Halloween vs. Scream
 

I never thought about comparing these two as when Scream came out Halloween was already a classic. But I just watched Scream for the first time in close to fifteen years, and I have to say the first one has held up surprisingly well (the sequels were much harder to get through).

I never hear much talk about whether or not it is comparable to Halloween, but since most of the final act of Scream is cleverly scored by John Carpenter, I wonder if it is worth debating. Which is the more effective horror movie? Is Scream even a horror movie (I have friends who say no, but I disagree, it is extremely intense and scary at times)?

If you want my opinion, I have to say Halloween. I would say Scream's biggest fault is its reliance on Halloween at the end--it made me yearn for the superior film in Scream's final act. Though Scream had better developed characters overall, you will never find slasher film that matches the on screen persona of Donald Pleasance. Let alone Michael Myers. His creeping around the background is phenomenally scary throughout the film.

Halloween does suffer a bit at times from its low budget, but I still find it more effective. Thoughts? Am I way off on my comparison here?

For plot I say Scream, but Halloween is scarier.

Scream does have a more complex and detailed story but in a way is a satire of horror films and is still able to be a horror film itself. It broke the fourth wall of all the horror film clichés which is what gives it it's lasting power and makes it stand out.

Halloween though is a cultural phenomenon and compared to Scream isn't near as story driven, but Michael Myers is a irresistible force and in my opinion is the obvious victor in this.

Scream was bad. I don't see how people think so highly of it. It was dull, kinda predictable, and boring. I didn't care what was happening in it at all. Halloween had much better dread and atmosphere. This atmosphere around the story drove my interest and enjoyment regardless of the quality of the story, which was decent enough. There was also ambiguity as to if Michael Myers was just a psycho or touched by some sort of supernatural power. This gave him a more eerie and mysterious quality than he normally would have which I think worked a lot better than a 'real' person.

-----^^^^ This...

Yeah, Scream is pretty plot heavy, which is probably one of Halloween's best features--that there isn't much there (even referenced in Scream).

Morningriser, I was going to disagree and say Scream was a cultural phenomenon too, but then I thought--despite how easy it is to get a ghostface mask (and a good one) on Halloween, I bought a good Michael Myers mask (my son loves it when I trick or treat) and I get the best reactions from that. Definitely hit the public unconscious on a deeper level,I have to agree.

It may have been when I saw it, but I couldn't predict it at all. I found the reveal shocking (but watching it last night or the night before, my marathon is blending together) the killers are SO obvious.

Michael Myers is great, and I'm with you Boss, like I said, just having it on in the final act of Scream made me realize Scream was inferior, but I do know people who say Scream is the better made film. I'm not a Wes Craven guy though, John Carpenter all the way.

I feel like part of the small minority that likes Scream (and its sequels). Halloween is what really brought me to the horror franchise so of course I love it too. I'll agree Halloween was scarier. But for climatic reveal, Scream had the upper hand in that in my opinion. Wouldn't the most terrifying thing be not that your long lost insane brother is trying kill you, but that someone you thought you knew and loved to the point of sacrificing values too turns out to be a serial killer? That was delightfully messed up.

Scream came out when I was a freshman in high school and the opening scene made me feel a little uneasy. The acting in it was mediocre but I liked the idea of a horror film that specifically focused on the typical clichés. As for part 2-4... 2 and 3 were pretty much the same and 4 was almost like a rehashed version of the first. I am not a big fan of sequels unless I feel it necessary to have one. Scream didn't need one. Halloween on the other hand ended in a way where it was a good idea to do it and I am glad they did. Halloween 2 is one of my favorite horror sequels there is.

Scream I guess was more plot, maybe a good twist at the end???

But Halloween no doubt is a darker movie, with much more plot then people may be giving it credit for. I also think there is a lot more psychological aspects involved as well, it being from a family aspect, a kid murderer who sat mute and unemotional for years excepting and allowing all evil within (Rob Zombie's remakes allowed some aspects of this into his movies much more).

Halloween and Michael Meyers are unbelievable movies that can be re-watched constantly. The slow camera, the view from Michael with him lightly breathing into the mask, etc... gotta love!!!


.... totally agree with the boss i the wall above too!!!

I don't think Halloween suffers at all from a low budget. It is the classic horror movie. Scream is a good movie too. Perhaps one of the first to make fun of horror tropes. I think another movie came first and I reviewed it here but I can't remember the name of it right now. Yet Scream is no where near as dark, spooky, unsettling, and scary as Halloween.

Well, sometimes it's funny when you see John Carpenter's cigarette smoke drifting on camera, or when Annie is tries to convince Lindsey they have an "understanding" but then quickly gives up with a sullen "okay." It's funny, but it doesn't hurt the movie. Didn't they have to shoot it on a fast schedule? I imagine Carpenter didn't have time to get the delivery of the lines perfect, but what is amazing is how perfectly his shots are composed. Sadly, the first time I saw it was on TV (pan and scan) so there were times when Michael was on screen and I didn't know it, this is the film that taught me the importance of shot composition.

