Customer Reviews

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later - Collector's Edition

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(61)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

Whenever you see an old Miramax/Dimension release with the Echo Bridge stamp, please stay away from it, even though the price may seem interesting, trust me, the release in itself is far from worth your hard-earned cash.

Echo Bridge simply takes the available horror titles in the library, puts it on a cheap 25GB Blu-Ray and voila, you have an Echo Bridge release, even though the cover is entirely different from other releases, this is their number one argument of sale: no special features, no nothing. Bare-bone editions as they can be, I would suggest you to stay with the Alliance Blu-Ray titles until another company takes the matter more seriously, which could mean a lot of time.

And keep the old DVDs as well, because the special features have all been washed away.

If you need to be convinced, try and look at The Crow: City of Angels. Not only is the transfer atrocious, they didn't even put the first movie out. They went for the sequel.

So in closing, stay away from the Echo Bridge editions, unless you are looking for a very cheap type of entertainment. In that case, that's all you will get.

With all the bad reviews they get, maybe they will either shut down or add to the titles in the near future.

(NOTE: This review was originally posted on the U.S.-based Amazon.com website.)

Certainly, after watching "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers", I had little interest in ever seeing Michael Myers again, who over the course of six films has transformed from a mysteriously eerie serial killer into a monolithic robotic Druid (!) henchman. Amazingly, the next film in the franchise would redeem the "Halloween" name, a rarity for a sequel so late in the series. In fact, "Halloween H20" is probably the best sequel in the Halloween series (I confess to having a soft spot for "Halloween 2", but I freely admit the film is problematic). Simply put, "H20" is the sequel fans had been waiting many years to see... even if some (like me) didn't know it.

The decision was made for "H20" to ignore the last series of sequels and act as a direct sequel to "Halloween II"; it was a wise decision, freeing the series from the various inane story lines and C-List characters that accumulatively dragged down the series over the years. Pleasingly, "H20" manages to both scare and entertain in a way that I thought just wasn't possible for the film series anymore. Finely directed by old school slasher film director Steve Miner (doing a better job with "H20" than he ever did on any of his 1980's "Friday The 13th" films), the film is smartly cast, has good production values, and is a blessed with a tight, straightforward plot. Jamie Lee Curtis gives a great lead performance, and the ending is the most satisfying of all the Halloween films (and that includes the original).

Special bonus points for "H20": it's the first sequel since "Halloween II" to get "The Shape" right! Armed once again with a creepy William Shatner-esque mask, a lithe build and quick, methodical body movement, "The Shape" is looking and acting more like his old eerie/ghostly self than he has in years. Certainly, this is a welcome reprieve from the graceless, hulking, albino-masked mongoloid that brutishly skulked around in the last few film sequels.

"Halloween: H20" isn't perfect; the characterizations (with the exception of Curtis's role) are drawn rather sketchily, the plot is a little too simplistic, and the music score is far more "Scream" than "Halloween" (literally, as parts of the score is actually taken from the "Scream" film!). Still, "H20" is a must-see for any self-respecting horror fan, and is well-made enough that (just as was the case with the first film) even non-genre fans should enjoy it; a four-star film (out of five).

Recently, there has been a lot of rancorous noise regarding U.S. distributer Echo Bridge's recent budget Blu-Ray release of "Halloween H20", which can either be purchased alone or as a double feature with the awful "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers". Primary criticisms from early reviews have been the following: "H20" has had its original aspect ratio changed; only a Dolby 2.0 lossless soundtrack is included; the print is of poor quality; and there are no extras of any kind.

