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.
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. I recommend this movie to fans of the series and even if you own the prior disc, this one is more than worth the upgrade, to be sure.
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 a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The previous edition looked good, but this new version ramps up the visuals and delivers a welcome overall improvement. There is still some grain and minimal print debris, but aside from those elements, this is one terrific presentation. The black levels look richer and more imposing, which means detail is clearer and nothing is lost in the darkness. No errors with the colors either, as hues look bold and bright, while flesh tones are natural at all times. I have no real complaints to make with this presentation, as it looks great and tops the previous edition in all respects.
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.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a seventeen minute retrospective featurette, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
