not really my favorite. Jim
care but listen, I'm willing to do it. But but yeah,
I I really like I just like the fact of
where you're like what you're talking about, where there's things
(37:12):
where it's it's more realistic in a way because it
and again, they explore different things as the franchise goes on,
but in that first one, it is very much of
like a well, I mean you could have somebody that's
I mean, you know you live there. Yeah, people you
know his house is obviously, I mean it's nothing that
(37:33):
I can't imagine now that oh that's where so and
so lived, Oh we killed is? I mean, it's that
stuff like I remember thinking like some of the scariest
stuff to me is like like the two thousand and
eight or like the Strangers, where like it doesn't quite
make sense, but that's just people Like people have come
(37:53):
back to it, you know and like mad. Yeah, like
the ghosts and stuff is one thing, but it's not,
but that's not that's not to me as creepy as
just like a I would think the only other like
kind of ghostly movie that does still kind of give
me the creeps is like The Conjuring, where it's kind
of like, oh, that's okay, that could but when you
(38:14):
have somebody that I mean, you really are talking about
mental health and you are talking about like, you know,
the way he grew up, and it's like, well, okay,
he does look this way, but just act like you
come back and then take his vengeance out on somebody
and you already know kind of how he was as
a kid. It's it's not as far as as far
(38:36):
fetched as a lot of the other stuff is, like
Jason Moore, he's Freddy Krueger and stuff. Yes, I get it,
but okay, but I always felt like it's kind of
I think it. I think it speaks to Halloween being
kind of the og because it was something that was simple,
but it was also something very much that was more grounded,
(38:57):
the first movie, more grounded than as people started to
kind of build these from you know, and I mean,
like you said, the slasher genre has become such a
thing and we kind of want we kind of wanted
to go back to that kind of style, you know,
but it's it's tough. It's a tough deal. It's so
crazy that it seems so easy to do in seventy
(39:20):
eight and so cheaply done, but at the same time
to try and replicate that or duplicate it is so
tough because of all the other shit that we that
have been made, and it seems like it has to
have this and gore and blood when it's actually like, no,
you really don't need it. But I don't think Halloween
would ever be made the same if it was done
(39:41):
in the past ten to fifteen years. There's no way.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
A lot of the technical limitations actually benefited long term
because they just had to do what they could and
you know, use the tools that they had. Something that
this is going back to what Sony was saying about
the technical side of it. But the things that are
so good about it to me are the quietness, the slowness. Yeah,
(40:07):
the breathing room that they you know, even you know,
we were talking about the score, like there's the obvious
famous song. Yeah, there's one or two other pieces that
are repeated throughout. Yeah, but they're not continuous. There's a
lot of times that are just kind of silence or
him breathing, or you know, him watching or whatever.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
It's almost like a negative space sort of thing, like
using the music to rile you up and then taking
it away to make you uneasy, and likewise showing you
a glimpse of him standing across the street and then
taking him away and showing you nothing there and kind
of letting your imagination do the legwork there to create
(40:49):
that sort of tension. I mean, I to me like
this is like gold standard of horror kind of stuff.
This is this is a veritable masterpiece.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Yeah, and like you said, I mean just the resources
that they had to make something like this, and again,
like I said, it does stand the test of time.
And now I'll be honest, I wouldn't watch as any
other time of the year. But yeah, I remember one
of the things was that they that they were shocked
that no one had ever called a movie Halloween and
(41:23):
that took place on Halloween. That did not believe nothing
had ever been made. And that's kind of what has led,
Like you know, I mean, fast forward all these years
where Eli Roth does Thanksgiving and no one has done
you know, so it and I kind of thought, wow,
that's that's kind of weird. But I do think there
was a thing about the name of it because something
(41:43):
else was called Halloween. It had nothing to do with
the movie, but that they were going to call it
something else, and anyway, I can't imagine it being called
anything else. And then the fact that Jamie Lee kurt
I mean that first, like it's it's just crazy how
some things happened. Yeah, it goes on this a lot
with other films.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
I was about to say, like we talked about that
with Michael Keaton and Night Shift back here. Oh yeah, yeah,
day's episode of this podcast is like what a moment
in time. I mean, can you imagine to go back
to nineteen seventy eight knowing what you know about Jamie
Lee Curtis's career today.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
Yeah, and we pitched on that, Yeah, get pitched on that,
and I mean, you know, she's from a famous family,
but still to get that time and then like she
would go on but was it prom night like she
did a couple of.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
Things.
