Thanks to Universal Studios, we had a chance to review the Halloween Ends blu-ray combo pack with our very own copy! Below is our description and analysis of the product. Be sure to pick up your copy on 12/27/2022!
About Halloween Ends – The saga comes to an END. Golden Globe® and BAFTA winner Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween franchise, “Scream Queens,” Knives Out) is back as Laurie Strode, “a timeless scream queen” (K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone), fighting for her life in the thrilling conclusion against the infamous masked killer, Michael Myers. HALLOWEEN ENDS is available to own on Digital November 15, 2022, as well as on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on December 27, 2022 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Produced by Malek Akkad (Halloween), Bill Block (Halloween Kills), and Jason Blum (The Black Phone and The Invisible Man), and hailed as “a full-throttle showdown 44 years in the making” (Sara Michelle Fetters, Moviefreak.com), HALLOWEEN ENDS features over 30 minutes of never-before-seen bonus captivating content that includes deleted and extended scenes, featurettes with Jamie Lee Curtis and the cast and crew, a special gag reel, and feature commentary with co-writer/director David Gordon Green (Halloween, Halloween Kills, “The Righteous Gemstones”), actors Andi Matichak (Halloween (2018), Halloween Kills, “Blue Bloods”) and Rohan Campbell (“Virgin River,” “The Hardy Boys”), and more.
The most acclaimed and revered horror franchise in film history reaches its epic, terrifying finale as Laurie Strode (Curtis) faces off for the last time against the embodiment of evil, Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney). Michael hasn’t been seen for four years after the events of Halloween Kills. Laurie lives with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and has chosen to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. When a young man is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, a cascade of violence and terror is ignited with a final confrontation between Laurie and Michael unlike any ever captured on screen. Only one of them will survive.
BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL:
- Deleted and Extended Scenes
- Michael Shakes Things Up
- Joan’s Bunny Slam
- Corey Reflects Upon Himself
- Ronald’s Stuck at Work
- Margo Gets the Boot
- Joan’s Recipe for Disaster
- Ending HALLOWEEN – HALLOWEEN could never truly end without a decisive showdown between Laurie and Michael. Explore the creative team’s approach to crafting the film’s final sequence.
- Final Girl – The iconic Jamie Lee Curtis discusses the legacy of Laurie Strode and what playing the character has meant to her.
- No Place Like Haddonfield – Filmmakers and cast reveal some of the secret ingredients that make HALLOWEEN productions so special and their personal feelings on being a part of such a classic franchise.
- Gag Reel
- A Different Threat – As Haddonfield evolves to a new era, we examine how the evil within has also evolved.
- The Visions of Terror – See how various production departments came together to achieve the film’s unique visual style.
- Twisted Deaths – An up-close look at some of the gruesome death scenes.
- Feature Commentary with co-writer/director David Gordon Green, actors Andi Matichak and Rohan Campbell, co-producer/first assistant director Atilla Salih Yücer, and production assistant Hugo Garza
HNS Review: Halloween Ends is a film that creates discussion. It brings a fresh take on the series that could divide the fandom, exploring areas of the franchise never seen before. A bit of a jumbled narrative hinders this final chapter from being truly great. That being said, it delivers a satisfying conclusion in the end.
About the product: One of the product’s best features is the flexibility. It offers a blu ray, dvd and digital code. This gives viewers the option of streaming or hard copy, allowing easy access to watch anywhere! This is a nice feature to have during the holiday season. I love the design of the product. It comes with a slick outer sleeve featuring a textured design on Michael Myers’ mask. Halloween fans will eat this up! The imagery is creepy and sets a tone that builds up to Laurie and Michael’s showdown.
About the special features:
Deleted and Extended Scenes – This section of the product is short and sweet. It features extended sequences that go in depth where the film chose to be more concise. My favorite deleted scene was “Michael Shakes Things Up”. It extended the atmospheric interaction between Michael and Corey, providing more insight into Michael’s whereabouts over the years. Most of the other scenes were extra filler. They are nice to have as bonus features but I’m glad they were cut from the film.
Gag Reel – I loved the blooper section! It was nice seeing how much fun the cast had making the film. It’s clear each person associated with the production has passion for the franchise. It was especially heartwarming to see Jamie Lee Curtis share how personal her journey as Laurie Strode has been. The character seems to be a part of her, so seeing the cast and crew celebrate her legacy was very special. As viewers, we don’t generally get to see how filmmakers interact with their cast and crew. What was nice is that David Gordon Green tried to keep an upbeat energy on set to counter the dark nature of the film.
Extras and Feature Commentary – The most fascinating aspect of the extras was seeing how the filmmakers crafted the finale. It’s clear that David Gordon Green wanted to bring something new to the series, featuring commentary about overcoming trauma and moving on. I found the Corey storyline to be a bit jarring considering it was never teased in 2018 or Kills, but hearing Green’s reason for pivoting was helpful in understanding the time gap. The film has a unique visual style that I really enjoyed. Seeing how the team came together to give the film a continuously eerie vibe was a cool feature. Another area where the film succeeded was the kill scenes! We are provided with an in depth look at how the team set up the death sequences. Kudos to the makeup/effects team for the creative exploration to make each scene more gruesome and terrifying. I also loved how the final confrontation was setup. Green wanted to provide a satisfying fight between Laurie and Michael, which is evident based on how committed the actors were to make the battle feel earned.
Be sure to pick up your copy on 12/27/2022!
