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DVD Shopping Bag: Halloween Box Set

What? No 2 and 3 but it has Blu-ray?

By Robert T. Trate     October 14, 2008


Scenes from Halloween the Extended Cut
© Mania.com/Robert Trate

 

Last October I headed over to mall to pick up Halloween on DVD. After sitting through Rob Zombie’s awful rendition of John Carpenter’s classic film I knew it was time to pick up the original. I still had my 1998 VHS Limited Edition 2 tape set but it was starting to look worn out. For those of you that never had the set it had all the deleted scenes, featurettes, trailers and interviews on two different tapes.
 
I journeyed into the canyons of the mall looking for a DVD edition of that 2 tape set. Finding a plethora of re-mastered and anniversary editions I was lost trying to figure out which one to pick up. All I did know was that I wanted the one with the network scenes reincorporated back into the film. Even though the prices were super low they couldn’t deter me from what I wanted: Halloween with those additional scenes. Apparently the version I wanted had been released in 1999 and again in 2001on DVD but had since gone out of circulation.
 
On October 14, Anchor Bay is finally re-releasing Halloween the Extended Cut on DVD. Unfortunately there is a catch; it only comes in the Halloween: 30th Anniversary Box Set. Packed with a great collection of Halloween anniversary, sequels and extended editions it lacks Halloween 2 and 3. Apparently both of those films are owned by Universal Studios (Check out Halloween 2/ Halloween 3 - Season of the Witch (Double Feature DVD)). Universal Studios is the key to why there is an extended cut of Halloween though.
 
Halloween was sold to NBC (owned by Universal Studios) for television broadcast rights for 4 million dollars. Considering it was made for 325,000 that is a nice profit. However, after a few cuts the film was not long enough to run on TV. John Carpenter was then hired to film twelve additional minutes for the television broadcast. This was incredibly convenient because at the time Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence were filming Halloween 2.  
 
What’s in those twelve minutes? Plenty of back story that ties Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) to Michael Myers. There are few other scenes but the one scene that really matters is Dr. Loomis examining Michael’s room at the institution. This scene not only places the entire Halloween mythology in order but it makes everything that deals with Laurie Strode, up to and including Halloween: H20, work.
 
The box set also lacks Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. It doesn’t need Halloween: Resurrection, which was just plain awful, but this odd 30th anniversary box isn’t Anchor Bay’s fault. Moustapha Akkad before he passed away was very open about milking poor Michael Myers to death. Apparently that meant selling the distribution rights to whoever wanted them. Now it seems that Moustapha’s son Malek is carrying on the tradition by producing Rob Zombie’s Halloween.  
 
Outside of picking up Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and Halloween 2 Anchor Bay’s box set does have that extended cut and a plethora of extras. If you can do without the extended cut then look for these films individually to be on sale this Halloween. If you need John Carpenter’s classic, fully restored or you want Halloween on Blu-ray then this box set is what you have been waiting for.
 
HORROR
 
A Nightmare on Elm Street 1-4: 4 Film Favorites
 
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5-8: 4 Film Favorites
 
Brotherhood of Blood (Ghost House Underground Collection)
 
Camp Horror Double Feature: Vampires Embrace/Through Dead Eyes
 
Dance of the Dead (Ghost House Underground Collection)
 
Dark Floors (Ghost House Underground Collection)
 
Deadly Game
 
Drive-In Cult Classics 3
 
Exploitation Cinema: Mausoleum/Blood Song
 
Icons of Horror: Hammer Films (2-disc) (The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb / The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll / Scream of Fear / The Gorgon)
-Trailers for each film
 
Last House in the Woods (Ghost House Underground Collection)
 
No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker (Ghost House Underground Collection)
 
 
Room 205 (Ghost House Underground Collection)
 
 
The Substitute (Ghost House Underground Collection)
 
 
Trackman (Ghost House Underground Collection)
 
ACTION / ADVENTURE / KUNG FU/ THRILLERS / WESTERNS
 
After the Truth
 
American Gangster [Blu-ray]
 
Casino [Blu-ray]
 
Eastern Promises [Blu-ray]
 
 
Exspendable
 
Hard Bounty
 
 
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [Blu-ray]
 
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Single Disc)
 
There are multiple Exclusives for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:
 
-Circuit City - 2 lithographs of concept art from the movie.

