What producers Moustapha Akkad, Debra Hill and Irwin Yablans, writer-director John Carpenter and stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence started in 1978 has transformed into one of the most durable, iconic — and copiously studied — horror film franchises ever created. Over the years, audiences have lived and relived the terrors of Michael Myers through 10 feature films, as well as various re-edits and alternate versions. Yet to date, with rights spread across multiple home entertainment studios, the complete saga of Michael Myers could be told only in pieces, in individual DVD and Blu-ray releases.
Through the unprecedented collaboration of Anchor Bay Entertainment and Scream Factory, however, that changes on September 23, with the arrival of the Halloween: The Complete Collection Blu-ray box set. Alongside a 10-disc version that includes the original theatrical versions of the Halloween films and select bonus features, a deluxe edition release comes spread across a whopping 15 discs, with all of the Halloween feature films to date — Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Halloween H20, Halloween: Resurrection, and Rob Zombie‘s Halloween and Halloween II. In addition, the latter set includes the never-before-released producers’ cut of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, as well as the ultra-rare network TV version of the original Halloween, the network TV version of Halloween II, and unrated versions of Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween II.
Again, bonus content from previous releases is ported over, but among the hours of brand new bonus features are updated interviews with cast and crew from the entire franchise. In response to years of fan feedback, the first Halloween will now also include an option for the original mono audio track. The 15-disc release comes with a limited edition 40-page book written by Michael Gingold of Fangoria Magazine; collectible packaging will include a newly commissioned illustration on the outer case, with each film separately stored in its own black Blu-ray case with complementary original theatrical one-sheets as their key art.
Daily Archives: June 14, 2014
22 Jump Street
There wasn’t necessarily reason to attach a lot of expectations to 2012’s 21 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, but the irreverent and self-referential reboot of the same-named, late-1980s TV series that helped launch the career of Johnny Depp delved into young male anxieties and issues of adolescent-adjacent friendship with considerable aplomb. Its sequel, 22 Jump Street, even more fully embraces and explores masculine relationship dynamics, while also wittily working over like a heavyweight’s speed bag Hollywood’s empty-headed love of franchising. Abundant in charm and loose-limbed energy, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, possessing everything one wants from a big Hollywood studio action-comedy. For the full, original review, from Paste, click here. (Sony, R, 112 minutes)