DUCKTALES VOL 2 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Show:

When I was younger and the schoolwork was finished, I spent quite a bit of time with my butt planted in front of the TV watching Disney cartoons. Ducktales, Talespin, Darkwing Duck, and Rescue Rangers were easily my favorites of the Disney's afternoon. While each of these shows proved to be popular with the kiddies, Ducktales was the first and most well received.

The show takes place in the city of Duckburg. Primarily it focuses on Scrooge McDuck who lives with his grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. The boys were staying with Donald, but being the sailor that he is, he decided to join the navy and see the world. Together Scrooge and the boys went on countless adventures seeking riches or simply just to have a good time. The show may have been silly at times but there was often a point to the episode and a moral to the story buried in somewhere. Granted the depth of the plot was relatively light since it's not like a kid will sit through some grand opus involving talking ducks.

The thing that really helped Ducktales out the most though was the fact that it expanded upon the known duck universe. Characters such as Launchpad McQuack, the pilot who could crash any plane, and Gyro Gearloose, the genius inventor, really helped to round out the show. Of course you can't have an interesting adventure series like this without worthwhile villains. The Beagle Boys and Magica De Spell take up a decent amount of screen time but my personal favorite was Scrooge's greedy nemesis Flintheart Glomgold. Yes, Ducktales is a fun show and surprisingly it holds up extremely well nearly twenty years later.

As part of the Disney Afternoon Ducktales began in September of 1987 and ran for a total of 100 episodes. It was so popular that a theatrical film ("Treasures of the Lost Lamp") was released in 1990, but it hasn't quite hit DVD yet. At any rate the first volume featured 27 episodes though it was missing the pilot episode "Treasure of the Golden Sun". Fans were left out in the dark as to why the introductory episode(s) was not included but will be delighted to hear that it has been included in this volume. 24 episodes make the cut here with the pilot taking up five of them.

Just like the first set this one is broken down onto three discs; each with eight episodes. The first disc is where the five parts of "Treasure of the Golden Sun" are featured and let me tell you that this is the best experience available on this set. Don't get me wrong; just about every episode in this second volume is great. There's just something about the pilot that hit all of the right notes and included everything that I loved about Ducktales. Sweeping adventure, funny jokes, and endearing dialogue come together with a great story.

"Treasure of the Golden Sun" isn't the only multiple episode storyline found on this set. "Catch as Cash Can" is a four part tale about yet another contest between Scrooge and Glomgold. In Macaroon there is a new fruit that has emerged and promises to take the world by storm. Seeing the financial opportunity the two rich ducks pit their fortunes against one another in order to score exclusives to the tasty treat. The Beagle Boys work their way in as well and soon things take a spin for the worst for Scrooge and company.

"Double-O-Duck" was another fantastic episode and focused mostly on one of Launchpad's misadventures. He is mistaken for a secret agent and gets dragged into the Foreign Organization of World Larceny. With a strong 007 atmosphere and lots of fun intrigue, this episode was another favorite of mine from this set. Granted it's not quite Casino Royale but when the entire cast is ducks you have to appreciate it on some level.

Some other outstanding episodes from this set include "Raiders of the Lost Harp", "Magica's Magic Mirror/Take Me Out of the Ballgame", "Time Teasers", and "Back Out in the Outback". With only a few episodes out of the 24 available here being what I'd call "average" this is another solid Disney Afternoon collection. Ducktales was indeed one of the finest cartoons to come along for Disney and this set will keep fans happy as well as create new ones. Get the first volume and pick this one up as well; you won't be disappointed.

Episode List:

Treasure of the Golden Suns Parts 1-5
Back to the Klondike
Horse Scents
Scrooge's Pet
Catch as Cash Can Parts 1-4
Merit-Time Adventure
The Golden Fleecing
Ducks of the West
Time Teasers
Back Out in the Outback
Raiders of the Lost Harp
The Right Duck
Scroogerello
Double-O-Duck
Luck O' the Ducks
Duckworth's Revolt
Magica's Magic Mirror/Take Me Out of the Ballgame

The DVD:

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The Video:

Considering that these episodes of Ducktales were produced in 1987 the transfer here is fantastic. The print has been kept nearly pristine and apart from a few moments of speckle and discoloration, the video here is very pleasing. The image quality does dip at a couple of points where some soft edges and grain is identifiable but overall the care taken to bring this show to DVD is noticeable. Ducktales may not be as sharp looking as shows produced more recently but this release is a much better alternative to old VHS tapes and occasional reruns (if they can still be found).

The Audio:

Much like the image quality, the audio is reminiscent of a television show from the 80s. That means you can expect to listen to the show with a flat mono soundtrack that does little to impress audibly. The show sounded as good as I remembered with some terrific voice acting and music, but since it comes across with no directionality it can't really compete with today's current titles. Fortunately I didn't encounter any distortion or flaw with the transfer and even the English subtitles are very accurate.

The Extras:

Just like the first DVD release for Ducktales the second has nothing on it for bonus content. Simply having the show is a treat but a little something extra would have gone a long way.

Final Thoughts:

When it comes to cartoons from the 80's it really doesn't get much better than the adventures of Scrooge and his nephews. Other shows come and go but Ducktales is arguably going to be around for my longer. Each episode is a fun little treat and it's one that fans can still enjoy nearly twenty years later. While the show may not be the most complex series out there I can still picture today's kids getting into it just as much as my generation did back in the day. That's the mark of good television; timelessness.

The second volume of Ducktales is just as entertaining as the first one was. Check it out if you're a fan or you're looking for an endearing show that the whole family can enjoy.

DUCKTALES VOL 1 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Show:

Quackarooni! It's Ducktales on DVD!

I can't tell you how excited I was when I originally heard that Disney was going to release this series on DVD. This was without a doubt one of those shows that just begged for a box set and thankfully there was enough interest in the franchise to put it out on the market. Ducktales was the best that Disney had to offer for TV back in the 80s and it really raised the bar and paved the way for future animated series.

The show originally aired its first episode in September of 1987, ran for a total of 100 episodes and had its own theatrically released movie. Ducktales represented a change in pace for the way that Disney produced their animated TV series and the studio took a gamble on increasing the budget. Fortunately the gambit paid off and the quality animation, story telling, and overall production values made the show an instant success. I suppose it also helped to have some familiar characters added into the mix.

In the quant metropolis of Duckburg, Scrooge McDuck finds himself living with his vast fortune and his grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. The boys were staying with Donald, but being the sailor that he is, he decided to join the navy and see the world. Each of these characters had been Disney staples for a long time, though the show doesn't run on familiar faces alone. There are quite a few characters that were introduced when Ducktalesaired that helped add depth to the concept and gave the McDuck universe some fresh material.

Scrooge and the boys live in a large mansion, so obviously they can't take care of everything themselves. Mrs. Bentina Beakley is the nanny and Duckworth is the butler, but they add much more to the show than just being space filler. Other new additions to Ducktales included Beakley's granddaughter Webby Vanderquack, Scrooge's personal pilot Launchpad McQuack, and Doofus Drake. In the sets to come we'll be introduced to more characters like Gizmo Duck and Bubba the Caveduck, but for this review we're focusing on the first selection of episodes for the show.

Several characters from Carl Bark's original comics also make appearances on Ducktales. Some fans may have never realized that the show was based strongly on comics from the 1940s. Many characters like Gyro Gearloose, Magica De Spell, Flintheart Glomgold and the Beagle Boys had actually been around for nearly half a century before the cartoon found its way onto the airwaves. Some things may have changed in order to make the transition to the television, but there is definitely a rich history surrounding the characters.

This collection that has just been released by Disney offers up the originally airing episodes on three discs, but diehard fans may recognize that something is missing. "Treasure of the Golden Suns" was actually the first arc that started the show and when it originally aired it was broken down into a five episode adventure. It set up the series and introduced the basic idea of the show and how the nephews came to be living with Scrooge. It's a little strange that it is absent from this set, but what follows are the subsequent 27 episodes.

