Stephen King's IT (1990 Version) - Blu-ray Review

Stephen King is my favorite author. That’s not to say that there aren't times that he strikes out for me; there have been a handful of his works that I didn’t care for. IT was NOT one of them. IT, the 1986 novel, is a mastodon of a book that, unless you can dedicate a great deal of time to reading it, once you get to the end you’ll probably forget the beginning details. I’ve read the novel upwards of ten times at this point. My first successful read-through of it was in the summer of 2004. I was between eighth-grade and high school, and I simply could not put the book down. It took me three months to finish, but when I was finished I wanted more. The characters were so life-like that it was almost like reading about my own friends. The tell of a truly gifted author is if he/she can make his/her readers care about the characters within the story. Stephen King is fantastic at making his readers fall in love, or at times despise - I’m talking about you Henry Bowers - his characters. As such, IT is my all-time favorite book and I usually find myself reading it at least once a year. Yeah, I read a lot. The thing is, I saw the 1990 miniseries adaptation of the novel before I read the novel itself (I was three when the mini-series first aired on ABC in 1990). Therefore, as a child, I found the film simply terrifying. However, after I read the book I realized that the mini-series was extremely tame and bare-bones to the story. The 2017 remake brings back some of that tension, awkwardness, and disquiet of being a child going through puberty, which was a very important plot-point for the children in the book. The 2017 remake also brought the gore, profanity, and sexual predation that was inherent in the novel, however it did little to stay truer to the source material. But, I’m not here to talk about the remake, I’m here to discuss the Blu-ray release of the original 1990 adaptation of the novel, so blathering over and onward we go.

             Warner Brothers presents the original 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s IT on Blu-ray in 1080p hi-def in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (full screen). We must remember that in 1990 widescreen televisions weren’t really a thing, therefore television broadcasts were typically in full-frame, 4x3. That means that when you watch this film today there will be black bars to the left and right sides of the screen. Some people find this distracting, but I honestly don’t; it’s an old film that was made for standard televisions. What can you do? That being said, this is the best the film has ever looked! I’ve owned IT on VHS and DVD, and frankly neither can compare. The colors are vibrant, especially Pennywise’s clown suite, the numerous balloons he uses to relay messages, and of course the blood (there was a lot of blood in this film for a television movie in the early 90s, although it probably doesn’t look like much by today’s standards). There is a grain that permeates the entirety of the film, but it’s hardly ever intrusive (except during the close-up of the sink drain when Beverly hears the voices speaking to her from within…creepy!) and proves that Warner Bros. didn’t use any scrubbing to artificially enhance the image. Details are sharp for the most part, and scenes that may appear gauzy are inherent to the quality of the print and no fault of Warner Bros. presentation here. Because of the fine presentation, I happily give this Blu-ray’s video quality a 5 out of 5 rating.

            The audio on this release is a DTS-HD 2.0 stereo, uncompressed, master audio track. My favorite part of this film (other than Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise) was, and is still, the score. Richard Bellis’ score on this film was the perfect mix of psycho-circus and child terror. The calliope tinged, “someone’s chasing me” score made the film something more than just another made-for-tv-but-wants-to-be-cool film. It gave the impression that we were watching this in a theater rather than in our living rooms on a cable network that required strict censorship. That being said, the audio track on this release is clear and serves its purpose. It never truly blows you away, but it doesn’t disappoint either. The fact is, most 2.0 tracks simply don’t have the punch required to truly wow its listeners, and that’s okay because frankly, the film isn’t likely to truly wow anyone either – at least not if presented to anyone in today’s audience. That’s not to say it isn’t a good film, because it is. Likewise, this audio track is good, and faithful enough to not disappoint. The dialogue is clear at all times, and that’s one of the most important things that an audio track can offer. There is nothing worse than a track that has all the angry crashes and jaw-dropping range you expect in the score and sound effects, but the dialog is so low that it’s inaudible. Therefore, I give this track a 4 out of 5 and am very pleased with it.