Regarding the Echo Bridge Blu-Ray release, while not the worst Blu-Ray I've ever seen, this Echo Bridge release does indeed suck, even at its price of $9.99. Blacks are OK but lack detail, colors look flat, the print is dirty, and edge enhancement and compressions artifacts pops up throughout the film. Also, the film's original theatrical aspect ratio has been altered from 2.35:1 to 1.78:1 (although nothing has been cropped, as the film was shot in Super 35, which allows for aspect ratio changes on a film without losing any picture). Unfortunately, the open matte presentation does indeed alter the cinematic feel of the picture, throwing composition off in many scenes, and giving the film an overall TV Movie-like feel that was clearly not intended by the director. Finally, the Dolby 2.0 lossless soundtrack is decent for a surround track, but why is this here on a Blu-Ray, when perfectly good DTS-HD 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks exist elsewhere? Overall, with a sub-par presentation and zero extras, the Echo Bridge Blu-Ray release of "H20" screams "cheap cash-in", and will certainly disappoint fans of the film. Overall, a one star review (out of five) for the Echo Bridge Blu-Ray release of "H20".

This is not my first disappointment with an Echo Bridge Blu-Ray release. My first was merely weeks ago, when I picked up Echo Bridge's recent Blu-Ray release of "From Dusk 'Till Dawn"; just as was the case with "H20", the Blu-Ray was pretty crummy looking, even for its price. Frustrated and disappointed with that earlier release, I took a chance and ordered the Canadian Blu-Ray release of "From Dusk 'Till Dawn" from Canadian distributer Alliance (who has a dodgy reputation when it comes to Blu-Ray releases), and I'm glad I did, as the Alliance Blu-Ray was superior to the Echo Bridge release in every regard. Feeling encouraged, I decided to give the "Halloween Triple Pack" Blu-Ray release from Alliance a shot (which I picked up from Amazon.ca for $30.00, including shipping). This is a case of a gem sandwiched between two turds, as the best of the Halloween sequels ("H20") is unfortunately bookended between the two very worst sequels ("Curse" and "Resurrection"). It is on the strength of "H20" alone, that I decided to splurge on the Canadian import.

So, was it worth the trouble and cash to purchase this import? Certainly, for me I feel it was. Although "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" and "Halloween: H20" are presented in 1080i (only Halloween: Resurrection" is shown in 1080P), the picture quality of all three of the films look respectable, certainly heads and shoulders above any DVD release. The aspect ratio for "Halloween: H20" is indeed in its original aspect ratio of 2.35.1 ("Halloween: Resurrection" is also shown in its correct aspect ratio of 2.35.1, while Halloween: The Curse...", originally released in 1.85:1, is shown in an incorrect aspect ratio of 1.78.1). Sharpness is good, colors are accurate looking and blacks are strong for all three films. There doesn't appear to be any edge enhancement or DNR.

Is "H20" on the Alliance triple-pack presented better than the Echo Bridge release? Yes, it is. The print on the Alliance release isn't quite as dirty-looking as the Echo Bridge Blu-Ray (although it's far from clean), and the original aspect ratio is left untouched, restoring the film's cinematic look that was lost on the Echo Bridge release. In the end, it would have been nice if they cleaned up the print for "Halloween: H20" a bit (which unfortunately looks the shabbiest of the three films), but all things considered, "H20" looks better than the Echo Bridge presentation by a fair amount, even in 1080i.

The audio on the Alliance release "H20" completely blows away the Echo Bridge release. In fact, the audio for all three films sound quite good, with each film given a solid 5.1 DTS-HD Master audio soundtrack, complete with strong surround effects and good bass.

So, the bottom line is, is the "Halloween Triple Pack" worth the $30.00 (and up) price which this Blu-Ray is going for? For hardcore fans, I would say yes. Now, make no mistake about it, all of these films can (and should) be presented in a far better manner on Blu-Ray than what is on this triple-pack disc, with a nice 1080P picture and special features galore. Yet, for what it is, hardcore fans should be pleased, as the presentation for all three movies is quite decent.

However, for casual U.S. fans, in spite of my poor review, I do think they'll be better served with either the $9.99 Echo Bridge stand-alone Blu-Ray release of "H20", or the $16.00 Echo Bridge "H20"/"Curse of..." Blu-Ray double feature. The fact is, I simply can't justify casual fans shelling out 30-plus dollars for one good film and two awful ones. Casual fans likely won't mind (and may even prefer) the screen-filling open matte presentation of Echo Bridge's "H20" Blu-Ray release, and will probably feel satisfied enough with the Dolby 2.0 lossless soundtrack.

