Halloween 4K UHD (1978)

[JCRW82]

Thankfully all of the original elements were stored properly for Halloween (1978). We do know that they have the Original Mono Mix available, the big question is what source are they using? If Scream Factory goes back to the original analog master tape and runs a fresh, unprocessed A/D scan of the mono mix then we are looking at a potentially better result than the Criterion Laserdisc. If they are supplied with digital files, they need to question whether the transfer was done right and whether it is the same over processed audio used in all releases after Criterion and push back.

Halloween 4 & 5 is a different story. I am hopeful SF will do the right thing and use the best source of the original mixes that they can find. Since they are creating brand new Atmos Mixes I am wondering if they can just grab the sound effects that are missing from the separate surround stems on either the DVD or Laserdisc audio and blend them into the elements that still exist for the films.

[The Lurker]

Originally Posted by mad_max2000

Agreed on both counts.

cmac sounded doubtful when the subject of the original audio tracks came up during that stream a few weeks ago, but I'm still holding out hope

In the Halloween 4 thread, I replied to Cliff that I would give them the 2.0 stereo mix from the 1999 non-anamorphic DVD if they wanted it since I have it. If they have to go the home video route, the PCM stereo from the LD would be best of course, but if that's not possible, the 2.0 stereo mix from the 1999 DVD would be a good second choice. In reality, it's the PCM stereo of the LD in Dolby Digital form (at a robust 256kbps). If they go with it, I think few if any will complain. It sounds really good.

I even offered the PCM mono from the Criterion LD for the original Halloween if they wanted it. So far I haven't received any PM, so maybe they don't need anything.

[vailsy]

.. i'm interested to read so much about the original mono here .. from what I can tell from simple internet browsing the 20th anniversary edition of the movie on dvd had some alterations made to the audio although under john carpenters supervision apparently (according to imdb, haha)

some thunder changed (probably higher fidelity not so cheesy) and some ambience, probably other things changed here and there

.. if I'm not given the original audio I'm not sure I'll care here as much as with Psycho or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for example which are more vintage and had changes made that involved key elements.. the gunshots in TGTBATU, nope you can't mess with those, and in Psycho.. nah can't change the shower scene

it's nice to have the original audio i guess but for me not a dealbreaker in the case of Halloween. unless they were to have changed the music which is by far the best thing about the movie

[mad_max2000]

Originally Posted by The Lurker

In the Halloween 4 thread, I replied to Cliff that I would give them the 2.0 stereo mix from the 1999 non-anamorphic DVD if they wanted it since I have it. If they have to go the home video route, the PCM stereo from the LD would be best of course, but if that's not possible, the 2.0 stereo mix from the 1999 DVD would be a good second choice. In reality, it's the PCM stereo of the LD in Dolby Digital form (at a robust 256kbps). If they go with it, I think few if any will complain. It sounds really good.

I even offered the PCM mono from the Criterion LD for the original Halloween if they wanted it. So far I haven't received any PM, so maybe they don't need anything.

It's funny, I'm reading your reply now after I just now picked up the very same Halloween 4 release you're talking about. I never picked it up back in the day because it was non-animorphic and I just did a comparison with this release and the blu ray from 2012.

Now I hope more than ever they do include the original mix because there are some really glaring omisions on that 5.1 sound mix. The buzzer to let the paramedics through at the beginning is gone, as is the explosion when Dr. Loomis' car explodes at the service station. On top of that the rain in the opening is almost inaudible, as are the windsheild wipers on the ambulance and the crackling wires when Michael takes down the phonelines while driving away from the service station in the stolen towtruck.

It certainly does sound like an audio layer went missing at sound point on those tracks between the 1998 and 2001 releases, just as cmac had speculated over in the H4 thread.

I know back in the day Anchor Bay was considered to be a gamechanger in releasing independent and foreign titles on DVD in quality that matched what the big studios were doing but wow they ultimately proved that they were also just as careless. See also their release of Suspiria which not only had several missing sounds effects on it's 5.1 track but also sold the tranfer as being approved by both Dario Argento and Luciano Tovoli which ultimately turned out to be a lie.

All I can say is thank god for companies like Scream and Synapse, the produers there are doing god's work!

