Halloween

This film is a classic and the greatest horror film ever made, and not going into that. I see a lot of confusing information out there to people about different editions, and as an avid fan that has all editions, thought I might help (I will update once the 35th anniversary comes out.) There is a lot of hate for the remastered version, mostly because of bit rate. I remember the first time that I saw the film, it was released by some company I have not heard of before or sense, and it was truly grainy 70's grind house quality. I'm sure sure VHS copies still exist, and maybe are the truest representation of the film, but good luck finding that. In 1999, Cundey released a remastered version. I first saw it on VHS, and it was night and day from the "original" version I had before it. It became prevalent with DVD as well, though due to the horrible bit rates, I will say that the VHS version is actually crisper than the DVD release. This is due to having both the full and wide screen versions of the film on the same side of the disc. Regardless of the fault, it is the best selling version of the film, and hasn't been taken out of circulation yet. It is the version that I see when they take snippets of the film played for halloween and horror documentaries. The film has horrible contrast and light levels and the whole thing just seems saturated in Black.The 25th anniversary version came out to "fix" the problem but took it almost too far in the other direction, increasing light and contrast levels to make the film almost completely different and taking away much of the suspense and darker elements of the mood. It is still a gorgeous looking print of the film, and presented in divimax and very high bit rates. It is also the only version of the film to offer commentary (albeit a lifted commentary from the laserdisc version that I have not seen). It also has a very good documentary A cut above the rest.There is also an extended cut that is really the NBC television version of the film, that includes a couple of additional scenes that were intended to pad the running time and were shot around the same time as Halloween II. The quality of the transfer is about the same as remastered version except for the additional scenes, that are still presented in widescreen version, despite it being a television version of the film. Also present is the nudity that was obviously cut from the television version of the film. They really looks like they took the remastered version of the film and inserted the additional scenes. I will not comment too much on the quality of the scenes, as I don't like them (a lot of people who saw the film on tv for the first time think this is the definitive version of the film, and I'm not going to argue this point one way or the other) but I will say that they do not edit very well in terms of the visual look of the scenes. They really do stand out. There is also the inclusion of the plot point from the second film that Laurie is Michael's sister which is nowhere in the original version. The extended cut has shown up in several places. The 20th anniversary where it was coupled with the remastered version, as well as a stand alone and the 30th anniversary. I bought the 30th anniversary because it was about the same price as the stand alone version of the extended cut and included the Blu Ray version of the film as well as the documentary 25 years of terror.Which brings us to the Blu Ray version of the film. This is the definitive version of the film for me. This film is taken from the 1999 Cundey remaster, and it looks amazing. It is crisp and clear without suffering from being overly bright. I have never seen a conversion from an old film look so good and brought out many of the details of a film that I had never seen and made the material seem fresh. It might not be the version you remember because it is so clear and clean, but I love this version. It also contains the Cut above the rest documentary. I prefer the 25 years of terror documentary, but they really do cover much of the same ground, and the commentary is missing for some reason, maybe because carpenter demystifies much of the film.For the 35th anniversary they are creating a new Blu Ray with yet another remaster. I am not sure why they are doing this, but I do know that Cundey is handling the remaster yet again, which really doesn't make sense because he did the last one, but considering that there is a huge difference between the VHS, DVD, and Blu Ray version of his 1999 film remaster. Maybe he didn't have much say over the digital conversions, and since this remaster is only on Blu Ray, but I will update when my preorder gets here. I do know that Carpenter has a new Commentary with Jamie Lee, so should be interesting to see what is difference.Update:I just received the 35th anniversary in the mail. I was a little disappointed in the packaging, pretty flimsy cardboard, though there is a nice booklet inserted. The special features were very lack luster. The night she came home was a huge disappointment and actually made me lose respect for Jamie Lee, and the new commentary was not as good as the one on the 25th anniversary divimax version. Trailers and such are the same. The Location featurette was short and forgettable. None of that is really that important though, because the transfer of the film is amazing. It gets everything right. This is the definitive version of the film. I can't imagine anyone that is familiar with the film not liking it (read, they didn't grow up with one of the other versions of the film as a child because they came to the film late). The colors are much more rich so the contrast of the images doesn't have to be so high. It almost looks bleached out like most of the old prints, but the color is able to shine through. I actually found myself startled by some of the scenes because the dark was not as saturated that the frame position of the shape is much more stark. I couldn't recommend this transfer enough. The others are going to just be interesting side notes for collectors.

