Halloween Films

Halloween

Uncut in the UK and US

Summary Notes

A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood for the murder of his sister, escapes and stalks a bookish teenage girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets.

• 2014 cinema release
• 2013 Anchor Bay Steelbook RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2007 Starz RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2006 Anchor Bay R2 DVD at UK Amazon

The BBFC commented on Twitter in 2014:

The BBFC was asked: Why do you still consider Halloween as an 18? It has very little blood, nudity & swearing. I've seen worse 15 rated films.

The BBFC answered: The real-world context of Halloween, combined with the sadism of some moments, kept the film at 18

US: Uncut and MPAA R rated for:

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2013 ANCHOR BAY 35th Anniversary Edition RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2007 ANCHOR BAY R1 DVD at US Amazon

Halloween II

• Halloween II: The Nightmare Isn't Over!
• Halloween 2

Uncut for cinema and DVD but was cut by the BBFC on VHS

Summary Review: Successful exercise in terror

It is rare that horror sequels (or any film sequels) manage to capture the tone and feel of their predecessor. However Halloween 2, made 3 years after John Carpenter's original, is a successful exercise in terror.

However, expect more violence than the almost entirely blood-free first outing.

A very worthwhile film for lovers of the horror genre.

• 2011 Scanbox R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• 2010 Lions Gate Online
• 2010 Lions Gate R2 DVD
• 2002 Sanctuary R2 DVD

• 1981 Thorn EMI VHS

UK: Passed X (18) uncut for:

• 1981 cinema release

US: Uncut and MPAA R Rated for:

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2012 Shout! Factory Collector's Edition RA Blu-ray/R1 DVD Combo via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2012 Shout! Factory Collector's Edition R1 DVD at US Amazon
• 2011 Universal 30th Anniversary R0 Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2005 Universal R1 DVD
• US VOD to rent/buy [US only] at US Amazon

• 1990 Castle VHS

Thanks to Vincenzo. The BBFC cuts were to the scene where Michael dunks a nurse into a boiling Jacuzzi:

• At 49 mins - Reduce scalding to death of nurse in overheated jacuzzi by removing 3rd and 5th times her head is lowered into water, cutting away after 1st shot of temperature gauge which follows 2nd dunk, and resuming after 2nd shot of gauge to see her head raised for what was originally 3rd time and then lowered and raised again. Also reduce sight of bare-breasted body before she falls to floor, cutting away after she is raised again to remove last immersion and resuming on long shot of her upright body just before it falls to floor.

See article from movie-censorship.com

Halloween 3: Season of the Witch

• Halloween III

Apart from a rare uncut version, UK releases have usually been plagued by versions pre-cut for violence. The R rated version is uncut in the US.

Summary Review: Brilliant and scary

This has to be the most scary, mysterious, weird, Halloween film of the series, and it has NO Michael Myers!

This film takes a break from Michael and lets just say if you haven't seen the film don't judge it! It has everything from suspense and action, to horror and romance. I would have to say that I was on the edge of my seat the ending was particularly brilliant and scary.

• 2000 MIA 2000 R2 DVD via UK Amazon
• 1983 cinema release

US: Uncut and MPAA R Rated:

• 2015 Universal Studios R0 Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2012 Shout! Factory Collector's Edition RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2012 Shout! Factory Collector's Edition R1 DVD at US Amazon released on 18th September 2012
• 2006 Universal R1 DVD
• US VOD to rent/buy [US only] at US Amazon

1:49s

• UK High Fliers (as sold at Poundland) R2 DVD
• 2011 Scanbox R2 DVD
• 2002 Sanctuary R2 DVD

It is missing most of the gore!

• the bit in the hospital where the bloke gets his face pulled apart
• the insects crawling out of that woman's mouth after she fiddled with the badge

2:06s

• 1986 Warner VHS

2:06s pre-cut:

• One scene that seems to come and go depending upon the version is a  close up of a woman's face who's just been blasted in the mouth by an blue energy beam. The next thing we see is a bug crawling out of a large hole in her rather molten looking face. Other versions fade to black before the camera can close in on her face.
• The love scene between the two main characters has been slightly trimmed
• When the old man is killed in the junkyard, you loose the footage of his head being pulled off and the resultant fountain of blood.
• In the scene were the robot man attacks the woman in the laborotory, he reaches for a drill, it starts to spin and in the video version it cuts off. In a showing on Sky we see a shot of the woman being drilled with the head obscured by a hospital trolley, but you can hear the sound of her being drilled and see her legs shaking.
• There are missing scenes during the death of Harry Grimbridge, these are three shots of the assassins fingers in his eyes, the wrenching of the skull and his feet thrashing about.

Halloween 4

• Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
• Halloween IV

Uncut in the Us and US

Summary Comments

Ten years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece on Halloween. Can Dr. Loomis stop him?

