![Halloween [Blu-ray]](http://cdn.hometheaterforum.com/0/04/50x50px-ZC-04e43a88_B000UR9QHQ-51LT7hsieHL.jpg)
I spend some time with two new high definition releases this evening. One in HD, the other BD, and together they will do more to help continue the chasm between the two formats than to move toward any resolution, as they are both superb.
Anchor Bay, now a part of Starz Home Entertainment, probably has the record for more different and redundant releases of the same film, via serial numbered special collector's editions, multi-disc editions and varied anniversary editions than any other home video publisher. Anchor Bay has been the multiple dip champion of the home video world. Their quality see-sawed up and down throughout the years, and one never knew precisely what a disc was going to look like.
So it was with Starz initial lineup of Blu-Ray, high definition product.
In this case, placing one of the most important independent horror productions into the marketplace in their very first foray into the BD marketplace is a gutsy move.
The great news is John Carpenter's Halloween has arrived full-blown and running on all 12 cylinders in a beautiful Blu-Ray edition that leaves little future concern about how Starz is going to handle their product in the high definition marketplace. They're doing just fine.
Out of the gate, they have created a gorgeous BD DVD that will most assuredly by snapped up by horror aficionados everywhere.
With beautiful imagery, superb color rendition and crisp, sharp blacks, Halloween looks unlike it ever has in the past. I did note a couple of errant video lines, but they may have been a decoding problem. I'm not going to be the naysayer and gripe about grain that isn't there, as the home video audience doesn't seem to care about how closely a DVD compares to the original film, and I don't know what cinematographer Dean Cundey's intentions were.
What seems to matter is that the resultant disc is clean and pretty.
And Halloween is both very clean and very pretty.
I don't have to tell this audience that it's also a superbly crafted low budget horror film, that has spawned numerous byproducts.
For their first shot over the bow, Starz has shown that they are fully capable of terrific quality for next-gen software.
Halloween is Highly Recommended.
RAH
Anchor Bay, now a part of Starz Home Entertainment, probably has the record for more different and redundant releases of the same film, via serial numbered special collector's editions, multi-disc editions and varied anniversary editions than any other home video publisher. Anchor Bay has been the multiple dip champion of the home video world. Their quality see-sawed up and down throughout the years, and one never knew precisely what a disc was going to look like.
So it was with Starz initial lineup of Blu-Ray, high definition product.
In this case, placing one of the most important independent horror productions into the marketplace in their very first foray into the BD marketplace is a gutsy move.
The great news is John Carpenter's Halloween has arrived full-blown and running on all 12 cylinders in a beautiful Blu-Ray edition that leaves little future concern about how Starz is going to handle their product in the high definition marketplace. They're doing just fine.
Out of the gate, they have created a gorgeous BD DVD that will most assuredly by snapped up by horror aficionados everywhere.
With beautiful imagery, superb color rendition and crisp, sharp blacks, Halloween looks unlike it ever has in the past. I did note a couple of errant video lines, but they may have been a decoding problem. I'm not going to be the naysayer and gripe about grain that isn't there, as the home video audience doesn't seem to care about how closely a DVD compares to the original film, and I don't know what cinematographer Dean Cundey's intentions were.
What seems to matter is that the resultant disc is clean and pretty.
And Halloween is both very clean and very pretty.
I don't have to tell this audience that it's also a superbly crafted low budget horror film, that has spawned numerous byproducts.
For their first shot over the bow, Starz has shown that they are fully capable of terrific quality for next-gen software.
Halloween is Highly Recommended.
RAH
