The beginning of all slasher horror genre films was the head-clutching screamer, Halloween, the movie. Now, it’s 40th anniversary is fast approaching. I can still remember the reverberations this movie caused when I was just eeking out of elementary school in 1978 – it had much the impact as “The Exorcist” had on audiences in 1973, and changed the look of horror films forever.

In Halloween, a young boy kills his sister on Halloween of 1963, and is sent to a mental hospital. 15 years later he escapes and returns to his home town in order to wreak havoc. This is where Jamie Lee Curtis earned a place in history for vocal screaming – and surprising dexterity and calm in the face of “adverse” circumstances.