There isn't a whole lot of continuity between the episodes, so branching story arcs are a rare thing. For the most part each episode is broken down into a stand alone adventure where everyone stops the bad guy, makes a discovery and has a few laughs along the way. It's a lighthearted show that at times has an appropriate amount of sentiment and many times there is often a moral to the story.

I have to say that it has been a long time since I have been able to watch Ducktales. I don't think I have seen the show since it originally aired aside a few scattered reruns here and there. While I don't recall many of these episodes, there are some here that are absolute classics. What's most surprising to me is how well the quality of the series withstood the test of time. Often when you go back to look at a show from your childhood you'll walk away with a feeling of embarrassment or thinking "I can't believe I used to watch that". That show isn't Ducktales, because the series is every bit as good today as it was 18 years ago.

Some of the episodes I remembered most fondly are available here. "Master of the Djinni" was easily one of my favorites both when the show originally aired and now. The episode features Scrooge and his arch nemesis Glomgold in a race to nab Aladdin's lamp before the other does. Once the genie is out of the bottle though they both get more than they bargained for when they are sent back in time to the days of the Arabian nights.

Another gem from this box set is "Where No Duck Has Gone Before" which is a blatant spoof of Star Trek. Scrooge invests some cash in a movie studio, but instead of getting a refund he winds up with the deed and title. His first mission is to have Gyro build a realistic set for a show featuring Major Courage's journey through space. The only problem is that Gyro built a real ship that launches into space. Fortunately, even though Huey, Dewey and Louie are on board, Launchpad is there as well, so at least someone can (kind of) fly the thing.

There really wasn't a bad episode among the bunch, and like I said, the show is every bit as endearing now as it was when it was first broadcast. I for one am pleased to see Ducktales being released, though I'd like to have "Treasure of the Golden Suns" at some point on DVD.

Episode Guide:

Send in the Clones
Sphinx for the Memories
Where No Duck Has Gone Before
Armstrong
Robot Robbers
Magica's Shadow War
Master of the Djinni
Hotel Strangeduck
The Lost Crown of Genghis Kahn
Duckman of Aquatraz
The Money Vanishes
Sir Gyro De Gearloose
Dinosaur Ducks
Hero for Hire
Superdoo!
Maid of the Myth
Down and Out In Duckburg
Much Ado about Scrooge
Top Duck
The Pearl of Wisdom
The Curse of Castle McDuck
Launchpad's Civil War
Sweet Duck of Youth
Earthquack
Home Sweet Homer
Bermuda Triangle Tangle
Microducks from Outer Space

The DVD:

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Presentation:

Ducktales is presented with three thin cases, each with a nine episode disc enclosed. The packaging artwork is mediocre, though I thought it was smart to color code the individual cases by Huey, Dewey and Louie's colors. The DVD menus are rather boring and uninspired, though I did appreciate the ability to skip chapters and the opening animation.

The Video:

Originally broadcast in 1987, the Ducktales Season 1 DVD set is presented with a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio. For a series that saw production nearly two decades ago, the print has been kept in fairly good condition. It may not be a technical marvel like more current animated series, but the restoration of the image translates well to DVD. There are a few moments where the image goes a little soft and in many cases there is a fine layer of grain, but I didn't really catch any major aliasing or edge enhancement. It is not the best looking image in the world, but it is quite better than those old VHS tapes lying around in the closet and acceptable under today's scrutiny.

The Audio:

Much like the image quality, the audio is reminiscent of a television show from the 80s. That means you can expect to listen to the show with a flat mono soundtrack that does little to impress audibly. The show sounded as good as I remembered with some terrific voice acting and music, but since it comes across with no directionality it can't really compete with today's current titles. Fortunately I didn't encounter any distortion or flaw with the transfer and even the English subtitles are very accurate.

The Extras:

Poor Scrooge must have spent all of his money on just getting the DVD set released, because there is absolutely nothing available on any of the three discs that could be called bonus material. Something regarding the creation of the show or a documentary about Carl Barks would have been definitely appreciated, but we unfortunately get left out in the dark.

Final Thoughts:

Ducktales is easily one of my favorite animated TV shows of all time, so naturally I am very pleased that it's on DVD. The 27 episodes here are all highly entertaining and even by today's quality standards they remain fresh and original. I am confused (and a little disappointed) by the decision not to include the "Treasure of the Golden Suns" story arc, and even though it starts off the series, it's not entirely crucial to see it to understand what's going on.

The image and sound quality is very good for a show of this age, but pales in comparison to many DVDs on the market these days. No bonus material is also kind of a bummer, so fans looking for a more personal touch to their collection will be out of luck. Ducktales is a perfect example of a show that doesn't need to use violence or adult humor to be entertaining for viewers of all ages. In its day it was an intelligent show with a great sense of adventure that wasn't afraid to take risks. Whether you were a fan of the series or just never got the chance to watch it, I recommend picking up this box set.

TALESPIN VOL 1 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Show:

Joining the illustrious ranks of the Disney Afternoon TaleSpin found a home right next to Ducktales, Rescue Rangers and Darkwing Duck. Running for about a year and a total of 65 episodes, TaleSpin was a lot of fun though obviously not as successful as Ducktales and Rescue Rangers. The show was still entertaining and had a much wider audience than Darkwing Duck thanks to its cheerful nature.

Just like the shows that featured Scrooge and Chip & Dale, TaleSpin brought some more of Disney's already established characters into a new world. From the Jungle Book Baloo, Shere Khan, and Louie found themselves in brand new roles. Instead of chasing around a brat in a loincloth (sorry Mowgli) Baloo was presented to his new audience as a swashbuckling adventurer akin to Indiana Jones with a pilot license.

The series exists outside of our time period (obviously) and doesn't ever try to explain the change in venue from the Jungle Book. The story seems to take place in an era inspired by the 1930s with art deco all over the place and a form of media dominated by radio. Planes are the best source of transportation since the world appears to be broken up into small islands amidst a vast sea. Don't worry though, this place isn't quite Waterworld and Baloo isn't a merman like Kevin Costner (thank God). Oddly enough though there are pirates.

Life in the serene harbor side metropolis of Cape Suzette has been pretty peaceful for Baloo. He's got a great place right on the water and a sweet plane called the Sea Duck that he uses to take on jobs (when he wants to) and fly to Louie's bar. Sure the stack of bills is months old and he can't afford to pay for the plane that he calls his baby, but he's a carefree bloke without a worry in the world. That is at least until he bumps into a kid named Kit Cloudkicker at Louie's.

It would seem that where Kit goes, trouble follows because shortly after he shows up some pirates come looking for him. Don Karnage (plundering pirate extraordinaire) comes looking for the brat because he stole a treasure from his troupe. This puts Kit in the tender paws of Baloo who would sooner dump the brat out of the cargo hold when pirates come trying to shoot down his plane. Whether he likes it or not though Baloo is stuck with the little tyke and takes to calling him "little britches" which may be a familiar phrase to those of you that have seen The Jungle Book.

Unfortunately for Baloo if Karnage's pirates don't destroy his plane first the bank is going to foreclose on it. Things only get worse when Baloo's residence, business and mode of transportation are bought out by a tightwad named Rebecca Cunningham. She's fresh out of business school and looking to make a name for herself. With daughter in tow she transforms the business into Higher for Hire and rehires Baloo and Kit to be her pilot and navigator. If this sounds familiar to you in some way then you probably were a fan of Cheers. There are many parallels between Rebecca and Baloo and Rebecca and Sam, though to be fair Baloo never tries to get into his boss's pants.

Together they form a kind of family and go on several adventures for the sake of doing a job or just the right thing. During the course of the show several bad guys stood up to do their dastardly deeds, though for the most part Don Karnage and Shere Khan shared that dubious honor in their own ways. There were some miscellaneous characters (both good and bad) that came and went, though to be fair they were mostly forgettable.