            Now comes the disappointing, but not entirely unexpected, part. This release is nearly bare-bones just like the DVD before it. The only special feature it offers is a feature length commentary from the cast and crew. This is the exact same commentary that was featured on the DVD release from 2002, so we’ve all likely heard this track already. Given that this is a made-for-tv film, there might not be a great deal of interesting features for Warner to offer, but you can’t tell me that there wasn’t someone with a handheld camera behind the scenes during the filming. How about a tribute to Jonathan Brandis who played young Bill and died in 2003? A Stephen King interview where he talks about the novel; there are literally tons of them all over the internet. Nothing? Maybe a company like Scream! Factory or Arrow will get the rights to release a special edition in the future and we’ll see some special features then, but for now this is what we get. Special features get a 0.5 out of 5 from me.

            To wrap this all up, while the 1990 version of IT hasn’t exactly aged well, it’s still a fun film to watch, and Tim Curry is wonderful! Also, the child actors were impressive, especially for a film of this low a caliber; I truly believed their performances, and think that Emily Perkins, playing young Beverly, shines here. While I appreciate the limitations of the budget and the format chosen for the film, I feel it could have followed the source novel more closely than it did. Where was the house on Neibolt Street!? I also loved the 2017 remake, but I prefer this earlier version over the glossy new one. Maybe it’s nostalgia? The Blu-ray video and audio quality were fantastic, and at times exceeded my expectations, but the lack of extras is an unnecessary disappointment. I recommend this version on its audio/video performances alone. Overall, I give this release a 3.5 out of 5 rating.

Chopping Mall (Vestron Collector's Series) Blu-ray Review

Truth be told, there were probably few people as excited about a Blu-ray release of this 1986 obscurity as I was. Vestron Video, now owned by Lionsgate, has decided to start releasing its older catalogue titles on special edition Blu-rays and I for one think that is a fantastic idea. While I may have stated previously that this film is an obscure title from the '80's slasher era, that does not at all mean that this film should not be seen. Chopping Mall is a fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a great watch during the Halloween season or even on a night off. Most people may have seen this film on numerous DVD multi-feature releases. The reason is that it's not exactly a masterpiece and it has its problems, even for an '80's film. I once owned a proper DVD release of this film, but it was either sold or lost at some point in my adulthood, unfortunately. The DVD video quality was always problematic for me; it was always gauzy, dull, and pock marked with print damage. Is the Blu-ray release by Vestron any better? It is! In fact, I was so impressed by the video quality of this release that I had to watch it twice back to back because I couldn't believe the clarity, especially for a film of this low caliber. One should note that the title of this film is a sort of misnomer as it leads us to believe that it is a slasher movie, which it really is not. This is a science-fiction horror film, not a slasher. No, there are no aliens, but a bunch of robots becoming sentient and killing people sounds more sci-fi than slasher to me.
Alright, so the video. Vestron releases this version of Chopping Mall to Blu-ray with a 1080p AVC encode with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, which is almost the theatrical aspect ratio of the film, but not quite. However, it is close enough that it would not be likely that anyone would be able to notice the difference. The video quality is fantastic, especially in comparison to all other home video releases of the film. There are still problems, however, but I believe they are inherent to the original print rather than Vestron's presentation. We need to remember that this film is a low budget, 1980's incarnation and as such, it's bound to have problems that cannot be fixed. That being said, the color pallet is a bit on the washed out side, but I find that adds to the quality of the movie. Still, the color has never looked better. As far as sharpness and light and dark levels go, this release is pretty solid. The only real issue I saw was near the end when the camera begins to pan out away from our main characters and things begin to get a little grainy. This could be inherent to the different camera used for that particular panning shot, similar to the different camera used in the rotation shot in Cujo that caused some grain and video noise. This can't be helped and so I won't take any points off for this particular issue. Of the whole, I'd say that this release has a solid video encode and I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5 rating.
Let's move onto the sound aspect of the film. Chopping Mall is released to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track. This film has never seen a 5.1 audio release, and likely never will. That being said, this mono track seems faithful to the source with clear and audible dialogue throughout. The film's soundtrack shines here, which is very much a product of its time. I have always loved the strange and exciting synthesizer soundtrack of this film and the Blu-ray release offers a solid audio track that compliments it very well. I'd give the audio a 5 out of 5 rating.
Finally, there are enough special features on this Blu-ray disc to make any lover of this film very happy. There are seven featurettes to choose from, some showing the creating of the film while others are short interviews with cast and film crew. There is also a theatrical trailer and three audio commentaries. This is far more than most people would expect this small independent release to get and the special features get a 5 out of 5 rating from me.
Of the whole, I'd say that this Blu-ray release delivers the goods! If you're a fan of this film, or of the 1980's horror era in general, I'd say that this is a must own! Highly recommended with a 4.8 out of 5 rating from me.

