Jamie Lee Curtis takes another stab (see what I did there?) at her most famous role as Laurie Strode in the 12th(?) sequel to Halloween(1978).
Released: 14 Oct 2022
Rated: R
Runtime: 111 min
Director: David Gordon Green
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, James Jude Courtney
Writer(s): John Carpenter, Debra Hill, Paul Brad Logan
Plot: The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode comes to a spine-chilling climax in the final installment of this trilogy.
IMDB rating: 5.0
MetaScore: 47
Studio: Universal
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution: 2160p HEVC w/HDR
Aspect Ratio: 2.39.1
Audio: Dolby Atmos, Spanish 7.1 DD+:Spanish 7.1 DD+, French 5.1 DD
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Rating: R
Run Time: 1 Hr. 51 Min.
Package Includes: UHD, Blu-ray, Digital Copy
Disc Type: UHD
Region: All
Release Date: 12/27/2022
MSRP: $44.98
The Production: 2/5
Halloween ENDS(2022) is the final film of the trilogy reboot that began with Halloween(2018), and continued with Halloween Kills(2021). Psychopathic killer Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) is still on the loose following his renewed attacks on Laurie Strode(Jamie Lee Curtis) and her family.
Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson(Andi Matichak) begins dating Corey(Rohan Mitchell), an ostracized young man who may be the worst babysitter in the world, and is stigmatized in the community after tragedy strikes with the untimely death of a child being taken care of by Corey. Corey is bullied relentlessly by members of the community, and Michael Myers is waiting in the wings. Will Patton reprises his role as sheriff’s deputy Frank Hawkins. To go into further detail would spoil all of the fun.
Did I say fun? How about “fun” with air quotes? Everyone in this small town haunted by a serial killer is miserable, from Laurie on down to the peons destined to die in Haddonfield, Illinois, and their misery is contagious right back to the viewer. Halloween ENDS has most of the gore and only about half of the wit of previous entries in this trilogy within the franchise. The screenplay for Halloween ENDS was written by a group of writers including Danny McBride(The Righteous Gemstones) and director David Gordon Green(Pineapple Express). Halloween ENDS does have its moments, and it benefits from the screenwriters’ defiance of audience expectations as the story plays out to its gory and tasteless conclusion.
Another plus is that original director (and executive producer of this film) John Carpenter brings back shades of the original theme music, and collaborated on the new score with his son, Cody Carpenter, and composer Daniel Davies. Ultimately, franchise fatigue is showing at the margins in Halloween ENDS, and this film will be enjoyed most and best only by completists who have seen all of the previous films.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
Halloween ENDS(2022) appears on UHD in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Halloween ENDS in 4K shows a muted color scheme to establish its mood, with solid blacks, good shadow detail and excellent fine detail in the video presentation.
Audio: 4.5/5
English audio on the 4K disc defaults to Dolby Atmos. The Atmos audio provides some immersive directional audio, and the music score by John Carpenter in collaboration with Cody Carpenter and Daniel A. Davies, adds to the suspenseful tone of the film. Spanish audio is also available in Dolby Digital 7.1 and French audio in Dolby Digital 5.1.
Special Features: 4/5
This package includes a 4K UHD disc and a Blu-ray disc. Special features on the UHD disc include all of the following:
Deleted/Extended Scenes(7:06): Selectable individually or with a “Play All” function.
Michael Shakes Things Up(2:24)
Joan’s Bunny Slam(1:07)
Corey Reflects Upon Himself(0:34)
Ronald’s Stuck At Work(0:40)
Margo Gets The Boot(0:34)
Joan’s Recipe For Disaster(1:44)
Final Girl(4:40): Jamie Lee Curtis reflects on her journey with the character of Laurie Strode over more than 40 years since the first film.
No Place Like Haddonfield(7:49): Cast and crew discuss the small town background of the film and the cast of characters that have been established in this trilogy to fill out the story.
Gag reel(2:45).
Ending Halloween(4:40): Jamie Lee Curtis and the other cast and crew reflect on what it means to end this franchise (for now) with Halloween Ends.
A Different Threat(5:43): Cast and crew talk about the character of Corey, played by Rohan Mitchell, and how he is built up as a successor to Michael Myers.
The Visions of Terror(5:47): This featurette highlights the various production departments that put together the film.
Twisted Deaths(5:02): This featurette highlights some of the more gruesome deaths in the film.
Also included is a feature length commentary by writer/director David Gordon Green, actors Andi Matichak and Rohan Campbell(Corey), production assistant Hugo Garza, and writer/first assistant director Atilla Salih Yucer.
Also included is a paper insert with validation code for digital copy via the Movies Anywhere app.
Overall: 3/5
Halloween ENDS promises to be the ending of this film franchise. This promise is certain to be broken, even if this film is a good example of diminishing returns for quality in successive sequels. On the plus side, the video and audio presentation on 4K UHD are exemplary, and there is a wealth of special features, including deleted scenes and a feature-length commentary. Halloween ENDS is essential viewing if you have seen every one of the 12 or so prior entries in the Halloween franchise; if not, your time may be better spent watching one of the earlier, and qualitatively better, films.
Timothy has worked background in theatrical features and television, just for the fun of it, in films directed by Peter Segal and Christopher Nolan. His favorite film star is Bugs Bunny, and Timothy has discovered that most of the problems in life can be solved successfully (strangely enough) by asking “What would Bugs Bunny do?” Timothy has been involved with the Home Theater Forum since 2007 and has reported from Comic Con, interviewed Bruce Campbell and Danny Trejo, and reviewed classic animation and new theatrical releases on disc.
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