During the fall of 1978, the devil came home - to Haddonfield, Illinois.Upon its initial release, Halloween had difficulty finding its traction with moviegoers, but after a few positive reviews, John Carpenter's horror flick was off and running. Even more spectacular is that fact that the film was produced on a ridiculously tiny budget of $325,000, eventually cashing in big with an impressive $70 million.By now, most everyone is probably at least vaguely familiar with the concept of the boogeyman and quite possibly even well-acquainted with the boogeyman himself - the man in the white mask that walked around stalking babysitters, Michael Myers. This cold-hearted killer has engrained himself in pop culture, creating legions of fans, endless merchandise, and several sequels featuring the character, including two reboot films. Myers is the villain everyone loves to hate, having been forged into the spitting image of evil - unrelenting in his mission to stalk and eventually eliminate his prey.The creation of the Michael Myers, one of the most iconic and recognizable characters in the horror genre, leaves little doubt that Halloween is the greatest horror film ever created.Directed by John Carpenter (Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog) and co-written with Debra Hill, Halloween stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, who along with her high school friends, Anne (Nancy Kyes), and Lynda (P.J. Soles), is stalked by an escaped murderous mental patient, named Michael Myers (portrayed by five different actors, including Nick Castle & Tony Moran). Desperate to find him before he kills innocent people in the small town of Haddonfiled, Illinois, Myers' doctor, Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), sets out to stop him. However, Myers' whereabouts is unknown to everyone, except for two young children, Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews) and Lindsey Wallace (Kyle Richards). Charles Cyphers also stars in a supporting role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett.Halloween is not only the best horror film ever created, but it's also the most important horror film ever created - okay, maybe it's the second most important film, slightly behind Psycho. Following in the footsteps of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Halloween continues the trend of a modern day killer unleashing his fury on the innocent women of suburbia. Both of these films took the simple premise of a mysterious killer shadowing beautiful women - just before mutilating them, and made it, well - hip and frighteningly entertaining. There's just something so nail-biting and downright creepy about a man lurking in the shadows waiting to strike a moment's notice.While Halloween is responsible for elevating the career of director John Carpenter, it's also responsible for introducing Jamie Lee Curtis - the (at the time) unknown daughter of "scream queen" and Psycho star, Janet Leigh. The amount of screen time devoted to her character was quite sizable, regardless of the fact she'd never acted in a feature role. Regardless, Curtis demonstrated the scared, vulnerable qualities required to be the leading lady in this unnerving, often unpredictable slasher flick. She's innocent, likeable, and had the make-up of a future Hollywood star - even though it's safe to say no one could have predicted the future roles she'd amass. She would go on to star in several popular films, including True Lies, Trading Places, and three Halloween sequels (Halloween 2, Halloween H2O, and Halloween: Resurrection).Today, John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis are the top names that casual movie lovers typically associate with Halloween, but let's not forget that back in 1978, there was only one star of Halloween (pre-release): Donald Pleasence. As the hard-nosed Dr. Sam Loomis, Pleasence has the film's most memorable lines, including the famous "...the devil's eyes" line. He took on a role that he was incredibly uncertain of at the time - and wasn't even the first choice for the character. As such a low-budget production, Halloween was unable to gain the interest of original sought-after, popular actors Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Still, Pleasence turned out to be the right man for the role of Dr. Loomis - which quickly became the role that would define the rest of her career. His professionalism illuminates this role as the overly concerned doctor, and he obviously become a fan favorite - which is never more evident in the way he returned to the role for four sequels (five Halloween films in total).The success and legacy of Halloween led to the creation of several similar, yet moderately unique horror films, including Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Regardless of the success of those individual franchises, Halloween still stands out as the one film that jump-started the slasher craze of the 1980s and beyond. Without Halloween, there's little doubt that the more recent horror franchises, like Scream, Saw, and a slew of easily forgettable knockoffs, would have enjoyed the same successes that they achieved. And, while the slasher "craze" is currently non-existent (at least for the moment) from overuse and a lack of progressive originality, there's little chance Michael Myers won't rise from the ashes again one day to stalk babysitters (or his female relatives if you liked the direction of the sequels).Overall and on its own, the original Halloween is the best and most important horror film ever conceived or created. Even today, the story is as solid as ever, but the acting, camera shots (in which we see through the killer's eyes), and imagination also have withstood the test of time. Sure, the film owes some of its success to Psycho, but the character of Michael Myers/The Shape/The Boogeyman has taken on a life all its own - which eclipses the wildest dreams of his creators. The fan base of Halloween is strong, despite that fact that the original conception might not be as scary to this generation as it was the previous generations. Although the inclusion of several sequels to the franchise certainly diluted the original storyline, Halloween will forever and always be one of the greatest films (and not just of the horror genre) to ever grace the big screen.GRADE: AFNDNreview.com

This starts the whole horror story off. I would try to watch them in order to get the whole story. It also shows you how the screen has changed with what they could do and can do now. This starts in 1970s to now. So watching them in order gives you the complete story. Only in the very last one do you find out why the characters are so important.

I normally don’t watch horror movies but I’ll make an exception for this one because, Jamie Lee Curtis.

