In their second Cinemapod, Bo and Ben discuss the horror classic, Halloween, which either invented or cemented many of the familiar tropes of the slasher genre: The libidinous teens getting stalked by a killer, the final virginal girl, the person who says “I’ll be right back,” but doesn’t come back. Many slasher films are cheap and exploitative, but Halloween is not. It’s a true work of art. The composition is astonishing; and the cinematography by Dean Cundey is a marvel.

Bo argues that Halloween is an expert retelling of Moby Dick, with Dr. Loomis as the avenging Ahab monomaniacally pursuing Michael Myers, his white whale. Ben isn’t quite convinced but agrees that the metaphysically charged dialogue adds intellectual heft to the film. Both agree that it is a legitimate masterpiece that has no rival in the slasher genre.

Roger Ebert review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/halloween-1979

Gene Siskel review: http://www.pleasence.com/halloween/H1-SISK.HTML

Pauline Kael review: http://www.pleasence.com/halloween/H1-KAEL.HTML

Maya Zhou essay: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2326&context=scripps_theses

Overview of movie history: https://horrorfilmhistory.com/wp/halloween-1978/