The sad reality is, this is probably as good as it's going to get for these films on Blu-Ray in the Region "A" market... at least for a while. Hopefully, Echo Bridge's distribution rights while expire sooner than later for these "Halloween" films, and they'll see a better presentation down the line.

maybe it's just me,but i found this Halloween movie lacking.the idea
was a good one,having this one take place twenty years after the events
in the first and second films.all the sequels in between are
ignored.however,i didn't find that much else to like about it.for one
thing,i found the first hour quite slow.very little happens up to that
point.plus,i thought the acting was below par in this one,even for this
genre.but the biggest thing i realized,was that the character of
Michael Myers does not inspire fear in this one.in fact,i found him
kind of laughable.maybe it's just because there have been so many
psycho villains since then,that the character isn't really that
different from the rest.the point is,he just doesn't have much of an
impact.i also thought some of the dialogue was pretty bad in this
one.but the biggest thing for me,is that the way things happened in
this movie just weren't realistic.i just didn't see it
happening.despite all that,i still think it was a better film than the
last one,part 6:The curse of Michael Myers.for me Halloween H2O:Twenty
Years Later is a 2.5/5

Before i watched this movie i thought it was gonna be another good installment in the series but nothing special. It didnt even pass my mind that it could be as good or almost as good as the original. It was! I found this to be one of the best horror sequels ever! It is my favorite in the Halloween series , tieing with the first. If you liked the first i strongly recomend this one!

I've always enjoyed the Halloween movies, but in the past there have been mistakes. However, H20 tries to fix that, by offering a good dose of horror. The beginning is somewhat weak, and seems like the director added it in to up the body count, but still you have to start somewhere. After the first two murders occur[ one being very gruesome, in which a character gets an ice skate shoved through his face]. The cops flock to the murder scene, and discover that Dr. Sam Loomis's nurse has been murdered, and that the file on Laurie Strode has been stolen. We then go to a prep school in California, where it is one day before Halloween, and Miss Strode is having quite a hard time recovering over what happened 20 years ago. She is the headmistress of a private school, and we meet her son Josh. Josh is very annoyed by her mother's overprotectivness. It doesn't help that it is one day before Halloween. Josh wants to go on a camping trip, but can't seem to persuade his mother to let him go. So, him and his friends decide to arrange a gettogether at the prep school after everyone else leaves, but Josh's mom decides to let him go to the camping trip, so he takes the slip but doesn't leave. Laurie then discovers that Halloween night that her sons camping items are still in the house and comes to the realization that Josh is in trouble, and her brother is coming back to get him. It is at this point that what we have all been waiting for happens. Michael shows up at the school. In this movie, Laurie finally conquers her fears and faces her maniac brother. Good acting, good writing, and all in all a good movie. I had to give it 4 stars because the middle is a little slow in some parts, and the movie entirely ignores 4, 5, and Curse, but some people may enjoy that.

I think that this is a terrible sequel. -Reason why it
just don't respect the previous installment's. -Which
made much sense. -but this one does not deserve the
kindness of it's; -hardcore fan's.. -They may not agree
with me on this subject.. -But I truly respected the

other's. -Like; -Halloween 4: -The Return of Michael
Myers.. -1988.. -and; -Halloween 5: -The Revenge of
Michael Myers.. -The beginning don't even make a lot
of sense. -Such as Michael finding her baby sister's
only file. -How did he knew where it was hiddon..!
cooed it be; -Dr. -Wynn; -from; -"The Curse of Michael
Myer's.." -I don't know..! -But it was a nice

try; -at the beginning..! -Their are several key plott's
in the movie that where key plott's; -of the terrific
"Scream.." -1996.. -Which did a good job..? -I've really
liked the new; -musical; -score.. -Very uppdatted; -and
very modern as a horror classic..! -But I was dissgraced
by the lackness of director; -Steve Miner.. -Ho picture's
are so green and god awlfull looking..! -With; -light
color's; -and dirt; -threw out the movie.. -If you notice..!