Jeepers Creepers (Scream! Factory 2 Disc Collector's Edition) Blu-ray Review

     Jeepers Creepers may not be the best monster flick ever made, but it is a fun movie that's more than just a wannabe imitator of the Universal Studios monster movies of the 1930s. While director/writer Victor Salva obviously takes influences from these old classics, he does it in a way that mostly works. Admittedly, the best parts of Jeepers Creepers happen before the film begins to move toward its climax, which is actually the opposite of what a climax is supposed to be. The later scenes, which take place in a police station, don't fit as well with the rest of the film and seem like they belong to another movie, but of the whole this is a horror film that doesn't disappoint.
     Jeepers Creepers suffers a great deal because of the director's past. During the filming of director/writer Victor Salva's film debut, 1989's home invasion film Clownhouse, he was charged and plead no contest to sexually molesting the film's 12 year-old lead Nathan Forrest Winters. Salva went to prison for 15 months and his name would forever be tarnished in the movie business. Many viewers refuse to watch any of his films and many studios and filmmakers refuse to work with him. On top of that, since he is a registered sex offender he is not allowed to work with anyone under the age of 18. So, if the film's script contains a child's role an adult has to play it. As such, it isn't likely that any film he makes will be anything more than a low budget, potential cult hit at best. Still, as far as cult hits go, Jeepers Creepers is the cherry on that cake.
     Despite the director's past, the film, (released in early September of 2001) did quite well for itself by garnering $59 million in profit and breaking the record for highest grossing film ever of any Labor Day weekend. This record was later taken by the film's sequel in September of 2003. Despite the controversy surrounding the director, Jeepers Creepers has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it at a drive in when I was 13 years old. Perhaps my enjoyment of this film is more connected to that memory than anything else because, while the movie can be fun to watch, it isn't an overall great film.
     Scream! Factory (a sub-sect of Shout! Factory that deals exclusively in horror films) released this film on a 2 disc collector's edition Blu-ray in the summer of 2016. Now, I have owned every release of this film, VHS, DVD, and the original Blu-ray released by MGM in 2012, and I have to say that this release from Scream! Factory is by far the best all around. The original MGM Blu-ray release had some serious issues that made the upgrade pretty much unnecessary. The most glaring of these problems was that the 2012 MGM release's picture quality was so washed out that it sometimes looked as though we were watching the film play out in sand. Details were completely lost, colors were bland, and in all honesty I believe that the VHS release looked better in comparison. So, when I heard that Scream! Factory was planning to release this film on Blu-ray I knew that I had to see it, and I'm glad I did. The 2016 Scream! Factory release fixes the picture quality issues that were presented on the original 2012 release, giving us a clear picture that looks astounding most of the time. The film is inherently grainy and soft because of its low budget, but Scream! Factory brings it to life with strong colors, an extremely clear and detailed image, and a faithful representation of the director's intended vision. If I were to do a review on the original 2012 Blu-ray release, the video quality would have gotten a resounding 1 out of 5 score from me, but this new release from Scream! Factory gets a 4.5 out of 5 score because it is so clean, especially in comparison, and it is doubtful that the film will ever look any better. For this film to even get a special edition release is a marvel in and of itself.
     Scream! Factory released Jeepers Creepers to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 channel audio track that is simply fantastic. Given the style of this film and low budget nature, I always assumed that some of the dialog would always be lost from the audience's ears, but Scream! Factory has proven me wrong. Even in faraway shots, the dialog is clear and understandable, the atmospheric soundscape is crystalline, and the roars and screeching honks from that hideous brown truck The Creeper uses to scare the two siblings in the beginning of the film are startling and loud. Overall, I don't think Jeepers Creepers could sound better and the audio track from this Scream! Factory release gets a solid 5 out of 5 rating.
     Jeepers Creepers has had a profusion of special features in nearly all its releases to home video, but Scream! Factory has increased this and created a second Blu-ray disc just to hold all the special features offered on this release. The majority of these special features are originals from the film's initial DVD release back in early 2002, but there are some new goodies to check out that are exclusive to this release. A new audio commentary with the director and stars is an added bonus that won't disappoint if you're one for listening to these types of special features. Also, there is a retrospective featurette that looks back on the film with the crew who created it and two career featurettes for Barry Opper, the producer, and Patricia Belcher, the actress who played the psychic in the film. Some of these are a bit superfluous in nature, but at least this release sees a few extras that other releases didn't offer. Overall, I'd give the special features a 4 out of 5 rating.
     Of the whole, Jeepers Creepers is a decent film that harbors some startling moments. It isn't award worthy and it really wasn't meant to be. As a sort of throwback to the monster flicks of the 1930s it delivers fairly well with an original story that works most of the time and was fairly well executed; it isn't without its flaws. I suppose most fans of the film have come to love its flaws the way that one can love the flaws in a performer's vocals which set them apart as something unique. Jeepers Creepers is a favorite of mine and this release brings it to life in a way that I have never seen or heard before. Overall, this release gets a 4.3 out of 5 rating from me. If you are a fan of this film, I'd suggest getting this release over any of the previous ones as this release offers the best quality in all areas and is highly recommended from me.

