HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS - THE PRODUCER'S CUT (1995)

HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS - THE PRODUCER'S CUT (1995) 

from
THE COMPLETE COLLECTION 15-DISC [DELUXE EDITION]

Label: Anchor Bay Entertainment / Scream Factory
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Video: 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (1:78:1)
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles: English
Director: Joe Chappelle
Cast: JC Brandy, Paul Rudd, Donald Pleasance, Mariah O’Brien, Leo Geter, Devin Gardner, Mitch Ryan

One of the Holy Grails for Halloween fans for years has been the infamous Producer's Cut of HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995). After test screenings of the film didn't go so well the meddlesome Weinstein's at Miramax ordered re shoots which included more gore to punch up the death sequences and trimming out a lot of the Cult of Thorn stuff with a completely different finale which was choppy, you could tell it had been stitched together. This new version ended up being what we watched in cinemas and the original version became known as the producer's cut and has widely been available for years via a bootleg dubbed from a crappy third-generation VHS source - but no more! 

We we're lucky enough to get a preview of the HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS - PRODUCER'S CUT from the new HALLOWEEN - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION 15-DISC DELUXE EDITION from Anchor Bay, so enjoy a small taste of the set which is released on September 23rd...

HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS PRODUCER'S CUT much as the theatrical cut picks-up six years after THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS which ended with Michael and Jamie Lloyd being abducted from the Haddonfield Police Dept. by the mysterious Man in Black. We pick-up with Jamie (JC Brandy, KINDRED: THE EMBRACED) who is now 15 and pregnant  and being held against her will by the Cult of Thorn and impregnated by dear old Uncle Mike... that's right, this one goes the incest route! That was implied by the theatrical cut but here we have some black and white flashbacks that confirm it - sort of gross.  Naturally the incest baby is born on Halloween and the Cult of Thorn mark the baby with the Thorn rune and intend on having Michael sacrifice the child. Before this can happen Jamie and the baby escape the cult's underground compound with the help of a sympathetic cult member who dies shortly after when Meyers who rams her skull against a sharp implement protruding from the wall. With Michael not too far behind Jamie steals a pick-up truck but not before Myers  snaps the neck of the vehicles owner. She stops off at a bus depot to alert the authorities from a payphone but when she can't get through she opts instead to call radio shock-jock DJ Barry Simms (Leo Geter, NEAR DARK) and pleads for help on-air from Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) who  just happens to be listening. Knowing Michael will catch-up with her she leaves the child in the bus depot bathroom before continuing. Expectantly the Cult of Thorn and Myers catch-up and force her off the road where she crashes into a pumpkin patch and is stabbed by Myers. Jamie's discovered just barely alive and taken to the hospital but the baby remains safe, at least for now. 

Also listening to DJ Barry Simms that night was Tommy Dolye (Paul Rudd, KNOCKED UP) who was the boy Laurie Strode babysat in the first film. Now an awkward young man Tommy is  consumed with Myers. Playing back a recording of Jamie's desperate phone call (which he conveniently recorded) he manages to traces her whereabouts to the bus depot and finds the infant in the restroom.  At the local hospital where Tommy encounters Dr. Loomis and the two start trading Myers theories and the two join forces. Tommy lives across the street from the infamous Myers home which is currently inhabited by relatives of the Strodes.

The Strode family living at the Myers home are Kara Strode (Marianne Hagan, STAKE LAND), her young son Danny (Devin Gardner), teenage brother Tim (Keith Bogart), mother Debra (Kim Darby, BETTER OF DEAD) and a shit-turd of a father John (Bradford English, WOLF). Playing into the Cult of Thorn mythology is young Danny who is having visions of the Man in Black telling him to "Kill for me". It is revealed by the creepy babysitter Mrs. Blankenship that a young Michael Myers also heard voices telling him to kill before he murdered his sister. 

Eventually Kara, Danny, Tommy and Loomis cross paths and converge and Tommy explains what the Cult of Thorn is and we sort of piece together what they're end game is. Turns out that most of the Smith's Grove Sanitarium staff are cult members lead by Dr. Wynn (Mitch Ryan) and they intend for Michael sacrifice the baby and for Danny to sacrifice his own mother - it's up to Tommy and Loomis to stop the madness.

The film starts off strong with an authentic Midwestern Halloween feel about it, there's some great sets and the atmosphere throughout that are evocative of the season with jack-o-lanterns and kids in costumes, the setting just feels appropriate. The Myers mask is one of the better variations since the original film - this one is creepy. Director Joe Chappelle (PHANTOMS, TV'S FRINGE) keeps things on track with some decent kills and some nice atmosphere, this is a pretty great looking Halloween entry.

Far from a perfect film there are plenty of things that irk me about it.  Let's start with Michael burning the image of the Thorn rune into a stack of hay which is stupid but you  might be able to chalk that up to the handwork of the cult. I hated the introduction of the Man in Black in the previous film and I didn't care for it here either. I didn't mind the Cult of Thorn mythology but the spur-wearing MIB is just silly. A scene with Tommy stopping Michael in his tracks my having him step into a circle of rune stones is just laughable. Paul Rudd had yet to go onto success following CLUELESS when he took on this film and doesn't quite have the acting chops but he does weird-guy pretty well enough, at least he;s not as awful as the kid who played Danny, oh-boy.

This was the last film to feature Donald Pleasance in the role of Dr. Loomis he gives it a solid go but is obviously in a very poor state of health and died shortly after the film wrapped. I loved his introduction at the top of the film and I think his exit in the producer's cut - while not perfect - is way better than the chopped finale is the theatrical version.

Things missing from the producer's cut are a lot of extra gore scenes like the head explosion of Mr. Strode and the bone protruding from the snapped neck of a victim. Pretty much the entire finale was re shot so you don't have the operating room massacre or Michael being injected with a syringe full of nitric acid, but what you gain with the Cult of Thorn mythology makes for a more complete story. This cut of the film is just more enjoyable with more atmosphere and is not as disjointed. I enjoyed the previous version of the film to a degree and I like this only a hair more, it's still not a perfect film but I do like the further exploration of the Cult and the references to the previous film with flashbacks and some exposition.

BLU-RAY:
What we have here is a new HD Master from the original inter-negative and it looks very nice with a decent grain structure that provides some nice moments of fine detail and clarity. Colors are crisp and properly saturated while the black levels offer some decent shadow detail - there's no comparison to what's been available previously - this is like watching it for the first time with new eyes .

We have the choice of English 5.1 DTS-HD MA or English 2.0 DTS-HD MA and both are strong options. Alan Howarth's score sounds great and there are some nice sound design elements which make for a entertaining surround experience. There are optional English subtitles provided. The score is different that the theatrical which included some off electric guitar flourished added to many of the scenes, this is much truer to the original Halloween score.