-Best Buy - Gift Set with replica crystal skull from Sideshow Collectibles and a $25 gift card to Sideshowcollectibles.com

-Target - Exclusive Packaging is a beautiful hard cover book from Palace Press with 80 pages of behind the scenes photos, including many never-before-published images.

-Kmart & Sears - Four Exclusive LEGO mini-posters. Each poster is a LEGO replica of the original theatrical poster from all four Indy films.

-Trans World (FYE, Sam Goody and Coconuts) - Exclusive Steel book Packaging.
 
-Commentary by Director Lewis Teague
-Deleted Scenes
-Multiple Featurettes
-Theatrical Trailer
 
Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (+ Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]
 
Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (+ Digital Copy)
 
Mystery of the Nile [Blu-ray]
 
The New World - The Extended Cut (+ Digital Copy)
 
Notorious
 
Payback
 
Rebecca
 
-Deleted Scenes
-Cast Interviews
-Retrospective
 
Spellbound
 
War, Inc.
 
War, Inc. [Blu-ray]
 
Witness to the Mob
 
ANIME
 
Azumanga Daioh, Vol. 2: Complete Collection
 
Bleach Movie 1: Memories of Nobody
 
Claymore, Starter Set (includes Vol. 1)
 
Claymore, Vol. 1
 
Ghost in a Shell: Season 1
 
Kaleido Star: Season 1 and 2
 
Kanon, Vol. 6
 
Karin, Vol. 5 - Ascendance
 
Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl Collection
 
Kyo Kara Maoh: Season 2, Vol. 8
 
Naruto Uncut Complete Box Set (Vol 1-10 Box Sets) - AMAZON EXCLUSIVE
 
Naruto Uncut Box Set, Volume 10
 
Negima: Spring & Summer OVA
 
Otogi Zoshi:Tokyo Arc
 
School Rumble: Season 2, Pt. 1
 
Shonen Onmyouji: Starter Set (includes Vol. 1)
 
Shonen Onmyouji, Vol. 1
 
Shonen Onmyouji, Vol. 2
 
Shonen Onmyouji, Vol. 3
 
Vol. 1-Slayers Revolution
 
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Rise of the Sacred Beasts, Part 1
 
CARTOONS
 
Liberty's Kids: Complete Series
 
Lil' Bush: Resident of United States - Season Two
 
 
SpongeBob SquarePants - Who Bob What Pants
 
COMEDY AND LOVE Mania Style
 
Chaplin (15th Anniversary Edition)
 
- Mini Episodes of I Dream of Jeannie and Fantasy Island
 
Criterion Collection
 
Killing of a Chinese Bookie - Criterion Collection
 
Short Cuts - Criterion Collection
 
SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY
 
Capricorn One
 
The Matrix Collection: 4 Film Favorites
 
SALT: A Fatal Attraction
 
Superman: 4 Film Favorites
 
The Ultimate Matrix Collection [Blu-ray]
 
TV LAND
 
Adventures of Robin Hood: The Complete Second Season
 
Back to You - Season 1
 
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Eighth Season
 
Degrassi: The Next Generation Ultimate Fan Set
 
The Deputy (1959-1961) - Starring Henry Fonda
 
Nash Bridges - The First Season
 
The Partridge Family: The Complete Third Season
 
That 70's Show: Complete Giftset
 
The Unit - The Complete Third Season
 
UNDENIABLE CLASSICS
 
 
March of the Wooden Soldiers
 
BOX SETS
 
-Audio commentaries, featurettes, screen tests, still galleries, vintage radio interviews
-AFI Tribute to Hitchcock
-32-page notebook with trivia and production notes
 
Alien - Predator Total Destruction Collection
 
Giant 600 Cartoons: Special Collectors Edition
 
-Commentaries
-Trailers
-Behind the Scenes
 
-Halloween Restored original 1978 film
-Halloween Extended Edition (
out of print for years)
-Halloween 4 The Return Of Michael Myers
-Halloween 5 The Revenge of Michael Myers
-Halloween 25 Years Of Terror SPECIAL BONUS DISC
-Halloween: Blu-ray
-
ONLY 20,000 SET WILL BE MADE EACH SET IS INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED
 
Indiana Jones - The Complete Adventures Collection (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade/ Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
 
