THE DANMAN CAN

Halloween Franchise Films Ranked

Halloween  Franchise Films Ranked

Producers  John Carpenter  and  Debra Hill  and writer/director  Tommy Lee Wallace  decided to take a different approach with  Halloween III: Season Of The Witch   (1982)—instead of delivering another vehicle for that unstoppable boogeyman Michael Myers , they opted to make a  Twilight Zone / Richard Matheson esque comment on consumerism and the mindless nature of the American public. While the film bombed at the box office and Myers was reinstated 6 years later in the fourth film,  HIII  has gone on to become a cult classic with definite replay value.  Wallace does a great job channeling the same dark but darkly funny tone, look, and feel of Carpenter's late 70s/early 80s output—thanks in large part to the latter's frequent cinematographer  Dean Cundey  lensing this film.  Tom Atkins  is very Atkinsy here and somehow a sex magnet to every woman but his ex wife. Carpenter and  Alan Howarth  deliver some of their best collaborative, droning synth work. While the action is slowly

Creepshow  (1982) is a hilarious, fun, and (of course) creepy fright anthology that united two titans of horror, perfectly captures the look and spirit of the  EC Comics  which inspired it, and only gets better with age. You can find my  George A. Romero  Feature Films Ranked  list  here . You can find my  Stephen King Feature & Television Film Adaptations Ranked list here . 

Halloween  Franchise Films Ranked

While I do love  John Carpenter 's  Halloween  (1978) and acknowledge its classic status and influential standing, it is neither my favorite Carpenter film nor my favorite slasher. Those honors go to  The Thing   (1982) (my review  here ) and  Bob Clark 's  Black Christmas   (1974) (my review  here ). That said, there's lots to love about one of the most successful independent films of all time—Carpenter's indelible score featuring that pulsing theme,  Dean Cundey 's iconic cinematography which includes impressive early use of the Steadicam, plenty of "totally" quotable dialogue, and a tone that successfully blends suspense, scares and humor. In closing I will say (and I mean this as a compliment),  Halloween  is the type of movie you can watch intently or half pay attention to and it's just as good either way—the sign of a timeless film. You can find my  John Carpenter Films Ranked  list  here . You can find my  Halloween Franchise Films Ranked  list

Carlito's Way (1993) is the yang to  Scarface 's (1983) ( review ) yin. Ten years later,  Pacino 's Carlito had the charisma, spirit, and love that his Tony Montana lacked. Unlike Tony, Carlito was attempting to get  out  of his business, not rise to power. The tragedy is that he could not escape his lifestyle, no matter how legitimately he tried. Carlito is filled with  De Palma 's expert staging, visual flair, and operatic storytelling, carried by terrific performances from Pacino, Sean Penn , and Penelope Ann Miller . You can find my Brian De Palma Feature Films Ranked list here . You can find my  Top 20 Directors  list  here .