8.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles, Charles CyphersHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 43% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
He is coming to Haddonfield.
Halloween only cost around $320,000 to make, but its smallish budget doesn't reflect the finished product's quality nor its legacy. Director
John Carpenter's (The Thing, Escape from New York) Halloween has become not only a
seminal end-of-October Scare picture and a staple of the Slasher sub-genre but also a gargantuan influence across the Horror
landscape and a herculean presence on the greater world of cinema. It's also one of the handful of quintessential films that perfectly demonstrate
how vision, skill, and
dedication can overcome any financial hurdle or the burden of any limited resource throughout the filmmaking process. This is a film that gets
everything right, and even in its small little flaws there's a charm to the basic effectiveness and fundamental workmanship of the crew's
problem-solving
skills. Halloween is, daresay, a near perfect film in a terribly imperfect film world, one crafted through inspiration and with purpose,
both
of which
would shape a movie that would become the template for so many others to follow and hope to copy but also one that could never quite be replicated
to the
same level of
simplistically effective, moody, musical, and atmospheric success.
Terror takes Shape.
Halloween's original Blu-ray release has been subjected to a rather large amount of controversy
and
criticism for its color timing, turning off some would-be buyers, angering purists, and leaving diehard Halloween fans to settle for an inferior
product,
albeit a
product that was otherwise well-received. But
there's
good news. Anchor Bay has revisited the title almost six years later and produced what most will agree to be the definitive home video version of the
film
yet. Better, the transfer has been overseen and approved by none other the picture's Director of Photography, Dean Cundey. It's a compelling selling
point, and Anchor Bay definitely wants the film's legions of fans to know that this is a safe version to buy. After all, it's stated no less than
three
times on the packaging, twice on the back label and once on the inside. So this is the film as Cundey wants viewers to see it, much the same way
The French Connection was re-issued with a cinematographer-approved transfer a few years after the original pressing also ran into controversy. With that out of the way, how does
Cundey's transfer stack up
against the old title and, more importantly, on its own merits?
In short, this is Halloween like it's never been seen before on home video. First, colors appear significantly less warm and bright. There's a
slight cold, gray feel to even the film's brightest seasonal outdoor shots. Skin tones have been reduced from "hot" to "neutral." There's less an
explosion of
brightness and more a balance of natural, if not slightly reserved, coloring. Green vegetation and bright clothes aren't blinding but rather balanced.
Oranges enjoy stable, accurate pop, particularly the opening titles and the accompanying pumpkin. Dark scenes are rich and firm, with deep, accurate
blacks and no unwarranted or excess brightness. What's even more impressive is the transfer's pure film-like texture. Light grain accentuates nearly
every scene and helps define a beautiful cinematic flair. Details are incredibly crisp and film-true, right down to strands of hair and light fuzzes and
frays on
clothes. Sidewalks, housing façades, tree trunks, and leaves are as well defined as the source and the format allows. This is a naturally sharp, very
pleasing
image. However, it's not without a few hiccups. Very light, barely noticeable speckling does appear throughout, though to no unwelcoming level.
A stray hair is visible at the bottom of the frame for a few seconds around 26:30 mark in a scene inside Laurie's bedroom. It also appears in the
previous Blu-ray release. A few shots go smeary around the edges, though that appears inherent to the source and not an issue with the Blu-ray
presentation. Overall, this is a significant upgrade from the previous release. Not only do the colors enjoy a cooler, more natural tone, but the image is
significantly more crisp and well defined. Fans should be ecstatic with this presentation.
NOTE: Screenshots 1-30 have been sourced from this new "35th Anniversary" Blu-ray disc. Screenshots 31-40 are comparative screenshots
sourced from the Oct 02, 2007 Anchor Bay Halloween release referenced above.
Halloween returns to Blu-ray with an all-new Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack, alongside the original soundtrack. The result of the 7.1 track is a revealing, usually engaging listen. The film begins with the picture's legendary score drifting into the stage, first, with well-defined sharp piano notes that offer natural clarity and fine front spacing. A deep, foreboding, and familiar low end follows with a rise in surround support to bring a remarkable definition and presence to the acclaimed score. This is more than likely the best presentation most audiences will have heard of that classic refrain to date. The action transitions to the exterior of the Myers home and provides light and mood-critical background ambience to start. The track doesn't always require environmental elements thereafter, but the occasional chilly late October breeze, driving rain, and booming thunder -- the latter of which grows in intensity the closer Loomis comes to the asylum -- are all perfectly implemented and create several unforgettable sonic moments. It seems this track is capable of better defining some of the film's smaller sound pieces, too. There's greater definition to even the most subtle sound effect or the most aggressive kick of music. Blue Oyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper comes through a little more evenly when it's heard playing lightly in the background around the 31-minute mark. Nevertheless, some of the older effects that never enjoyed much definition before still come up short. The splattering of Tommy's pumpkin early in the film plays with a sloppy, undefined thud. Some of the heaviest, most piercing screams heard late in the film come through as a little overly sharp and unnatural. Dialogue plays firmly and evenly, save for an exchange between Laurie and her father when they're first introduced; it's significantly more shallow than any other exchange in the film. Otherwise, the track is really quite amazing. Music benefits the most, and considering just how important it is in the film, the uptick in clarity and stage presence is most welcome.
Halloween's 35th Anniversarry Blu-ray release arrives in a thin, but attractive, DigiBook package. The cover is lightly textured and, inside, the
book
contains a detailed, well-written and insightful text on the picture. Various black-and-white photographs are interspersed throughout. The disc is
housed inside the back cover in a cardboard sleeve that lists the included special features.
Halloween has been picked apart and studied and watched more than most. Fans know it by heart, not just dialogue or how scenes play but the importance of a glance, a musical cue, or a camera pan. It's a picture that effectively embodies everything thats right about the low budget filmmaking process and the Horror genre. It demonstrates the staying power of a good movie, not represented by the number of sequels but rather the raw perfection of every piece. Halloween is a quintessential, timeless film that would rightly be selected by many as the one picture that best epitomizes its genre. Anchor Bay's 35th Anniversary Blu-ray release of Halloween features high quality, cinematographer-approved video; a fantastic 7.1 lossless soundtrack; and a good amount of extra content. It's not the perfect package most fans probably wanted -- there are too few supplements for that and plenty that haven't carried over from previous home video releases -- but it's certainly worth adding to the collections of both the Halloween die-hards and casuals fans who wish to populate their libraries with the best of the best films. More, the picture quality is significantly improved. Very highly recommended.
Collector's Edition | Exclusive Red, Yellow and Orange Splatter 7" Vinyl + Poster
1978
Collector's Edition | Sacred Bones Exclusive | Exclusive Black, White and Orange Splatter 7" Vinyl
1978
1978
1978
Collector's Edition
1978
The Complete Collection Edition
1978
35th Anniversary Edition
1978
1978
35th Anniversary Edition
1978
1978
2018
Unrated Director's Cut
2009
30th Anniversary Edition | Includes "Terror in the Aisles"
1981
Collector's Edition
1988
2017
Unrated Collector's Edition
2007
1998
Limited Edition
1980
Unrated
2005
2013
1981
2009
Collector's Edition
1989
2016
Halloween 8
2002
Collector's Edition
1982
1995
Uncut
2013
2012
1982