Even with the DVD'S..!!

I'm glad that he revived the dead; -Halloween
genera.. -But I've wished that he kept the element's of all
the other; -Halloween's.. -Which they made much sense two me..?
since this ignores them all..! -Steve Miner is the worst
sequel hollywood; -director..! -On the plannet..! -In my
mind..! -The movie begin's with Michael killing off the
slow poke nurse of both the original's..

Then it's off two; -Summerglenn California..! -Where
Michael goe's too make a pit stop at the bathroom and
some posh School where Jamie Lee is the headmistress
and think's the past is well over with..? -But not on
this Halloween..! -She is an aging; -alcholick..? -Ho
yell's at her son threw out the movie..? -Even the
schoolyard security.. -L.L. -Cool J.. -Is way two

boring; -like the guy; -in; -Psycho..! -The movie lead's
us with more; -boring; -brutal Killing's..! -Lame camera angels.. -Sorry if I say this..! -The movie two me in my mind is very entertaining..! -Then; -it wears me down..? -But it
just dissapoint's me becuase the way this flick just
stay the hell away from the previous installment's..!

So just like if you seen all the movie's..! -Like it
becuase you are a Halloween; -fan..! -You've seen all the
sequel's..!

But I just stick with the other installment's..!

This shooed work for you..!

Enjoy..!

In 1978, John Carpenter's "Halloween" became one of the largest and the most successful independant motion picture of all time. It was scary, clever, well acted, and entertaining. While several slasher sequels followed ("Halloween II" (1981), "Halloween III: Season on the Witch" (1983), "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers" (1988), "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers" (1989), and "Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers" (1995)) none were as good, nor scary as the original. "Halloween H20" is not as good or scary as the original, but it comes darn close. Being often discriminated, "H20" is an entertaining movie with some good points including a good cast and some great thrills, but the only problem is its inconsistansies with the rest of the "Halloween" series. If you're scared and want a treat on Halloween night, then rent a "Halloween" movie, and you might find "H20" the one you like.
First of all, the cast of "Halloween H20" is amazing. Jamie Lee Curtis steals the show in an unstoppable fashion. She has flipped the character of Lourie Strode around so much from the original's shy geeky Lourie to "H20's" tough and serious Lourie. Now an alchaholic head mistress at a private school in California (the only "Halloween" not in Haddonfield!). She has a son named John (Josh Hartnet) who is dating a blonde babe named Molly (Michelle Williams) and whose two friends are Sarah (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe) and Charlie (Adam Hann-Byrd). Laurie also is seeing someone (since her husband, who I believe may have been Jimmy from "Halloween II", and her are now seperated). The guy she is seeing is the school guidance councelor Will (Adam Arkin). Michael Myers is played by Chris Durand. Also in the cast are LL Cool J as Ronny the school security guard and Marion Whittington (Nancy Stevens) who appeared in both "Halloween" and "Halloween II". Although all the actors are good at their roles, Jamie Lee Curtis steal the show. She is the new Dr. Loomis- the hero of the story. Her final confrontation with Michael Myers is legendary. Curtis has also done a great job with every role, and it is visible in this movie how she has matured as an actress from the orignal "Halloween" to now. It is a common fact that most horror films have bad actors, but this movie doesn't- it has a great cast.
Secondly, this movie has an assortment of good thrills, chills, and scares. Not as scary as the first, but still a jumpy thriller, "H20" makes its mark in the horror industry. The beginning is the scariest part of the movie, and all throughout the movie you keep expecting Michael Myers to pop up out of no where and kill someone. For instance, Lourie is having visions and nightmares where she sees Michael coming. But how does she know if its really him or not. Another good scare would be when Michael is stalking John, Molly, Sarah, and Charlie while they all are at the school when it is closed down. "Halloween H20" is scary and jittery, but is fun to watch, and will not give you nightmares.
Finally, even with a great cast and some good scares, "Halloween H20" has a major flaw. It totally forgets about "Halloween 4", "Halloween 5", and "Halloween 6". "H20" makes it seem as if Michael has been anonymous for the last 20 years ever since "Halloween II" ended. Of course there would be no mention of "Halloween III" since it had nothing to do with Michael Myers. This is not good because yes, "Halloween 5" and "Halloween 6" were somewhat weak, but "Halloween 4" was a good movie, even better than "H20". And even if the sequels were all bad, they are still apart of the series, and therefore must not be forgotten. For instance, Lourie's daughter Jamie from "Halloween 4" was not mentioned at all in this movie, and with the introduction of John, Jamie's story is a little confusing. Another bad connection would be that Michael Myers had no burns on him, which is strange considering that in "Halloween II" he was nearly burned to death. The character of Dr. Loomis is only mentioned once, and his death is made unclear, saying he 'died' a few years ago, while in fact, he was murdered by Michael Myers in 1995. There are several other noticable flaws connecting this movie with the rest of the series, and that alone somewhat ruins the movie for any real "Halloween" fan.
To conclude, this movie is awesome with its good cast and thrilling writing, but it lacks as a part of the "Halloween" 'series'. This is, however, a great movie to watch. It is very entertaining, and if you can put its flaws behind, then you should enjoy it almost as much as the original. Jamie Lee Curtis and her supporting cast are great, there are some suspenseful and jumpy parts, and this movie is overall a typical slasher flick of the 90's. The film also just goes to show that even 20 years later, the "Halloween" series is still making a killing in the horror industry, which is more than can be said for "Friday the 13th" or "A Nightmare on Elm Street". Get scared today, and buy "Halloween H20" to complete your "Halloween" collection.

