Aug 052013
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later [Blu-ray]
![Halloween H20: 20 Years Later [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wbGmzTdTL._SL160_.jpg)
This smart and suspenseful thriller scares up a bone-chilling good time with original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis (You Again) and a hot cast of hip young stars!
Now the headmistress of a private school, Laurie Strode (Curtis) is still struggling with the horrifying, 20-year-old memories of the maniacal killer Michael Myers…when he suddenly reappears with a vengeance. Laurie’s rebellious son (Josh Hartnett, 30 Days of Night), his girlfriend (Michelle Williams, Shutter Island), and th
List Price: $ 7.99
Price: $ 3.98
Cash Grab For Echo Bridge,
Attention Amazon.com customers….
1. Avoid this release like the plague. This Blu-ray Disc only has the movie and nothing else. LITERALLY! No subtitles, no trailer, no anything.
2. The picture is subpar for a high-definition transfer. Not to mention, it’s not in the original aspect ratio. H20 was filmed in 2.35.1. This version’s ratio was changed to 1.78.1.
3. The audio is pathetic. You don’t even get surround sound. You get a pitiful DTS 2.0 Stereo track. The DVD at least offered us a 5.1 mix. I thought Blu-ray Disc was supposed to be an upgrade from DVD?
Save your money and avoid this title. Echo Bridge has a reputation for butchering films and they did themselves justice with this one. Until we as consumers stand up and quit buying this garbage of a release, they will never give us the quality that we deserve. The links below will give you a little more information concerning this release.
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|“H20″ and its fans gets the middle finger from Echo Bridge with this ultra-lazy Blu-Ray cash-in,
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 had 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 that 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 (which is actually achieved through a combination of 5 different masks and some CGI effects), 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 minalmist, 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, even at a price of $9.99, this is one sucky presentation of a quality film. Blacks range from dark gray to crushing, detail fluctuates between soft and mediocre, colors look flat, the print is dirty, and DNR, edge enhancement and compression artifacts all pop up intermittently 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 adequate 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, which is why the Echo Bridge Blu-Ray presentation of “H20″ earns a one-star (out of five) review.
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…
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|AVOID THIS RELEASE!,
Echo Bridge’s release of Halloween H20 is severly comprimised and should be avoided.
First, this release is not in the original aspect ratio. Originally released theatrically at 2.35:1 (per imdb), this Blu-ray includes a cropped 1.78:1 aspect ratio
Second, the only audio option is a DTS-HD 2.0 stereo mix, as opposed to the 5.1 mix included as part of the original dvd release from December 1999! Additionally, there are no subtitle options for the hearing impaired.
Lastly, there are no special features whatsoever.
So, let’s see, no OAR, comprimised audio, no subs, no special features.
Remind me again why anyone would by this rush cash grab by Echo Bridge?
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