Child's Play Blu-ray Review

     Child's Play may not have been the epitome of terrifying but it was certainly one hell of a good time. The first film spawned a less than impressive franchise of mostly inferior films, but one can't deny that despite all its flaws, the Child's Play franchise is very entertaining. The first film has some frightening moments and images, for instance after Chucky is burned in the fireplace and he returns to loom over his victim with a knife, the image is nightmare inducing. The idea of being able to have your soul, or sentience, forcibly removed from your body and displaced to who knows where has to be a the most frightening idea of the entire movie. What happens to you once you're removed from your body? While the answer to this question may never be explained in the film, it gives us an entertaining idea to play with.

     Child's Play was released in November of 1988 to moderate success and favorable critic reviews. I wouldn't say that it was a greatly loved film at the time of its release, but it has garnered a cult following since then and certainly did very well for itself. Anything that the film lacks in content is made up for in performances. Catherine Hicks's performance as Andy's overworked and stressed out mother is fantastic and it may surprise everyone to know that when this film started shooting Catherine Hicks was not a mother and had no idea how to connect to Alex Vincent, the little boy who played Andy. Apparently, according to Hicks, the two were able to bond over a small crystal ball that she kept with her and eventually gave to him. Also, many people don't realize that when the film was originally released there was initially a great deal of controversy surrounding it. Some people believed that because the killer was a living doll it would influence children to commit crimes or somehow damage them. Because of this, MGM Studios was surrounded by an angry crowd when the movie was released. Let's face it, though, no matter who you are, as children we all believed that our toys came to life when we weren't looking. Unsurprisingly, no crimes were ever connected to the film in any way. 