Throughout the course of the show's 65 episodes there were many hits with only a couple of misses in terms of quality. Like many of the other shows on the Disney Afternoon TaleSpin was very episodic with mostly stand alone stories and a lack of continuity. Apart from the groundwork that the pilot episode/s laid out the series never really expanded beyond that point. Then again, that's how most children's cartoons operate.

Accompanying Darkwing Duck on store shelves, the first volume of TaleSpin has been released as well. Just like its counterpart the set features 27 episodes including the original pilot, which is broken up into four parts. So technically you could argue that there are only 24 episodes in the grand scheme of things. A lot of what you'll find here are some of the more iconic moments from the series and in my opinion some of the better adventures.

Things get started with "Plunder & Lightning" which is the original pilot broken up just like I mentioned. The story here was one of the best that TaleSpin ever put together and it really had everything a kid (or adult) could want from a show like this. The story was fantastic and it blended the elements of action, comedy and emotion in perfect synergy. I particularly enjoyed the moment where Kit "betrayed" his friends. It's not something that I was expecting and it really added a lot of depth to his character and relationship with Baloo early on in the show.

Another great episode from this set was "Vowel Play". In that particular adventure a criminal mastermind named Heimlich Menudo schemes to use Higher for Hire to write messages in the sky. The messages were actually communications to his gang members in a plot to steal all of Cape Suzette's diamonds. The funny part is that since Baloo is the pilot, he can't really spell, and in the end it's up to his poor grammar to save the day.

"On a Wing and a Bear" was a fun episode that showed just how slimy Shere Khan can be. There are essentially two stories in this one though they intertwine towards the end. Baloo gets pulled over for flying too fast and even though he weasels his way out of a ticket for that his licensed gets revoked due to its expiration. He then has to go back to the Federal Licensing Agency for Pilots (FLAP) to get tested again. In the meantime there is a fuel crisis and the price of gas is constantly on the rise. Khan insists that it's the pirates who are the cause, though secretly he and Karnage are working together. Naturally it's up to Baloo to set things right and get his license back in the process.

These episodes only begin to scratch the surface of what's featured on this boxed set and there are many other adventures worth checking out. "A Bad Reflection On You Parts 1 & 2", "From Here to Machinery", "The Idol Rich" and "Stormy Weather" help round out the better episodes. Unfortunately there are a few in the set that leave something to be desired, but you could say that with just about every show.

Overall TaleSpin was a good show with a rich atmosphere and wildly entertaining cast. Despite the bizarre nature of taking characters from The Jungle Book and tossing them into a 1930's environment, the concept really works. If you were a fan of the show then this set will undoubtedly already have a place reserved on your shelf. For the uninitiated who may have never seen the series, this is a flight worth taking especially if you found yourself enjoying other Disney Afternoon shows like Ducktales and Rescue Rangers.

Episode Guide:

Plunder & Lightning Parts 1 through 4
From Here To Machinery
It Came From Beneath The Sea Duck
Time Waits For No Bear
Mommy For A Day
I Only Have Ice For You
Molly Coddled
Polly Wants A Treasure
Vowel Play
The Idol Rich
Stormy Weather
Bearly Alive
Her Chance To Dream
All's Whale That Ends Whale
The Golden Sprocket Of Friendship
For A Fuel Dollars More
A Bad Reflection On You Parts 1 & 2
On A Wing And A Bear
A Star Is Torn
A Touch Of Glass
The Bigger They Are The Louder They Oink
A Spy In The Ointment
The Balooest Of The Bleu Bloods

The DVD:

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The Video:

Just like Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin is presented with a 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio and looks only slightly better than VHS. The image is extremely soft with some blurry edges and a fair amount of grain residing in the picture. In many areas there is also a good amount of dirt in the picture. It's a shame that a show like this couldn't have received a better transfer but to be honest I suppose fans can't be too picky. This is still leaps and bounds above those worn out tapes in terms of quality.

The Audio:

Unlike the previews two Disney Afternoon sets TaleSpin actually gets a stereo presentation instead of a mono track. I'm pleased to see the new wave of these Disney releases getting some better treatment. Granted this probably has more to do with the date or the show's production more than anything related to the DVDs, but either way it's nice. The quality is decent though nothing to write home about if you're used to 5.1 surround mixes that rock your bass. The sound stays pretty steady throughout but there were a few times where the audio came across as muffled or soft. English captions for the hearing impaired are also featured if you're looking for subtitles of a sort. A French language track is available as well.

The Extras:

Once again Disney disappoints fans with a release void of supplemental material. These sets feel more designed with the young new viewer in mind rather than an older audience member that used to be a fan.

Final Thoughts: If you have been dying to have TaleSpin on DVD then you've already made up your mind whether or not to buy this set. If for some reason you haven't made up your mind then let me put it to you this way. I recommend this set (like the other Disney Afternoon series) purely based on the material of the show. The DVDs score low points in terms of presentation, but you simply can't go wrong with the cartoon that happens to live on these discs.

FREDDY VS JASON DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie:

Discussed and rumored for many a year, it was inevitable that the two titans of terror, Freddy and Jason, would eventually meet up in a film. A success and something of a revitalization of the franchises, there's even been rumors of future installments (maybe this film's success is what got the long in-development "Alien Vs. Predator" going again at Fox). As the picture opens, Freddy has been banished to hell and remains deeply ticked off about his punishment. What to do? He searches through hell and finally finds Jason, resurrecting him via a nightmare. Jason goes about his business on Elm Street, bringing back memories of Freddy in those who made it through his reign of terror.

Freddy eventually finds enough fear in the kids of Elm Street to return to their nightmares, but it's still a while before he finds enough strength. When he finally does, he realizes that Jason isn't willing to go anywhere, and to have the power all to himself, the two terror icons will have go to battle. Remarkably, the movie spends a great deal of time providing exposition about the past history of F & J, along with what's happened since then. Characters even discuss, in great depth, the "adult cover up" of Freddy, which includes a literal "quarantine" (read: mental hospital) for those who were believed to know about the killer.

Given that the characters are about as one-dimensional as most characters in this genre, it's a little difficult at times to sit through the first half of the picture, which is a series of stops-and-starts that has the characters discussing what's currently going on in the film. The performances aren't half-bad considering - I liked Monica Keena in the little-seen TV series "Undeclared" and she's good as the lead here - but the opening half of the picture occasionally seemed like an awfully long wait to get to the inevitable battle.

I also found some other things to like about the film. Although some of the effects are a little primitive (if creative), "Freddy Vs. Jason" is beautifully shot by veteran cinematographer Fred Murphy ("Stir Of Echoes", "The Mothman Prophecies"), who uses the 'scope framing to the film's best advantage. Veteran Hong Kong director Ronny Yu, no stranger to horror films or action movies, also handles the action nicely. There's little in the way of humor, unfortunately, but a couple of amusing moments (after Jason breaks up a party, a stoner remarks, "Man, that goalie was pissed about something.") are scattered throughout.

Overall, I found this to be a decent diversion for 90 minutes and change; while that doesn't sound like praise, it's not a bad comment coming from someone who was never a hardcore fan of the films or the genre in general to begin with. Given that the film's financial success will likely result in another film, I can only hope that the rumored "Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash" (Ash being Bruce Campbell's character from the "Evil Dead" films) will go forward.


The DVD

VIDEO: "Freddy Vs. Jason" is presented both 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 pan & scan on this release. The anamorphic widescreen edition is another stellar New Line effort, really capturing the film's sleek, slick appearance in all its glory. Sharpness and detail are marvelous, as the picture looks crisp, clean and three-dimensional, with excellent depth and definition to the image. Despite the dark nature of the film, the picture never appeared soft.

Deep, well-saturated colors are visible throughout the transfer, yet the presentation offers them superbly, with no smearing or other concerns. A tiny bit of edge enhancement was present in a couple of scenes, but this was hardly an issue. Light grain was also noticed, but the print remained in excellent condition, with no scratches, marks or other debris. Despite the fact that two versions of the film (ws/fs) are present on the first disc, the picture still looked smooth, with no compression artifacts. This is another winner from New Line.

