Heather’s Favorite Things About Halloween: The Complete Collection (Deluxe Edition)

The long wait for Halloween fans is almost over- Scream Factory and Anchor Bay’s stunning box set, Halloween: The Complete Collection, finally arrives tomorrow and I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity recently to immerse myself in all things Michael Myers in order to take a look at what they put together for their definitive Deluxe Edition Blu-ray set.

While I believe that The Complete Collection is absolutely a worthy addition to any fan’s home entertainment library, I know that there are some concerns out there from Halloween fans that buying the pricey set means they are forced to re-buy several of the franchise’s titles once again (especially considering most of the Halloween films already celebrated their individual releases in high-def over the last two years). That sentiment is true to a certain degree but, as a fan, I couldn’t imagine not picking up the box set just based on the inclusion of Halloween 6: The Producer’s Cut alone, which is pretty much the holy grail for all of us Haddonfield enthusiasts out there. The set also features all-black Blu-ray boxes (something I thought was a nice touch), an in-depth booklet that discusses the entire franchise and its importance to the genre as a whole and also includes some really incredible new featurettes on several of the Halloween films too, with a few odds and ends included on the bonus disc (interviews, deleted footage, etc.) that no doubt will be of interest as well.

So rather than do a formal review of Halloween: The Complete Collection, I thought it might be kind of fun to take a look at some of my very favorite things about this new box set in order to give fans a taste of what they can expect when they finally bring Michael home for themselves on September 23rd.

As mentioned, the biggest reason to pick-up the Deluxe Edition of Halloween: The Complete Collection has got to be the new version of Halloween 6 which has also been fully restored and looks incredible. I had seen this version of the film previously at the HMAD Los Angeles screening months ago and while I certainly enjoyed myself, this new transfer is a total revelation. All the new footage has been color-timed and cleaned up to flow perfectly with the theatrical cut’s footage and the sound mix is impeccable. Scream and Anchor Bay really outdid themselves on this one, folks. And as far as the film itself is concerned, I’ve always been an apologist for the theatrical version of Halloween 6 (maybe because I saw it had these really fantastic glimpses of genius buried deep within it) but The Producer’s Cut is undeniably a much stronger and far more atmospheric sequel that not only gives Donald Pleasance a much more fitting sendoff but also treats the character of Jamie Lloyd with a lot more reverence, which I preferred as a longtime fan of the character.

Halloween 6: The Producer’s Cut also gets the special features treatment as well with an incredibly thorough look back at production from those involved with the project by way of several featurettes. It would have been nice to have some of the new Halloween 6 interviews assembled together into one cohesive video but overall, there’s a lot of interesting tidbits shared here, especially the interview with Danielle Harris who went through hell and fought to be part of Curse, only to be relegated to a day performer which sadly forced the actress to then exit the project before it began shooting. For any fan out there who has always wondered what happened with Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers and how we ended up with two very different visions of the film, look no further as The Complete Collection answers all your questions and provides tons of insight into the film’s storied production.

Halloween: The Complete Collection also offers up several new engaging and in-depth featurettes on Halloween 4, Halloween 5 and Halloween H20 which are totally worth sitting down and checking out if you’re a fan of these sequels in particular. Key cast and crew members are rounded up from each film and reflect on their experiences working on their respective films. And I must say, I have a newfound respect for Halloween H20 after watching these interviews (and listening to the commentary- more on that soon) because it’s only now that I fully realize how truly special that film is and how much it related to and celebrated both the original Halloween and Halloween II.

In regards to commentaries, there are two new tracks included in Halloween: The Complete Collection for John Carpenter’s Halloween and for Halloween H20 that I thoroughly enjoyed. The new Halloween commentary features DP Dean Cundey, Tommy Lee Wallace (who edited the film and was heavily involved with production on the original and several of the Halloween sequels) and Nick Castle who portrayed “The Shape” (and went on to become a filmmaker as well) and is an insightful conversation on some of the more technical aspects of Halloween. Fans of the filmmaking process will undoubtedly enjoy this commentary as it does a nice job of discussing some of the tricks Carpenter and his crew used to make Halloween over 35 years ago now and there are a bunch of fun anecdotes shared between the trio as well that were very entertaining and enjoyable.

The new commentary for Halloween H20 features director Steve Miner and Jamie Lee Curtis and while it may not necessarily be as technically informative as the previously mentioned, the stories and memories shared here between Miner and Curtis for H20 are absolutely priceless, making the commentary a loving tribute to the 1998 sequel.

All in all, there’s a wealth of awesomeness that awaits horror fans in Halloween: The Complete Collection and for those of you who have been waiting a long time for an entire franchise-spanning box set, you will not be let down by what awaits you on September 23rd. This collection is truly THE definitive release of these films and will undoubtedly make for some perfect viewings this upcoming Halloween season.