As it turns out, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) has also survived the fire with scars on his face. Still obsessed with seeing Myers dead, Dr. Loomis continues practicing psychiatry. Upon finding out that Michael Myers has escaped, Loomis rushes to Haddonfield, determined to kill Michael Meyers, once and for all. Will he get there in time to save Jamie?
Director Dwight Little (Marked for Death) smartly opens the film with a montage of Halloween related elements—ghosts on lawns, carved pumpkins, etc.—unfortunately, he’s unable to maintain the Halloween “feel” and the rest of the film comes off as rather bland. While it’s great to see Michael Meyers back in the franchise, overall, Halloween 4 offers nothing new. Instead it adheres to the standard slasher formula—a high body count, a sprinkle of sex, a lot of gore, characters who constantly put themselves into potentially fatally situations and a likeable protagonist, which in this case is a cute seven year-old.
Sadly, Michael Myers just doesn’t seem very menacing. He’s rather awkward and plodding; the only reason he succeeds in killing so many people is that the victims tend to freeze whenever he’s around. In the first Halloween, John Carpenter used Michael’s slowness to create a sense of real, palpable tension. Since then, however, that characteristic has become a liability.
Having said that Halloween 4 is more successful than Halloween II in the sense that freeing Michael from the confines of a mental hospital makes him more frightening; on the loose and outdoors. There are some effectively chilling moments, such as a dream sequence where Jamie comes face-to-mask with her uncle and the ending, which is without a doubt the most original element of the film.
A gifted actor, Donald Pleasance offers Halloween 4 a stable presence. Having appeared in five of the first six Halloween movies (the exception being installment #3), he is as synonymous with the series as Michael Meyers. Pleasance’s co-stars here, Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell are adequate in their roles, but they require little more than screaming on cue. It’s Dr. Loomis who provides the true heart of the story.
If you enjoy the basic slasher formula, Halloween 4 provides ninety minutes of good slasher entertainment—nothing momentous to be sure, but enough shocks and scares to warrant revisiting it on Blu-ray.
Presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Anchor Bay’s 1080p transfer is adequate. You’ll notice occasional print damage throughout—small scratches, white specks—and softness in a few scenes. However, in comparison to previous DVD releases this Blu-ray is a significant upgrade when it comes to both detail and texture. DNR isn’t obvious, though some haloing is evident. Skin tones look natural and black levels appropriate.
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Mix won’t blow you away. For a horror film, all the levels seem a bit on the low side. Dialogue is clean and clear, with no noticeable distortions. Directional effects aren’t as strong as one might have expected, but bass is okay. This is by no means a reference quality mix, but it’s not terrible either.
English SDH and Spanish subtitles are available.
It’s unfortunate that the initially advertised deleted scenes aren’t included here, but Anchor Bay has provided a nice mix of old and new special features:
- Audio Commentaries: Director Dwight H. Little is featured in the first of Halloween 4‘s commentary tracks. Justin Beahm, the editor-in-chief of halloweenmovies.com and the author of the upcoming Halloween: The Complete Authorized History, serves as moderator. Among the highlights are how the script was hammered out in less than two weeks to beat the looming writer’s strike, why Loomis’ facial scars look so wildly different throughout the movie, nudity that was filmed and never used, debunking a conspiracy theory about the mask, and more. This commentary is a must listen for fans.The second commentary with actresses Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris is more like two friends getting together after not seeing each other for a long time. They just chat and giggle about the making of the film; particularly, what happened between takes.
- Halloween 4/5 Discussion Panel (18 min.; SD) Shot in 2003, this panel from the H25 convention features actors Danielle Harris, Kathleen Kinmont, Sasha Jenson, and Jeffrey Landman. The discussion spans both parts 4 and 5, including everyone’s general disappointment with the fifth installment, their favorite film in the franchise, etc.
- Trailer (2 min.; SD)
