Halloween (Collector's Edition)

Product Information

On Halloween night in Haddonfield, Illinois, young Michael Myers inexplicably stabs his older sister. At the hospital, he babbles and clutches the year's most popular Halloween costume, an eerie pumpkin mask. Effects are well handled and are well represented left to right, cars, Michael walking and the sound following him etc, though front to back is limited.

It does, however, have a couple of missteps: the contrivance of the Dr (the new Loomis) used to bring the antagonist and protagonist together, the inappropriately placed humour (cops discussing sandwiches) and the slightly ‘Home Alone’ ending, but these can be overlooked in the grand scheme of things. It’s difficult to imagine a small, independent horror film not only spawning sequels, but an entire franchise dedicated to its leading boogie man. The blues and reds of the streets or the police lights are far more intense while flesh tones are keen and natural. Scream Factory’s 4K Ultra HD Collector’s Edition release of Halloween is a 3-disc set, featuring the film on Ultra HD on Disc One, on Blu-ray on Disc Two, and on Blu-ray again on Disc Three. The Television Cut is presented full frame with the recreated NBC Broadcast TV Promo from Disc One, the three extra scenes, and cuts for commercial breaks.Here the grain is kept to a surprising minimum without displaying overt sharpening or DNR; Lionsgate’s UHD, in comparison, looks a bit too sharpened in this reviewer’s opinion.

Instead, tonight’s feature ignores everything that has gone before, to be a standalone sequel to the original film, released 40 years later, and the result is sometimes great, sometimes contrived and sometimes silly, but always respectful.Audio Commentary - With John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis who chat amiably about the production, both technical and anecdotal in what is a very enjoyable listen. That footage is said to consist mostly of silent alternate takes and outtakes (at least, according to what Don May has actually seen of it). Halloween: Resurrection also stars Bianca Kajlich (Bring It On), Katee Sackhoff (Riddick, Battlestar Galactica), Busta Rhymes (Narc), and Tyra Banks, along with a special appearance by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Halloween was shot on 35 mm photochemical film using Panavision Panaflex cameras and anamorphic lenses.The main takeaway here is that this Collector’s Edition of Halloween improves upon its Ultra HD predecessor with better picture quality and a nice selection of bonus materials. All the extras have been all previously available and are on the UHD as well as the included Blu-ray. Halloween: Unmasked is Mark Cerulli’s 2000 documentary about the film with most of the main cast and crew, narrated by Dee Snider. Halloween (2018) ignores everything that has come before, to be a standalone sequel to the 1978 original film. The film also feels like Halloween, it looks like autumn, there are plenty of children out trick or treating, there is a high-school dance at which newcomer Andi Matichak excels as Laurie’s granddaughter.