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The Second Installment of David Gordon Green’s Halloween Trilogy Hits Home Video

Halloween Kills, the sequel to David Gordon Green’s direct follow-up to the ’77 original, which eschewed everything in the muddled cannon after the classic — was widely regarded as a much needed return to form for the series. Upon the success of that 2018 film, it was then revealed that it was one third of a trilogy meant to finally put an end to the Michael Myers’ reign of terror on Haddonfield once and for all. Kills originally hit theaters and streaming in October after a year of delays, and I caught the original cut (1 hour 45 minutes) theatrically. While I had my reservations going in, given it essentially was half a narrative, I left somewhat satisfied and curious to see where Green would take Myers next in Halloween Ends.

Halloween Kills recently hit 4k UHD in an “Extended Cut” (1 hour 49 minutes) and picks up moments after the 2018 film with Laurie Strode’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) house in flames and Myers still trapped in the basement. Emergency responders inadvertently rescue Myers, who then leaves a trail of carnage in his wake as he makes his way back to his childhood home. Something interesting happens in Halloween Kills while this is all going on, unlike most slashers where the town is usually oblivious to the events unfolding, until the end of the movie. Haddonfield is panicking like someone waking up from a bender in a tub full of ice, and one kidney short. This subplot has a town in upheaval, as Tommy Doyle goes full-on Bonanza rounding up a posse, adding another layer of chaos to Myers’ own.

Seeing this for a second time really allowed me to appreciate how Green masterfully uses the humor to take the edge off and offset what is easily one of the most grisly entries in the series. Another thing that was even more apparent this time around was this is basically a bridge film. Think of Kills as the Two Towers in Green’s own Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s all about getting that homicidal hobbit just a bit closer to his Mordor. In this entry we also get some new exposition and backstory, that adds some course correction to the mythos, as we learn Myers was never after Laurie Strode in the last film. He was just pointed in that direction by his doctor, who was fixated on having the two square off to see just what would happen. This works to once again reframe the character as Carpenter originally intended in the first place, as simply the embodiment of evil, “The Shape”.

This all comes to light in this homage to Halloween 2, as we have Strode in Haddonfield Memorial Hospital for the bulk of the film, bedridden, this time waiting for a killer that never shows. Instead The Shape is preoccupied with heading back home as we also see the events of the original 77 film, from another perspective, thanks to a few newly filmed flashbacks. Of all the things in this film, this piece of story felt the most extraneous and only really worked to give some further backstory on the legacy characters while hopefully dealing out some foreshadowing for the next film. These supporting players get a moment of spotlight while Green also uses this to reinforce the significance of the Myers’ house, in particular the window in his sister’s room. This nostalgic trip didn’t feel quite as fan-servicey as, let’s say, the end of Ghostbusters: Afterlife or Spiderman: No Way Home, but it’s hopefully setting the stage for something, we just don’t know yet.

I also dug the rather on the nose metaphor at the beginning of the film as The Shape is reborn, or reforged if you will, in the flames of Strode’s basement. It’s as if he has now completely transcended or absolved himself of the last bit of humanity into something much more grotesque. But what? The film falls just short of giving that answer, simply stating that the carnage and chaos are what is fueling him as we see this all play out in that third act battle royal as the town catches up to the Boogeyman and they all get their chance to get the punch in. The problem is, everything is returned 10-fold in a bloody orgy of violence, that still planted my jaw firmly on the ground the second time around. It’s something everyone probably has always wanted to see, and here we finally get that short lived catharsis.

I did watch the “Extended Cut” on the disc and I did notice a few new moments here and there that were new, along with the extended ending, that I found should’ve been left on the cutting room floor. This bit of footage has Laurie calling a cell phone with Michael answering it. So for me at least, it invokes this hilarious image of The Shape answering a smartphone? Which does he even know how to use? This reminded me of when one of the Johnston Gang, notorious from the film At Close Range, escaped from prison. He ran into some trouble on his getaway, because he didn’t know how to use gas pumps or credit cards. Technology had evolved so much since he was in jail he couldn’t make his escape and was apprehended shortly thereafter. Myers answering a smartphone is almost absurd as him texting, given he’s been in a mental institution for almost 40 years; but I digress.

The film here is presented in gorgeous 4K on the disc with both cuts available on the UHD. As far as presentation, the film looks good if not better than when I caught it theatrically. Given the majority of the film is shot at night the blacks are deep and inky here and the HDR works to accent the hues of the flashback scenes, just enough to give a visual distinction between past and present. Also included are some brief deleted scenes, a few EPK pieces and a commentary track by Gordon Green, Jamie Lee Curtis and Judy Greer. The commentary is an interesting listen and mix of play by play and anecdotes, Green even points out things in the film that are setup for the next film that’s yet to be lensed. Contrary to the original plan Kills and Ends were not shot back to back due to Covid; only Kills was completed.