Just having this version on Blu-ray with superior video and audio would have been enough but Anchor Bay and Scream Factory have stuffed this release with loads of fun extras beginning with a commentary from Screenwriter Daniel Farrands and Composer Alan Howarth. Farrands speaks extensively about the original script and what ended upon screen - which is quite different even in the producer's cut.

An hour's worth of new and vintage interviews with cast and crew which go into about anything you could ever want to know about the producer's cut of the film. Noteworthy is an interview with Danielle Harris who did not return as Jamie in this one, she speaks very candidly about what transpired behind-the-scenes.

On top of the interviews we have behind-the-scenes footage shot by the screenwriter during the first week of production with some shots of scenes being set-up and a tour of the sets. There are also seven-minutes of deleted and alternate scene not featured in either cut of the film plus an electronic press kit. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- NEW High Definition Master from the original inter-negative
- NEW Audio Commentary with Screenwriter Daniel Farrands and Composer Alan Howarth (Producer’s Cut)
- NEW “Jamie’s Story” – An Interview With The Original “Jamie” Actress Danielle Harris (7 Minutes)
- NEW “The Cursed ‘Curse’” – An Interview With Producers Malek Akkad And Paul Freeman
- NEW “Acting Scared “– A Look At The Film’s Cast With Actresses Mariah O’Brien And J.C. Brandy (19 Minutes)
- NEW “The Shape Of Things” – A Look At Michael Myers’ Murders And Mayhem With Special Make-Up Effects Artists John Carl Buechler And Brad Hardin And Actor George P. Wilbur (Michael Myers) (11 Minutes)
- NEW “Haddonfield’s Horrors” – The Sights of Halloween The Curse of Michael Myers With Director of Photography Billy Dickson And Production Designer Brad Ryman And Director of Photography (Additional Scenes) Thomas Callaway (10 Minutes)
- NEW “Full Circle” – An Interview With Composer Alan Howarth (7 Minutes)
- NEW Cast And Crew Tribute to Donald Pleasance (3 Minutes)
- Archival Interviews And Behind-The-Scenes Footage (8 Minutes)
- Behind-The-Scenes Footage (approx. 30 Minutes)
- Alternate And Deleted Scenes (Not Present In Either Cut Of The Film) (7 Minutes)
- Teaser Trailer: Halloween 666: The Origin Of Michael Myers ( 1 Minute)
- Electronic Press Kit (5 Minutes)

VERDICT: 
I am not one of the fans who proclaim the producer's cut to the superior version of the the film, both versions are flawed and neither is completely satisfactory but the producer's cut is less disjointed with a clearer vision and focus with superior suspense elements. This new Blu-ray is a very nice restoration of the film and comes with a bunch of great extras. Anchor Bay were wise to team-up with Scream Factory who knocked it out of the park with their Collector's Editions of HALLOWEEN II and HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH. Unfortunately this disc is exclusive to the HALLOWEEN: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION [DELUXE EDITION] so you're gonna have to shell out for it at this point, though I would have difficulty believing this won't be released as a stand alone release at some point. 

Will have a review up of the BONUS DISC from the set later this week!

Blu-ray Review: HALLOWEEN (1978) 35th Anniversary Edition

HALLOWEEN (1978)

35th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray

Label: Anchor Bay Entertainment 
Region Code: A
Rating: R

Duration: 92 minutes
Video: 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)

Audio: Dolby TrueHD 7.1. Original Mono with Optional English SDH Subtitles 

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis

Director: John Carpenter

Synopsis: In 1978, Compass International Pictures released an indie horror film by an up and coming director and a largely unknown cast. Presented by the late Moustapha Akkad, the film cost $325,000 and ended up not only becoming one of the most successful independent motion pictures of its time, but single handedly created the genre of the modern horror film along with the first iconic (via a painted-over William Shatner mask) cinematic slasher!

The idea is simplicity itself, why no one thought to make Halloween-themed slasher before John Carpenter did in 1978 is actually a bit odd now that I think about it. Sure, Bob Clark's xmas proto-slasher Black Christmas (1974) might have begun the holiday-themed deathride a few years earlier, but Carpenter nailed Halloween first and best, period.

Halloween (1978) as if you didn't already know, for fuck's sake I hope you know, concerns a young man named Michael Myers whom one Halloween night 1963 just up and snapped, he put on a clown mask and slashed his promiscuous teen sister to death with a butcher knife, afterward he is sent away to Smith's Grove Sanitarium where he remains for 15 years, until he escapes, returning to the Haddonfield, Illinois to murder again... and again. 

His psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance, Cul-De-Sac) knows just where Myers is headed, but when he warns the local Haddonfield police they don't seem overly concerned about the dead-eyed murderer coming to town, and just in time for Halloween, too. 

Local teen Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, Terror Train) is babysitting young Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews, Angel Dusted) while across the street her friend Annie (Nancy Kyes, The Fog) babysits Lindsey (Kyle Richards, The Watcher in the Woods), but when Annie takes off to pick-up her boyfriend Paul she drops the young girl off with Laurie, setting up one of the most unforgettable slasher classics of all time. 

John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is a superb, tightly-knit chiller with a cold, motiveless killer and a group of likable Mid West teens who for whatever reason are caught up in a fateful night of murder, and the kills while mostly bloodless are just as effective and brutal even after countless watches. Jamie Lee Curtis is great as the naive good girl, she pretty much set the gold standard for the final girl in slasher films for the next twenty years, her piercing screams are unforgettable. Of course, every good girl has to have a few promiscuous friends, enter P.J. Soles (Animal House) as the sex-loving Lynda, who quips "totally" in the cutest way ever, her death scene is a bogeyman classic, and when her boyfriend Bob's demise is perfectly executed and brutal. The body count here is not the stuff of legend but their impact is devastating, you actually care for these characters quite a bit. My favorite death has always been Annie, she jumps in her car to pick-up her boyfriend when she realizes something odd about the windshield, there's condensation on the inside, just as she realizes she might not be alone... too late, a classic death.

Carpenter originally wanted Hammer icon Christopher Lee (Dracula: Prince of Darkness) or Peter Cushing (Horror Express) for the role of Dr. Loomis but instead ended-up with Donald Pleasance whom already had a storied career including memorable appearances in Roman Polanski's Cul-De-Sac (1966), Raw Meat (1973) and the Amicus horror anthology From Beyond the Grave (1974) but this is the role that would cement his place forever in the annals of horror cinema, even if his performance in a few the later sequels bordered overwrought parody, in Halloween (1978) he was pure perfection showing concern, frustration and anxiety in just the right amounts. 

