Halloween Kills had its theatrical premiere in October after a year-long delay, and now it is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. Directed by David Gordon Green, it is a follow-up to Blumhouse’s 2018 Halloween movie, picking up directly from where that film left off. And Michael is more vicious than he has ever been this time around.
At the end of the previous movie, the three women of the Strode clan managed to survive narrowly. Unfortunately, Halloween Kills makes it clear very quickly that Michael is still alive as well, as the masked maniac butchers his way through a barrage of armed firefighters. This scene, in particular, truly sets the tone for the rest of the film. The methodical stalking Michael relied upon in the original film is gone as Michael looks to spill as much blood as possible, moving from one victim to the next.
You’ve got to wonder why the firefighters approached Michael one at a time, allowing him to easily dispatch them all with their own weapons. Characters making bad decisions is another thing viewers must quickly get used to with Halloween Kills. However, this has always been commonplace in slasher movies, allowing for a fast-paced massacre with Michael slashing his way through Haddonfield.
This is also where a big divide seems to exist among fans. Not everyone was sold on the idea of Michael becoming so violent when classic Myers always preferred to stay in the shadows, only lashing out at specific targets that he chose rather than slaughtering everyone he could. But other fans may appreciate that Halloween Kills does something new by giving us a Michael Myers more extreme than he’s ever been, letting the sequel live up to its name.
Seeing such a high body count was a bit jarring at first. It does seem to wash away the constant sense of dread carried by Michael in the original films, but it’s still a fun watch for what it is and can be enjoyed when watching the film through a different lens. I get the sense that David Gordon Green wanted the massacre to be a bit over-the-top and perhaps shouldn’t be taken quite so seriously, as seen by the woman who was confident in her abilities to take on Michael Myers using an iron.
Where Halloween Kills shines most brightly is in its flashback scenes. Once we get there, a big part of me wants the film to stay in the past because the filmmakers did a fantastic job giving these scenes that classic late-70s horror vibe. It also makes me miss that classic Michael Myers, and it was fun to see some “new” footage of him lurking on the streets of Haddonfield on that fateful night. Maybe the next reboot can be a period piece that takes us back to the beginning.
Halloween Kills is not the Citizen Kane of horror movies, and you’re not going to have many fans labeling it the No. 1 film in the Halloween series. If you go in with a full bowl of popcorn with the expectation of just having a fun time, you’ll still likely enjoy the movie. The bonus features are great, as they add so much more oversight, and I can’t help but prefer the alternate ending that’s included.
The Halloween Kills Blu-ray is certainly worth owning if you weren’t part of the camp of Halloween fans left unhappy with the sequel. This film seems to be one of the installments that fans will either really enjoy or totally despise, and if you’re of the latter, watching the film again at home probably won’t change your mind.
The release is packed with bonus content with deleted scenes, alternate endings, and special commentary, providing more new footage and insight to make watching Halloween Kills even more enjoyable.
Halloween Kills is now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. You can check out the full list of special features below.
- GAG REEL
- DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES
- HADDONFIELD’S OPEN WOUNDS – Those who die at the hands of Michael Myers are not his only victims. We look at some of the returning characters, and why their past traumatic encounters with The Shape made them natural candidates to try and defend Haddonfield against him.
- THE KILL TEAM – It takes a big team to create a film the scale of HALLOWEEN KILLS, especially when part of the task is raising the bar for Michael’s gruesome kills. We hear the people behind the mayhem discuss how they continue to push the franchise to new heights.
- STRODE FAMILY VALUES – Filmmakers and cast discuss the three generations of Strode women that have been terrorized by The Shape, and the roles Laurie, Karen and Allyson play in trying to vanquish his evil.
- 1978 TRANSFORMATIONS – Shooting new footage that matches the feel of the iconic 1978 footage is no easy task, and even takes a little bit of luck. We reveal some of the secrets of how filmmakers achieved these stunning sequences.
- THE POWER OF FEAR – The impact of Michael Myers’ pure evil extends far beyond his victims. We examine how fear of The Shape changed the psychology of the people of Haddonfield.
- KILL COUNT
- FEATURE COMMENTARY – Director/co-writer David Gordon Green and stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer
Halloween Kills is now available on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, DVD, and Digital.