SOUND: "Freddy Vs. Jason" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1-EX by New Line. The film's soundtrack is a highly aggressive affair, using the surrounds for voices, discrete sound effects, music and general ambience. Rarely are the rear speakers not in play, and they really get going intensely during the action sequences. Those who have the ability to engage a rear back surround channel will also find that it adds greatly to the experience. The score remained crisp and clear throughout, while dialogue was natural and easily understood. To no surprise, the soundtrack also packs some hefty low bass during many scenes.

EXTRAS:

Commentary: This is a commentary from director Ronny Yu and actors Ken Kirtzinger ("Jason") and Robert Englund ("Freddy"). This is an informal, funny little discussion that has the two terror icons joking around about what happened on set and sharing some information about the history (although Kirtzinger is new to playing Jason) of the characters. Yu discusses some of the technical and production issues that went into the main scenes. The commentary does have a few slow moments and a few that go too deeply into praise, but I thought it was an entertaining time.

Production Featurettes: "Genesis: Development Hell", "On Location: Springwood Revisited", "Art Direction: Jason's Decorating Tips", "Stunts: When Push Comes to Shove", and "Makeup Effects: Freddy's Beauty Secrets". The first featurette is the most interesting, as there are some great discussions of how long the film was in development - star Englund talks about meeting a TV producer on a plane who'd happened to take a try at a script draft for the film. Producer Stokely Chafin, director Ronny Yu, New Line President Bob Shaye and others offer their thoughts in interviews throughout. The remainder of the featurettes are more informal, as the camera follows along cast and crew members going through and preparing for their scenes. Interviews with cast and crew - some fun, many informative, a couple quite amusing - are occasionally edited in.

Visual FX featurettes: This 34-minute set of featurettes goes through each of the film's major effects sequences, with the visual FX supervisors discussing each of the elements that went into the scene and showing each of the elements that constructed the sequence.

Camp Hackenslash: A promotional event in Austin, TX, this event had fans from all around gathered for a day before the actual premiere. Nothing much to see here, although sheer goofiness involved is somewhat fascinating.

Deleted Scenes: 19 deleted scenes (including an alternate opening and ending) are included, with optional commentary. The alternate ending is terrible and most of the scenes seem like unnecessary extensions or deletions wisely done to keep the pace up.

Also: "Freddy and Jason go to Development Hell", a reprint of a magazine article; a pre-fight promotional event in Vegas; the film's original theatrical trailer (in 5.1), TV spots, a music video, the trailer for New Line's upcoming "The Butterfly Effect" (in 5.1), a trailer for 2003's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (which has quite the spooky 5.1 soundtrack), a trailer for "Jason Goes To Hell", a trailer for "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare", image galleries and DVD-ROM material, including an "enhanced viewing" mode w/trivia, an editing featurette, sound bites, web links and more.

Final Thoughts: Silly, mindless entertainment, "Freddy Vs. Jason" will appeal to fans of both franchises, but others interested may still find it a decent rental. New Line's DVD provides quite a few bonus features, as well as excellent audio/video quality.

HALLOWEEN RESURRECTION DVD TALK REVIEW

As Halloween: Resurrection kicks off, we're reintroduced to Laurie Strode for the third time. When last we saw our plucky heroine in the abysmally titled Halloween: H20, Laurie had lopped off the head of her mass-murdering older brother, seemingly putting an end fo the long-running Halloween franchise after twenty years and six sequels. H20 performed well enough at the box office to warrant an eighth installment, so exposition and an accompanying flashback reveal that...::gasp!::...that wasn't really Michael after all! Laurie inadvertently decapitated an innocent family man, and, racked with guilt, she's spent the past several years staring blankly outside her sanitarium window. Michael stops by to pay Laurie one final visit, and once Jamie Lee Curtis' contractual obligation is completed, the opening credits roll so that the mediocrity can really begin.

With two full decades of hunting his sister finally having come to a close, Michael strolls home to Haddonfield for a well-deserved rest. Before he can hang up his overalls, Mikey finds his decrepit familial home overrun with college students. Enterprising webcasters Dangertainment have recruited a bunch of bland twentysomethings to spend Halloween night at the Myers house, including such cardboard cutouts as The Wild Party Girl, The Black Guy Who Talks About Food A Lot, and The Smart Girl Who Uses Polysyllabic Words Just In Case Someone Around Her Doesn't Know That She's The Smart Girl. Their pal Sara (Bianca Kajlich) is the character we're supposed to root for because she's the only one aware that the whole thing is a bad idea. Since prancing through a vacant house isn't going to engage Internet viewers for hours on end, Dangertainment producer Freddie (Busta Rhymes) dons a set of blue overalls and Mikey's trademark mask, unaware that the genuine article is also skulking about. As the oversexed fodder is stalked and slashed, Sara relies on Internet penpal Deckard, who tries to remotely guide her through the house and out of harm's way.

Seemingly no one had high expectations for Halloween: Resurrection. Between forced reshoots, a lengthy string of delays, and a lack of press screenings, even Dimension Films seemed to know they had an unsalvagable turkey on their hands. Like most of the studio slashers produced over the past few years, Halloween: Resurrection is watered-down, inoffensive, and unwilling to take any risks. The body count is paltry, and the majority of the kills are boring, unimaginative, and practically bloodless stabbings. Though Rosenthal siezes every opportunity to try to toss in a jump scare, he's unable to elicit much of a reaction and utterly fails to generate any suspense or tension. The novelty of victims sporting video cameras may have seemed like a good idea in 1999, back when Halloween: H20 was taking in decent box office receipts and the unprecedented success of The Blair Witch Project was on everyone's lips. Especially three years later, it's not enough to carry an already limping film, and the gimmick quickly wears out its welcome.

Busta Rhymes' Freddie joins the ranks of the most unbearable characters ever to grace the silver screen, falling somewhere between Jar-Jar Binks and everything Chris Tucker has ever done. Busta's dialogue is rambling and repetitive, seemingly improvised from start to finish. These are actual quotes: "Who's betta than Wai Chung Lei? Come on, whoopin' everybody ass while he smokin' a cigarette. Aw, shit! Who's knockin' at my door this late? Whoever it is is distractin' me from watchin' Wai Chung Lei whoop some ass!" Toasting Tyra Banks' superfluous character: "This is to us for successfully putting together something collectively so ingenious as a team and a duo that we should definitely be able to secure a lot of food on the table for ourselves as long as everything goes as nicely as it's goin' right now." Terrifyingly enough, the chop socky Freddie was watching in his hotel room is revisited later in the movie. Freddie confronts Michael, flailing his arms frantically and belting out high-pitched squeals like a third-rate Bruce Lee. The cast of characters is unilaterally dull, and despite the prominent shots of Jamie Lee Curtis and Tyra Banks on the cover art, neither of them are of any remote significance to the overall story. Oh, and in case the question is gnawing on anyone's mind, yes, things are left open for a ninth installment. Though Halloween: Resurrection is an awfully low note to end a franchise on, I'd rather have no more sequels than another one as poorly conceived and executed as this one.

The limp and lifeless Halloween: Resurrection may be among the worst studio slashers of recent memory, but its release on DVD is otherwise impressive, featuring excellent audio/video quality and a healthy smattering of supplemental material.

Video: Halloween: Resurrection is presented in anamorphic widescreen at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. With the obvious exception of the low-resolution, noise-riddled video footage, the movie looks phenomenal. The image is crisp and detailed, and, as should be expected from a film so recently making its way out of theaters, it isn't marred by dust or assorted specks. The majority of the movie takes place in the dimly lit Myers house, and detail manages to hold up admirably even under these dark conditions. Not surprisingly, black levels remain deep and inky throughout. The negligible amount of film grain present throughout doesn't present much of a distraction, nor does it seem at all unusual for a Super35 production. As endless as my complaints were about the movie, I'm unable to find much to bitch about with its presentation on DVD. An excellent effort.

