{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Born To Watch - A Movie Podcast","title":"Halloween (1978)","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":8167,"description":"Our Halloween 1978 Review takes Born to Watch to Haddonfield, where the hedges are suspicious, the babysitters are distracted, and a bloke in a white mask has somehow mastered driving without a licence. Whitey, Gow, Damo and Dan revisit John Carpenter's horror landmark to ask a question guaranteed to upset somebody: does the original Halloween still deliver the goods, or has its legendary reputation become scarier than the film itself?\nThis is no polite gathering of horror devotees worshipping at the altar of Michael Myers. The boys arrive with very different histories with the film, and those differences quickly become the main event. Whitey has watched it repeatedly over the years, but this latest viewing challenges his memories. Gow considers the gap between an iconic character and an entertaining movie. Damo discovers that a film he assumed he knew might actually be a first watch. And Dan? Let's just say Haddonfield won't be getting a glowing tourism review.\nBefore the knives come out, the discussion explores Halloween's place in horror history. Whitey puts it alongside Psycho, Night of the Living Dead and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as a defining influence on the genre. That opens a debate about the films that shaped modern scares, the difference between tension and gore, and whether historical importance should earn a movie extra credit when you're watching it today.\nAt the centre of the episode is Carpenter's approach to suspense. Michael appearing behind hedges, watching from a distance and emerging from darkness gives Damo plenty to appreciate. Others are less convinced that all that stalking translates into enough excitement. Is the quiet suburban setting a masterclass in making ordinary spaces feel unsafe, or are we spending an awful lot of time waiting for someone to cross the road?\nThen there's the music. Carpenter's unmistakable theme receives serious attention as the boys debate where it belongs among cinema's most recognisable scores. From Jaws...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/UW701-GqukZr-1D14eBt8sR44lYKfmwl9ME2kRN8CZI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzI5NzkzLzE2NTQ0/ODExODMtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}