Legendary film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert made it very clear on their review show that they were not fans of the 1980s slasher boom. What many of us find to be so thrilling and entertaining, they found to be disgusting and depressing. Where we cheer at the inventive kills of a slasher, they were appalled by them.
In the midst of the misery that films like the FRIDAY THE 13TH sequels were causing them, Siskel and Ebert took some time to shine the spotlight on a slasher movie they actually enjoyed and respected, rather than finding "gruesome and despicable": John Carpenter's 1978 classic HALLOWEEN.
A clip from the Siskel & Ebert show where they look back fondly on HALLOWEEN can be viewed online, and is embedded below. With the Halloween holiday coming up in less than three weeks (but who doesn't celebrate all October long, at least?), this is a perfect time to take a few minutes and listen to probably the most popular film critics ever discuss why they like the original HALLOWEEN so much, especially when compared to other slashers.