Even after 35 years John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is a perfectly scary watch, it's a tense, atmospheric suburban-nightmare, a group of teens versus a killer with no discernible motive, he's a shape, the shape of evil and he's coming to your town and there's very little you can do to stop him. Damn, when I saw this on TV as a kid trick or treating on Halloween night was just scarier, I would see that white mask emerging form every damn shadow on the street, it really affected me and while I'm a bit old for trick or treating and I don't see Myers peering at me from the shadows anymore Halloween is still the best damned slasher ever made.

Blu-ray: For this 35th Anniversary Edition of John Carpenter's seminal slasher classic Anchor Bay went back to the vault and creating an brand-new HD transfer supervised by the film’s original cinematographer, the Prince of Darkness himself, Dean Cundey and what we get is quite a step-up from the previous Anchor Bay Blu-ray I am pleased to report. There's a nice fine layer of film grain present throughout, no grain-scrubbing here, we get a crisp image with a pleasing amount of fine detail, it's wonderful. The brightness had been toned down quite a bit, the previous Blu suffered a bit with brightness boosting and hot skin tones, this is a more natural and pleasing image, fans are gonna be thrilled by the new transfer. 

Audio options include a newly minted Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and the Original Mono with Optional Spanish and English SDH Subtitles, and like the transfer it's quite nice beginning with John Carpenter's iconic score, it's one of the most recognizable pieces of film music with good reason, the chilling piano and the deep throb of the low-end, it's a thing of beauty, the Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" has never sounded better. Score, dialogue and effects come through clean, well-balanced and with nice clarity, the 7.1 definitely adds some atmosphere and depth to the proceedings, I far prefer it to the original mono, so I am not an absolute purist in the audio department, I do enjoy a decent surround remix and I think this one's done very well. 

Fantastic transfer and engaging 7.1 aside let's have a look at what the 35th is packing in terms of extras beginning with a brand new audio commentary with writer/director John Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis, not a lot of new revelations here but it's great to hear these two sit down and watch/discuss the film. 

 “The Night She Came Home” (59:43) is a new featurette with Jamie Lee Curtis detailing her one and only horror convention appearance to help support her charity causes, it's a fun watch as we see the fans line-up and pour on the love for Curtis while she shows much love and respect for fans of the film. I do recall hearing about this convention appearance a few months back and there was some negative buzz about the prices she was charging for photo ops and this answered a lot of those criticisms for me. It pretty much covers every facet of her appearance from pre-arrival to post-convention, going into this I was bummed it wasn't a new doc about the film but I was thoroughly  entertained. 

Anchor Bay dig up a vintage featurette with On Location: 25 Years Later (10:25), a narrated extra revisiting the South Pasadena locations with contributions from producer Debra Hill and actress P.J. Soles, it's sorta a mini-making of doc that also touches on the casting and genesis of the film. 

Not sure how I've avoided seeing the TV Version of the film for so long but included on the disc are the Additional Scenes from TV Version (10:46) which was an interesting watch having never seen 'em, but I was also a bit disappointed that the 35th Anniversary Edition did not offer he TV Version as a branching option instead of separate from the film, not that they're all that fantastic but just something for the fans, a more definitive edition. 

The last of the extras on the disc are a selection of trailers, TV spots and radio spots, love me some radio spots and pleased they included them here. Onto the packaging this limited edition release comes in Digibook-styled case with foil lettering and new artwork from artist Jay Shaw, it also features a 20-page essay with writing on the film by film historian Stef Hutchinson, there's some great behind-the-scenes photographs, it's a good read. Love how when you open the cover the first image you see is the iconic theatrical artwork, something I didn't love so much is the way the disc slips into cardboard envelope on the inside back cover of the Digibook, not a fan of slip-ins, much prefer snap-ons, but that's just a personal preference. 

It's no surprise to me, considering just how many different editions of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead Trilogy and Halloween (1978) Anchor Bay have released through the years, that they have chosen not port over every extra for the 35th Anniversary Edition... not surprised but maybe slightly disappointed. Would have loved to see a definitive version of the film with the previous John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Debra Hill commentary, a branching version that includes the TV footage, the fact track and the Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest documentary. Groaning aside, it's still a damn fine edition and there's always the 40th anniversary, don't think for a moment that's not in the works already. 

Special Features:

- All-new commentary track with writer/director John Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis
- “The Night She Came Home” new featurette with Jamie Lee Curtis (59:43) 

- On Location: 25 Years Later (10:25) 

- Trailer (2:42) 

- TV Spot 1 (0:32)
- TV Spot 2 (0:32)
- TV Spot 3 (0:12)
- Radio Spot 1 (0:29)
- Radio Spot 2 (0:27)
- Radio Spot  3 (0:28) 

- Additional Scenes from TV Version (10:46)

Verdict: Sure, I might bemoan the fact that this is not the one-stop definitive edition of the film I would have hoped for with my laundry list of extras but make no mistake about it, Anchor Bay's 35th Anniversary Blu-ray of John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is a thing of chilling beauty with the best transfer yet and a wonderful audio presentation with some great extras, Halloween is the seminal slasher, the one that all others pale in comparison to, and while plenty of fun, tit-riddled slashers came after it none have unmasked it. 5 Outta 5 

Blu-ray Review: PRINCE OF DARKNESS: COLLECTOR'S EDITION (1987)

PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)

Label: Scream Factory / Shout! Factory

Release Date: September 24th 2013

Region Code: A

Rating: R

Duration: 102 Minutes

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1) 

Director: John Carpenter

Cast: Donald Pleasance, Victor Wong, Lisa Blount, Jameson Parker, Dennis Dun, Alice Cooper, Susan Blanchard, Peter Jason 

Tagline: Before man walked the Earth... It slept for centuries. It is evil. It is real. It is awakening.

Fresh of making Big Trouble in Little China (1986) director John Carpenter was a bit put-off by the big studio system and it's constraints and set out to make a smaller independent horror film and the results were a neat little Satanic slice of cult cinema, Prince of Darkness (1987) starring Donald Pleasance (Halloween) as a troubled priest who reaches out to noted physicist Professor Howard Birack (Victor Wong, Big Trouble in Little China) and his most gifted students to help unravel the mysteries of an ancient cylinder that's been kept hidden away from humanity in the basement of a decaying L.A. church where it has remained under the watchful of of a secret sect of priests, inside it is a strange, ominous green liquid that swirls around supernaturally. 

