The haunting in connecticut 2009 part 1

The haunting in connecticut 2009 part 1

Simply put, H20 is the sequel fans had been waiting many years to even if some like me didnt 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 wasnt 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 1980s 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 the haunting in connecticut 2009 part 1 the Halloween films and that includes the original. Special bonus points for H20: its 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 isnt perfect; the characterizations with the exception of Curtiss 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 distributer Echo Bridges 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 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 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 films original theatrical aspect ratio has been altered from 35:1 to 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 0 lossless soundtrack is adequate for a surround track, but why is this here on a Blu-Ray, when perfectly good DTS-HD 1 and Dolby Digital 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 Bridges 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 Im 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 for 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 1 Halloween: Resurrection is also shown in its correct aspect ratio of 1, while Halloween: The, originally released in 85:1, is shown in an incorrect aspect ratio of Sharpness is good, colors are accurate looking and blacks are strong for all three films. There doesnt 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 isnt quite as dirty-looking as the Echo Bridge Blu-Ray although its far from clean, and the original aspect ratio is left untouched, restoring the films 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 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 00 and up price which this Blu-Ray is going for? For the haunting in connecticut 2009 part 1 fans, I would say yes.