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Characters in Halloween can be seen watching the original version of The Thing on their televisions. A few years later, Carpenter would remake the film with star Kurt Russell.
This month marks the 35th Anniversary of one of the most influential horror films of all time. Halloween inspired the slasher genre that boomed throughout the 80's and continues today. Before Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, the murderous Michael Myers terrorized audiences with his insanely evil actions. Now, fans can experience the definitive (for at least the next five years anyways) blu-ray digibook edition of the film loaded with special features.
On October 31st, 1963, a young boy by the name of Michael Myers viciously murders his own older sister with a butcher knife in the town of Haddonfield, Illinois. Fifteen years later, Myers escapes the confines of a mental institution and returns to his hometown. Donning a blue jumpsuit and a mask he stole from a local hardware store, Myers begins stalking teenager Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis, True Lies) and her friends. Meanwhile, Myers' longtime psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence, The Great Escape) is hot on his trail attempting to alert authorities of imminent danger.
Halloween would mark the beginning of a spectacular decade for director John Carpenter including films like The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, and They Live. Besides the minimalist imagery Halloween is known for, Carpenter also composed the wonderful synthesized score that arguably has become one of the most memorable in cinematic history. Jamie Lee Curtis shines in her feature film debut while Pleasence excels in his career defining role. Halloween builds the tension masterfully as Myers methodically hunts his victims and turns into an iconic horror archetype in the process.
It should be mentioned that this release is an all-new HD transfer of the film approved by cinematographer Dean Cundey. Color problems that existed on previous blu-rays are no longer an issue. The disc itself is packaged in a sleek digibook with an essay on the film and some behind-the-scenes photographs. Brand new features for this edition include a recent audio commentary with Carpenter and Curtis sitting down together to discuss the film along with an hour long featurette following Curtis as a fan convention in November 2012. Extras carried over from past releases feature a short location video, footage shot for the television version of the film, and your standard radio/TV spots. Horror buffs should be slashing their way through the aisles to add Halloween: 35th Anniversary Edition to their shopping carts. An absolute must-buy for collectors.
- Review by Cody Endres
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