The team arrive at the church unsure of what it is exactly they are there for but they set up their equipment and set about doing what they do while their 80's technology pings away in the background as they attempt to translate an ancient book of text which talks about a fallen angel or some such thing. John Carpenter's film about ultimate evil is painted in very broad strokes with some rather laughable dialogue about how evil lives in the atoms of all things, unseen but ever present. Corny Sunday school-esque teachings but then it's spiced up with talk about Jesus's extraterrestrial origins and the anti-God and how religion is a myth perpetrated by the Church - now that's just awesome!

The film starts off with what must be one of the most extended opening credit sequence ever as we met the principal players and set-up their characters, including physicist Brian Marsh (Jameson Parker, TV's Simon and Simon) who meets the cute redheaded physicist Catherine (Lisa Blount, Needful Things) and offers her a cup of coffee, practically the next scene features the two in a state of post-coital exhaustion laying in bed, Brian finally offering her that promised cup o' coffee - does that ever really happen? 

Studying the cylinder the team discover that there's something sentient in the inside, something malevolent. Green liquid seeps from the cylinder and defying gravity pools along the ceiling of the basement crypt and one by one possess the students, it's slightly sexual as the evil liquid spews into women's mouths, at least to me but I am a confirmed pervert. Outside the church the dirty vagrants of L.A., lead by Alice Cooper, start to converge upon the unholy place like a small horde of zombies, pretty soon a small body count is underway as the possessed homeless prevent the inhabitants of the church from escaping what's festering in the basement.

The deaths are pretty decent, particularly when Alice Cooper takes out the nerdiest of the science-geeks with a jagged bike frame, spearing him through the chest as a geyser of blood erupts, apparently the gore-gag is taken right out of Alice Cooper's stage show and it's a keeper. Another notable death features an elderly homeless woman stabbing a scientist to death with pruning shears, I don't know what it is about that scene but the way the shears slice through the air has always had an effect on me, it's pretty neat. The victim is resurrected for a later scene wherein he delivers a warning to the students inside the Church before crumbling into a creepy pile of beetles, it's creepy stuff. 

A lot of strange things seem to have been spurred or effected by the entity inside the cylinder, we get strange swarming behavior not just from beetles but from earthworms and ants plus there's an odd sun and moon configuration in the sky, perhaps signaling the end for humanity, it should be noted that this is part of John Carpenter's unofficial apocalypse trilogy alongside The Thing (1982) and In the Mouth of Madness (1995), check 'em out.

John Carpenter excels here at crafting a creepy and tense environment, the church setting is effective and spooky, plus we get some great moody lighting and cinematography from Gary K. Kibbe (They Live), it's a great looking film. The effects work is pretty decent, if not on par with The Thing (1982). There are some very nicely executed in-camera and make-up effects, some of it definitely feels low-budget, a sequence involving an otherworldly portal comprised of liquid mercury is a bit schlocky, but it does the job I guess. 

Donald Pleasance plays it pretty straight here as the priest, he doesn't chew up too much scenery in a "I shot him six times!" sort of way, pretty low-key. Victor Wong is awesome as the physicist, that guy makes everything better, giving you the eye the way he does, it's just awesome. Dennis Dun from Big Trouble in Little China has a great scene trapped in a confessional, he just loses his shit screaming "I don't wanna die!" as possessed zombie try to claw their way inside, that's just good stuff. 

The film definitely has some shortcomings (no nudity), and while it has some rather intriguing ideas they're not particularly well executed, the worse offender being the quasi-science/religion based dialogue which is not among Carpenter's best work and the cast struggle to work with it but there's only so much you can do, not for lack of trying. What saves it for me is the dense atmosphere of the film, there's some wonderful kin-crawling touches peppered throughout; a crucified pigeon and the massing swarms of insects, there's an unnerving sense of dread building-up and while I don't think it delivers a satisfying end it's still a decent watch with some nice eerie moments, just grab a few brews, kick back and enjoy, don't be afraid to laugh at it every once in a while, and for goodness sake don't try to make sense of it, that's just asking for trouble, not a film to dissect, one to watch.

Blu-ray: This John Carpenter cult-classic comes to Blu-ray from Shout!Factory imprint Scream Factory with a AVC encoded 1080p transfer and it looks quite stunning, very surprised just how great this looked on Blu-ray, damn I love Scream Factory! Sourced from a near pristine print it showcases a layer of fine film grain with a surprising amount of fine detail reproduction in textures and facial details. Colors are reproduced wonderfully and the contrast is fantastic, a very strong visual presentation from Scream Factory with very nice black levels and shading, quite a significant upgrade from the 2003 Universal DVD edition. 

Audio options include both English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and 5.1 with optional English subtitles. The 5.1 is quite strong with a nice low-end rumble, Carpenter and Howarth's awesome synth score gets most of the surround action, it makes for quite a fun experience, a very dynamic presentation.

Reversible Artwork 

Onto the special features we a very nice selection of Red Shirt produced plus the commentary from the Region 2 DVD, here in the US we have suffered with a bare-bones standard-def DVD for a decade so it's nice to get some cool bonus content and a stunning 1080p presentation. The commentary with Carpenter and actor Peter Jason who portrayed Dr. Leahy in the film is quite good, the two reminisce on the film and are quite talkative, they definitely seem to be enjoying their viewing of the film, not a particularly technical commentary but an enjoyable listen. There's over a half hour of new interviews with John Carpenter, Alice Cooper, composer Alan Howarth and actor/special visual effects supervisor Robert Grasmere, the alternate opening from the TV version, a trailer and 2 radio spots plus a very cool entry of Horror's Hallowed Grounds with Sean Clark, I think this and The Fog entry of the entertaining series are two of the best they've done. There's also a very cool Easter Egg featuring John Carpenter worth searching for. 

Packaging extras include a sleeve of reversible artwork featuring the original theatrical poster and newly commissioned artwork from Justin Osborne who also did the great artwork for Scream's edition of John Carpenter's The Fog (1980), it also comes with a cool slipcover featuring the new artwork. Yet another stellar Blu-ray edition of a beloved horror classic from Scream Factory who breath new life into some dusty gems with a great audio/video presentation and some quality extras. 