Audio: The English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is a powerhouse, teetering on showcase material. Surrounds are utilized frequently and effectively, invariably buzzing with discrete activity and building an immersive experience. As active as the rears are throughout Halloween: Resurrection, they don't come across as gimmicky or unnatural. The LFE also shines, summoning a hellish amount of bass and keeping the subwoofer thumping for most every second of the movie's runtime. The soundtrack creates an appropriately creepy atmosphere and plays a significant part in making the movie's rare effective moments work as well as they do.

Among the other language options provided on this disc are a six-channel French dub, English closed captioning, and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

Supplements: As lousy as Halloween: Resurrection is, Dimension Home Video pulled out all of the stops for its DVD release. The first option is an extensive gallery consisting of around 75 production stills. Although the majority of the supplements on this disc sport a 'View All' option, navigating through the still gallery does require plenty of button mashing.

The disc's audio commentary pairs director Rick Rosenthal with editor Robert Ferretti. In between occasionally lengthy gaps of dead air, Rosenthal talks about how much he enjoyed working with the cast and seems especially intrigued with the twenty-someodd hours of webcam footage compiled over the course of filming. The emphasis is very much on the production of the movie rather than taking viewers through the entire process from concept to completion. Neither Ferretti nor Rosenthal are particularly energetic, and I found myself drifting off to sleep a couple of times.

There are six deleted and extended scenes that run just over seven minutes total, and the letterboxed footage can be viewed individually or consecutively. The labels are pretty self-explanatory -- "Freddie and Nora In the Control Room", "Contestant Interviews", "Sara and Jenna Dropping Out", "Michael Driving Up to House", "Photo Album", and "Sara & Freddie At Car". Rick Rosenthal has provided optional commentary for each, though he remains largely silent for the duration. Rosenthal's brief comments are mostly limited to saying why the footage was trimmed, but he does note that Busta lifted a handshake of his and made it his own trademark. In the movie's commentary, Rosenthal makes reference to other deleted scenes, including Michael stealing a car and a home movie intro shot on Super8, but neither these sequences nor the Tyra Banks kill are included.

Three alternate endings -- "Original Ending With Deckard", "CSI Hand In Manhole", and "Axe Ending" -- can be viewed with the same set of options, though they're corralled in a separate section of the disc. The CSI ending has a solid, if telegraphed, jump scare, and the axe ending tacks a few extra seconds of footage onto what made the final cut. The less said about the embarrassing Deckard ending, the better. Rosenthal is slightly more talkative when commenting about this footage, though he doesn't express much of a preference or mention why these endings were dropped.

"WebCam Special" is a compilation of some of the video footage partially incorporated into the film, running a lengthy 41 minutes and 19 seconds. Including this extensive amount of footage is an interesting and welcome concept, but I found it awfully tedious to sit through in this case. Not surprisingly, Rick Rosenthal again provides optional commentary, though I'll admit to not having given it a listen.

In the six and a half minute "Tour of Set With Production Designer" featurette, Troy Hansen walks viewers through the Myers house, explaining some of the liberties he took and why certain design decisions were made. "On the Set With Jamie Lee Curtis", which runs right at four minutes in length, is a mixture of behind-the-scenes footage and fluffy interviews with the cast and crew. The four minute head-cam featurette takes a look at the working lipstick cameras worn by the cast and the evolution of the concept throughout pre-production.

There are five brief storyboard comparisons for several of the movie's more intense sequences. The Angle feature available on most DVD players allow viewers to see the footage side-by-side or on their own. These comparisons can also be viewed individually or consecutively.

"Sneak Peeks" includes a promo for 'Dimension Cutting Edge Films" and trailers for Halloween: H20, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, the Scream box set, and Gangs of New York. All are full-frame except for the letterboxed Gangs trailer. These are accessible from the main menu and play by default when the disc is inserted. For whatever reason, a trailer for Halloween: Resurrection itself isn't on the disc.

Halloween: Resurrection features static menus and is divided into fourteen chapters.

Conclusion: Halloween: Resurrection is a phenomenal DVD by any conceivable standard. Too bad the same can't be said about the movie. Halloween completists will still gobble it up, but those with more of a casual interest will want to stick with a rental. Rent It.

HALLOWEEN 6 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie:

I've not been a fan of the "teen horror" genre that's recently been so popular, and recently has gotten to the point where it's being parodied(the upcoming "Scary Movie"). The only one of these films that I've enjoyed is "I Know What You Did Last Summer"; it wasn't perfect, but the director knew that what the audience doesn't see is usually scarier than what it does see.

Directed by Steve Miner(recently of "Lake Placid"), I didn't feel that "H20" was really a bad picture, or a terribly good one. It just is what it is, a moderately effective horror film on occasion. For a film that only lasts about 90 minutes though, it takes a bit too long to get itself going. The film revolves around Laurie Tate once again, now living under a different name and with a son and boyfriend in California. She's also taken a job as the principal of a private school. Of course, it's almost Halloween and it won't be long before Michael Meyers is back once again.

The performances are generally good, and Curtis plays the character with a hard edge that's fairly enjoyable to watch. Also on hand for the proceedings is teen film regulars Josh Hartnett and Jodi Lynn O'Keefe, as well as Dawson's Creek star Michelle Williams. Director Miner keeps the tension level moving up quite nicely throughout the film, and once it gets going, it really moves solidly towards the final conclusion.

And, of course, there's another in the series listed as "in production", although who knows if it will actually come together. As for this one again, it is what it is. Not terrible, but not anything terribly great, either. A couple of hours of decent entertainment.


The DVD

VIDEO: Released when Buena Vista was still doing non-anamorphic transfers, "Halloween: H20" still looks very good. I don't have any major complaints, just minor details that could have been better. Sharpness is very good, with the exception of a few dark sequences, which seem slightly on the soft side. Detail is good as well, especially during the daylight sequences. The movie occasionally seems ever-so-slightly dark looking, but it could have been that way in the theater, as well.

There's some noticable marks and scratches on the print used, but these are only in isolated instances and not consistently a problem throughout the entire movie. There's the slightest amount of shimmering apparent on occasion, but again, this is not a major problem. Pixelation is non-existent, as well. As with many of the Buena Vista titles that were produced during their non-anamorphic efforts, it's a very nice looking image, but there are areas where it could be improved.

SOUND: Sound can be a horror film's best friend, but apparently the filmmakers haven't learned that for this film, which really misses quite a few opportunities to scare the audience further. Surrounds are really not used terribly often and when they are, they aren't terribly effective in their use. Sound does remain nicely dynamic, though, and the score sounds clear and crisp. Dialogue is clear and easily understood, as well. This isn't a terribly agressive soundtrack, and it could have used more creativity in the audio.

MENUS:: As with many Disney menus, there isn't much at all to the menus - just a film-themed image; no music, no spooky animation, no nothing.

EXTRAS: "Halloween: H20" became infamous after it was released. Originally listed as having quite a nice package of features(well, nice for a Buena Vista title, normal for everyone else), the final disc came and included barely anything. Even the early packaging listed many more features than the disc included. The packaging was corrected, but the price was never changed from the too-high $39.99. There are still a couple of extras, but they are definitely not worth the high price tag.

Unmasking the Horror: A fairly interesting documentary that offers interviews with Jamie Lee Curtis, writer Kevin Williamson, director Miner and many members of the cast who chat about not only the making of this film, but the series as a whole. It's pretty promotional in nature, but hearing the viewpoint of Curtis on what made her decide to do the project as well as the history behind the production makes for a pretty enjoyable viewing.

HALLOWEEN 5 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie

After Halloween 3: Season of the Witch proved that the loyal horror fans weren't always that loyal when their favorite stalkers were left out of the equation, series producer Moustapha Akkad went back to the basics: He brought back everyone's favorite "shape," and hired at least four screenwriters to give the boogeyman some fresh backstory.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) introduced the character of Jamie, Michael's little niece, whom (of course) he desperately wants to kill. Part 4 ended with Michael falling into a mine shaft after killing a whole bunch of people. Jamie, meanwhile, ended up going a little loopy in a final� that tried to do a "dovetail" with the prologue of the original Halloween -- but pretty much failed at the attempt.