It seems that the only reason people say that this is the best Halloween sequel, and that it matches the style of the original, yadda, yadda, yadda, is because Jaime Lee Curtis revives her role as Laurie Strode. It is WAY overrated, and it truly boggels me why so many people give it *** stars and up. It's not scary AT ALL, and it doesn't even LOOK like it's taking place on Halloween. And it's just BORING. But I really can't give it under two stars. It's just not THAT bad. I wouldint reccomend it unless you feel you must watch every Halloween movie.

Firstly, for all of you who keep referencing all of the halloween sequels to the first, please stop. As we all know, there will never be another halloween as good as the first(as long as they keep making them), so please don't be dissapointed when the sequels aren't as good as the original. Ok, now with that said, i believe this is one of the better sequels (notice i didn't compare it to the first) in the halloween series. In this one, the actor who plays Michael(the shape), seems to have studied Michaels moves and bodily expressions from previous films and, in my opinion, improved on them. This actor was by far my favorite to have played Michael. It was somewhat a standalone movie from the previous sequels that really held it's own. I thought the acting was very good(even for the not so well known actors/actresses) and of course Jaime Lee always does a great job. The only complaint i have is that no one (the director or the writers) made any mention of Laurie's other child(the one from sequels 4,5,&6) but, maybe for good reason. I liked halloween 4,5,&6 but, this one put the series back in the spotlight as far as i'm concerned. We have finally had a horror icon(Freddy) vs. horror icon(Jason) but, now let's have a horror legend(Michael) vs. horror icon(Jason). Just thought i would add that for all of you horror fans out there who would like to see that one. Well anyway, i would definitely recommend this one to any halloween fan. So go ahead and get your copy today before Michael gets to you first.

I have this movie and I watch ir sometimes when I go to bed and everytime I never get tired of it.What a Halloween sequel, Jamie Lee Curtis saved this movie, I mean if this movie didnt have Jamie Lee Curtis the movie was probably not gonna has good has it is, I mean it could of been good like the other sequels but jamie lee curtis tops it.