After the failure that was the 3rd Halloween sequel, the writers knew that was mainly due to the absence of Michael Myers. So what did they do? They invited Michael back in for the 4th sequel and back into the story of Halloween.

Halloween 4 is a good sequel, it's not the strongest in the series, but it's one of the better stories of the franchise.

R Rated

• 2010 Anchor Bay RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• 2010 Anchor Bay R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• 2002 Cinema Club R2 DVD
• 2000 Digital Entertainment R2 DVD
• 1989 Braveworld VHS
• 1988 cinema release

US: Uncut and MPAA R rated for:

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2012 Anchor Bay Entertainment RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2006 Anchor Bay Entertainment R1 DVD at US Amazon

Halloween 5

• Halloween 5 - The Revenge Of Michael Myers
• Halloween V

Cut in the US to obtain an MPAA R rating. The same cut version was passed 18 for all UK releases since.

Summary Notes

It's one year later after the events of Halloween 4. Michael survives the shootings and on October 31st he returns with a vengeance. Lurking and stalking, Jamie, Rachel, and Rachel's friends, Michael forms a plan to lure Jamie out of the children's hospital where events lead up to the confrontation at the Myers house. Halloween 5 is a dark, thrill ride that will scare the heck out of you!

cut

best
available

R Rated

• UK 2012 Anchor Bar RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
• UK 2010 Anchor Bar R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• UK 2002 Cinema Club R2 DVD
• UK 2000 Digital Entertainment R2 DVD
• UK 1992 Braveworld VHS
• UK 1991 Guild VHS

US: Cut and MPAA R Rated for:

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• US 2012 Anchor Bay RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon

This is the best available version.

From IMDb. Some dialogue and gore was cut from the U.S. release to obtain an "R" rating:

• The scene in which the cop (Fenton Quinn) is killed outside of the Myers' house was shortened considerably. In the original version, as Michael is bashing his head into the glass on the windshield, there was a shot where you could see the glass embedded into his face.
• The shot of Mikey (Jonathan Chapin) quivering on the ground was shortened to avoid an "X" rating. You can still notice the abrupt jump in the shot before he is dragged away by Michael.
• In the documentary Inside Halloween 5 a cut scene is shown of a man removing Michaels mask and looking at it weirdly. Another scene cut was removed because it was considered too graphic. As Jamie is trying to climb back up in the laundry chute Michael stabs Jamie through her ankle. When Jamie emerges from the laundry chute you can see her ankle wounded and bleeding.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

• Hall6ween
• Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers
• Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers

Not cut in the UK or US but exists in a Theatrical Version and a Producer's Cut

Summary Notes

Six years ago, Michael Myers terrorized the town of Haddonfield, Illinois. He and his niece, Jamie Lloyd, have disappeared. Jamie was kidnapped by a bunch of evil druids who protect Michael Myers. And now, six years later, Jamie has escaped after giving birth to Michael's child. She runs to Haddonfield to get Dr. Loomis to help her again. Meanwhile, the family that adopted Laurie Strode is living in the Myers house and are being stalked by Myers. It's the curse of Thorn that Michael is possessed by that makes him kill his family. And it's up to Tommy Doyle, the boy from Halloween, and Dr. Loomis, to stop them all.

• UK 2011 Lionsgate R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• UK 2007 Buena Vista R2 DVD
• UK 2003 Buena Vista R2 DVD
• UK 2003 Buena Vista VHS
• UK 1999 Cinema Club VHS
• UK 1995 Buena Vista VHS

US: The Theatrical Version is uncut and MPAA R Rated for:

• 2015 LIONSGATE (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection [Theatrical + Producers Cut] (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• US 2012 Miramax Echo Bridge RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
• US 2011 Miramax Echo Bridge RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• US 2000 Dimension R1 DVD at US Amazon

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection [Theatrical + Producers Cut] (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon

There Producers cut was given a festival screening in November 2013. It is the original version prepared by the film makers. It was substantially reworked into the Theatrical Version as a result of feedback from preview audiences.

See review from  mcbastardsmausoleum.blogspot.co.uk :

Things missing from the producer's cut are a lot of extra gore scenes like the head explosion of Mr. Strode and the bone protruding from the snapped neck of a victim. Pretty much the entire finale was re shot so you don't have the operating room massacre or Michael being injected with a syringe full of nitric acid, but what you gain with the Cult of Thorn mythology makes for a more complete story. This cut of the film is just more enjoyable with more atmosphere and is not as disjointed.

Dr Loomis' exit in the producer's cut - while not perfect - is way better than the chopped finale is the theatrical version.

Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later

• Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Uncut in the UK and US

Summary Notes

On Halloween in 1963, Michael Myers murdered his sister, Judith. In 1978, he broke out to kill his other sister, Laurie Strode. He killed all of her friends, but she escaped. A few years later, she faked her death so he couldn't find her. But now, in 1998, Michael has returned and found all the papers he needs to find her. He tracks her down to a private school where she has gone under a new name with her son, John. And now, Laurie must do what she should have done a long time ago and finally decided to hunt down the evil one last time.