[BobSimms]

Originally Posted by vailsy

it's nice to have the original audio i guess but for me not a dealbreaker in the case of Halloween. unless they were to have changed the music which is by far the best thing about the movie

They did change a music cue here and there on the surround mix, and it is noticeable if you’re very familiar with the original soundtrack. And there’s too much thunder sound, if you ask me, probably also really noticeable to someone familiar with the original sound of the film.

I can’t fathom choosing a revisionist surround track over a film’s original sound mix, personally. If it were something subtle, like going back to the original master recording of the score, if it had been done in stereo, and remixing the sound just so that the score was heard in stereo, that’d be one thing, and I could see the appeal of that. Or just remixing the existing foley sounds in stereo. But when the score is borked, and they add obviously new, incongruous foley sounds… ugh! No.

[vailsy]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

They did change a music cue here and there on the surround mix, and it is noticeable if you’re very familiar with the original soundtrack. And there’s too much thunder sound, if you ask me, probably also really noticeable to someone familiar with the original sound of the film.

I can’t fathom choosing a revisionist surround track over a film’s original sound mix, personally. If it were something subtle, like going back to the original master recording of the score, if it had been done in stereo, and remixing the sound just so that the score was heard in stereo, that’d be one thing, and I could see the appeal of that. Or just remixing the existing foley sounds in stereo. But when the score is borked, and they add obviously new, incongruous foley sounds… ugh! No.

.. it depends if it was indeed done under john carpenters proper approval or not really. if he was happier with a slightly differently timed music cue etc then I would have no complaints whatsoever

i do remember the original thunder claps were very 'dracula's castle' style hammer horror type thunder claps which are very widely accepted as being a bit cheesy so maybe good candidates for an alteration

i'm by no means arguing that it's an improvement over the original btw but just that it would make sense if john carpenter were actually involved, which is not easy to verify! certainly i would not go by what imdb says anyway

(still I would prefer the original audio over some ridiculous atmos track for a movie that thoroughly does not need one, unless we want to hear Michael Myers trumping upstairs)

[steel_breeze]

Originally Posted by vailsy

.. it depends if it was indeed done under john carpenters proper approval or not really. if he was happier with a slightly differently timed music cue etc then I would have no complaints whatsoever

While I have no documentation to back this up, I can bring forty years of John Carpenter fandom to bear by saying: I can pretty much guarantee he didn't go back and change anything or approve any changes to Halloween. He's just not that kind of filmmaker. When he's done with something, he's DONE with it... unless he can sell the remake rights and make a buck; then he's all in, lol. He is NOT the kind of artist that keeps tweaking. I don't even think he's watched his own films for like twenty years.

Ironically, although I'm a "purist" when it comes to ANY film's audio, it's the Carpenter Classics (Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape From NY, The Thing) that I feel most passionately about experiencing with their original audio. Something just feels "off" to me when I watch these with surround mixes -- with the exception of The Thing, whose original mix is A-MAZ-ING, but it is "surround" (4.1). Even the timbre of Carpenter's iconic scores seems wrong to me when they're remixed -- especially with Precinct 13, Halloween, and Escape From NY.

[vailsy]

Originally Posted by steel_breeze

Ironically, although I'm a "purist" when it comes to ANY film's audio, it's the Carpenter Classics (Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape From NY, The Thing) that I feel most passionately about experiencing with their original audio. Something just feels "off" to me when I watch these with surround mixes -- with the exception of The Thing, whose original mix is A-MAZ-ING, but it is "surround" (4.1). Even the timbre of Carpenter's iconic scores seems wrong to me when they're remixed -- especially with Precinct 13, Halloween, and Escape From NY.

I'm definitely with you on the surround mixes thing

and yes i could see how timbre could change when things are separated out and especially then downmixed again to stereo.. you should try living in the u.k for a while where most things are actually often pitched differently because of the differing frame rate. probably i was listening to halloween at an entirely different pitch way back when but it was still just as good

anyway you are probably right and have me convinced now, he probably had nought to do with the 20th anniversary changes

[cuzzin]

The biggest issues with the remixed audio track are the botched stinger effect during

[Show spoiler]Annie's kill,

and the volume of the audio; "The Shape Stalks," for instance, sounds way too low on the 5.1 track. Even the main theme itself, especially during the final sequence, sounds way too "clean" compared to the mono track.