To be honest I dug Kills a bit more the second time around, but since this is a bridge film it is primarily about setting the stage with the players and places who will come into play in Halloween Ends. The ending doesn’t have that satisfying finality you’d expect with a normal film, but that’s completely intentional. The Shape is still out there and supercharged after his battle with the townspeople, and for some reason Strode is out to end this once and for all. Being a Halloween fan, its really hard to say whether I really loved it or just plain enjoyed it, because some of that payoff is still a film away, and I want to reserve my full judgement to see how that shakes out.

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Pablo Larraín’s latest has him revisiting similar themes for yet another masterpiece

Pablo Larraín’s Spencer hit home video last week and was familiar territory for the director who tackled a similar subject and themes with his 2016 masterpiece Jackie. That film followed another iconic woman married to a leader, “Jackie” Kennedy Onassis and took place during the immediate aftermath of her husband’s assassination. That film was also an intimate portrait of a woman in crisis, this time against the backdrop of the fall of Camelot and a world in turmoil after the loss of a leader. The odd thing is, that film failed to get the foothold that Spencer has award-wise, and that is quite possibly thanks to the aid of shows like The Crown and or it could be how Jackie went into some pretty dark places veering into not only the graphic aftermath of the assassination, but the emotional, and historical as well.

Billed as a “A fable from a true tragedy”, the surreal narrative transpires over three days in 1991, beginning on Christmas Eve at the Sandringham, one of the royal family’s country estates. The film follows Diana, Princess of Wales played here by Kristen Stewart, who arrives at the holiday celebration at the tipping point in her 11 year marriage with Prince Charles. This is not only due to the pressures of the public eye, that would eventually be the literal death of the princess; but her husband’s rather public infidelity. The Diana we meet is struggling emotionally, psychologically and physically, all while being forced to deal with the family politics and the tedious rituals the royals are tasked with over the holiday.

The proverbial straw, inciting of her descent into madness is when she finds a book about Anne Boleyn left in her room. The Spencers were not only related to the Boleyns, but both women share quite a few parallels: unfaithful husbands, overwhelmed by royal expectations and they fought against the royal establishment. Diana then begins to see the ghost of Boleyn (also played by Stewart), amongst her other metaphorical hallucinations on this surreal journey of awakening that allows her to finally decide to leave not only Sandringham, but Prince Charles a year later. The film is a snapshot of a woman who is at the end of her rope and who at the end ultimately hopes for a miracle.

The most impressive thing here is Stewart who delivers more of an embodiment, than a performance. There are no rough edges to be had as she inhabits Larraín’s take on Diana. Even compared to her work in Personal Shopper and Clouds of Sils Maria, Spencer is a new level of maturity for her work and something that truly demonstrates just how it’s not the actor in some of these films that’s the issue, but the directors who fail to push or inspire them. Stewart’s scenes with Diana’s children and Major Alistair Gregory, allow her to refocus from the more extreme and turn in some truly intimate moments that fill the character with a sense of vulnerability and authenticity.

This is all seen through the dreamlike cinematography of Claire Mathon, who also lensed Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Shot on Super 16, the film presented here on the blu-ray has the film look you’d expect and a lush color palette that only intensifies the surrealness of the film’s layered realities allowing them to co-exist on the same theatrical plane. This combined with Jonny Greenwood’s (Radiohead) chilling score that goes from free jazz to eerie guitars completes this presentation. I also have to note the soundstage here as the sound mix impressively utilized in the film further luring the audience under the film’s spell and even supplying a jump scare or two.

Spencer is nothing short of a masterpiece, and an amazing achievement for Pablo Larraín. This is thanks not only to his direction, but Stewart’s career defining performance that has been steadily gaining momentum this awards season. Her embodiment of Diana is what gives this film its heart and soul and transcends it from a simple biopic into something much more, delving into the very subconscious of our protagonist in a way that is rarely seen on film. Spencer was easily one of my favorite films of the year and revelation as far as Stewart’s progression as an actor.

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Ronin Flix Unleashes a 4K UHD of One of the Most Notorious Big Boxes of the VHS Era

In a rather bold move by a distributor, a few months after the release of I Spit on Your on Grave on Blu-ray, courtesy a new 4K transfer — a 4K UHD was announced by Ronin Flix. To lessen the blow on physical media collectors, the distro offered an upgrade option for those that recently purchased the Blu-ray, allowing them to upgrade at a discount. Being a collector myself the incremental 4K double dip is fast becoming the rule rather than the exception. I found this proactive approach a great middle ground for both collectors and labels, since I understand there are limited facilities producing UHDs and the whole pandemic thing mucking up supply chains. This was also an interesting exercise given I recently reviewed and was understandably floored by the previous Blu, and I was now reviewing the same transfer with no compression, and with added HDR.