     Child's Play was released on Blu-ray for the first time in 2009 by MGM Home Video and this very same disc was released with the Chucky Complete Collection boxed set with all the other films in the franchise in 2013. In many ways, Child's Play is a product of its time and this includes its video quality. In the 1980s, slasher films were practically a pandemic, but a welcome one. By the late 1980s audiences were starting to tire from what was basically the same story being rehashed over and over again with only the film titles to differentiate them from each other. I think that Child's Play was a welcome change in that, instead of simply a madman slashing through a group of sexually frustrated teenagers, we have a murderer that is coming to the end of the line and transfers his soul into a doll so that he doesn't have to die. This brought in the aspect of voodoo in order to make this plot vehicle plausible. I always felt that the voodoo aspect was a little corny, but to push the plot along, it works. This set Child's Play apart from the overabundance of slasher films in the 1980s and this is another reason why the movie works. The animatronic special effects of the film were top notch at the time and even by today's standards look better than CGI effects, in my opinion. However, the main reason that the film is enjoyable is most likely the acting. Child actors are not often known for their believability, but Alex Vincent, who plays Andy Barclay, comes across as a natural that is only a bit rough around the edges. He is very believable as a naive and often terrified child. Catherine Hicks who plays Karen Barclay, who is Andy's mother, couldn't have given a better performance and is very believable as a single mother who's whole world revolves around her only child. Finally, Brad Dourif is the iconic voice of Chucky that honestly could never be replaced. His angry, gritty, and sometimes screechy voice is so recognizable and expressive and it suits Chucky in ways that I don't think any other actor would be able to replicate with any justice. 

     Child's Play's video quality is often very impressive despite the limitations that the original print presents. Child's Play is sometimes a gritty film and presents Chicago's often dark and frightening sides (ghettos, business districts, and filthy, homeless riddled streets) in deadly reality. I think it is important to point out that the film shows us much of the city's filthy underbelly and because of that the film tends to come across as dark and depressing, but I think that this is the point. MGM has decided to leave the print intact without using heavy noise reduction. Grain is ever present and fine detail often pops out in areas one might not expect. On the other hand, there are times when the image looks a little muddy in areas that you'd think it would look great. The muddy images usually haunt small details like strands of hair and clothing details; for the most part, no one will really notice this. Other details like facial expressions, the overall setting of most scenes, and background images are clear and almost brilliant; the image presents the film in the cold and bitter way that it was intended. The print is incredibly clean with nearly no damage at all and this allows us to watch the film without distraction. Overall, the video quality seems very faithful to the intent of the filmmakers and is often fantastic, this garners a 4/5 rating from me. 

     Child's Play comes to Blu-ray with a DTS Master Audio 5.1 surround track that is quite boisterous the majority of the time. Dialog is clear and understandable; I never felt as though I had to strain to hear any thing. The movie doesn't offer much for ambiance and this is because of how it was shot. Most of the movie takes place inside buildings and because of that you're not going to hear many sounds outside of what is happening on the screen. There are some outdoor scenes and during those scenes you can hear passing cars, honking horns, homeless people chatting, and trash can fires crackling. The score comes through clearly and at times excitedly and frighteningly. The audio track is impressive and immersive, it gets a 4/5 rating from me and it should make any fan of the film very happy. 

     Special features on the Blu-ray are very interesting with many behind the scenes featurettes and two feature commentaries from the actors and filmmakers. The only thing that was a bit disappointing was that the 2013 boxed set disc didn't offer anything new for special features and was merely the same disc offered in 2009. Seeing some new bonus content for the boxed set would have been a welcome addition and makes the boxed set unnecessary for those viewers that don't care about the mostly sub-par sequels. A retrospective feature would have been fantastic, but nothing like that made it to either the 2009 stand alone release or the boxed set. The special features get a 4/5 rating from me as well.