I wonder though if the generations younger than me prefer Scream. It is faster pace, has cleaner editing, and aside from a couple of lines of dialogue ("what are you doing with a cell phone, son?") it has a modern feel.

I think younger generations might remember some of the terrible sequels in Halloween too. I mean, what if you only ever saw Busta Rhymes or the druid cult stuff?

I don't know if I could ever choose. Scream is so stylish and unpredictable, but Halloween is really innovative and scary, not to mention that it was my first horror movie.

I like Scream well enough. I just couldn't sit through the sequels though. ::sad::

Halloween is my ultimate, favorite horror film of all time. A couple of times a year, I have very horrific dreams about Michael Myers. I mean really, really scary dreams. I've woken up screaming & kicking before. I don't enjoy them at all. I usually have nightmares anyways, but these are the worst. This has been going on since I was 15 & sat through a marathon one night. Idk why I have these nightmares for because I LOVE the franchise, & MM is my favorite killer.


*Shrugs*

Whenever I watch Scream, I just want to send Billy Loomis to therapy & throw some valium at him. ::big grin::

How am I just noticing both of these also have a Loomis character... that's interesting. Didn't realize the name was so popular. Tempting to make it a headcanon that they're somehow related.

No enjoyment at all? Have you ever tried to control the dream? I sometimes have nightmares that are like horror movies, but they're fun in their extreme and...horror movie motif? Something like that. The dreams that scare me are all about reality. From when I was about 24-29 I would repeatedly having to go back to high school or middle school at that current age. That was horrible.

My feelings exactly.

Add Psycho to the Loomis family tree. Marion Crane's Dude's name is Sam Loomis.

I try. And I fail miserably. ::sad:: I usually end up with a knife in my jugular. You would think I would love having these kind of dreams considering, I just don't like them though. Too real. Dreaming about having to go back to high school is a nightmare indeed. ::big grin::

The majority of old horror movies I saw originally on a normal 4:3 TV. It wasn't until DVD and better editions that I saw the correct framing.

With Scream and a lot of movies things will date them. People always say that a movie is dated like that makes it bad. But all movies will have things that date them. Back then you only had a cell phone / beeper if you were a doctor, lawyer, or had parents that were wealthy.

Also and I mentioned this before somewhere around here. I think a lot of modern kids see movies and other videos as entertainment. There are those videos that exist just to point out flaws or make fun of movies. I went into movies looking to enjoy whatever world was created on film. I never really cared about the time period it was made. So even though Universal Monster movies and Twilight Zone was before my time. I still enjoyed them and never thought they were dated, unwatchable, boring, dull, or whatever other words young audiences use because they, I think, only look at movies as entertainment and not an art form.

I thought that was on purpose. At least I saw a Halloween pop up facts thing that pointed it out. Also Carpenter said he was influenced by Hitchcock. I always assumed that's why the movie had a more serious tone than the usual slasher movies.

I wondered if maybe it was too. I didn't even think of Psycho until Repo mentioned it though how could I forget! The oldest Loomis character I know of in horror is Willy Loomis from Dark Shadows.

I think half the fun of watching older movies is to see WHAT dates them.

Silver Shamrock
 

Halloween. Every year around this time, I start singing the Silver Shamrock song...which I think was the reason for that movie. I just moved to New England and the Halloween vibe here rocks! Also check out and please share https://youtu.be/Z2byPsp4weg
YouTube Mark Manchuria King of Halloween
Thanks!!! Happy Halloween!!!

Typo? IMDB even gives Craig Braginsky "composer: additional music (uncredited)", but nothing for Carpenter. In fact I find nothing on the internet about Carpenter composing anything for Scream.

If you really think so, can you post a link?

Through the use of the film playing in the background. With Dewey searching the house while the Shape stalks theme is playing, to other eerie piano themes playing from the television during key moments. I know this is played as a wink, but it also works to put iconic Halloween themes throughout the final third act of the film. Ghostface creeping up on Randy has Halloween music playing from the TV, and there are other scenes too I believe. For me, on my recent viewing of Scream, it actually made me realize how much better a film Halloween is, and how much the score can change a film's tone.

Foglights: Fixation
 

Scream has a better character menu, while Halloween has a better avatar (Michael Myers) presentation.

Scream appeals to the horror film fan looking for an exposition on the intrigue behind thrilling fear, while Halloween appeals to the horror film fan looking for a spotlight on the eeriness of a haunted town.

If you're interested in bloodlust, then go for Scream, but if you're interested in folk goosebumps, go for Halloween.

The Scream killer(s) are great paragons of youthful angst, but Michael Myers is the king of fog. It's already been said on this thread --- you need someone like Leatherface (from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror film franchise) to compete with the likes of Michael Myers, but Scream does provide great hellfire theatrics.

