The Firelight Shocks DVD Review Section

Halloween H20 Distributor: Roadshow Entertainment Region: 2 Ratio: 2:35:1 (enhanced for widescreen televisions) Sound: Dolby Surround or Dolby Digital Stereo

As the title suggests, this hit seventh sequel takes place twenty years after the events of Halloween and Halloween 2. What this means is that parts four, five and sixth are virtually ignored. However, the idea that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) was killed in a car accident (as told in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers) is addressed in H20. On the one hand this seems utterly pointless. By taking this aspect of the series into account the makers are somehow acknowledging that number four, which set the continuity for the next two sequels, did exist. Yet, in ignoring the central concept of the followups which followed Halloween 2 - i.e. that Laurie Strode had a young daughter, they are surely completely disregarding the previous films. A difficult thing to do, I would say. The good news, however, is that H20 is definitely the best of the Michael Myers sequels and a welcome return to the suspense and, relatively, bloodless carnage of the first. In the films which followed John Carpenter's classic original, the supporting characters were underdeveloped, cardboard cut outs - designed solely to act as fodder for Mad Mike's succession of sharp kitchen instruments. This basic stalk and slash story line was usually concocted around the flimsiest of plot details (which reached the nadir of stupidity in part 5 and the abysmal Curse of Michael Myers). What makes H20 different from these pedestrian slasher flicks is the films admirable attempt to flesh out all of the characters and to give precedence to the character of Laurie Strode (Curtis - returning after a sabbatical from the last four films). After all, what so many of the Halloween sequels seemed to forget is that Myers was not the central character of Halloween: Curtis was, and it was her screams and he desperate attempt to stay alive which haunted moviegoers. H20 shows us Curtis as an alcoholic, driven to paranoia and sleepless nights by the notion that her brother will one day return to kill her. Her son thinks she's mad, but his opinion soon changes when Myers gatecrashes a party... The stalking in H20 is prolonged and tense. The gore quotient is minimal (gore was never the point of the first film) and the ending is sheer class, what a pity they are about to ruin it with the forthcoming part 8 (Christ, give up). My only complaints are that at only 77 minutes long, H20 is far too short, and I could have done without LL Cool J's 'humorous' performance. Still, this is better than anyone had any right to expect and it's great to see Curtis back in action. Well done! Finally, see if you can spot all the movie in jokes which include Friday the 13th, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Scream, Halloween 1 and 2 and Psycho. There are three 'I'll be right back' lines too and can someone please tell me why the cover picture to Pulp's This is Hardcore album is pinned to the nurse Marion's wall at the beginning?

EXTRAS: This is not the American disc I'm reviewing but the Aussie one. So what do you get for your Aussie dollar? Well, about ten minutes of extras including the excellent theatrical trailer and a far too short featurette that will leave you hungry for more. There are short interviews (more like soundbites) with Curtis, director Steve Miner and stars LL Cool J and Adam Arkin. Curtis is very enthusiastic in her short conversation and claims that Laurie Strode was the best character that she ever got to play. Sadly, these 'interviews' keep on fading on and off (even when the star is still speaking!) when they could surely have run longer. There are also some biographies and Mr Sandman plays over the menu! The film itself is one of those Super 35 buggers and, as such, could just have easily been presented in a fullscreen frame. Instead it's been matted into the 2:35:1 widescreen ratio (and anamorphically enhanced to boot!) and it does look good with some evocative steadicam photography that makes an honest and admirable attempt to try and mimic the excellent visuals of Carpenter's original. Sadly, my DVD player (not an expensive model by any manner of means) played H20 with an annoying amount of pixels appearing in the dark backgrounds. Which is, obviously, not the fault of this disc which, generally, showcases a truly gorgeous picture and an awesome stereo soundtrack to boot. Needless to say, if you like the Halloween series then this is an essential buy.