Plot: What’s it about?
It has been ten years since Michael Myers kicked off his blood soaked reign of terror, so Haddonfield has moved on, but not forgotten the madman. As the town goes through the usual motions, Myers lies in a coma and is about to be moved to another institution, or at least that’s what the plan was. But Myers wakes up and of course, wants to slash his way free and continue his murderous path. He is woken up when he overhears that he has a niece in Haddonfield, which makes him kill the workers, escape from the vehicle, and start a bee-line toward Haddonfield. His new target is young Jamie (Danielle Harris), the orphaned daughter of Laurie Strode, Michael’s sister whom he stalked. Of course, Jamie stands little chance of surviving an attack by Myers, let alone being able to defeat him, so she’ll need some assistance. That help comes in the form of Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance), who ventures to Haddonfield to once again thwart the efforts of Myers, perhaps once and for all this time.
It has been ten years since Michael Myers kicked off his blood soaked reign of terror, so Haddonfield has moved on, but not forgotten the madman. As the town goes through the usual motions, Myers lies in a coma and is about to be moved to another institution, or at least that’s what the plan was. But Myers wakes up and of course, wants to slash his way free and continue his murderous path. He is woken up when he overhears that he has a niece in Haddonfield, which makes him kill the workers, escape from the vehicle, and start a bee-line toward Haddonfield. His new target is young Jamie (Danielle Harris), the orphaned daughter of Laurie Strode, Michael’s sister whom he stalked. Of course, Jamie stands little chance of surviving an attack by Myers, let alone being able to defeat him, so she’ll need some assistance. That help comes in the form of Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance), who ventures to Haddonfield to once again thwart the efforts of Myers, perhaps once and for all this time.
The third time is the charm for Halloween 4, as this third release finally offers a true Special Edition, but more on that later in the review. After the non-sequel Halloween III, we’re back with the core of the series, as Michael Myers returns to his rightful place. This is not the best volume in the series, but it is a solid horror movie and for fans of the series, it marks a welcome return to the basics, since Halloween III was an unrelated debacle. This installment has suspense to spare and some excellent visuals, but the move to 1.85:1 seems to hinder the visuals at times. Even so, some great shots can be seen here and on the whole, this is a well shot sequel. Danielle Harris steals the show as young Jamie, but as per usual, Donald Pleasance rings in a fine performance also. And of course, having Myers back in action adds more to the film than anything could, without a doubt. There isn’t a whole lot of gore to be seen, but some well made death scenes more than suffice. This has never been a series drenched in blood though, so I doubt anyone will be let down. Is this upgrade worthwhile? If you’re a casual fan, then no, but diehard Halloween fans will have to own this one.
I think the presence of young Danielle Harris really helps this movie, as she has just the right approach to her character’s persona. She needed to be both helpless and also eerie at times, which is just she delivers in Halloween 4. It’s an odd role to say the least, but Harris manages to bring it to life and since she’s very young here, it’s that much more impressive. I don’t think this is the kind of role you take on to win awards, but Harris embodies the character and that’s what counts, especially in low budget horror movies like this one. You can also see Harris in such films as Killer Bud, Marked for Death, Halloween 5, The Last Boy Scout, Urban Legend, Wish Upon a Star, and Poor White Trash. The cast also includes Donald Pleasance (Halloween, Phenomena), Ellie Cornell (Free Enterprise, The Specials), and Michael Pataki (Dead & Buried, Death House).
Video: How does it look?
Halloween 4 is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a Divimax release, which means a new treatment taken from a new high definition transfer. The question is, how much better does this new one look, as the previous one was quite solid. I found the print to be improved, as there was less grain and on the whole, a sharper presence. The difference is not drastic, but when I compared the two transfers, this new one has more detail and depth. As before, contrast is smooth and consistent, which is crucial in this movie, given how dark the visuals can be. I saw no problems with colors either, as hues were accurate and flesh tones were natural, a nice improvement overall.
Audio: How does it sound?
The same Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has been ported over, but that isn’t bad news at all, as this track is very impressive. I was surprised to hear such power, as I hadn’t listened to the previous disc in a few months and this mix sometimes floored me. The bass kicks often and packs a punch, while the surrounds chime in whenever needed also. The rear channels have a lot of presence, given the film was made on a tight budget, but don’t expect reference level output, however. The dialogue is consistent within the mix also, never buried or muffled in the least. In the end, this is a much better audio track than expected, terrific work indeed. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option.
Supplements: What are the extras?
New to this version are two audio commentary tracks one with stars Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell, the other with writer Alan B. McElroy. McElroy provides a decent session, but leaves a lot of silence and tends to narrate too often. Harris and Cornell are able to play off each other and that keeps things talkative, though silent spots and narration do surface. So while neither track is a home run, there is some worthwhile information in each session. This disc also includes the same seventeen minute retrospective featurette found on the previous disc, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
