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I could spend
a lot of time going into the details of
why “Halloween”, being one of
the granddaddies of horror slasher films,
still ranks amongst the best that have ever
been made, but I’m not going to. Most
of you have seen the movie, and if you haven’t,
you need to get your butt out there and
buy or rent it. To this day, “Halloween”
is still scary and suspenseful, and Michael
Myers stands out as one of the most unrelenting
of psycho killers.
Unfortunately, much in the way that some
of the other horror film series have turned
out, pretty much all of the sequels have
been disappointing. Writer / director John
Carpenter had the right idea by wanting
the film to stand on it’s own without
any sequels. All they have done is turn
what I consider to be a terrific and (at
the time) original story, into a parody
of itself. So if all you’ve seen is
the sequels, forget about them and go back
and visit the first, and best.
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Everything about “Halloween” is a
near perfect slasher film. From Carpenter’s
musical score (which is still one of my favorites),
to the casting of burgeoning ‘scream queen’
Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as the simple presence
of evil that Michael Myers embodied. The design
of this character was just enough to make him
frighteningly real. The dark jumpsuit, the plain
white mask (which trivia buffs will tell you is
an unpainted Captain Kirk mask), and the quiet
way he moved was a perfect lesson in creepiness.
(Creephood? Creepality?)
There have been several DVD releases of “Halloween”,
but none of them have offered what this new 2-disc
set has to offer. Aside from the near perfect
transfer, there are quite a few extras to get
excited about. The first is a terrifically produced
commentary by Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis and
producer Debra Hill. There’s a ton of information
to be learned with hardly a dull moment on the
track. The only minor nit I have about the commentary
is that it isn’t new. It was originally
produced for the 1994 Criterion LaserDisc release
of the film. This is only a nit if you have that
original release and have already heard the track.
But the likelihood is that you don’t have
it, and would never know the difference.
For real buffs of the film, there is an all-new
documentary that comes in just under an hour ands
a half. Everything you could ever hope to know
about “Halloween” is here. I do comment
that it is for diehard fans, though because of
its length. It takes up a good portion of your
evening to watch it. There is a shorter featurette
that features producer Debra Hill and actress
P.J. Soles re-visiting some of the locations where
the film was shot. It’s fairly entertaining,
but again will appeal mostly to those diehard
fans (like me).
Rounding out the extras are some TV and Radio
Spots, as well as the theatrical trailer, and
bios. Pretty much everything that one would want
to see on a release like this. I have to hand
it to Anchor Bay; over the years they have been
on the forefront in creating special edition DVDs
of many cult classics.
“Halloween” has often been given
a bad rap. Many have said that it started the
wave of 1980’s slasher films, as well as
making the killer seem sympathetic. Both of these
may be true, but what they fail to see is that
it is also a well-written film that hardly glorifies
the killer. This may not be as true of the sequels,
but as I mentioned, these sequels are related
to the first in name only. It is still one of
Carpenter’s best, and this DVD release makes
for a great addition to any collection.
Directed by: John Carpenter
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance,
P.J Soles, Nancy Loomis
Extras: Commentary by Director John Carpenter,
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis and Producer Debra Hill,
“Halloween – A Cut Above the Rest”
– an all-new 87-minute Documentary, “On
Location – 25 Years Later” –
an all-new 10-minute Featurette with Actress P.J.
Soles and Producer Debra Hill re-visiting the
original Michael Myers house, Theatrical Trailer,
TV Spots, Radio Spots, Poster and Still Gallery,
Talent Bios, DVD-Rom features include the Original
Screenplay and Screen Savers.
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1) Enhanced for
16x9 Televisions, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Anchor Bay
Release Date: 8/5/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website
We'll give Halloween - 25th Anniversary an A.
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