Why So Blu?

HALLOWEEN 35th Anniversary Edition Takes Shape On Blu-ray – September 24!

35 years ago, John Carpenter and Debra Hill changed the landscape of horror for may years to come.  Once the highest grossing independent film of all time, Halloween has scared audiences for over 3 decades.  It has been replicated, sequelized and remade, but none stand close to the original “Night He Came Home”.  Anchor Bay is celebrating the anniversary in style.  First and most importantly this is a new transfer of the film supervised by the film’s cinematographer, the legendary Dean Cundey (this is also not the same transfer used for last years re-release).  Some complained the original Blu-ray wasn’t up to snuff with his intended vision.  Well, Anchor Bay listened and here you go.  There’s also an all new commentary from John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis as well as a new interview with the original scream queen herself.  Halloween is my all-time favorite film, as it scared me senseless as a kid and its production story and history served as an inspiration for me and my love of film.  “The immortal classic returns” on Blu-ray September 24^th.  Continue on to read all the details and specs for this release! 

Michael Myers is back…and he’s never looked better! 

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT

PROUDLY PRESENTS

HALLOWEEN 35TH ANNIVERSARY

BLU-RAY™

 

Featuring all-new HD transfer supervised by Dean Cundey, New 7.1 Audio Mix, New Commentary Track by John Carpenter & Jamie Lee Curtis and

Never-Before-Seen Bonus Features

 

Coming Home Again September 24^th

 

Beverly Hills, CA – In 1978, Compass International Pictures released an indie horror film by an up and coming director and a largely unknown cast. Presented by the late Moustapha Akkad, the film cost $325,000 and ended up not only becoming one of the most successful independent motion pictures of its time, but single handedly created the genre of the modern horror film along with the first iconic (via a painted-over William Shatner mask) cinematic slasher!

Its global success spawned seven sequels, a reboot directed by Rob Zombie and a sequel-to-the-reboot, as well as created generations of grateful fans. The director’s name is John Carpenter and the film was Halloween. This year marks the 35^th Anniversary of the timeless thriller and to celebrate, Anchor Bay Entertainment is bringing back the terrifying original as it’s never been seen or heard before!

Anchor Bay Entertainment and Trancas International proudly announce the September 24^th release of the 35^thAnniversary Blu-ray™ release of Halloween. For this very special release, Anchor Bay and Trancas went back to the vaults to present this legendary terror classic as never before, including creating an all-new HD transfer personally supervised by the film’s original cinematographer, Academy-Award® nominee Dean Cundey (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Apollo 13, the Back to the Future trilogy), a new 7.1 audio mix (as well as the original mono audio), a brand-new feature length audio commentary by writer/director John Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis, an all-new bonus feature with Ms. Curtis, as well as selected legacy bonus features from previous ABE releases. Available in a collectible limited-edition book-style package (available only for the first printing) with 20 pages featuring archival photos, an essay by Halloween historian Stef Hutchinson and specially commissioned cover art by Jay Shaw.

“Anchor Bay Entertainment has been home to Halloween for almost 20 years,” noted Malek Akkad, President of Trancas International Films and son of Moustapha Akkad. “I’m so happy that we’re partnering with them to present the definitive edition of what is widely acknowledged as one of the seminal horror films of the 20^thcentury.”

Halloween stars Jamie Lee Curtis (A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies) in her debut role. Anyone who’s ever watched a horror film in the last 35 years knows the story of Michael Myers, who as a child, butchered his sister with a kitchen knife. Committed to a mental institution and watched over by Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance,Halloween II, IV & V, Fantastic Voyage), he engineers his escape 15 years later, returning to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween night to terrorize anyone who gets in his way, including babysitter Laurie Strode (Curtis).

Co-starring P.J. Soles (Carrie, Stripes, Rock ‘n Roll High School), Kyle Richards (The Watcher in the Woods, Eaten Alive), Nancy Loomis (Carpenter’s Assault On Precinct 13, The Fog), Charles Cyphers (Escape From New York, The Fog) and Brian Andrews (The Great Santini, Three O’Clock High), Halloween also cemented the careers of many behind the camera including Carpenter, Cundey, producer Debra Hill and film editor/production designer Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, “It”).

Bonus features on Halloween 35^th Anniversary Blu-ray™ include:

• All-new commentary track with writer/director John Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis;
• “The Night She Came Home” new featurette with Jamie Lee Curtis (HD);
• On Location;
• Trailers;
• TV & Radio Spots;
• Additional Scenes from TV Version