I'll have to give the edge to John Carpenter's creation, since there's an undeniable phantasm associated with Halloween Eve and the panic of someone morbid lurking around in the shadows and fog.



::roll eyes::

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...vie_poster.jpg

It's a horror film VS a parody here.
Nearly everything about the scream series has been tongue in cheek, and a deliberate re-creation of the slasher genre.
I mean it does well at doing it - I quite liked Scream and the first sequel...though the series went to shit.

If we're strictly going on the first installments vs each other, Halloween was a superior film in terms of atmosphere and tension, and the somewhat claustrophobic setting built further on that...the addition of Dr Loomis to further add to the narrative and the overall dread and mystique of this character was a great addition too. It was a chilling story, and was genuinely scary.
...and that goddamn musical score, it's iconic, and for good reason.

Scream was a fun foray into the slasher genre that took the piss at every other turn, but was an overall decent story, with some humourous dialogue and some killers that seemed to really have some great fun doing what they were doing.
The first time through, it was a bit of a mystery and personally I thought the reveal was excellent. The characters perhaps seemed a little more affable.
It did rely more on jump scares and shock and awe over atmosphere, but it wasn't completely lacking there either.
I'd recommend this over Halloween for a younger audience who hasn't had a lot of exposure to horror, wouldn't be a bad entry point, and would likely generate some interest in the kinda of films that inspired it.

They're both, for what they were going for - pretty strong entrants.
I do think the comparison suffers a pretty narrow field of similar elements though.

The superior HORROR film in my eyes, was Halloween.
My personal preference and go-to film, would likely be Scream of these two though.

I think Halloween is the better of the two, but I don't know if it's fair to compare them.

Halloween is so influential that it's greatness stands on its own. However, the great thing about Scream is that it paid homage to all these great horror movies that its audience likely hadn't seen yet, and in doing so introduced some of the classics to a whole new generation of horror fans.

Tough for me to say; I like Scream more than the original Halloween but I like Rob Zombie's Hallowen more than Scream? But if the tv show is in the mix then I have to go back to Scream.

I just don't get what folk see in Scream.For me it was overblown trash.

I can't really say which one of them I like more. Scream is more of a comedy movie and Halloween is rather in the horror genre. I myself enjoyed watching both of them - just in different ways.

Really good description of both films; I see them that way as well.

When I saw Halloween as a kid on TV, it was more an experience. I learned to appreciate it as a film later.

Scream, on the other hand, as I was an old vet to horror film, I saw it as it was meant to be seen: a postmodern slasher horror homage. It started out with an expert opening, that was quite fine as horror and dark parody. After that, there was some snappy intriguing dialogue here and there, but I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed 80% of the middle.

Scream's ending reveal was satisfying enough, though it really has more meaning in the context of the hoard of silly "killer's motivation" reveals of late-'70 and '80 slasher films. But it's an inherently tricky, if not inherently flawed, endeavor to not make a stand-alone film, but rather one partly dependent on the audience's knowledge of other films. Even as a target audience member, though acknowledging the impressive opening and the unique genre, my overall impression of the film at the time was that it was fairly entertaining, but not impressively entertaining, nor a film leaving a lasting impression on me.

I think the "significance" and overall excellence comparison of these two films has already played out... I'd suggest one is known by nearly everyone who isn't a horror fan, carrying 5-star ratings, and the other is not -- but rather swims along as more of a cult-following film. The fact that "you" know which film I mean, without me naming them, proves the point.

If this was a poll, I'd say Halloween.

Halloween and it isn't even fucking close.

i guess i get why people love "scream" so much but it's just not high on my list of movies. i will watch the first one but the rest of the series was increasingly insufferable and it just makes me think that i would rather be watching any of the movies that they reference in the movie rather than the movie it's self and i don't really care about any of the characters. they are either bland or annoying and i just don't care about them. i respect that it was influential at the time but it's just not my thing i guess.
halloween on the other hand i will re-watch at any point even if it's not around halloween. it's atmospheric and i care about the characters and it's nice to look at. a lot of the shots are both creepy and kind of pretty. also even though it is older i think it has aged a lot better than "scream" which is very much of it's time and not really in a good way in my opinion. ::devil::

Scream was the first horror movie that really drove me into the genre, so I'm a bit basis, but I prefer Scream over Halloween. I see Halloween as a greater move overall; but not as enjoyable as Scream (that doesn't really make sense, but oh well).

It's been a while since I watched Scream but as good as it is I'm more a fan of Halloween

I really enjoy HALLOWEEN and SCREAM, but I enjoy HALLOWEEN more. A great movie, great suspense with one of the best ever scores (all of it, for the entire movie) for a horror movie. It would still be a great and terrifying movie with the musical score being the only source of sound as if it were an otherwise silent movie.