     Overall, Child's Play is a very entertaining and sometimes frightening film that was very well executed by the cast and the filmmakers who obviously felt a great deal of passion toward creating this feature. This was one of my favorite horror movies as a child and it is one that I think any fan of the genre should see at least once. This release by MGM is a fantastic and sometimes brilliant release that gives the audience a viewing experience that is very faithful to how the movie was intended to be seen. This release is head over heels better than any DVD release of this film and it comes highly recommended from me with an overall score of 4/5. This is the same release that is offered on the boxed set of all six Child's Play films and as such, if you are a fan of those films I'd suggest buying the boxed set instead of the standalone release. 

A Nightmare on Elm Street [1984]

     This blog is a review of horror movie Blu-ray releases. The purpose of these posts is to inform those deciding on whether or not to splurg on a Blu-ray release, especially of movies that have already been released. I may cover other types of movies besides horror from time to time, but for the most part I will be sticking to the horror genre and all the sub-genres that follow in that vein. Each post will share some information about the film and then my opinions on the Blu-ray picture, sound, special features, and overall quality of the release. Please note that these are my own opinions, designed to give others an idea of what to expect on certain releases. Your opinions may differ. This post is about Wes Craven's 1984 mainstream breakthrough hit A Nightmare on Elm Street.

     Any lover of the horror genre has seen the late and very talented Wes Craven's low budget masterpiece of night terrors. In fact, A Nightmare on Elm Street is this horror fan's favorite slasher. Freddy Kruger has been an icon of horror cinema basically since his creation in 1984. It goes unsaid that Wes knew exactly what he was doing with this film. While this was not his first film, this was the first to garner him any following other than a cult status. With gritty, almost pornographic films like The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes it's really not a wonder why some people made a wide circle around him for many years. But, with the original Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven was able to push his work into the mainstream media and create a horror franchise that has withstood the test of time.
     We all know the basic premise; a murdered child killer and molester starts killing teenagers in their sleep. Much of the story was built upon in later installations, in fact the child molestation aspect was all but left out of the final cut of the first film and mentioned in more detail in later sequels and the 2010 remake. It was written into the original script and I think that there were actually some scenes recorded where Nancy's mother discusses this aspect of Kruger's cruelty with her. For whatever reasons, the studio decided to omit this aspect until later in the series. It's mostly inconsequential to the story because a madman slaughtering children is more than enough motivation for a group of parents to band together in a vigilante group and murder him. The reason why the story works so well is perhaps because of our own fears in regards to how vulnerable we are while we sleep and the mystery that dreams, and nightmares alike, are shrouded in. No one knows for certain why we dream, we just do. There are theories of course, but will we ever really understand the complex nature of dreams and how they can both benefit us and terrorize us?
     I have owned this movie in many formats, the original VHS release, the special edition Anchor Bay 2 tape 1990 VHS release, the Platinum Series DVD, the 2 disc Infinifilm special edition DVD, the standalone Blu-ray, and the Nightmare Collection boxed set, and I can say that without a doubt the Blu-ray releases far surpass the other formats and is spectacular for what it is. Keep in mind that this film is not only aged but it was also shot on the cheap. For a 1984 low budget slasher movie, the Blu-ray video quality is very impressive. Grain is present throughout and if anyone is wondering why this is important I will tell you. For a movie to be missing a layer of grain on a Blu-ray release, especially an older title, it means that the studio that released the Blu-ray used heavy noise reduction software to clean up the print. This means that the print will also be devoid of fine detail, which is the aspect of Blu-ray that made it a great selling format. Some people may not mind the lack of details that this type of film scrubbing will create, but others like myself will find it abhorring. Fortunately, New Line (a subsidiary of Warner Bros.) has not implemented such harsh noise reduction and the grain is left intact allowing us to see fine details like the fabric of Freddy's iconic red and green sweater, facial details, foliage, and images of Nancy's dreams such as Tina spitting out that nasty looking centipede. Colors are vibrant and surpass the DVD release by miles. On the Platinum Series DVD released in 1999 the red blood looked black, in this release the blood looks red again. A Nightmare on Elm Street is never going to look pretty by any stretch of the imagination, and it really wasn't meant to, but this Blu-ray release (including the disc in the 2012 boxed set) show Wes Craven's masterpiece as faithfully as can be expected for this catalog title. I would give the image quality of this Blu-ray release a 4 out of 5 rating; it's really that good.
     Anyone who watches a Blu-ray expects an immersive sound experience and Nightmare on Elm Street delivers with a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 channel audio track. 7.1 channels for this film is almost unheard of considering that when the film originally came to home video most people heard it in mono. When watching this film on Blu-ray for the first time I heard small ambiances that I had never heard before and given that this is my favorite horror movie I was very surprised. From the wind whispering in the trees to crickets chirping in the night, the audio track gives you the feeling of being there with Nancy and her friends while they fall victim to this immortal killer. The vocal tracks were very clear, I never felt like I had to strain to hear any dialog and the score really pops to life here. Overall, this was a very satisfying audio track that should make fans very happy. I give the audio track a 4.5 out of 5 rating.
     The special features were good in their own right, but unfortunately unless you bought the boxed set collection of all seven Nightmare films there really isn't anything here that wasn't on the Infinifilm DVD release. I was hoping to see the deleted scenes that were present on the Anchor Bay special edition VHS that was released in 1990, but unfortunately these didn't make it to the Blu-ray release. However, this Blu-ray disc does have a plethora of special features that should keep any fan of the first film entertained for hours. I give the special features a 4 out of 5 rating; it would have ranked a solid 5 if the missing deleted scenes had been present.
     Overall, if you're a fan of the original Nightmare on Elm Street and are interested in an upgrade, there's really no reason not to purchase either the standalone Blu-ray or the 2012 boxed set (both discs are identical). I found the viewing experience much like watching the film for the first time with all the added visual and audio detail that we had been missing all these years. This Blu-ray release gets a 4.2 out of 5 rating from me and is highly recommended.