Special Features: 

- Audio Commentary with John Carpenter and Actor Peter Jason
- Sympathy For The Devil – An all-new Interview with Writer/Director John Carpenter (10:28)
- Alice at the Apocalypse – An all-new interview with Actor/Rock Legend Alice Cooper (9:27)
- The Messenger – All-new interview with Actor/Special Visual Effects Supervisor Robert Grasmere (12:41)
- Hell On Earth – A look at the film’s score with Co-Composer Alan Howarth (10:14)
- Horror’s Hallowed Grounds with host Sean Clark (13:44)
- Alternate Opening from TV Version (6:55)
- Original Theatrical Trailer and 2 Radio spots (2:48) 

- Easter Egg (12:10) 

Verdict: I think Prince of Darkness (1987) gets put aside as a minor Jon Carpenter entry and I actually agree, it is a lesser effort, but it's just so damn fun, the clunky joining of science and religion wrapped up in an effective cloak of unnerving creepiness, it's a Satanic-infused haunted house story that's not completely successful but it definitely gets by on pure entertainment value. An atmosphere heavy schlocky cult-classic and a very sweet Blu-ray edition from Scream Factory who continue to impress with each new release. 3 Outta 5 

Blu-ray Review: HALLOWEEN 4 - The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

HALLOWEEN 4 - THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988) 

Label: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Region: A

Rating: R

Duration: 88 Mins

Video: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)

Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 with English, Spanish Subtitles 

Director: Dwight H. Little 

Cast: Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris, Michael Pataki, Donald Pleasance
Tagline: He Changed the Face of Halloween. Tonight, He's Back

Following the commercial failure of HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)  producer Moutaspha Akkad set out to side-step the third installment of the seminal slasher franchise and set in motion a direct sequel to HALLOWEEN II (1981) with John Carpenter in the directing chair once again, however, things fizzled when producer and director couldn't see eye to eye and the film landed in the lap of upcoming director Dwight D. Little whom had previously directed the action adventure feature BLOODSTONE (1988).

Set ten years after the fiery ending of HALLOWEEN II the film starts of strong with an evocative intro that sets a strong Halloween atmosphere right from the first frame. Michael Myers has lain comatose at the Smith's Grove Sanitarium since the events a decade earlier and is being transferred to another sanitarium without the consult of Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance). It's a stormy night and en route the attendees in the back of the ambulance strike up a conversation about the events a decade prior and reveal that the only surviving member of the family is a young nice Jamie Strode, daughter Michael's sister Laurie who it is revealed died in a car accident. This revelation of course spurs Myers to awaken from his coma and escape after inexplicably pushing his thumb through the forehead of one of the orderlies. We can thank special effects artist Carl Buechler (BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR) who was brought in post production to gore-up the film a bit, which he does quite nicely. The blood-soaked ambulance is discovered the next day turned upside down in a shallow creek, which the authorities believe to be an unfortunate accident spurred by the poor road conditions the night before. 

Enter Donald Pleasance (RAW MEAT) as Dr. Loomis whom is furious when he finds out about the transfer and subsequent escape of Myers, everyone else seems to believe Michael has died in the accident but when no body is recovered Loomis knows he's returning to Haddonfield to finish his work and that young Jamie is in danger. Loomis here is a but unhinged but it's a great performance, Loomis is the heart and soul of the film, this is a bit before Pleasance took it maybe a bit too far in latter sequels but here it's just right. 

Jamie Strode is played by a young  Danielle Harris (HATCHET) who is pretty great considering just how awful the reality of a child character in a slasher film should be, a very sympathetic kid with a good range of emotions. Jamie begins to have frightening visions of Myers, there's some kind of psychic connection between the two, an element that is exploited during the film's final moments. Jamie lives with her adopted family the Caruthers and their daughter Rachel who is left alone with her on Halloween night which does not bode well in this series.

There's a lot to like here, while not on par with Carpenter's original or even the first sequel there's some nice touches, for starters it's got a great Halloween vibe, you totally believe the Fall setting, the atmosphere is spot on and really ads to the proceedings. One of my favorite scenes has Loomis stopping off at a gas station en route to Haddonfield where he encounters Michael's handiwork, a dead mechanic tangled in chain hanging from the ceiling. Loomis nearly shoots Meyers  but he escapes in a tow truck sending the station up in a fiery explosion destroying Loomis's car and leaving him to travel on foot before he's picked-up by a travelling preacher, the doomsayer of sorts, in the film.

After Michael starts his rampage in town a group of locals at the bar form a posse and get a bit trigger happy blasting the wrong guy, a bit later the same posse while transporting Jamie and Rachel to the safety of the next town are taken out one by one by Myeres who's hitched a ride underneath their pick-up CAPE FEAR style, there's a nice gore scene as Meyers rips out the driver's throat. 

Something that just wasn't working for me this time out was the Meyer's mask which changes a bit throughout the film, none of them as effective as the original but nonetheless this is a strong late-80's slasher that at least attempts to maintain the atmosphere and feel of the original film, the introduction of Jamie Strode is a good story arc and we get some cool moments of gore with a shocker ending that is a sweet nod to the original as well. 

Blu-ray: Anchor Bay presents  Halloween 4 in it's original widescreen aspect ratio (1.85:1) with a transfer sourced from a nice print. Colors are nicely saturated and black levels and shadow detail are quite nice. Instances of print damage are minor but you do occasionally get some white specks. Overall we get a robust image that's lacking a bit in areas of sharpness but very nice and the film grain is left intact. 

The Blu-ray comes equipped with an English language Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track with optional English and Spanish subtitles, dialogue, effects and Allan Howarth's score are well-balanced, clean and free of any distortion, not the most robust audio you'll ever hear but adequate. 

Some of the disc's special features have been carried over from the previous Anchor Bay Special Divimax Edition  including the audio commentary with actress Ellen Cornell and Danielle Harris, the two actresses have some chemistry and it makes for an interesting listen filled with anecdotes, recollections and trivia about working on the set and what went on behind-the-scenes. Also ported over from the DVD is the Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel (18:28) with Jeffrey Landon, Sasha Jenson, Kathleen Kinmont and Danielle Harris whom field questions from convention goers, it's fun stuff even if Harris seems annoyed from time to time as she speaks to her dislike of how HALLOWEEN 7-8 ignores her character altogether, her preference for 4 over 5. Sasha Jenson who's probably best know for his character from Richard Linklatter's 70s stoner comedy DAZED AND CONFUSED (1993) even sportingly fields the question if he actually got high on the set of that film. 

In addition to a Trailer (1:36) we get a brand new audio commentary from director Dwight H. Little and author Justin Beahm from the www.halloweenmovies.com website. It's an entertaining commentary as the director talks about all facets of the production and personal anecdotes, from his own Midwestern roots informing the agrarian introduction of the film which established an aesthetic and mood, the sets and locations, meeting with producer Moustapha Akkad, bringing Donald Pleasance back to the series and working with then child actor Danielle Harris  It's  all around informative track and a great new feature.