Shogun Assassin: 5 Film Collectors’s Set
 
Ultraman Box Set

COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

Showing items 1 - 9 of 9
1 
ultrazilla2000 10/14/2008 4:33:08 AM
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5-8? I'm guessing #8 is Freddy vs Jason? That really sucks about the Halloween box set though, I would get it if it was complete.
AMiSHPiRATE 10/14/2008 5:54:59 AM
Does the walmart version of Crystal Skull come complete with rape kit? and Is it wrong to be tempted to pick up the complete series of LIberty's Kids? I've caught probably about half a dozen episodes at various times over the past five years and am curious to see the rest. *bonus comment* Did I just post about a rape kit and a children's series in the same comment?
monkeypie 10/14/2008 8:27:30 AM
Any word on when the Matrix movies will becoming available for individual purchase on BluRay?
snakeplissken007 10/14/2008 11:58:38 AM
hey Trate, you're an arrogant ass for dismissing Rob Zombie's reinvention of the Halloween franchise. It breathed new life into the Michael Meyer's slasher flicks. Zombie's version can stand seperately from Carpenter's, but for an elitist film snob such as yourself you can't stand a quality film using Carpenter's as the source material. As for insulting Moustapha Akkad for wanting to sell the rights to Halloween, you're an idiot. It's a successful franchise. It's the continuation of a story using an incredible character, but if we had it your way. It would have stopped with the original. There would not have been any sequels, and without those same sequels, faux critics such as yourself would have never given a sequeless Halloween the credit it would have deserved. It would have simply been another slasher flick. I hate you Trate, I hope you choke on a fishbone.
bjjdenver 10/14/2008 12:15:43 PM
While I'm not quite as spiteful as Snake, lol, i do agree with what he is saying. Bashing RZ's Halloween is pretty juvenile imo. If you compare it to the original, of course it doesn't quite measure up. the original is a classic movie, not just genre movie. Imo, it is close to perfection. So compare it to the other craptastic horror that is out the past 10 years. I would say on it's own, it compares very favorably, especially as RZ originally intended it. You blast Akaad for milking MM, but RZ makes a one and done movie and you cry foul, lol. If anything, RZ's halloween should be lauded for bringing more attention to a great movie.
bjjdenver 10/14/2008 12:19:12 PM
Capricorn One=pure 70's awesomeness!! I saw it in the theatre and I still watch it occasionally. And how about some details on the Shogun's Assassin set??
themovielord 10/14/2008 1:09:21 PM
"Rob Zombie’s awful rendition " - The movie had no suspense and was nothing more than a typical splatter fest featuring Zombie's buddies. As for the "elitist film snob" comment, am I not to have my opinion as well? You love Zombie's film, great. I saw it for free and wanted my time back. We each have our opinion. As Moustapha milking the franchise, he should have made some quality sequels not just the same old thing time after time. Halloween 2 and Halloween H20 at least had some thought behind them. The rest were just awful. At least judging by your handle "snakeplissken007 " we can agree on Escape from New York as being a great bad ass film! Thanks for reading ~ Robert
darkheart00 10/14/2008 4:16:35 PM
Rob Zombie's Halloween was one of the worst horror films I have ever seen. I don't know how anyone can say it breathed new life into the franchise or re-invented the character for a new generation in any way. It was a mixed bag of bad, incredibly wooden acting and some of the most horrible dialogue ever heard. It has a plot that can't decide if it wants to be something new or just rehash a film that was done better 30 years ago in every way possible. The entire first half of his movie is at least a misguided attempt at something fresh. Unfortunately due to Zombie's poor writing it came off as nothing more than pure comedy (outside of your gene pool nobody talks like that Rob). The second half of the film was a half-a$$ re-creation of the original, culminating in a ridiculous action sequence that turns Michael into a steroid fueled, Jason knock-off of a demolition man.....and I won't even start in on that anti-climactic abortion of an ending. There is nothing wrong with remakes as long as something new is brought to the table; however, you still have to stay true to the characters core. Halloween has always been about suspense and the lead up to the kill. That was what kept you on the edge of your seat. Seeing Michael's mask off in the darkness.....the outline of his "shape" standing outside your door, walking up behind the unexpecting and killing them. Not blasting through walls and ripping limbs off. Zombie just didn't get that at all. <BR />
coocoo4cocoa 10/15/2008 9:06:35 AM
"I saw it for free and wanted my time back." Nice.
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