Speaker 2 (42:31):
So yeah, it is amazing how much like I still
enjoy it and it still captures everything you could possibly
imagine dealing with spooky season and in Halloween, but the
story of how it was made is incredible.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
I think that's ultimately what like the essence of this
film is what makes it so timeless is that it
kind of feels like something that will be equally as
enjoyable today as it will be fifty years Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Yeah, It's not one of those where it's kind of like, well,
you know, I'm I appreciate what they did but didn't
like it, and that we've done those from a lot
of these moviefe rewind podcasts, but this one really is
one that, like, like I said, I do try to
save it to the end. It's kind of like the
finale for me. But at the same time it's I love,
(43:20):
just love what he did, and then what they were
able to kind of capture in that time that I mean,
there's no way they did this and thought, you know,
in fifty years, Yeah, people are gonna look at this
and this is going to start a.
Speaker 1 (43:35):
Whole new which is crazy to think that we're only
three years away from this movie being fifty years old.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
Yeah, But then I also see where like John Carpenter
basically like sitting back and like you do what you
want my part.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
I did what I wanted to my part. Yeah. Well
that's all of the notes that I have on nineteen
seventy eight's Halloween. Any parting thoughts from either of you guys.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
I made some notes. I just want to call out
that there's a lot of maybe unintentionally really funny movie
moments in this movie. Yeah, uh, Loomis says to someone.
If someone says to him he can't drive a car,
Loomis says, he was doing very well last night. Maybe
someone around here gave him lessons. Then Michael proceeds to
(44:20):
drive a car great for the rest of the movie.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
That's all he's doing.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
When Michael comes back in Bob's Glasses with a sheet
over his head, that's a great comedic scene, whether intended
or not. Yeah. I think one thing that I was
thinking about is, you know, something that tends to age movies,
(44:49):
but at other times I think benefits them. And I
think it's it's the case with this one. Things like
they're making phone calls from landlines and not dated cell phones.
A dated l phone looks silly, but a landline is like, oh,
we all know what that is, and we know we
don't use them now. That's right. Yeah, there's one in
the kitchen, and I think.
Speaker 2 (45:10):
There's a thing about the whole like it's hall long
we night and like your babysitting, and the kids don't
really comprehending, like what's going on, Like there is kind
of there's this innocence to it on top of the
violence that obviously is occurring. That you know, everyone's kind
of being exposed to.
Speaker 3 (45:32):
One other thing. I wanted to call out that I
did not catch until the rewatch for this. The kids,
Tommy is watching The Thing on TV, which is a
John Carpenter movie. So that is like a king move,
like putting your own movie in your movie that they're watching.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
I never noticed that.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
It's I mean, that's that's also a good thing John Carpenter.
I mean he can he can hang his head on
almost everything that he has done into I mean, you
know there's some things where he kind of did like
John Carpenter's vampire stuff like that. That okay, But but yeah,
like I I don't watch The Thing that much. The
(46:10):
Kurt Russell one, I don't watch that one that much,
but I have, and I actually really like it. It
is it's tense, but it's it's sort of like with Halloween,
where it's atmospheric, where it's kind of like, oh you
know what, that setting is just right.
Speaker 3 (46:26):
It's also got Wilford Brimley.
Speaker 2 (46:28):
Oh wow, well my god.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
What about John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars?
Speaker 2 (46:35):
Oh yeah, is that the ice Cube one?
Speaker 1 (46:36):
Yeah? Yeah, I didn't realize he did escape from La
Big Trouble in Little China.
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
I thought he only did horror movie.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
I say, nope. I do remember thinking him and Kurt
Russell had done a lot together in their younger days.
Speaker 1 (46:52):
Yeah, a lot of I didn't realize he's behind they Live.
Speaker 2 (46:57):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so starring Roddy
Piper exactly. I'm all out of chewing gum. Well, but yeah,
that was. I can't imagine a world where you just
you don't watch it every October.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Yeah, it's a it's a classic for a reason. Mount
Rushmore of Halloween movies. Oh, too hard on the spot,
I mean, not a spooky season. Yeah, I'm not gonna
count my wolf Man. Oh like Halloween, Yeah, I don't
even know.
Speaker 2 (47:32):
If I watch it actually happen on Halloween.
