It’s been forty years since Michael Meyers went on his killing spree in Haddonfield, Illinois, and teenager Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) nearly ended up as one of the victims in these gruesome babysitter murders. Ever since then, Laurie has been mentally and physically preparing for the day when she might once again come face-to-mask with this killer. She even pushed her obsession onto her young daughter. When Karen turned 8, Laurie started teaching her how to fight, shoot, and protect herself, and putt her through scary drills in the basement of their fortified bunker of a home. When Karen was 12, social services came and took her away. Now Karen (Judy Greer) is an adult, with a teenage daughter of her own. It has taken most of her life to get over the paranoia that her mother distilled in her as a child. While she doesn’t want anything to do with Laurie, her own daughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), still keeps in contact with her grandmother.
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Meanwhile, for the past four decades, Michael Meyers has been locked up at the Smiths Grove Rehabilitation Facility, where he hasn’t uttered a word. Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer) is fascinated by the case, and still believes that Michael can be rehabilitated. However, as he is being transferred to another facility, Michael manages to escape. He retrieves his old mask, and begins his killing spree once again. And on Halloween, 40 years since his reign of terror, Michael returns to his old home of Haddonfield in search of more babysitters to brutally murder. When Laurie sees the news, she knows that the day she has been preparing for has come. But instead of waiting to be the victim, she plans to go on the offensive and find Michael Meyers herself. However, she first needs to convince her daughter that she’s not crazy and that she and Allyson are in danger and need her protection.


I had never seen any of the Halloween films before receiving this movie for review, so I checked out the original film before watching this direct sequel. I thought this was an excellent follow-up to what is considered one of the all-time classic horror films. In fact, I enjoyed it even more than the original. That said, I did have the benefit of going in with a clean slate—I didn’t have to worry about forgetting what happened in the numerous other sequels that this one replaces in the franchise timeline. This sequel takes the elements that worked well in the first film and amps them up to eleven. Even forty years later, Michael is this unstoppable force, with an amazing strength—able to lift and crush people with his bare hands, or flatten a skull with one stomp of his foot. He doesn’t say anything, but his presence is menacing. Add to that a tense, screeching score, and you’re in for one hell of time. Often in these horror films, the victims are the jerks who may deserve it, or the teenagers who just had sex and are in need of some kind of Puritan punishment, but in this film, Michael often kills innocent, good people you had come to care about. This ruthless, senseless killing makes him all the more terrifying. The film culminates in an incredibly tense final showdown that had me at the edge of my seat with my heart pumping.

In additional to the usual scares and frights, Halloween also has some really interesting characters and arcs with the three generations of Strode women. First, we get to see how the traumatic events of the first film took their toll on Laurie. She’s much tougher, and a tad insane, but she cares for her family and would do anything to protect them, even if they say they don’t want it. Karen tried to forget her unusual childhood, becoming a typical suburban housewife and mother. However, she eventually finds herself thrust back into the paranoia of her youth. And Allyson thinks she’s got the perfect teenage life, with great friends, and a boyfriend who loves her, but that’s all about to come crashing down and she’s going to need to quickly learn how to fend for herself.

Universal’s 4K Ultra HD release looks and sounds great. This is a beautifully shot film, with some wonderfully executed one-shot sequences as Michael stalks and, well, executes, his victims. The picture remains clean and clear, even in the darker scenes—and this is a horror film, so there are lots of those! Details are nice throughout, particularly in texture of Michael’s creepy mask. The HDR provides an extended color palette that is especially noticeable in the colorful teen costume party/dance. The DTS:X soundtrack showcases the film’s wonderfully creepy score, and provides an immersive experience that adds to the on-screen tension—such as with creaks of floorboards and banging overhead as the would-be victims try to hide from Michael.

The 4K Ultra HD release comes packed in standard UHD keepcase with a slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for a 4K Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film. Both the 4K and the Blu-ray discs contain the same small selection of bonus material—seven deleted/extended scenes, and about 18-minutes of behind-the-scenes and retrospective featurettes with the cast and filmmakers.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:45:47)

4K Ultra HD:
• 2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• HDR10
• Audio: English DTS:X, Spanish 5.1 DTS Digital Surround, French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English DTS:X, English Descriptive Video Service, Spanish 5.1 DTS Digital Surround, French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (for redemption deadline, see NBCUcodes.com):

• 4K Digital copy redeemable via Movies Anywhere
• Bonus Digital Movie (Redemption Deadline 3/22/2019)
  Additional bonus digital movie redeemable at www.upherewards.com. The list of available titles currently includes Hanna, R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend?, Little Fockers, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Fast Five and The Danish Girl, but these change every 4 months or so.

