Halloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This insightful, well made documentary is about the groundbreaking horror classic "Halloween" and its seven sequels. Which this feature has interesting interviews with several of the cast and crew of each "Halloween" movie, including Michael Myers less sequel "Halloween 3:Season of the Witch". This is a true story of what went great and the controversies, they had with these pictures. This DVD also has interviews with the die hard fans of the original like Rob Zombie (The Devil's Rejects), Clive Barker (Hellraiser) and Edgar Whight (Shaun of the Dead).DVD has an sharp full frame (1.33:1) presentation and an fine-Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. Beside the very good documentary, this 2-disc set is packed with extended interviews with the well respected sequel to "Halloween" and the oddball third film, extended celebrity interviews, several behind the scenes footage of the Halloween movies, terrific Panel discussions and a whole lot more.What makes this DVD special is genuinely feel that this documentary is certainly made with care. It is also surprisingly funny to see the real fans of these movies (Which it was filmed in California at the "Return to Haddonfield Convention" back in 2003). Which makes you realize how special the Halloween movies are. DVD also included a collector's booklet and a bonus comic book. Since the late executive producer of the series:Moustapha Akkad (Who passed away in 2005) managed to succeed to keep the franchise alive and had every reason to be proud. Even from non-fans of the series will certainly enjoy it. (****/*****).

Certainly John Carpenter had no idea what sort of an impact he would be making when he created his masterpiece, "Halloween" in 1978. Not only did the movie go on to be the most successful independent feature of it's time, but it spawned seven sequels, which in turn gave birth to a large and loyal fanbase. "Halloween: 25 Years Of Terror," a two-disc DVD set, centered around an in-depth documentary, celebrates that. Captured at a 2003 convention to mark the 25th anniversary (hence the title), this set beautifully covers nearly every angle of all eight "Halloween" films, their effect on the industry, their successes, their failures, and so on and so forth.The documentary itself, clocking it at the length of the average "Halloween" film, traces the history of the franchise, from the baby stages of the original film, to the ridiculous nature of the most recent installment, "Halloween: Resurrection." Nothing is really held back here. The producers, directors and castmembers are not shy about revealing certain problems encountered during production (especially on parts 2 and 6) but also don't treat the films as complete failures, or as cinematic scum, as some critics might label it. If you own access to the internet and have done enough research on the films, this information may not be any news to you, but it's nice to have all the wrinkles ironed out and to hear it straight from the source. We get interviews from the legends, such as Jamie Lee Curtis, John Carpenter and Danielle Harris, to the lesser-knowns like Sasha Jenson, Marianne Hagan and Pamela Susan Shoop, and are even treated to input from everyone from internet critic John Fallon (Arrow In The Head) to future "Halloween" director/reinventor himself, Rob Zombie. I was intrigued by the documentary, and was only disappointed when it ended.

If you're a fan of the "Halloween" series, this is most definitely the ultimate Halloween documentary you've been waiting for. The 80 minute feature is an excellent compilation of interviews with all those involved with every film (so far) in the series, with extensive behind-the-scenes takes and very informative input from cast and crew, all excellently narrated by P.J. Soles (who played Lynda in the original "Halloween"). The documentary is topped off with footage from the "Return to Haddonfield" Halloween convention in Pasadena, California, which consisted of panel discussions and interviews with the cast and filmmakers of each of the movies, where fans could come together and meet those who were a part of creating some of their favorite movies.Basically, if you are a fan of the series, this 2 disc DVD-released documentary is a must have. It's very informative and gives you a lot of great info on the making of the movies. It was nice to see all of the cast and filmmakers from all the films come together to compile such an interesting documentary. Very well done, every Halloween fan must see this. 10/10.

***MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*** This DVD was definitely worth waiting almost three years for. Actually I only was aware of its release date for no more than six months or so, but it was definitely worth the wait. The documentary narrated by P.J. Soles, the footage from the convention held in South Pasadena in 2003, and the interviews were all well done. I loved seeing all of the cast members from all of the different Halloween films come together to answer fan questions and reunite with each other as some of these cast members hadn't seen much of each other for years. If you are a Halloween fan, I definitely recommend this DVD for you. Also check out the Halloween 4 and Halloween 5 Special Edition DVDs also released the same day as this one was as well (July 25, 2006). 9.9/10 stars.