I Spit on Your Grave is possibly one of the most notorious films from that period in 70’s drive-in/grindhouse cinema, that pushed the boundaries of sex and violence — fueled in part by cynicism and anger. This was no doubt thanks to the end of the “free love” of the 60s and the Vietnam War dividing the country and bombarding our televisions with wartime atrocities. The gritty 1978 rape/revenge masterwork stars Camille Keaton as the idealistic New York creative Jennifer Hills, who is brutally raped by a gang of rednecks after traveling to a remote cabin in the country to write her great American novel. Watching the film again for this review in my DIY screening room, something occurred to me that I felt was probably lost on most contemporary audiences, who have primarily experienced the film on home video. For those who debate the original intention of the film as either a “sleaze fest” or “feminist work”, enduring that 30 minute assault in a darkened room, alone, left me about as vulnerable as our protagonist to this graphic and unrelenting assault.

The camera’s shots of graphic rape, linger on Jennifer long after the act, for what feels like an eternity. It’s that choice to show not only the act, but also focus on the aftermath that takes the 30 minute ordeal and strips away any titillation, as you witness all three assaults along with the all too realistic injuries to the victim. After this collection of scenes, an emotional connection is forged in that cinematic space, that would be broken otherwise, if say you got nervous and walked away or fast forwarded the film to break the spell. But it’s not only the act and how it’s presented, but the toll on Jennifer that we can see in Keaton’s stirring performance. The psychological damage that Keaton portrays allows us to empathize with and take this journey of vengeance with her, as we then give her carte blanche and accompany her to get her bloody vengeance.

44 years later the film hits as hard today as it did when it first screened at drive-ins and 42nd street. The film here is presented in 4K, from a new 4K transfer, and I was surprised at how much detail was now available on this new release. That is because of two factors, first being the added resolution and the second being the HDR that adds a broader contrast, larger color spectrum and improved clarity throughout. I didn’t realize how much red this film had in it, until I viewed it for this review and was impressed at how the HDR allows those garish scarlet hues to seep through the very film-like transfer. Like previously, there was also thankfully little to no DNR present, with the look of the source maintained. The 4K UHD disc comes paired with that original Blu-ray, which is packed with special features, which I previously reviewed here.

I am going to say this is the definitive, definitive edition of this particular version of the film. With older genre films like these sometimes Blu-ray is the absolute limit and anything else just highlights the shortcomings of the source. But here thanks to the added resolution it adds more breadth to the image with the HDR allowing a more warm film-like presentation that feels like you’re watching that print unspool for the first time. I have to say we live in exciting times where films that were once regulated to the dustiest corners of the video store, are now restored and given the respect they finally deserved.

Special Features:

NEW 2021 4K HDR REMASTER done by Ronin Flix, English SDH Subtitles (Feature Presentations Only) and all of the historical Ronin Flix Blu-ray special features:

DISC 1 — I Spit on Your Grave (1978) 4K UHD Blu-ray: 4K ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION BLU-RAY 2160P WIDESCREEN PRESENTATION (HDR10) (1:85:1) UTILIZING THE NEW 2021 4K HDR REMASTER done by Ronin Flix, RESTORED DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO MONO, DTS-HD 5.1 SURROUND, DTS-HD 2.0 STEREO, Audio Commentary with writer / director Meir Zarchi, Audio Commentary with Film Critic Joe Bob Briggs

DISC 2 — I Spit on Your Grave (1978) Blu-ray: HIGH DEFINITION BLU-RAY 1080P WIDESCREEN PRESENTATION (1.85:1) UTILIZING THE 2020 4K SCAN AND RESTORATION OF DIRECTOR MEIR ZARCHI’S 35 MM ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE done by Ronin Flix, RESTORED DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO MONO, DTS-HD 5.1 SURROUND, Jennifer’s Journey — the locations of I Spit on Your Grave featurette hosted by writer Michael Gingold, Audio Commentary with writer / director Meir Zarchi, Audio Commentary with Film Critic Joe Bob Briggs, The Value of Vengeance — Meir Zarchi Remembers I Spit on Your Grave, Alternate Day of the Woman Opening Title, Theatrical Trailers, TV & Radio Spots, Still Gallery and Slideshow with Rare & Behind-the-Scenes Photos from the Set

DISC 3: Growing up with I Spit on Your Grave (2019) Blu-ray: HIGH DEFINITION BLU-RAY 1080P WIDESCREEN PRESENTATION (1.85:1) OF THE ORIGINAL FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY, DTS-HD 5.1 SURROUND, EXCLUSIVE Deleted Scenes, Terry Zarchi’s 8mm film starring Camille Keaton, Home Movies — Camille and Meir’s wedding, Trailer

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