Halloween: The Complete Collection (Deluxe Edition)

Details: By Loron Hays; 30 September 2014

Ten films. 15 discs. It previously seemed impossible. Considering the myriad of copyright owners, the directors involved, and all the producers in the franchise’s checkered and somewhat spotty past, a definitive Halloween collection seemed as far-fetched of an idea as sending Jason Voorhees to space. But if Jason X can happen then certainly Halloween: The Complete Collection can, too. We just had to be patient. Here we are then, in 2014, celebrating the long-awaited release of every single Halloween movie made – including the infamous producer’s cut of Halloween 6 – in one collection.

From 1978 to 2009, the limited edition box set – assembled rather beautifully by Scream Factory with each film in its own black casing (instead of the standard blue) - brings everything together with copious amounts of supplements. Michael Myers and his Cult of Thorn association haven’t always been well received. Some entries in his nefarious past – like the ill-conceived Halloween: Resurrection – are simply bullshit. Others are; however, staples of the horror genre. With this release, you get everything from John Carpenter’s classic – featured here in two different versions: the 2007 blu-ray release and the 35^th anniversary version – clear through Rob Zombie’s two reboot efforts.

Let’s dive in, shall we? There are a couple of key differences in the original Halloween from what came before. The mono audio track has been returned to the original 1978 version. There’s also a brand new commentary by director of photography Dean Cundey, editor Tommy Lee Wallace and Nick Castle, who first portrayed The Shape. Everything else is the same as the 35th Anniversary disc. The second Halloween disc is Anchor Bay’s 2007 Blu-ray release with its non-Cundey-approved transfer. The unique extras - including the original commentary by Carpenter, Curtis and Debra Hill originally recorded for The Criterion Collection – are the real reason this is included.

This merging of efforts from Anchor Bay and Scream Factory highlights the differences in each company, with Scream Factory coming out strong due to their supplemental materials. Scream Factory paved the way for this set with their mining of Haddonfield’s main event last year. Both Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch are identical to the previous Scream Factory releases from last year. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers is the same as its prior release but omits the H25 Convention featuring Danielle Harris, Kathleen Kinmont, Sasha Jenson and Jeffrey Landman. Halloween 5 appears to be the same as Scream Factory’s previous Blu-ray.

And now we come to what many consider the reason to own the set. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers or Halloween 666 receives one of the biggest upgrades of the set, with the eagerly awaited first official release of the long rumored (and often thought fabled) Producer’s Cut. The film has its own storied history being the introduction of Paul Rudd to audiences and the replacement of Danielle Harris as Jamie but as a Halloween film it solves the whole Cult of Thorn puzzle put forth by its previous installments and the mystery of the man in silver-tipped boots. The film was wrought with troubles. Harris not returning was only the start. You can see the script issues for yourself but, please, only watch the Producer’s Cut of the film. It is the only version to watch.

I have yet to establish why the films from the 1990s look so incredibly awful on blu-ray. While the two made during that decade benefit from Scream Factory’s treatment, they are still a bit inferior to the other restorations. Halloween H20 gets a corrected aspect ratio with its new transfer. The film also receives a new batch of supplemental materials. Halloween: Resurrection includes all of the extras from the previous release, including commentary, alternate endings and deleted scenes, and featurettes. Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween II are the same and feature the same bonus materials.

Finally, the Deluxe Edition set includes a bonus disc with a mix of old and new bonus material, beginning with the Extended Version of John Carpenter’s Halloween. In case you are curious, this version of the film has been assembled by putting all the deleted scenes back into the original film that the television version added when it needed the film to have a longer running time after cutting its violent content. This disc also adds all the DVD supplements of its previous releases (supplements Scream Factory made null and void with their awesome efforts), including Halloween Unmasked 2000, Halloween 4: Final Cut, Back to Basics: The Making of Halloween 4. This repeats for Halloween 5 with the 2000 featurette Inside Halloween 5 supplemented with the brand new Dead Man’s Party: The Making of Halloween 5. Finally, the disc includes 5 episodes of Sean Clark’s Horror’s Hallowed Grounds covering Halloween 4, 5 and 6, the Bus Tour episode with Clark acting as tour guide for a group of fans, and the original 2005 pilot episode focusing on Carpenter’s Halloween.

Definitive doesn’t get a better definition than with the release of Halloween: The Complete Collection.