Something missing from the disc that was advertised in the early press release are 30 minutes of Deleted and Alternate Scenes which was a whopper of a disappointment - not sure what the story there but it's a major fuck-up - I know a lot of fans including myself were miffed that this was absent. It's also disappointing that the audio commentary with writer Alan B. McElroy from the Divimax edition has been excised, too. While the Blu-ray is definitely worth a purchase for the 1080p upgrade in my opinion including all of the previous features with the new commentary and deleted scenes would have made this a no-brainer. It's a good set, but it could have been great, and with these items lacking there's a certain number of folks who just won't bite the apple a second time until they get what they feel is the definitive edition.

Special Features: 

-  Audio Commentary with Director Dwight H. Little and Author Justin Beahm

-  Audio Commentary with Actors Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris

-  Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel (18:28) 

-  Theatrical Trailer (1:36)

Verdict: HALLOWEEN 4 is a strong late-80's slasher entry that attempts to maintain some of the atmosphere and feel of the original film with some degree of success. The 1080p upgrade is a strong argument for an upgrade as is the director commentary but I am bummed we do not get the half hour of deleted/alternate scenes - that's a damn shame but this is still a decent slasher with some nice gore, suspense and it's a recommend, 3.5 Outta 5

Blu-ray Review: HALLOWEEN TRIPLE FEATURE

HALLOWEEN TRIPLE FEATURE 

HALLOWEEN: H2O (1995)
Now the headmistress of a private school, Laurie Strode is still struggling with the horrifying, 20-year-old memories of the maniacal killer Michael Myers…when he suddenly reappears with a vengeance.

HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1998)
In a single horrifying night, Michael Myers' masked reign of terror changed Halloween forever. Now, six years after he was presumed dead in a fire, Myers has returned to kill again—and this time there's no escape. As the homicidal fury builds to a spine-tingling climax, the long-hidden secrets of the screen's most maniacal murderer are revealed…with shocking results.

HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION (2002)
Reality programmers select a group of thrill-seeking teenagers to spend one night in the childhood home of serial killer Michael Myers. But the broadcast turns deadly when Michael himself decides to crash the party

 HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995) 

Rating: R
Duration: 88 mins
Aspect Ratio: 1080i Anamorphic  Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo
Diretor: Joe Chappelle
Cast: Paul Stephen Rudd, Marianne Hagan, Mitch Ryan, Donald Pleasance
Tagline: True Terror Never Dies!

HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS picks-up six years after THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS in which Michael was abducted from the Haddonefield Police Dept. by the mysterious Man in Black who also kidnapped Jamie Lloyd, too. Now 15 years old Jamie (JC Brandy, KINDRED: THE EMBRACED) is held against her will by the Cult of Thorn and forcibly impregnated via in-vitiro fertilization with no less than Uncle Mike's DNA... yep, you read that right, incest baby! The baby is born on Halloween night ('natch) and it's not long before Michael comes looking to kill his progeny as he's been known to do from time to time. Jamie and the baby escape the cult's labyrinthine compound with the help of a sympathetic nurse who dies very shortly after at the hands of Meyers who emerges from the shadows in classic Meyers fashion, picks her up and rams her skull against a sharp implement protruding from the wall. With Michael not too far behind Jamie steals a pick-up whose shit-faced owner attempts to stop her until Myers twists his head 360 degree, or was it 180? I forget, anyway... . Jaime stops off at a bus depot to alert the authorities from a payphone but when she can't get through she ope instead to call radio shock-jock DJ Barry Simms (Leo Geter, NEAR DARK) whom hosts a Michael Myers conspiracy show. Jamie gets on air and pleads for help from Dr. Loomis, and who just happens to be listening? You guessed it, none other than a very frail Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance, RAW MEAT) and Tommy Dolye (Paul Rudd, KNOCKED UP) who was the boy Laurie Strode babysat in the first film, now an awkward young man completely obsessed with Myers after his traumatic childhood experience. Stowing her newborn in a bathroom stall Jamie narrowly avoids Michael but is later run off the road by Myers who catches up with her inside an old barn where he impales her through the guts on a corn-thresher, it's a pretty great kill. Jamie's a goner but the baby remains safe, for now. 

The next day Tommy is able to play back a recording of Jamie's frantic phone call to the DJ (which he conveniently recorded) and traces her whereabouts to the bus depot where he discovers the infant in the restroom and takes it to the hospital where he encounters Dr. Loomis and the two strike-up a friendship while trading Myers theories. Tommy tells Loomis that he lives across from the Myers house which is currently inhabited by relatives of the Strodes. 

The Strode family living in the Myers home are Kara Strode (Marianne Hagan, STAKE LAND), her young son Danny (Devin Gardner), teenage brother Tim (Keith Bogart) mother Debra (Kim Darby, BETTER OF DEAD) and a real shit-turd of a father John (Bradford English, WOLF). Playing into the Cult of Thorn mythology is young Danny who is having visions of the Man in Black telling him to "Kill". Eventually Kara, Danny, Tommy and Loomis' paths converge and Tommy tells her that Danny has been selected to inherit some nutty Druid curse and that the Cult of Thorn hopes to sacrifice Danny. This sets up Myers motivations for killing his family and culminates in a bizarre showdown at an asylum wherein Michael is injected with syringes of nitric acid. The film really takes a left turns towards the end teetering on the edge of becoming a mad-scientist flick but is not without it's merits and I actually enjoyed this entry quite a bit.

As the film plays out the Strode's are predictably killed off by Myers, as are some peripheral characters, the Cult of Thorn is revealed to be a group of Druid-esque geneticist out to distill Michael's ancient evil down to it's purest form. Yeah, it's hard swallow for sure but I gotta give it to screenwriter Daniel Ferrands (THE GIRL NEXT DOOR) for making a strong effort to inject the franchise with some new life and he did so without launching Myers into space. It doesn't quite work 100% and it's overwrought and convoluted but I'm gonna tell you I like this film a bunch despite it's faults.

First, right from the get-go we have two of my favorite elements; buckets of rain and a pretty great Midwestern Halloween feel, there's some great set dressing throughout and the entire film is evocative of the season, jack-o-lanterns, kids in costumes, corn husks - the setting just feels appropriate, there's some great atmosphere throughout. Myer's mask is one of the better variations since the original film, too. It's had it's up and downs over the years but this one's a keeper for sure. Director Joe Chappelle (PHANTOMS, TV'S FRINGE) keeps things on track, cult elements aside this is a slasher film through and through with some great kills right from the start.

Like I say it's not a perfect film, first the Cult of Thorn stuff is a hard swallow but I didn't hate it, it was something different and I only mention it because some of you might balk at the notion. On that note the one singular thing that irked was after killing Jamie, Michael burns the image of the Thorn rune into a stack of hay, that's just fucking ridiculous. Paul Rudd had just come of CLUELESS when he took on the film and doesn't seem to have any real dramatic acting chops, there's a lot of overacting, he's just not the right guy for the role, but compared to David Gardner who played Danny he's Oscar worthy, that kid just cannot act for a shit and is easily the worst feature of the film. 