Halloween 35th Anniversary Edition

     These days I am not sure that there is anyone alive, whether a horror fan or not, that has not seen John Carpenter's original 1978 masterpiece Halloween in some shape, way, or form.Halloween is known for launching the slasher sub-genre (and making it a genre nearly exclusive in itself) that riddled the entirety of the 1980s horror scene. Halloween is also known for its numerous catalog entries in home video and has been released on basically every platform from Betamax to Laserdisc and VHS to DVD and Blu-ray, this title has taken them all and it's not hard to understand why. Halloween was a seminal film that owes a great deal of its success to Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1960 hit Psycho. Now, without the release and success of Halloween, we know that there would never have been films such as Friday the 13th, and Scream and the 1980s would have suffered a great loneliness in the horror department, but why was it so good? Some people say it has to do with John Carpenter's timing. Mr. Carpenter creates a very distinct atmosphere for his films and it isn't hard to point out a Carpenter directed flick just by how it looks and plays out. Carpenter is well known for his slow moving, tension building pace and he is not exactly an "in your face" kind of filmmaker. Carpenter's style is much wiser and allows the audience to sweat up some nervousness before going in for the kill. That being said, many people get it partly right as to why Halloween  works so well. To look at the movie on the surface, by today's standards it is very cliche with a deranged, almost inhuman madman escaping an insane asylum and murdering teenagers, mostly young women with what was considered loose morals at the time, but in 1978 this cliche did not exist and while the original Halloween's story was rather simplistic, it was brought to life by some very ingenious filmmakers. 

     Halloween was shot on a shoe-string budget of approximately $325,000 (equal to about $1.1 million in 2016), but it brought back $70 million in revenue (equal to about $216 million by 2016 standards). For those who think that $1.1 million dollars is a lot of money, in the movie biz this is chump change. This budget forced the creators to be clever about how they shot their film and because no one thought it would amount to much more than a moderate success at best, it was a labor of love and not created simply to make a buck. Because this film meant something to the creators this pushed them to make a stylish, thought-out film project rather than something simply thrown together by someone who had very little interest in anything other than dollar symbols. So, while the story may have lacked in some ways due to budgeting limitations, the acting, direction, and photography did not. 