Just about a year later came Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and the schtick is pretty much the same: Apparently Michael not only survived his mine-shaft plunge, but also spent one full year convalescing in the hovel of a strangely charitable homeless man. Come Halloween Eve, Mike pops up, ungratefully skewers his rescuer, and heads on out to stalk Jamie again.

Jamie, for her part, has been scared mute for the past year, and now resides in a children's hospital. She can also telemagically "see" her uncle's actions, but only when he's killing people. A few of Jamie's twenty-something friends/guardians are (unwisely) planning some sort of Halloween festivities, and you can pretty much fill in all the blanks from here.

Basically, Halloween 5 is not much more than your (very) standard slasher construct: Non-stop chit-chat for 2 acts, and then a bunch of nasty skewering in act 3. And even going by those generic standards, Halloween 5 is a pretty stale affair. Points for trying to adhere to some sort of cohesive "thru-line", and I do appreciate that someone tried to give Michael a mysterious backstory and whatnot -- but even the small portion of Halloween 5's admirable components seem like they were just thrown into the stew for the hell of it.

For her part, little Danielle Harris delivers a sympathetic performance while suffering through some truly arduous "flip out" sequences. (This kid takes more punishment than Wile E. Coyote.) As usual, the always-welcome Donald Pleasance pops up for five or six scenes to rant and rave about the "unstoppable evil" this and "I've looked into his eeeyyyyyeeessss" that. Harris and Pleasance are the only things keeping you awake during the first 50-some minutes of this flick. The script is rote, the direction is drab, and the series spins its wheels through yet another sequel.

As far as the splatterings go...meh. We get a few semi-creative dispatches and half-hearted gore-droppings, but the flick's not dark or intense enough to generate all that much enthusiasm for the nastiness. I can see how the hardcore Halloween-heads can find some small nuggets of fun in this particular sequel, but in my eyes the series ended with the explosion in Halloween 2. (Having said that, I'd still take parts 4 and 5 over 6 and/or 8 any day. You gorehounds know what I'm talking about.)

The DVD

Video: The anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) transfer is really quite solid for a chintzy little sequel of this order. I've read that the previous Anchor Bay release was just dandy, transfer-wise, but this one seems to be freshly remastered, so it's your call.

Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0, with a fine aural presentation overall. Captions are accessible through your hardware, but not click-on-able like your standard subtitles.

Extras: The only new supplement is a feature-length audio commentary with director Dominique Othenin-Girard, and actors Danielle Harris (Jamie) and Jeffrey Landman (Billy). Harris seems sweetly enthusiastic, Landman seems bemused, and Girard is clearly taking this silly slasher sequel a whole lot more seriously than he ought to. Still, fans of the series should enjoy the chat-track, as it includes discussion of deleted scenes, production issues, and "The Man in Black."

Returning from Anchor Bay's previous Halloween 5 release are:

A 7-minute section on on-set footage, which includes one deleted sequence that the fans will enjoy.

The 15-minute Inside Halloween 5, which features semi-recent interviews with producer Moustapha Akkad, cinematographer Rob Draper, and actors Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris and Don Shanks. (Ms. Harris grew up to be quite the doll!)

Rounding out the platter is a collection of trailers for Halloween 5, Halloween, Halloween 4, and Masters of Horror.

Final Thoughts

I'd be happy to call Halloween 5 a guilty pleasure, only there's not a whole lot of fun to be found. Series completists will enjoy the flick, the transfer, and the extras, but c'mon. It's Halloween freakin' FIVE.

HALLOWEEN 4 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Product:
The title says it all. Ten years after John Carpenter redefined the horror film with his sensational slasher suspense film Halloween, series overseer Moustapha Akkad gained creative control of the franchise, and decided to return it back to its slice and dice roots. No more Stonehenge inspired child killing. No more robotic hitmen. And definitely no more of that ear-wormy commercial jingle that seemed to fill every moment of Halloween III: Season of the Witch with it's nursery rhyme redolence ("Three more days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween�"). Instead, we'd return to Haddenfield, Illinois and Dr. Sam Loomis, and that fatal familial connection between unstoppable slayer Michael Myers and his kinfolk. Everything was in place for a back to basics blockbuster. Unfortunately, the result is one of the worst offerings in the entire Halloween oeuvre.

The Plot:
It's 1988, ten years since Michael Myers went on his infamous Haddenfield killing spree. During what appears to be an unnecessary transfer of the murderer to another mental hospital, he escapes and makes a beeline back to his Illinois home. When Dr. Loomis discovers the situation, he immediately heads in that direction as well. In the meantime, Michael's only living relative, a niece named Jamie, is living with a foster family. Mom and Dad dote on the child, but older "sister" Rachel would rather make time with her boyfriend Brady. Eventually, Michael makes it back to Haddenfield and starts slaughtering people left and right. His goal � destroy his last remaining family member. But Dr. Loomis and the local sheriff hope to save the girl before this rampaging maniac fulfills his foul destiny.

The DVD:
On an accompanying commentary track, and his Q&A during the Making-Of Production Featurette, listed screenwriter Alan B. McElroy (there are three others with story credit as well) proudly proclaims that, with only 11 days left before the WGA went on strike, he successfully pounded out the Halloween 4 script and barely beat the deadline. Perhaps it's the level of personal pride he shows in such an accomplishment that gives him a pass, but technically, one should not be glad that they took LESS time to create a movie. By inference, a quickie writing stint should result in an underdeveloped, scattered narrative that makes very little sense, uses shorthand to establish its situations, and relies on familiarity, not freshness, to entertain its audience. And wouldn't you know it, Halloween 4 fits neatly into all of these categories, and several more that are even more disconcerting. Instead of relaunching Michael Myers as a Jason/Freddy style icon, McElroy and equally ineffectual director Dwight H. Little (noted for such slop as Bloodstone and Steven Seagal's Marked for Death) turned the indestructible psycho in the Shatner mask into a shape shifting plot devices with the ability to freely teleport to wherever the action requires him to be. One moment Michael's killing yet another dog in a house across town, the next he is several miles away, tossing an electrical worker onto a pair of transformers.

While it's unfair to completely blame McElroy and Little for how horribly ineffective this film is, it's difficult to determine any other avenue of fault. Certainly, the casting is rote and routine. Aside from Donald Pleasance's presence, and a quick cameo return by a single character from the original Halloween � Lindsey, now 17 years old and still played by actress Leslie L. Rohland � the rest of the performers are perfunctory and interchangeable. Many champion little Danielle Harris as a right tyke scream queen, and she does have some capable lung capacity (not to mention a sensational level of shriek shrillness). But she's nothing more than a manipulatable pawn in an already problematic storyline. The same goes for Ellie Cornell. More or less taking over for Jamie Lee Curtis in the role of harried teen, Ms. Cornell has a strange blankness to her persona that barely allows a personality to register - not that she's given much to work with. The script has her hung up on a boy who, in her mind, is just moments away from a commitment, marriage, children and a time-share in Florida. Yet once that situation delivers its formulaic comeuppance (who does she see diddling around with the town slut while trick or treating?) Ms. Cornell is just a battering ram for Michael's many attempted murders. Add in Pleasance's pitch perfect scenery chewing and an interchangeable collection of ancillary imbeciles, and there's not a single individual to identify with, no one character to support or root for.

Still, the Friday the 13th franchise got along fine without such three dimensional devices. All they needed were some creative, over the top deaths with lots of gore and the demographic gladly followed those films anywhere. Well, leave it to Little (and the late '80s model of the MPAA) to strip every bit of sluice out of the random murders in this movie. Aside from a single surreal shot of a thumb penetrating a man's forehead (Michael's obviously been lifting while in the asylum � it takes a great deal of upper body strength to run a finger through someone's skull) and a gruesome bit of neck garroting, most of the murders occur offscreen, or at the very least, sans substantive bloodletting. Obviously trying to emulate the first film's limited grue/maximum dread ideal, McElroy and Little are just no match for John Carpenter's post-modern Hitchcock approach. The first film never forgot that somewhere inside Michael's hulking horror form was a confused little kid who used murder as a means of making sense of the world. Here, our blank bad guy is a sub par Shape. Where once we had a truly terrifying boogieman, seemingly incapable of dying, we now have some Biblical concept of "pure evil" that never once instills us with fear and/or loathing. Instead, we simply wait around, hoping someone will die to give the movie a sense of purpose.