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - September 23, 2014
Screen Formats: various
Subtitles: various
Audio: Various
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Fifteen-disc set (14 BDs, 1 DVD)
Region Encoding: Locked to region A

Cleaning up the various transfers and relieving it of some of its dirt and debris, the 1080p transfers contained in Scream Factory’s collection is downright impressive. The 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer handles intermittently soft, shadow-slathered photography with great finesse and actually saturates it with a newly found crispness. Colors and skintones are pleasing and well-saturated, bloody reds are eye-catching, black levels are satisfying throughout, and fine detail is tenfold above what came before; clean and precisely resolved. In addition, the audio is a major improvement with original scores and the option to have them in DTS-HD MA soundtracks, 5.1 remix and stereo, and both are greatly appreciated as they fill the sound field with immersive dynamics.

Supplements:

Commentary:

There are a lot of commentaries. Each movie has multiple commentaries. See Special Features for the specifics.

Special Features:

Scream Factory has outdone themselves again. What follows is a brief overview of bonus features:

Disc One

Audio Commentary — Brand new discussion with cinematographer Dean Cundey, editor/production designer Tommy Lee Wallace and Nick Castle, the original man who played The Shape.
Audio Commentary — Jamie Lee Curtis reunites with John Carpenter for this fabulous commentary.
The Night She Came Home!! (60 min) — A pretty interesting documentary from November 2012 showcasing Jamie Lee Curtis's efforts to generate money for charity.
On Location: 25 Years Later (10 min)
TV Version Footage (11 min)
Trailers

Disc Two

Audio Commentary — Conversation between director/writer John Carpenter, producer/writer Debra Hill and Jamie Lee Curtis from the 1995 Criterion laserdisc release.
Film Fast Facts
Trailers

Disc Three

Audio Commentaries — Director Rick Rosenthal and actor Leo Rossi (Budd) is the first conversation while stunt co-ordinator Dick Warlock is joined by Robert V. Galluzzo for the second track.
The Nightmare Isn't Over (45 min) — Lengthy and insightful retrospective on every aspect of the production.
Horror's Hallowed Ground (13 min)
Alternate Ending (2 min)
Deleted Scenes
Still Gallery
Promotional Material

Disc Four

Television Version (93 min)
DVD-ROM

Disc Five

Audio Commentaries — In first track, director Tommy Lee Wallace is joined by fans Robert V. Galluzzo from Icons of Fright and Sean Clark of Horror Hound magazine. Second track, actor Tom Atkins talks with documentary filmmaker Michael Felsher.
Stand Alone (HD, 20 min) — Surprisingly frank retrospective documentary with recent interviews.
Horror's Hallowed Ground (20 min)
Still Gallery
Promotional Material

Disc Six

Audio Commentaries — The first track features Ellie Cornell (Rachel) and Danielle Harris (Jamie) while the second has author Justin Beahm interview director Dwight H. Little.
Trailer

Disc Seven

Audio Commentaries — First is with Danielle Harris (Jamie) and Jeffrey Landham (Billy) chatting with director Dominique Othenin-Girard while the second has author Justin Beahm interviewing actor Don Shanks, who played Michael Myers.
On the Set (16 min)
Original Promo (6 min)
Trailer

Disc Eight

Still Gallery
Trailers

Disc Nine

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers: Extended Producer's Cut (95 min)
Audio Commentary — Writer Daniel Farrands talks extensively with composer Alan Howarth about the film's troubled history, production, controversies, differences between the two and its cult status.
Acting Scared (19 min)
The Shape of Things (12 min)
Haddonfield's Horrors (11 min)
A Cursed Curse (10 min)
Full Circle (10 min)
Jamie's Story (8 min)
Tribute to Donald Pleasance (3 min)
Archival Interviews and BTS Footage
BTS Footage (24 min)
Vintage EPK (5 min)
Trailer

Disc Ten

Audio Commentary — Sean Clark moderates a pleasing and highly informative conversation between star Jamie Lee Curtis and director Steve Miner
Blood is Thicker than Water (60 min)
Scenes with John Ottman's Original Score
Vintage Interviews & BTS Footage
Still Gallery
Trailers

Disc Eleven

Audio Commentary — Director Rick Rosenthal is joined by editor Robert A. Ferretti for this commentary
Web Cam Special (41 min)
Vintage Interviews & BTS Footage (37 min)
Set Tour (7 min)
Set Interview with Jamie Lee Curtis (4 min)
Head Cam (4 min)
Alternate Endings & Deleted Scenes
Storyboards
Still Gallery
Trailers