What can one say about Halloween that has not been repeated a thousand times?This 1978 classic may not have been the very first slasher stalk em', but it was not far off.What sets Halloween apart from the rest is it's relentlessness in overempowerment.Michael Myers does not stop, the music does not stop, John Carpenter the director does not stop.What other horror movie especially at the time did not care if it's serial killer turned up at the school gates in broad dayylight. Or meanced its would be victims in front of their friends before the sun had gone down?Michael doesn't care, because Michael is a psychopath who wants to get caught, that's the game. And Carpenter executes this to the maximum. I've always wondered if Carpenter really meant to make a classic or if it just happened. Of course when you look at what he went on to make, The Fog, The Thing, then one knows that Carpenter will always be a horror legend, but did he really mean to make such a masterful film at this stage in his career?I say that Halloween is the ultimate No.1. horror film of all time. Though my mind is open and if I come across a movie from any period then who knows if the movie will retain that position? However I have watched close to a thousand horror movies ranging from Universal's Frankenstein right up to what we unfortunetly have now with polished remakes and reboots. But I still haven't found a movie that can challenge Halloween's simplicity but all out tension.Halloween is just pure brillance and pure horror and if you are a horror fan and do not have this movie in your collection then you have more than a gaping hole missing.Now I want to talk about the various dvd's out there on Halloween from Anchor Bay.The first 2 disc set was released in 2001. Disc 1 features a few extras, such as a retrospective and bios, trailers. But disc 2 is a treat as it features the extra 12 mins USA TV version of the film. What's more the dvd box does not mention this extra, so it's a real surprise when you pop the dvd in your machine. Nice.Two years later Anchor Bay released the 25th anniversary. Great picture here and different extras including cast commentary and an 87 min doc on the movie, so well worth getting. However in 2006, Anchor Bay released the 'cash cow' version with just the movie, absolutely no extras, not even chapter selection.So if you are a fan of the movies it is worth getting the 2001 and 2003 versions.

There's nothing I can add about the quality of "Halloween"; it's a classic horror film and deservedly so. Most viewers, like me, know the film frame for frame so the fright factor has faded but it's so athmospheric in it's buildup and it simply transports you to a state of mind few horror films manage to do. That's at least why I can watch it endlessly, it seems.This Blu-ray is great I thought. I already had the 2001 DVD release (with a big THX advert on it) and I remember that edition blew me away back then. It was a huge leap compared to the VHS I had just about worn out. This Blu-ray image is superb and is easily an improvement over any DVD edition; but I didn't purchase the initial Blu-ray release a few years back so I can't comment on that. I have done a bit of research at Blu-ray review sites and, incredibly enough, a few of them have had negative comments concerning the visual image. I can't see anything wrong with it; simply beautiful to look at.Audio wise I thought the mono track sounded a bit off.Extras are fine but a little underwhelming. The new commentary is a fun listen and Jamie Lee Curtis's feature; "The Night She Came Home" is better than I thought. The Television scenes are wisely presented as a bonus feature rather then inserted into the film but they're fun to go through.Potential buyers should know that the film has English subtitles but there's no mention of it anywhere. Also, there's no second disc as is listed on the site.Great film and a great edition; and the Steelbook is nice.

Halloween was the first American horror film I ever saw, as I had grown up watching brilliant Hammer Horror films and my parents had a trust in Hammer that it would scare me, but never terrify me. Halloween terrified me ( I was only 10). I still watch it every 31st October. A simple tale of an escaped mental patient, twisted slightly so that he becomes more than just a killer. He becomes everything that is scary about a windy, cold dark night, everything that is scary about the dark at the top of the stairs or that noise out the back garden when you're at home on your own. Probably considered tame by today's horror fans, this nevertheless swaps gore for true suspense and does it exceptionally well. A true classic, well worth a purchase. The blu-ray version is crisp and clear, and really does impress. Enjoy!

Halloween,the night he came home! I really have to say only positive things about this movie.Its a classic and I saw it for the very first time only two weeks ago.I sure was really hooked by this movie and its story.I love horror but not every horror movie from the early 70s is Always so creepy and full of tension(I rule out Texas chainsaw massacre) cause that movie was really awesome.But certain horror movies are really not good and poorly done but this changed the all thing.I was seeing people posting pictures of this movie and everybody said that it was awesome and so I had to buy it and see it and I think I will see it other many times!.Michael Myers is so creepy,only seeing the shadow of that man in the movie can creepy you out,with that knife ready to kill people.This movie is a mix of emotions ,its creepy,fascinating.only one thing I was dissapointed about,there was no special feature and no subtitles and also you couldn't even skip on a scene without put the movie in fast forward but the movie itself is Amazing.

I have been a fan of the Halloween film franchise since I was a teenager. I originally had a copy of this film on vhs, so it's nice to finally be able to buy it on dvd. There are 2 discs and a lenticular cover with is impressive to look at.Apparently there is an extended tv version of the film that is a bit longer than the actual film. It was cut for advertisements on tv. I look forward to watching this film again, it's been a long time since I have seen it, but I always watch it on Halloween. John Carpenter, didn't have a big budget while this film was being made, so that's why it is of low quality and there is a lack of blood. However I think this film is effective in a psychological way, it's disturbing.I have seen this film at least 20 times and i'm still not tired of it :) This is a must have for and slasher horror fan. If you love horror films then either watch or buy this film right now!