Speaker 1 (47:35):
Halloween, Hubie, Halloween, Hocus Pocus hocus Pocus and Halloween twenty eighteen.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
Yeah, I was gonna say it just Halloween kills in Halloweens. Yeah,
uh yeah, I don't know. I mean monster has to
be up there because I know Halloween happens. Yeah, because
they're strucked out, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (47:56):
Yeah, But I mean you said it, Sony. Having only
seen this in the last few years for the first time,
I don't. I don't think it can be improved upon. Like,
I think this is as good as it gets with
a horror movie.
Speaker 2 (48:09):
Yeah, it really doesn't. But what's so crazy is is
that there's nothing.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Forgot earnest, scared, stupid set on Halloween House on Halloween.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
That I'm gonna tell you. One of the ones I
actually have come to like in the past few years
that I watch over is that Trick or Treat that's.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
A treat on Halloween.
Speaker 2 (48:27):
But that but that one was pretty good. I just don't.
I it's amazing of what they did then and then
how it's kind of seen where over time it's I mean,
you know, I mean, it was a success in its
own right then, but the fact that it is just
something that people have have tried to do over and over,
and it's just like what if you got it right
(48:50):
the first time? Like what if you actually got it
right the first time. The closest thing to it is
twenty eighteen's and I think it's because it is very
much a reminder of what seventy eight was like when
it came out, and I think that's part of it too.
Speaker 3 (49:05):
Yes, I look forward to seeing that again for the
first Yeah.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
I was gonna say, yeah, you should really watch it
and should take notes. But yeah, no, I don't know.
I don't know if I mount Rushmore and Halloween Movies
More is my spooky season. But but like I said,
I love watching the I love doing a double feature
of both of those.
Speaker 1 (49:25):
There you go.
Speaker 3 (49:25):
What about Halloween Halloween two Season of the Witch and
twenty eighteen.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
Four in Resurrection Halloween h two? Oh yeah, no, I
would probably put seventy eight and twenty eighteen up there.
I would probably, like, off the top of my head,
monster house because I know there is trigger treating involved,
and I do. I do enjoy them. I don't know
if Para Norman is during Halloween's.
Speaker 1 (49:49):
Oh yeah, I can't remember.
Speaker 2 (49:50):
I can't remember, But yeah, I mean I would I would.
I would immediately put those up there just because they
are an annual, like it has to be.
Speaker 3 (50:00):
Everything is any part of Coco on Halloween the Dead,
but it is the beginning of the movie on Helloween.
Speaker 2 (50:06):
I think I was thinking of Coco, but I wanted
to say in conto, no, that.
Speaker 3 (50:13):
Is not on Halloween, Trigg or Treat.
Speaker 2 (50:16):
I like, I feel like there's a there is. I
feel like there's a big one on Halloween. Halloween. No, No,
but something else.
Speaker 3 (50:25):
That I feel like Beetle Juice. Beetle Juice has a
scene and it is Halloween.
Speaker 2 (50:28):
Yeah, is a regular is the original Beetlejuice in.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
Just the second album?
Speaker 2 (50:34):
See, I can't know, I can't put I can't do that.
Speaker 1 (50:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
So I mean basically, yeah, well Halloween Town.
Speaker 1 (50:42):
There we go, Halloween, Ernest scared stupid.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Yeah, well I just haven't seen that in so long,
but I know that's fresh on your mind.
Speaker 1 (50:49):
Yeah, so, well that's going to do it for us today.
We made it to the to the end of my notes. Brandon,
you got anything else you want to empty the clip here?
Speaker 2 (50:58):
No, No, it just makes me. I'm excited about Spooky
season and it's in it's in regular rotation every year,
so well, there you go. I love going from Jamie
Lee Curtis to Chevy Chase.
Speaker 3 (51:12):
So well.
Speaker 1 (51:13):
This is the first of five spooky season themed episodes
of the movie Review Rewind podcast. You can expect a
new one in your inbox every Friday morning for the
month of October. Five episodes this season. If you're subscribed
to Nashville mooviedispatch dot substack dot com, that's gonna do it.
For this episode, we've got four more fun, action packed
(51:35):
no not action actually knows scary scary movies to talk
about this month. We hope you will join us for sure.
Grate review subscribe wherever you take in your podcast. We
ain't too hard at excuse me what we ain't too
hard to find? Too hard for Internet streets, for Brett
(51:55):
and for Brandon, I'm stony and until next time, you
stay classy moviegoers.
Speaker 2 (52:03):
Mhm.