Anyone got Halloween yet?

pmcguire · 25-09-2007, 5:38 PM

I read one review that bestows glowing praise on it.
http://dvdreview.com/reviews/pages/2682.shtml

Then I see this review that is more or less the total opposite.
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/966/halloween1978.html

Anyone here got it? Could you provide a 5 word review?

Geesus · 25-09-2007, 5:59 PM

I can't manage a 5 word review, but that hidef digest review is ridiculous as it is not reviewing the image per se, but questioning the changed colour timing which the blu ray features, like the last DVD release.

If you are not bothered by this, it looks fabulous, and I say that as a fan.

JAGUAR1977 · 25-09-2007, 6:06 PM

Got it this morning, it looks great.

Jim Morrison · 25-09-2007, 6:27 PM

I watched it this afternoon and the Blu-Ray version is by far the best presentation of the film that I've ever seen!

dbs2 · 25-09-2007, 6:32 PM

Havn't got mine yet.... Now being processed, so not long Now....

pmcguire · 25-09-2007, 7:15 PM

ok thanks gents, no worries then

Pecker · 25-09-2007, 8:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmcguire

Could you provide a 5 word review?

I haven't got it yet.

Steve W

chelsea.tone · 25-09-2007, 9:09 PM

Am i correct in assuming this is the original version?

Tony

Noggin1980 · 25-09-2007, 9:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geesus

I can't manage a 5 word review, but that hidef digest review is ridiculous as it is not reviewing the image per se, but questioning the changed colour timing which the blu ray features, like the last DVD release.

If you are not bothered by this, it looks fabulous, and I say that as a fan.

The hidefdigest review is fair but they really should have reviewed the picture quality as well as the colour issue.

If you are the sort of person who must see a movie as the director intends and would concider it sacriledge to have a movie in a different aspect ratio then the colour changes will probably annoy you greatly. They change the atmosphere of scenes and arn't at all what the director intended.

But if you arn't too bothered about what the director intended and just want fantastic picture quality then you will probably be thrilled.

As long as people know exactly what they are buying then all is well. However it seems the studio have been far from honest about what people are getting so it's understandable there is anger from some quarters.

Jim Morrison · 25-09-2007, 9:36 PM

Dave Mack - the guy who did the color timing comparisons at AVS has expressed his discomfort at being quoted in the HDD review by Peter Bracke. He has since added that the Halloween transfer looks "Jaw Dropping" and would rate it 4.5/5.

Michael Osadciw - Reviewer at Home Theater Forum - has also weighed in insisting "this Halloween Blu-ray will knock everyone else's socks off."

Personally, I think the transfer is wonderful - but then I absolutely couldn't give a monkey's about Dean Cundey's 'blue-er' color timing.

iainoco · 25-09-2007, 9:40 PM

This is one of the first releases that makes me want a Blu-Ray player as it seems as if Starz have pulled out all the stops on the transfer. Now if I can only convince the wife that I need to buy Halloween again.......with a PS3

av addict · 26-09-2007, 4:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Morrison

Dave Mack - the guy who did the color timing comparisons at AVS has expressed his discomfort at being quoted in the HDD review by Peter Bracke. He has since added that the Halloween transfer looks "Jaw Dropping" and would rate it 4.5/5.

Michael Osadciw - Reviewer at Home Theater Forum - has also weighed in insisting "this Halloween Blu-ray will knock everyone else's socks off."

Personally, I think the transfer is wonderful - but then I absolutely couldn't give a monkey's about Dean Cundey's 'blue-er' color timing.

good to hear Jim that you and many others consider this a darn good transfer--now where is my disc

dbs2 · 26-09-2007, 6:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iainoco

......... Now if I can only convince the wife that I need to buy Halloween again.......with a PS3

It's a seasonal thing for the kids.... if you have no children, then maybe you can hold a Haloween party for the local Deviants, you know community spirit Etc... if all else fails... Just buy it and say you won a game of Cards....

Geesus · 26-09-2007, 8:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noggin1980

The hidefdigest review is fair but they really should have reviewed the picture quality as well as the colour issue.

If you are the sort of person who must see a movie as the director intends and would concider it sacriledge to have a movie in a different aspect ratio then the colour changes will probably annoy you greatly. They change the atmosphere of scenes and arn't at all what the director intended.

But if you arn't too bothered about what the director intended and just want fantastic picture quality then you will probably be thrilled.

As long as people know exactly what they are buying then all is well. However it seems the studio have been far from honest about what people are getting so it's understandable there is anger from some quarters.