This was the last film to feature Donald Pleasance in the role of Dr. Loomis  he gives it a solid go but is obviously in a very poor state of health and died shortly after the film wrapped. I loved his playful introduction at the top of the film and I think his exit is fitting if not great. 

Blu-ray: The film arrives on Blu-ray from Echo Bridge Entertainment in 1080i HD in a re-framed anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) transfer from a nice print. Colors are saturated, black levels are deep, flesh tones look accurate and there''s plenty of fine detail in facial features and textures, definitely an improvement over previous non-anamorphic DVD editions. Audio wise we have a lossless DTS-HA MA 2,.0 Stereo track that delivers effects, score and dialogue well but is pretty standard. Alan Howarth's score sounds great but nothing can make Southern rock band Brother Cane sound any good at all.

An immersive 5.1 surround track would have been appreciated but from what I've seen many of Echo Bridge's Blu's feature re-framed aspect ratios and down-mixed audio. Honestly, the re-framed film didn't catch my notice during the viewing but on principal I think we need to see director's visions adhered to, a recent abomination of a re-frame job can be seen with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro's unfortunate re-framing of Arrow Video's THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE which I think was an intrusive blaspheme perpetrated upon the film, this is less an abomination but still unfortunate.

There are no special features presented which isn't surprising when you consider the Dimension DVD from years back offered none either. Two other versions of the film exist but have not been officially released, though they remain available through less than legal means. I do not understand why we haven't seen either come forth with a legitimate release, you cannot tell me there's no market for these films. Not an optional presentation but definitely a step-up from the Dimension DVD and at a budget price. 

Verdict: HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS is an enjoyable entry in the series with some great atmosphere,  decent kills and an interesting if overwrought cult-curse element that, perhaps wisely, was never to be referenced again in the series. Then again, if you've seen the final two entries in the original run of films it may have been preferable. Definitely a film I will rewatch again and enjoy. It's not John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (1978) but then again, what is? 
(3.5 Outta 5) 

HALLOWEEN: H20 TWENTY YEARS LATER (1998) 

Rating: R
Duration: 85 mins
Aspect Ratio: 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo
Director: Steve Miner 
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Adam Arkin, Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams, LL Cool J, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adam Hann-Byrd
Tagline: True Terror Never Dies!

A few years before one-time scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis (HALLOWEEN, ROAD TRIP) started slinging adverts for Activia Yogurt - the cultured bacteria food stuff that makes you shit right - she returned to the HALLOWEEN franchise for it's twentieth anniversary. Why? Who knows.  Maybe with passing of Donald Pleasance and with it the character of Dr. Loomis the series needed someone to carry the torch and not wanting to continue on with the Cult of Thorn/Tommy Dolyle story line from HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYER'S the producers instead chose to ignore the continuity of every sequel after John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN and make this direct sequel to the first.

I'll let the cat outta the bag early and say I rather dislike this film, but before I let onto why let me just say that it has a pretty great opener that falsely raised my hopes. Dr. Loomis's one-time colleague Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens, HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN II), the nurse from the original HALLOWEEN, returns home to find that someone has broken into her home through the front door. Alarmed she runs next door to the neighbors home where wise-ass teen Jimmy (Joseph Gordon-Levit, LOOPER) answers the door wearing a hockey mask which startles her. It the first of maybe 150 jump scares in the film among perhaps as many references to other better fright flicks, there's a lot of 'em. Jimmy volunteers to check out the house against Marion's wishes and enters with hockey stick in hand boasting in the third person "Jimmy's been suspended five times this year already for gettin' a little crazy with the stick." He searches the home but doesn't find anyone inside but he does fuck up the kitchen with his hockey stick when he gets spooked while swiping some beers, which he blames on the intruder. With the authorities on their way Marion re-enters the home to inspect the damage. It's here that we gather she was a caregiver for the ailing Loomis until his natural death (completely ignoring the ending of HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MEYERS) , one of the rooms is plastered with clippings about the Haddonfield murders  20 years earlier. In her office she finds that files pertaining to Laurie Strode are now missing, Laurie being Myers' sister who survived the attack years earlier. Marion realizes that someone is in the house with her and makes a panicked run for Jimmy's house letting herself in when there is no answer only to find the teen in a sofa chair with is hockey skate impaled into his face, his friend is also dead and as Marion sees the police arrive next door she rushes to the window to scream for help but Myers slashes her throat. Seconds later the responding officers notice the neighbors broken window and enter the house as Myers pulls out of the drive way in a car in pursuit of Laurie.

Two days later we're in Northern California, and it's Halloween. We learn that Laurie Strode faked her death some years earlier and is now known as Keri Tate, the head mistress of the Hillcrest Academy High School, and mother of teen John (Josh Hartnett, THE VIRGIN SUICIDES). The events from twenty year prior still haunt her and she's troubled by disturbing dreams. Even after all these years she's convinced that Michael still lives and will one day return to finish what he started, sure enough tonight's the night.

Laurie tries to put her fears aside and plans to spend the weekend with boyfriend Will (Adam Arkin, UNDER THE RAINBOW) while the student body leave on a field trip to Yosemite but Laurie's son John and his girlfriend Molly (Michelle Williams, SPECIES) along with his best friend Charlie (Adam Hann-Byrd, THE ICE STORM) and his love interest Sarah (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, THE CROW: SALVATION) play hooky, skipping out on the trip and holing up in a dormitory on campus to celebrate Halloween with a little drinking and partying. Also on campus is the poetry spouting school security guard Ronnie (LL Cool J, DEEP BLUE SEA).

With the campus pretty much empty Michael Myers arrives on scene having sleuthed Laurie's current whereabouts. Inside Laurie and Will are drinking wine and preparing for some frisky business when she reveals her dark past to him while at the same time the teens get to partying but as ever Michael shows up and the killings begins anew.

The story is economical, it's simplicity itself and the basic story line ain't half bad if you don't mind them ignoring HALLOWEEN 2-6 - which I sorta do. That aside this feels less like a HALLOWEEN film than any that have come before it. There's zero atmosphere, the night scenes are over-lit  most of the deaths are weak or happen just off-screen  Jamie Lee Curtis, the iconic scream queen from John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN, offers a decent performance but is not likable as the haunted survivor of her brother's killing spree, and bares little resemblance to the teen version of herself. However, when it's time for Strode to face-off against Michael she's doesn't so much channel her inner scream queen as she does a variation on Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in ALIEN, she's quite the ass kicker.

