‘Halloween’/’It Follows’ Mash Up Video Shows the Rebirth of John Carpenter’s Style
Horror fans have had a lot to be happy about the past few years, with popular indie films like “The Babadook” and “The Witch” breathing new life into the genre. One recent movie in particular, “It Follows,” has been praised for its unique spin on the “stalker” film, but also for how well it channels the spirit of classic ’70s and ’80s horror films. This distinction has never been more apparent than in YouTuber Alessio Marinacci’s video highlighting the similarities of the 2014 film and horror master John Carpenter’s “Halloween.” You can check out the video here.
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The video specifically pinpoints the atmosphere of both productions as being the strongest connective tissue of the beloved horror films, depicting the nightmarish suburban environment with similar visual styles. By juxtaposing footage from both films, fans might speculate that perhaps both movies could exist within in the same universe. At the very least, it’s clear that director David Robert Mitchell paid homage to Carpenter’s masterpiece with his own film.
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The similarities between the two films doesn’t necessarily end with the comparable visual styles. Disasterspace’s score, which can be heard in the video, relies heavily on the keyboard, much like Carpenter’s iconic piano theme, which he composed himself for the film. As evident with Carpenter having to compose the score for “Halloween,” both films also made the most of their independent budgets, a trend which has certainly caught on for Hollywood horror films, for better or worse. The name of the protagonist of “It Follows,” Jay, also serves as a homage to Jamie Lee Curtis, who played the lead character in Carpenter’s film.
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This isn’t the fist time Mitchell’s film has been compared to classic horror films of old. Viewers have identified similarities between “It Follows” and John Carpenter‘s other horror masterpiece, “The Thing,” as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” Mitchell proves that looking behind you doesn’t just ensure survival in horror films, but that looking back at what has come before you also ensures survival in the horror genre. Check out the video below.
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