We have no idea whether Carpenter approves this transfer or not really, and it was the DP who added the blue filters not him. Some, who saw the original at the cinema (not me Im too young :D ) say the BD transfer is as close to the original release as we have seen yet.

It's a whole murky situation, but I'm not waiting around for an edition that *might* turn up years in the future, when I can be enjoying this version, which looks excellent, now.

MrGKaplan · 26-09-2007, 8:08 PM

Is the USA Blu Ray region locked or can I play on a UK PS3??

Movietyme doesn't seem to have it listed as being region free.

Sorry if these has been stated before.

dbs2 · 26-09-2007, 8:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrGKaplan

Is the USA Blu Ray region locked or can I play on a UK PS3??.............

No it isn't mate.... and yes you can

MrGKaplan · 26-09-2007, 9:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dean1474

No it isn't mate.... and yes you can

Good stuff thanks

Ordered!

Jim Morrison · 27-09-2007, 6:44 AM

Legendary film restorer Robert A. Harris (The genius partly responsible for the restoration of Hitchcock's Vertigo) has weighed in on the Halloween Blu-Ray with this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert A. Harris

The great news is John Carpenter's Halloween has arrived full-blown and running on all 12 cylinders in a beautiful Blu-Ray edition that leaves little future concern about how Starz is going to handle their product in the high definition marketplace. They're doing just fine.

Out of the gate, they have created a gorgeous BD DVD that will most assuredly by snapped up by horror aficionados everywhere.

With beautiful imagery, superb color rendition and crisp, sharp blacks, Halloween looks unlike it ever has in the past. I did note a couple of errant video lines, but they may have been a decoding problem. I'm not going to be the naysayer and gripe about grain that isn't there, as the home video audience doesn't seem to care about how closely a DVD compares to the original film, and I don't know what cinematographer Dean Cundey's intentions were.

What seems to matter is that the resultant disc is clean and pretty.

Geoff_D · 28-09-2007, 10:34 PM

Halloween does look lovely, and given the price it can be picked up for from places like Axel it'd be rude to refuse.

dbs2 · 02-10-2007, 3:15 PM

Yippeeee, mines just arrived... I Should be able to watch it before i have to start packing the kit away.....

av addict · 02-10-2007, 3:59 PM

yep got mine today as well-nice one

Pana440 · 02-10-2007, 7:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iainoco

Now if I can only convince the wife that I need to buy Halloween again.......with a PS3

I just bought con-air (one of gf's favourite films) on blu-ray, I think it may sway her slightly in letting me buy a ps3 now, fingers crossed!

Kinda worried about seeing her face when it drops on the doormat though as she doesn't even have the dvd yet and she has been asking me for months to buy it!

hutch · 18-10-2007, 8:08 PM

just watched my copy now, looked and sounded great

Crabman32 · 19-10-2007, 10:25 AM

Watched my copy yesterday. Being my favourite horror film of all time I have seen Halloween 100's of times and I have to say I was stunned by this Blu-ray transfer. There was detail I had never noticed before. It really is superb it's like watching the film for the first time. It just goes to show that with careful remastering and encoding any film, no matter how old, can look fantastic. It put some newer Blu-ray films to shame in terms of PQ. Highly recommended to everyone but if you're a fan you'll be in heaven.

-Jay- · 20-10-2007, 4:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crabman32

Watched my copy yesterday. Being my favourite horror film of all time I have seen Halloween 100's of times and I have to say I was stunned by this Blu-ray transfer. There was detail I had never noticed before. It really is superb it's like watching the film for the first time. It just goes to show that with careful remastering and encoding any film, no matter how old, can look fantastic. It put some newer Blu-ray films to shame in terms of PQ. Highly recommended to everyone but if you're a fan you'll be in heaven.

Fully agree it is one of the best disc's yet, could not believe how good it looked.

Pecker · 06-11-2007, 10:33 AM

I was going to watch this on Halloween, but was distracted at the last minute.

I finallt got round to it last night.

What a great disc!

I'd not seen the film for a few years, and was pleased with how well it held up - there are still quite a few great shocks.

The PQ was superb. Consider that this was a low budget independent release from 30 years ago, filmed on cheap equipment, mainly in low-light - it really look top drawer in high def. A lot more recent, better lit films have been released in high def which don't look this good.

I'm all for 'as the director intended'. But I certainly didn't notice anything about the film that was un-naturally vivid - it certainly looked gloomy when it needed to.

I haven't watched the extras yet - just 10 minutes of the documentary, but they look pretty good.

All in all a smashing film and a smashing disc.

Well done Anchor Bay!

Steve W