     The film was shot in widescreen in the spring of 1978, which is evident when watching the film as one notices that all the trees, grass, and other foliage are full and lush; not at all the scene of autumn in the mid-western United States where the story takes place. Because of this, the director of photography (DOP) Dean Cundy intentionally muted the film's color palette to give the audience the illusion of autumn. Unfortunately, Anchor Bay's initial 2006 Blu-ray release ofHalloween did not use the DOP approved film and the colors, while bright and fantastic, did not set the stage for a film that is supposed to take place in late October. Thankfully, however, Anchor Bay justified this years later in 2013 with the 35th anniversary release of this film which was overseen and approved by the DOP Dean Cundy. For this release the bright colors were toned down and muted to give the appearance of late October; the blue sky is now gray, the bright green trees are now murky and dull. While this may seem like the opposite direction Blu-ray should go, let's remember that Blu-ray is supposed to present us with the film in the way that it was shown when it was originally released and how it was intended to be seen. Halloween was meant to be shadowy with gray tinted daytime scenes and blue tinted night time scenes, and this is how the 35th anniversary Blu-ray presents the film. This is a very faithful representation of how the film was originally seen by audiences in 1978 and because of Dean Cundy's involvement it can be assumed that this is the closest anyone will ever get on any format. The image on this release has left the film's grain structure intact and because of that the fine detail is sublime. Every detail, from the minute to the important, seems to be present from the foliage of the setting, the facial features on the actors, clothing, and the likes. Even in dark scenes, detail never seems to become murky. This is truly a testament to the capabilities of Blu-ray, even for a film shot very cheaply during a time when details were hard to grasp in picture quality. This tells me that nearly any film can be presented in an almost immaculate way if the studio puts the time and effort into it. The video quality of this release gets a 5/5 rating from me. 

     This is another Blu-ray that does nothing but impress in the sound department. WhenHalloween was shot the sound was recorded in mono, which was a standard in 1978. Anchor Bay released Halloween on a 35th anniversary Blu-ray with a Dolby Digital True HD 7.1 channel mix and an option to listen to the original mono track. The only way this could possibly be better is if it was an uncompressed master audio track. However, even the track on this release is in a lossless format, giving the listener an immersive experience that should leave any fan very pleased. The overall sound was fantastic, with clear dialog, ambiance, unhindered background sounds, and John Carpenter's score coming through in frightening clarity. I would give the audio on this release a 4.5/5 rating. A master audio track would have made this a solid 5. 

     The disc comes with a plethora of special features, some of them new to this release, but unfortunately it also leaves out some of the special features present in previous releases. So, unless you either hold onto the original Blu-ray release or buy the Scream Factory boxed set which includes both the original release and the 35th anniversary release, you won't have all the bonus features that this title has to offer. This release also includes the TV version footage, but it is not integrated into the film in any form and is presented to the consumer more like deleted scenes in a bonus feature. This may not be a problem to some people, but those who want to watch the film with the TV version scenes integrated will want to hang onto their old TV version DVD or buy the Scream Factory Deluxe Edition boxed set which includes the film with the TV version footage intact on a bonus disc. Overall, I'd give the bonus features on this release a 4/5 rating. 

     If you want my advice, this is the version of Halloween to own. It is presented as it was intended to be seen, offers an immersive soundtrack, and gives any fan enough special features to die for. However, if you are a fan of all the installments of the series (or at least most of them) getting the Scream Factory Deluxe Edition boxed set (which includes this release and the original 2006 Blu-ray release) is the way to go. The special features on the boxed set are much more immersive and more viewing choices are offered. Overall, the standalone 35th anniversary Blu-ray release of Halloween gets a 4.5/5 rating from this horror fan.