Halloween: Anchor Bay
Two Disc LE (1978)
review by Head Cheeze

I figured that I ought to get around to reviewing the Halloween series, but, of course, any genre fan knows that it's like meeting the woman or man of your dreams, only to see them rapidly deteriorate into fat, lazy, unsympathetic soulsuckers who simply occupy space and time, yet, for some reason, we keep them around. We certainly don't love them as much as the first day we met, but there's some sense of comfort in knowing they're still around. The Halloween series is like that. Really. I mean it.

Just read!

If there was ever a film to redefine a genre, Halloween is it. Sure it borrowed music from Argento's Deep Red, lifted it's P.O.V, elements from Black Christmas, and literally stole William Shatner's face for it's indestructable antagonist, but the fact remains, Halloween was the one that got noticed, and from it's hybrid seed the slasher of the 80's was born.

Haddonfield, Illinois is a small town with a large history. It is the place where a 10 year old boy named Michael Myers brutally murdered his sister on Halloween night. Myers was placed in the care of Dr. Sam Loomis (Pleasence) who has seemingly spent more time trying to keep Mike doped up on Thorazine than introducing him to the cathartic art of needlepoint, but then again, Sam is convinced that Mike is beyond rehabilitation. Being the emodiment of evil can do that to a man's reputation. Myers proves Loomis isn't just a crazy veteran of countless Hammer films and escapes from his confines to return to Haddonfield to celebrate Halloween with his neighbor Laurie Strode (Curtis) and her giggling gang of soon to be dead friends. Along the way, Loomis reminds us that Myers is evil by telling anyone who will listen that he is, in fact, evil. Sometimes he's even pure evil. Othertimes he is simply "quite naughty", but those lines were cut due to time constraints.

I am, of course, being fecetious. Halloween is beyond needing my approval, and has recieved enough raves over the past twenty-five years to allow me to poke a little bit of fun at it, because, quite frankly, it scarred me for life and this is the only way I know how to fight back. Myers ghostly visage appears out of the corner of my eye everytime I walk alone on a dark street, shuffle about in a creepy basement, or find myself fumbling for my keys outside my apartment door. It's not enough that the film creeps me out everytime I watch it, (which is quite regularly, masochist that I am) Halloween has to resonate with me for hours, days, sometimes weeks after. Is it disturbing? No, not on Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer level, that's for sure! Is it the violence? Well, let's just say I've seen bloodier episodes of M*A*S*H. So what is it about this film that makes it so effective?!

TWO WORDS: John Carpenter.

When John Carpenter is on, and I mean ON, this guy could make a soap commercial a pant soiling experience. From his use of music (of his own creation!) to his deliberate pacing and brilliant use of light and shadow, the man can truly paint a terrifying picture.

Here's an experiment: Stare straight ahead. Now picture Michael Myers. Get yourself a good mental image. Got it? Good. Now without looking away, imagine him behind you, just off to the right, emerging from the shadows. Add a low piano note, repeat. Dum.DumDum. Dum, DumDum. Now add the high pitch DING DING DING as Michael begins to move towards you peripherally. You hear a board creek. Keep looking straight ahead. You feel the air around you suddenly chill. Keep looking ahead. He is behind you now. In the reflection of your monitor you see his powder white face materialize next to yours. A knife rises slowly....

BOOO!

Heheheh. sorry. I scared myself, too.

Anyway, Halloween is my personal all time favorite movie period, and Anchor Bay did right by me to release a very cool two disc set that is just loaded with great stuff. First and foremost, we get two versions of the film; the obvious theatrical release, and the surprisingly cool television version. The reason the TV version is so cool is that it incorporates footage (shot while filming Halloween 2 for NBC) to the theatrical cut, giving old school Halloween fanatics a welcome shot of extra Halloween goodness!. While none of this footage is anything more than expository, it is fun, and, when combined with the uncensored theatrical stuff, serves as a sort of Director's Cut That Never Was! We also get a nice documentary called "Halloween: Unmasked 2000" which features interviews with all of the principals (even P.J. Soles!) and numerous television, radio, and theater spots. There's also a way cool lobbycard reproduction set, all enlcosed in a thick keepcase with a linticular animation of Myers on the cover!

The transfer here is from the Criterion Laser Disc, so you know it's solid stuff! Even the "TV" version looks superb, and the new THX Approved Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is enough to make a grown fan cry tears of joy. It's a beautiful thing, Really. If JC only gave us a commentary!!

Now for the bad news. This set was limited to 30,000 copies (very low when one considers the popularity of this film and that current Limited Edition sets from AB now run up to 80,000 copies plus!) and is LONG out of print. AB has released both versions of the films on individual discs, but I defy you to find a cool Nick Castle postcard in either of those!

So if you have this set, you are a lucky lucky little creature and you can die happy knowing that there are 100,000 people on EBAY who would give you a hundred clams or more for it. This is the DEFINITIVE edition of the film on DVD, and is a solid 5 Skull entry!