To be fair, if you enjoyed the by the numbers nastiness of Halloween II, which took the original's Midwestern mythologizing and ran it through the Camp Crystal Lake clich� machine (single setting, several potential victims), you'll probably like this rather routine relaunch. But for movie macabre purists, there is nothing here to recommend. For a relatively short film (around 88 minutes) the kill sequences seem to go on forever, and director Little just loves the false scare/dopey dream sequence. Add in the random leaps in logic from McElroy's screenplay and the lack of any real linear coherence (time stands still, and fast forwards, as the situations require) and you've got a less than successful installment of what is perhaps the weakest of the '70s/'80s/'90s fright franchises. Frankly, the Halloween films should have followed Carpenter's original series designs. He had hoped to use the name as a label, like The Twilight Zone, to cover a wide range of concepts, from Season of the Witch's Gaelic goofiness to any number of October 31st based badness. Instead, seeing the success of the slasher film, the powers that be went the knife-wielding psychopath route. If done properly, such a scarefest can work, and work well. Here, it's just a device for more derivative, dull disappointment.

The Video:
Released as part of Anchor Bay's Divimax series, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers looks decent, if not definitive. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image is clean and crisp, but director Little obviously believed in a dark, dense atmosphere which doesn't translate well to the home theater experience. Several scenes are way too shadowy, burying elements that are necessary to getting the full feel of a situation. For example, when Michael's white face appears in the background, the lack of light renders it flat, instead of a focal point. Still, for a low budget sequel made at the height of the direct to video revolution, the transfer here is professional and pleasing.

The Audio:
Anchor Bay ups the tech spec ante by giving the aural elements a Dolby Digital 5.1 polish. There are some interesting directional facets (especially during a last act truck chase) and a nice level of spatial ambiance. We really believe we are on the deserted streets of Haddenfield late at night during the movie's more quiet moments. While the 2.0 Stereo mix is perfectly acceptable, go with the multi-channel offering. It really adds to the limited mood of this movie.

The Extras:
Adding a kind of metaphysical insult to some obvious cinematic injury, one of the worst efforts in the Halloween franchise gets a nice selection of bonus features, beginning with a pair of audio commentaries. First up is a discussion with actors Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris. Both are relatively happy with their work in the film, and provide nostalgic anecdotes about the long nights, and odd situations they were often placed in. This is followed by another alternate narrative with writer Alan B. McElroy. Explaining his geekdom for the series (he loves Halloween II), the scribe does a decent job of convincing us that he only had the noblest of intentions when he jumpstarted the Michael Myers myth. Yet even with the occasional prodding of Halloweenmovies.com's Anthony Massey, there is still a little too much dead air during this discussion. In addition, there is the 17 minute Making-Of featurette from the previous Special Edition release. Entitled Halloween 4: Final Cut, it offers Akkad, Little and several others speaking about the behind the scenes aspects of the production. We are also treated to a surreal cast panel from the 25th Anniversary Halloween Convention. Made up of 4's Danielle Harris, Kathleen Kinmot and Sasha Jenson and 5's Jeffrey Landman, this fan-based Q&A is a dorky delight. Reminiscent of those sketch show spoofs where overly obsessive followers ask all kind of uber-detailed inquiries, it's fun to watch Harris interact with the audience. As for the rest of the panel members�well, let's just say they seem less than enthusiastic about this trip down monster movie memory lane. Add in some trailers, and you've got a wonderful selection of supplements.

Final Thoughts:
Though it's ineffectual scares and lack of a cohesive narrative would easily warrant a Skip It, the new Divimax version of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers will receive a Rent It recommendation. It's more of a nod to the overall series than a clear indication of this film's particular entertainment value. There will be some who latch onto young Danielle Harris, turning her into an unlikely horror icon (considering how little she does) and there will be others who like the blood free (not to mention suspense free, logic free, characterization free, etc.) conceits of the filmmaking. Yet the sad fact is that, outside of the occasionally clever premise (Halloween H20's return of Laurie Strode, Halloween 6's Thorn cult), there was no real reason to continue on with this film franchise. While it may be macabre heresy to say it, Michael Myers is just not that effective as a scare symbol. In fact, more people remember Carpenter's masterful musical theme and the acting of Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasance than they do the importance of The Shape as a continuing character. As Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers bears out, this was one killing machine that should have been dismantled and mothballed long ago.

HALLOWEEN 2 DVD TALK REVIEW

One of my fondest childhood memories is of me sitting in front of the family television with the first two Halloween movies and a pad of legal paper, keeping a running tally of how many witless teenagers Michael Myers offed. For the longest time, I seemed to enjoy Halloween II more than the original, due in large part to the higher body count and the claustrophobic hospital scenes. I didn't really grow to appreciate the original until years later, as blasphemous as I'm sure that sounds. After well over a decade of watching a severely cropped version taped off of late-night television, I finally experienced Halloween II uncut and in widescreen for the first time last summer after picking up the DVD release from Universal's Goodtimes label. The quality of the letterboxed presentation was surprisingly decent for a budget release. In the months that have passed since, I've upgraded to a television that can perform the much-vaunted anamorphic squeeze, and I leapt at the opportunity to eke out additional resolution from two of my favorites from the long-running Halloween series. To help psyche me up for Anchor Bay's 16x9-enhanced re-release of Halloween IV (my current favorite, slated on October 9th release), I decided to give Universal's anamorphic presentation of the first Halloween sequel a peek. The disc was originally announced as a loaded special edition, but the version resting comfortably on my DVD rack isn't nearly as much of an improvement over the Goodtimes release as I was anticipating.

Halloween II picks up immediately where the original film stopped. Tormented babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, but you knew that) has been taken to a hospital after a savage attack by Michael Myers, who returned to wreak havoc on the sleepy town of Haddonfield after spending fifteen years silent and immobile in a mental institution. Despite being shot six times by Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), his former caretaker, Myers disappears into the night, fully prepared to raise a little more hell. As a hysterical Laurie recovers in a hospital staffed by a skeleton crew, Myers sets out to finish what he started... Sure, that's not much of a plot summary, but since when has a hack-and-slash film required a complex setup?

And to think there was a time when I was genuinely terrified by Halloween II! Despite the higher body count, not a single one of the kills matches any of the attacks from the original. The amount of grue is kept to a bare minimum, and few of Myers' assaults last for more than a few seconds, with several even taking place off-screen. Part of what made Halloween so effective was that the few kill scenes were protracted, extending at least a good half-minute beyond the quick-cut "stab! You're dead!" attacks here. There are more employees in the hospital than there are patients, apparently. Aside from Laurie, Mikey, and a ward full of newborns, the only other people in the hospital are a security guard, two nurses, a doctor, and Laurie's ambulance drivin' buddy Jimmy (Lance Guest). It's not rocket science to figure out who all meets a gruesome end at the hands of Michael Myers. Much of what goes on doesn't seem to make much sense at all, and although I didn't mind as a child, the revelation that Laurie is Mikey's long-lost little sister bugs the heck out of me now. Most of the characters are superfluous, and Pleasence's constant hamming doesn't add as much to the movie as it did to the other entries in the Halloween series. I used to rank Halloween II as my second favorite, behind part four, but now...yikes. I think I enjoyed part five more than this. Halloween II is a nice nostalgic blast, but I can't really envision it spending the countless hours in my player that Halloween IV has enjoyed. The presentation from Universal, only an incremental improvement over the 1998 bargain bin mainstay, doesn't make me any more enthusiastic about recommending this disc to all of you fine people out there in cyberspace.