Extras:

All bonus material can be found on both the 4K Ultra HD disc and the Blu-ray disc.

• Deleted/Extended Scenes (12:42)
  Collection of seven deleted/extended scenes. Play All, or select from:
  • Extended Shooting Range — Deleted Suicide Thoughts (2:31)
    Additional footage shows Laurie contemplating a game of Russian Roulette when she’s interrupted by a buzz at the gate.
  • Shower Mask Visit (1:34)
    Aaron wears Michael’s mask as he visits Dana in the shower.
    
  • Jog to a Hanging Dog (1:11)
    While she is jogging, Allyson sees a dead dog hanging from a tree.
  • Allyson and Friends at School (2:19)
    Vicki tells Allyson she needs to babysit and won’t be going to the dance; Cameron and Allyson have a chat.
  • Cameron and Cops Don’t Mix (2:15)
    Cameron chases down Allyson to apologize and return her phone, and then argues with the cops for interrupting his apology
  • Deluxe Banh Mi Cops (1:55)
    Extended cut of Officer Richards and Officer Francis talking about food during a stakeout.
  • Sartain and Hawkins Ride Along (1:00)
    Sartain and Officer Hawkins have an uncomfortable ride.
• Back in Haddonfield: Making Halloween (6:05)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about revisiting/reinventing a classic, filming death scenes, their recollections of watching the original film, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-writer/director/executive producer David Gordon Green, producer Malek Akkad, executive producer/co-composer John Carpenter, co-writer/executive producer Danny McBride, producer Jason Blum, executive producer Jamie Lee Curtis (“Laurie Strode”), co-producer Ryan Turek, co-writer Jeff Fradley, producer Bill Block and stars Andi Matichak (“Allyson”), Judy Greer (“Karen”), Drew Scheid (“Oscar”), Rhian Rees (“Dana Haines”), Virginia Gardner (“Vicky”), James Jude Courtney (“The Shape”/”Michael Myers”), and Toby Huss (“Ray”).
• The Original Scream Queen (2:32)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the original Halloween and Jamie Lee Curtis’ return for this sequel. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-writer/director/executive producer David Gordon Green, executive producer/co-composer John Carpenter, and stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, and Judy Greer.
• The Sound of Fear (3:19)
  The filmmakers talk about how the original theme music came about, and using this as a base for the new film’s score. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producer/co-composer John Carpenter, co-writer/director/executive producer David Gordon Green, co-writer/executive producer Danny McBride, and co-composers Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies.
• Journey of the Mask (2:33)
  The filmmakers talk about creating the mask, and the role it plays in the film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with star Jamie Lee Curtis, executive producer/co-composer John Carpenter, co-writer/executive producer Danny McBride, co-writer/director/executive producer David Gordon Green, FX makeup designer Christopher Nelson (“Officer Francis”) and actor James Jude Courtney.
• The Legacy of Halloween (4:25)
  Star Jamie Lee Curtis, executive producer/co-composer John Carpenter, co-writer/director/executive producer David Gordon Green, and producer Jason Blum sit down for a round-table discussion about the film, franchise and the horror movie genre. Also includes behind-the-scenes footage.

Final Thoughts:

Halloween is a thoroughly-entertaining follow-up to the original classic, and makes an excellent direct sequel that feels like a natural continuation of the story and characters. Jamie Lee Curtis is fantastic as this T2 Sarah Connor-like version of Laurie Strode, and Judy Greer and Andi Matichak also provide excellent performances as her estranged family members. The film really delivers when it comes to tension and frights—the most important part of a horror film—especially in the film’s amazing final act. Universal’s UHD release provides excellent picture and sound, and a small but entertaining selection of bonus material. This release comes highly recommended to anyone looking for a fun new horror/thriller.