Josh Hartnett as Strode's son John is pretty wooden (when isn't he?) and I think his best roles (VIRGIN SUICIDES being my favorite) are tailor made to compliment his stiff acting style but as a brooding teen he's just annoying. I rather enjoyed LL Cool J as Ronnie the security guard, it's a bit part with a thankless death but I dig LL in small roles like we see here and in DEEP BLUE SEA. The standout performance of the film comes from a young Joseph Gordon-Levit in a brief but enjoyable bit part, if the film could have maintained the spirit of the pre-credit sequence we could have had something special but the film's post-SCREAM 90's sensibilities and Steve Miner's flat direction really go nowhere.

Blu-ray: Echo Bridge's Blu-ray of H20 presents the film in re-framed 16:9 widescreen (1.78:1) which is quite a departure from it's original "scope" (2.35:1) presentation. Honestly, Steve Miner and cinematographer Daryn Okada don't make great use of the scope aspect ratio here but I'm a stickler for presenting films in their original aspect ratio. Aside from the re-frame there's black crush, colors seems muted and the the 1080p boost in resolution only marginally improves fine detail and fine texture over the SD DVD. The 1080i transfer of THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS is noticeably superior to what we have here.

The DTS-HA MA 2.0 Stereo audio is a downgrade from the previous Dimension Collector's Series DVD from a few years back that sported a not only a 16:9 (2.35:1) transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound but subtitles and a small selection of extras, none of which we have here. While the DTS-HD MA 2.0 is adequate it is little else. Dialogue, effects and score come through clean and strong but it's not very dynamic and there's minimal use of the stereo directionals, it seemed very center heavy.

There's no special features, no subtitles, not even a trailer which I consider to be the bare essential, at least give us a trailer, c'mon now. The Dimension Collector's Series was pretty slim on features but at least offered an 18 minute featurette, a lame trivia game and a Creed music video. Actually, I'm kind of thankful that we don't get the Creed video but not porting over something from the DVD release is quite disappointing. The transfer being what it is (re-framed) and the audio not much better (DTS-HD Stereo) at least throw us a bone with some features.

Verdict:  As a continuation of the HALLOWEEN franchise I find H20 to be an utter and complete failure of a film. It has no personality, a complete lack of atmosphere and is definitely a product of the post-SCREAM 90's with an irritating script and a sterile, super-polished look about it. The kills are mostly lame, many of which happen just off screen and the jump scares are completely out of hand. I know this film has a devout following, which puzzles me,  but I can't recommend it as a first-time watch or even as an HD upgrade for fans when there are just so many better films worth your time and money, including HALLOWEEN 1-6. The 90's slasher resurgence is much maligned and not without reason, and H20 is prime example of why. (2 Outta 5) 

HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION (2002) 

Rating: R

Duration: 90 mins
Aspect Ratio: 1080p Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Cast: Busta Rhymes, Bianca Kajlich, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Ryan Merriman, Sean Patrick Thomas, Tyra Banks, Jamie Lee Curtis
Tagline: Evil Finds Its Way Home.

I thought HALLOWEEN: H20 was the bottom of the barrel but HALLOWEEN producer Malek Akkad lifted up the barrel and scraped what was underneath top produce this last nail in the coffin of the franchise with the help of director Rick Rosenthall who also helmed HALLOWEEN 2 and what we get is just dreadful. 

It's been three years since the events of H: H20 and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, TERROR TRAIN) has been sent to a psychiatric hospital following the events of the previous film after it is revealed that she offed the wrong guy last film - this was just a total revisionist cheat and complete bullshit. Anyway, she's considered a suicide risk and heavily medicated. On Halloween night Michael returns to slay his sister and succeeds after perusing Laurie to the rooftop where she has laid the shittiest of Rube Goldberg snare traps you could imagine, just laughable stuff, of course it's executed perfectly and even still she fucks it up and is stabbed in the back and falls to her death after uttering the remarkably awful phrase "I'll see you in Hell". While H20 started off with a great opener and then proceeded to fail this starts off awful and just gets worse. 

Now it's a year later and the reality programmers at DangerTainment Freddie Harris (Busta Rhymes) and Nora (Tyra Banks) have selected a group of thrill-seeking teenagers from haddonfielf University; Rudy (Sean Patrick Thomas, THE FOUNTAIN), Bill (Thomas Ian Nicholas, AMERICAN PIE), Donna (Daisy McCrackin, 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND), Jen (Katee Sackhoff, TV's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) Jim (Luke Kirby, TV's RECTIFY) and  Sara (Bianca Kajilich, TV's DAWSON CREEK) to spend one fun-filled night in the childhood home of serial killer Michael Myers. The reality program is broadcast over the internet and the contestants are tasked with discovering what led Meyers to kill. The internet broadcast turns deadly of course when Michael returns home to fins that his childhood home is infested with annoying douche nozzles, oh boy. There's just not a lot to say here except Busta Rhymes kills Michael Meyers, 'nuff said. 


Blu-ray: Echo Bridge's Blu-ray of HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION presents the film in re-framed 16:9 widescreen (1.78:1) which is different from it's original "scope" (2.35:1) presentation (tsk tsk) but it is my understanding that Echo Bridge merely present what elements are given to them from Miramax and do not manipulate the audio-video themselves. Aside from the re-frame the colors are quite good, it's sharper than the Dimension DVD, blacks are decent but inconsistent and the the 1080p boost in resolution only marginally improves fine detail and fine texture over the DVD. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is quite nice, effects and score come through just fine though I noticed dialogue was a bit weak at times, overpowered by the effects and score. 

Like the previous two films on this Triple Feature Blu-ray there are no special features, no subtitles, not even a trailer. That said, if you purchase Echo Bridge's stand alone Blu-ray of HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION it features most if not all of the bonus content from the Dimension DVD if you feel you need to own it. 


Verdict:  The 90's slasher resurgence was ripe with flaccid post-SCREAM wannabees like HALLOWEEN: H20 but this is some next level  shitiness right here, just a wretched post-THE BLAIR WITCH fumble that not surprisingly put the nail in the coffin of the original HALLOWEEN franchise which was not resurrected again until Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN (2007). (1.5 Outta 5) 

Not a fan of two outta the three Halloween sequels presented here but I do love  that Echo Bridge Home Entertainment are offering these films as stand alone Blu-rays or in a budget minded double feature and triple feature sets. Correct aspect ratios, special features and 5.1 surround sound mixes on all three titles would have been appreciated and as such I find myself still hanging onto the previous DVD editions which is sorta sad.