Not many films can truly stand the test of time and still entertain audiences 25 years later...
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Anchor Bay has released its tent pole film, Halloween onto DVD in another attempt to cash in on the great John Carpenter slasher. Halloween was one of the earliest releases by Anchor Bay when DVD was still a fledgling format. That release is universally accepted as one of the worst transfers of all time. It was utterly horrendous. Years later, the company sought redemption with a 2-disc Limited Edition set that sported a wonderful looking transfer and plenty of spiffy features. A single disc version was released during this "second generation" as well. Now, as All Hollows Eve approaches and Anchor Bay´s wallets look for replenishment, the title is released in third generation "25th Anniversary" package. Again, Anchor Bay has decided to offer a new transfer and improve upon the supplements.
For those that have been hiding under their bed for the past 25 years avoiding the boogeyman, Halloween is about a psychopathic killer named Michael Myers and he has come home for a little trick-or-treat excitement. Michael has been away for quite a few years for the murder of his sister when he was a young lad. His psychologist, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) has deemed him completely unfit for society and absolutely evil. However, Michael has a yearning for more blood and escapes his life in a maximum-security mental ward. Michael quickly returns to his hometown of Haddonfield and it doesn´t take too terribly long for the bodies to pile up. During Halloween, Michael begins to stalk and murder Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her band of amorous friends.
John Carpenter put his name on the map with Halloween. The film was very low budget in its nature, but along with his friends and long-time collaborators Dean Cundy and Debra Hill, Carpenter crafted a horrifying tale that brought all new definition to the term "horror film." Halloween was not about a vampire or mummy that was stalking a Victorian town. It was not about a 40-foot gorilla or some other fictitious character. Halloween starred "The Shape" and the character was quite believable and much more probable in real life than a huge, fire-breathing lizard. The small town setting of Haddonfield also hit close to home and felt like everybody´s own hometown. Halloween was scary because of the situations and gore beset upon its victims, but it was also scary because it left viewers looking over their shoulder and thinking that it could happen in Anytown U.S.A. and behind the William Shatner mask could be any deranged psychopath with a butcher knife.
Halloween may sound routine in its storyline, but at the time it was released, it was the first of the modern-day slasher films. Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees wouldn´t put audiences in a fright until a couple of years later. The film falls into the usual clichés that Wes Craven´s Scream franchise would later poke fun at, but the important thing is to remember that Halloween invented them. Halloween was the first to punish the sexually active females and have the frigid virgin emerge as the sole survivor. From the moment Halloween found its initial success, it has been copied, mimicked and cloned countless times. Halloween was the prototypical slasher and to this day, it is still the best of the bunch.
This is a film that I have always enjoyed and respected. It is the benchmark to which horror films are measured. John Carpenter has created quite a few memorable films, but 25 years later, Halloween still stands as his best work. The film is studied in film schools and for good reason. It has spawned numerous sequels (which have not tarnished the original´s name) and countless clones. It has influenced and changed the entire horror genre. The film was a low-budget undertaking and was never expected to be the massive success that it has been. Not many films can truly stand the test of time and still entertain audiences 25 years later and the film certainly deserves to be honored on its quarter of a century birthdate. In the next 25 years, it will still stand ahead of the sub-genre it has created.
Video :
In 1997, the first year of DVD, Anchor Bay released a bare-bones version of Halloween. That film was absolutely horrid in its transfer. It was so washed out looking and the black level was so poor that it was difficult to watch. Three years later, Anchor Bay released a striking remastering of the theatrical version of the film. Not only did this second release set a benchmark for themselves, but for other companies to follow. Now, Anchor Bay is releasing titles under the new Divimax banner and naturally, Halloween has been lined up and released with their new technology. This latest version of Halloween is yet another improvement and its hard to believe the film is now a quarter of a century old.
Presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic format, Halloween shows a slight improvement in the level of detail and clarity. The previous full screen transfer is now absent, but I for one do not miss it. Improved shadow detail is responsible for much of the improvement and the film is even less inhabited by film grain than the last incarnation. Colors are perfectly saturated and show no bleeding or other faults. Detail really is superb. Black levels are deep and add to the wonderful atmosphere created by John Carpenter. However, when performing an A-B comparison between this release and the previous Limited Edition disc, the 25th Anniversary release exhibits slightly different hues than the previous. Oranges, blues and greens all look a little "off." Comparing this to a LaserDisc shows that the older DVD release may be more accurate in its rendering of the classic film. It still looks great and for the most part is much improved, but some may be disappointed in the new hues used.
Audio :
John Carpenter´s simple, yet effective original score is once again brought to life by the wonders of multi-channel surround sound. As with the previous DVD release, Halloween is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround and the original mono soundtrack. I could not hear any real difference between this release and the Limited Edition DVD, but that release was quite wondrous in its soundtrack. A spattering of sound effects, ambient effects and Carpenter´s score benefit most from the 5.1 mastering. Much of the sound is delivered via the center channel, but it is pretty amazing that a low budget film that is now 25 years old sounds as good as it does. The speakers do a good job of carrying those sounds intended to send a chill up one´s spine. Dialogue is spot-on perfect. The .1 LFE channels is quite for the majority of the film, but comes to life more than once to exhibit strong bass. Considering the age of the source materials, I can´t think of how this could sound any better. The original mono soundtrack sounds great as well and I´m sure will be embraced by purists. The Dolby Digital 2.0 mix is probably good for older Pro Logic and stereo systems, but untested here.
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[release]11151[/release]