15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Whats in the DVD, June 14, 2006
Halloween is the best horror movie series. This DVD will be perfect even if it only included the High Def transfers. I hope they are working on the Blu-Ray Halloweens.
What is included:
* Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TVs
* Audio commentary with director Dominique Othenin-Girard and actors Danielle Harris and Jeffrey Landman (HALLOWEEN 5)
* Inside Halloween 5: Documentary featuring rare behind the scenes footage, a cut scene, and interviews with Danielle Harris, Ellie Cornell, Don Shanks, Executive Producer Moustapha Akkad and Cinematographer Rob Draper
* Introduction by stars Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell
* On-Set Halloween 5 Footage: Rare, never-before-seen footage taken on the set
* Theatrical trailer
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Halloween 5, the somewhat slow, but still EXCELLENT movie!, February 20, 2000
Halloween 5, The Revenge of Michael Myers, is among the best in the series, if you're a Halloween nut like me. With the exception of part III, the entire series graces my video collection, and I display it proudly. I was disappointed to see Rachel die so early in the movie, but at least we had Jamie and Loomis to move the story along. Donald Pleasance seems to have changed his approach to stopping Michael in this movie, trying to reach the 6-yr-old boy buried beneath the madness that makes Michael a killer, rather than killing The Shape. Danielle Harris again gives an excellent performance as Jamie Lee Curtis' daughter, although I did think the entire mute thing was stretching credibility just a bit. The two self-described lousy cops added the perfect amount of humor, especially with the goofy sound effects heard whenever they show up, until Michael hacked 'em with a pitchfork. The only thing I disliked about this movie was the transformed Myers house. At times, the movie moves somewhat slowly, such as in the barn, or when Jamie's in the laundry chute, but Halloween 5 does an excellent job of continuing the story begun in Halloween 4 and sets up the storyline for Halloween, The Curse of Michael Myers. By the way, if they release the alternate cut of Curse on video or DVD, please tell me!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of the better halloween films, June 10, 2004
I have noticed that Halloween 5 tends to absorb a lot of abuse. I believe that happens because people judge it by inappropriate standards. After all, this is a story about the Bogeyman. This is horror fantasy. Halloween 5 makes no pretense of being a realistic crime drama. I judge films of this sort by atmosphere and suspense. Halloween 5 is very strong by the first standard and pretty good by the second. The film is shot in such a way that it actually feels like Halloween. The lighting and coloration are beautifully done. As regards suspense, no slasher film can match the original Halloween, but this one does have a couple of exceptional moments. The part where Michael Myers pursues the little girl, and also where he kills Tina, are presented in such a way that it feels like people are actually dying.Contrast that with the by-the-numbers feel of most slasher films, where you see so many killings that they kind of become a blur. And Donald Pleasence is brilliant as Dr. Loomis. He is yet another factor that separates Halloween from other slasher movies.
I certainly agree that this film could have done without the two dumb cops. And the telepathy. And the mysterious man in black. But the Halloween movies, when they are at their best, revolve around building a spooky atmosphere, effective stalking scenes, and big finales in which Dr. Loomis manages to salvage at least one person's life. Halloween 5 scores well in each of those areas. If you want real-life crime drama, tv is pretty well-stocked with shows that depict that.You won't find that in a Halloween movie. There are so many other places where you can find that, there's no point in looking for it in a slasher film.
For those, who, like myself, prefer to watch movies with the imagination and emotion, rather than logic, then Halloween 5 is outstanding. If you think logic should dominate a movie, I doubt that you'd spend much time watching slasher films anyway.
To recap, I agree with some of the criticisms that have been leveled at this film. But most of those things are simply not priorities. In fact, while the first half of the movie is up and down, I firmly believe that the second half is as good as anything i've seen in this genre since the original Halloween. Watch the action in the barn, or the chase through the field, culminating in the death of Tina. Or the incredible last act at the Myers' house.(And, yes, I realize that it doesn't look like the original Myers' house, but, once again, does it matter?) Dr. Loomis is kind of like Samson here, as he summons all his strength for one last time to defeat the Bogeyman.
No, this is not Silence of the Lambs, but it doesn't intend to be. For example, if you look back to the original Wolf Man, many people see that as the quintessential werewolf film. Now, if you've seen it, do you really believe that it is likely that there would be that much low-lying fog? Probably not. But it works. And that, in essence, is my whole argument for Halloween 5. Not all of it makes sense, but, taken as a whole, I loved this film. It works, but only as a work of the imagination.
Also, bear in mind that the creative team had to commence work behind the 8 ball,so to speak.The ending of part 4 seemed to be taking the series in a new direction. Then, they backtracked, and basically said,'Nevermind!' I suppose they decided that keeping michael as the villain offered more possibilities than switching over to the exploits of the little girl. When you consider that, there was really no way that they could have proceeded that would not have been somewhat awkward. That's why the first half of this film is weaker. They had to spend a lot of time at the opening trying to explain away the ending of the last film.
Final analysis: A beautifully made film, a great performance by Donald Pleasence, great cinematography, and an incredible finale. Like I said, the last forty-five minutes or so are as good as anything you'll see in a film of this type.And that blonde in the devil costume provides a nice dose of eroticism. Check out the expression on her face as her boyfriend is about to 'commence' That alone will have you wearing out your 'pause' button.
If you watch it, approach it in the tradition of Dracula or the Wolf Man. It works on the horror-fantasy level. These films have always revolved around a triangular hunt: The Bogeyman stalking his victim, and Dr. Loomis stalking him. If you look back to the original Halloween, it also centered on such a formula. If you like that formula, I believe you'll like part 5. My favorites have always been Halloween, Halloween 2, and Halloween 5, with Halloween 4 being outstanding as well. Simply put, Halloween 5 is the last Halloween movie that I regard as great. In other words, good enough to watch 100 times or so. If you respond to this 'triangular hunt' scenario, as I do, then give Halloween 5 a try.
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