[RustinCohle]

Too much talk about audio, not enough talk about slipcase.

[Xephix]

Originally Posted by RustinCohle

Too much talk about audio, not enough talk about slipcase.

What's there to talk about? Half of us will just toss it aside anyway.

[happydood]

Originally Posted by RustinCohle

Too much talk about audio, not enough talk about slipcase.

Where is pancakes house?

[PraiseAhnuld]

Does Scream Factory typically do a good job on 4K transfers? I got the Friday the 13th set but it's blu-ray and seems to be very good thus far. I haven't picked up Halloween on 4K yet and wondering if this one seems promising.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by PraiseAhnuld

Does Scream Factory typically do a good job on 4K transfers?

Hit or miss.

[dressedtokill]

Originally Posted by The80s

I'm trying to imagine what new special features they could possibly bring to the table here. I'm guessing it won't be anything actually new, just a collection of previously released special features all together for a change.

They could always add the AMC documentary Halloween: The Inside Story. For the fans who've already seen "Halloween: 25 Years of Terror" and "Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest" this new documentary shows mostly things and facts they already know. Having said that, its well put together and has the added plus of being as closest of complete of the cast. New and welcome interview additions of Kyle Richards (Lindsay Wallace), Tony Moran (the face of Myers at the end) and Will Sandin (Michael Myers as a kid). As far as I know this is the first time they have been involved in a Halloween release. I don't recall seeing them in other video interviews.

[vailsy]

Originally Posted by cuzzin

The biggest issues with the remixed audio track are the botched stinger effect during

[Show spoiler]Annie's kill,

and the volume of the audio; "The Shape Stalks," for instance, sounds way too low on the 5.1 track. Even the main theme itself, especially during the final sequence, sounds way too "clean" compared to the mono track.

.. I would be interested to know which stinger is botched (is it a timing issue or something new was added?). I am unable to listen to the criterion laser disc mono unfortunately (maybe someone has it ) or the mono included on the 1999 dvd but ..

I do have the 25th anniversary dvd and although the original mono track is not included it luckily does seem to be that version which is behind the commentary track.. crickets are not present inside the car on the commentary track for example so I am at least able to get a rough idea of what the original mono sounded like

I also looked at the stormy scene where they are visiting the hospital and thunder seems more muted also on that commentary track.. plus John Carpenter mentions about the soundtrack being 'a little dodgy' in that scene .. mostly the quality of the rain .. water pouring on a car in a tin studio, so clearly he wasn't super satisfied with it

[The80s]

Originally Posted by dressedtokill

They could always add the AMC documentary Halloween: The Inside Story. For the fans who've already seen "Halloween: 25 Years of Terror" and "Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest" this new documentary shows mostly things and facts they already know. Having said that, its well put together and has the added plus of being as closest of complete of the cast. New and welcome interview additions of Kyle Richards (Lindsay Wallace), Tony Moran (the face of Myers at the end) and Will Sandin (Michael Myers as a kid). As far as I know this is the first time they have been involved in a Halloween release. I don't recall seeing them in other video interviews.

When will it be announced? The 6th?

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by cuzzin

Sure it is. It is a bootleg of an official release. Most collectors, I'd wager, would rather just pop in the high-quality disc they spent good money on.

No, most collectors would rather have proper releases with original audio and color timing, which is WHY they make and correct those versions in the first place.

[HW666]

Originally Posted by The80s

I'm trying to imagine what new special features they could possibly bring to the table here. I'm guessing it won't be anything actually new, just a collection of previously released special features all together for a change.

Nothing major but I'm hoping for an expanded photo gallery. I believe Irwin Yablans located Kim-Gottlieb Walker's original camera negatives, so there maybe some on set photos we haven't seen before.

Although it's not happening for this release, we still need the 6-9 hours worth of unused footage that is in private hands.

[dressedtokill]

Originally Posted by The80s

When will it be announced? The 6th?

The final specs, you mean? No idea when they will be announced.