Video: I picked up the non-anamorphic Goodtimes disc last summer and was reasonably pleased with the quality, especially given that company's far from stellar reputation. This anamorphic Universal release improves upon the previous disc, but the difference isn't spectacular enough to warrant a purchase for those without 16x9-capable sets. As my VVega does the anamorphic squeeze trick, the increased resolution of this new version is noticeable and appreciated. Colors seem bolder than the Goodtimes disc, and black levels and shadow delineation are better defined as well. Very light grain is noticeable throughout, and certain portions, most notably during some of Jimmy's visits to Laurie's hospital room, are excessively grainy. The image overall isn't disappointing, but it's not a considerable improvement over the previous disc that costs seventy percent less. As with the Goodtimes release, Halloween II is presented at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

Audio: I didn't do any extensive A/B comparisons between the stereo surround tracks on the Goodtimes and Universal discs, but I couldn't really notice any appreciable differences between the two from what minor testing I did. I didn't detect any hiss or distortion, and none of the audio elements have the sort of flat quality so often present in movies of this age and budget. There's a decent bass kick accompanying portions of the score and some of the boomier effects, and the ambiance from the matrixed surrounds is sporadic but generally effective.

Supplements: Though numerous features, including a commentary, were slated for a special edition release, the end result doesn't offer anything more interesting than cast/crew bios, assorted production notes, and a heavily worn full-frame trailer. Certainly a missed opportunity.

Conclusion: Whether or not Universal's DVD release of Halloween II is worth a purchase is entirely up to you. It's tough to highly recommend, since the roughly comparable Goodtimes disc runs in the $5-$6 range, and a special edition seems likely at some point in the not too terribly distant future. Unless you have a 16x9 television, it's tough to justify the extra expense. Why get this release of Halloween II when you can snag the previous one and Halloween: H20 at Wally World for the same price? Tepidly recommended.

HALLOWEEN DVD TALK REVIEW

There were popular 'instant cult' horror films in the 70s, but the only one that was constantly being recommended to me by all kinds of people was Halloween. After a screwball student film-turned theatrical release (Dark Star) and an overachieving ode to Howard Hawks (Assault on Precinct 13), young John Carpenter made this modest horror film, and came into his own. Halloween is successful because the resourceful director created his own totally controlled little cinematic world, with a simple but universally identifiable story. Also, Halloween's young cast actually resembled and behaved like reel teens. An astronomical success, it unfortunately spawned decades' worth of imitations and wannabes ... for sheer influence, this 70s show is more potent than even Star Wars.

Synopsis:

Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance) witnesses the asylum escape of Michael Myers, a lunatic who killed two people as a small boy fifteen years earlier. Myers returns to his hometown on Halloween night, and while preparing for a night of slaughter, becomes infatuated with teenager Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), a dateless charmer with two faster friends, Annie (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda (P.J. Soles).

Twenty-five years later, Halloween still looks impressive. The horror content is now on the tame side, but the film wasn't all that explicit even in 1978. What we remember, as in most Carpenter films, is the assured, professional build-up that interests us in his characters, and presents the tale with the kind of authority that says, 'this is important.' If he's not an A-grade director, then or now, it's because his stories never conclude as interestingly as they begin. Commercially, this is no flaw, as those thrills he does induce were way more than sufficient. But Halloween is now more an interesting milestone in horror, than a completely satisfying picture.

In 1978, Halloween had it all. It dipped into the practically untapped motherlode of teen fear, the kind Stephen King told us stemmed directly from summer camp 'campfire' stories about shapeless, meaningless boogeymen. One of the most effective moments in American Graffiti had been a dark scene out on some rural road, where the teen heroes talk themselves into a scary fit. The only effect was a soundtrack of subtle, eerie sounds; the scene reminded us of the dumb AIP teen films of the 50s (especially Invasion of the Saucermen), only it worked. Even though horror films were aimed at teens and little kids, nobody really picked up on the commercial potential until Carpenter came along five years later.

Halloween broke the mold - in a way it was the ultimate film-student 70s picture: made for kids, by kids. These teens break the rules, get drunk, get naked, yet are still lovable because they care for children and each other. A studio has more of a problem achieving this with career contract players.

Of all the 70s wunderkids, Carpenter is the most formally-obsessed. Clearly a fevered student of the nuts'n bolts auteur-worship interview book Hitchcock/Truffaut, he also worshipped Howard Hawks and was determined to find a style of his own. Assault on Precinct 13 played like a direct Hawks imitation with diversions, but in this picture Carpenter found his own prowling, SteadiCam (or Panaglide) look. Halloween's slow, cruising camera favors wide masters with action in both the horizontal and depth plane. The extra width gives us information instead of witholding it, and we soon become busy collaborators in the movie experience, looking for important new clues in the periphery. Given this kind of freedom, we're more susceptible when Carpenter chooses to get visually dictatorial in his tense scenes. The scares are very old-fashioned: hands and people enter the screen without warning, unexpected action comes from some calm corner of the frame.

Some of Carpenter's distinctive touches, though effective, haven't aged all that well. His synthetic keyboard score is really a minimal rhythm-and-tone track that fills in the vacuum of sparsely written scenes. The 'power chords' that accompany Michael Myers' repetitive shock appearances soon grow tiresome, although they certainly kept audiences entertained when the film was new. And his spare, minimalist approach makes for easily understood storytelling, but the picture gets pretty thin, once one is past the popcorn scare show years.

Yet for what it is, Halloween remains a fun ride. Jamie Lee Curtis is a captivating, charming heroine to spend our time with - she surely launched a thousand feminist film theses on women in slasher pix. Her girlfriends compensate for being too old by acting appropriately vapid, but not stupid or obnoxious. P.J Soles and Nancy Loomis are both likeable individuals. The thankless role goes to token adult star Donald Pleasance. He has to carry all the heavy-duty dialogue, and sell us the hardcore horror notion of the villain's unkillable lunatic vendetta.

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Anchor Bay's 25th Anniversary Divimax Series Edition of John Carpenter's Halloween is the first video version Savant's seen, although he's aware that the show has a long history on home video. The first quality collectable edition was an expensive Criterion laserdisc set. The picture on this DVD version is bright, colorful and punchy in the night scenes, with very little grain. The 'Divimax' monniker is a proprietary name for Hi-Definition premastering, which has been common for several years, but I have no complaint with the way the DVD looks, so more power to them.�¹ On my monitor, some of the black levels around Mike Myers' mask eye-hole mattes have some distracting patches where the black levels aren't smooth, but I've long since learned not to judge fine points of video transfers on an uncalibrated home projection TVs. Savant's not the source for exacting tech data on waveforms and bit rates, and chasing absolute perfection leads to high blood pressure anyway.

All the tech aspects of the DVD look far better than adequate to these eyes - not having the experience of seeing Halloween on previous releases. This two-disc set comes in a shelf space-saving normal-thickness keep case. The first disc has a commentary with the director, producer Debra Hill, and star Jamie Lee. The second has one long docu done for television that's only a couple of minutes shorter than the feature itself. It contains a wealth of info, but be prepared to re-view practically the whole picture in clip form. Since the majority of the filmmakers were so young, they're all still here to tell us the tale, and other than a third-act feeling of repetition, it's a good show for Halloween fans. A second ten-minute show uses footage of producer Hill and P.J. Soles revisiting the L.A. area locations, but itself is a free-standing overview of the film, and is a real slog after the already long main feature doc.

The rest of the goodies are listed below; they're all in great condition and well researched. A DVD-Rom feature gives us not only an original screenplay, but a selection of screen savers. �²

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On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, Halloween rates: Movie: Very Good Video: Very Good Sound: Excellent Supplements: Commentary with John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Producer Debra Hill, trailers, Halloween - A Cut Above The Rest docu. Shorter featurette On Location - 25 years Later, TV Spots, Radio Spots, Poster and Still Gallery, Talent Bios Packaging: Keep case Reviewed: August 17, 2003