R Rated

• 2011 Lionsgate R2 DVD
• 2001 Disney R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• 1999 Buena Vista VHS
• 1998 cinema release

US: Uncut and MPAA R rated for:

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2011 Echo Bridge RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2011 Echo Bridge R1 DVD at US Amazon

Halloween Resurrection

Uncut in the UK and US

Summary Notes

Serial Killer Michael Myers is not finished with Laurie Strode, and their rivalry finally comes to an end. But is this the last we see of Myers? Freddie Harris and Nora Winston are reality programmers at DangerTainment, and are planning to send a group of 6 thrill-seeking teenagers into the childhood home of Myers. Cameras are placed all over the house and no one can get out of the house... and then Michael arrives home!

R Rated

• 2011 Lionsgate R2 DVD at UK Amazon
• 2003 Buena Vista R2 DVD
• 2002 cinema release

US: Uncut and MPAA R rated for:

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2012 Echo Bridge RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2011 Echo Bridge R1 DVD at US Amazon
• Lionsgate VoD [US only] at US Amazon

Halloween

• Rob Zombie's Halloween

Cut in the US for an R rating. This was passed without further cuts for UK cinema release. Home video releases in the US and UK feature the uncut Director's Cut

Summary Notes

After being committed for 17 years, Michael Myers, now a grown man and still very dangerous, escapes from the mental institution (where he was committed as a 10 year old) and he immediately returns to Haddonfield, where he wants to find his baby sister, Laurie. Anyone who crosses his path is in mortal danger.

Unrated

• 2008 Paramount R2 DVD at UK Amazon

US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated for:

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection [Theatrical + Director's Cut] (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2007 Weinstein Company RA Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2007 Weinstein Company R1 DVD at US Amazon

See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com. The additional material in the Director's Cut is mostly plot extensions but there is a rape scene that may have not made it into the US R rated version

cut

R Rated

• 2007 cinema release

Halloween II

• H2: Halloween II
• Halloween 2
• Rob Zombie's Halloween II

Not cut in the UK or US. The Director's Cut is a far more bleak take on the tale compared with the Theatrical Version.

Summary Notes

Michael Myers is still at large and no less dangerous than ever. After a failed reunion to reach his baby sister at their old home, Laurie Strode is immediately taken to a hospital to be treated by the wounds that had been afflicted by her brother a few hours ago. However, Michael isn't too far off and will continue his murdering 'Halloween' rampage until he gets his sister all to himself.

• 2014 Anchor Bay Halloween Complete Collection [Theatrical + Director's Cut] (RA) Blu-ray at US Amazon
• 2010 Sony R1 DVD via UK Amazon and at US Amazon
• 2010 Sony R0 Blu-ray via UK Amazon and at US Amazon

From IMDb. The Director's Cut is a significantly new take on the story with the Laurie Strode character have for more bleak time of it. The Director's Cut does not contain any additional sex and violence though.

• The opening scene with Laurie walking and Loomis being placed into the ambulance is longer.
• The hospital dream scene has an extra sequence of Laurie attempting to cross over a pile of bodies.
• An on screen title that said "One Year Later" in the Theatrical Cut now says "Two Years Later."
• During the breakfast scene, Laurie and Annie now argue about going to the psychiatrist.
• More dialogue with Laurie and the psychiatrist. Laurie looks at a framed inkblot on a wall and says it looks like two white horses with a ghostly figure between them.
• Loomis' press conference is expanded. Loomis discusses Michael's Oedipal complex, as well as the idea that Michael perhaps saw Loomis as a father figure.
• Added sequence where Laurie runs a bath and begins to freak out.
• Laurie stopping to play with a pig on her way to work is removed. She instead goes to the psychiatrist and tells her about playing with the pig (we see a few seconds of it, now in flashback), and how it triggered a nervous breakdown of sorts. When the shrink denies her more pills, Laurie freaks out and swears.
• The scene where Annie finds Laurie drinking a beer in her room has been expanded: They have another fight.
• A non-masked Michael (along with Young Michael and his mother) angrily looks at a billboard that advertises Loomis' book.
• When Laurie and Maya come home from the party, there is a short added sequence of them making tea in the kitchen prior to going upstairs. There's also an added shot of Michael apparently walking out of the house.
• Brackett's reaction to finding Annie's body is longer, containing video flashbacks of real-life actress Danielle Harris as a child.
• The ending is significantly different: After Loomis enters the cabin, Michael throws him through a wall, and the two of them wind up outside. Michael then removes his mask, yells "DIE!", and stabs Loomis. The cops then open fire and kill Michael. Laurie then comes out, takes Michael's knife, and approaches Loomis with it, implying that she may stab him. The cops then open fire on her and seemingly kill her. We then fade to the same hospital footage seen at the end of the theatrical cut as a cover of "Love Hurts" plays on the soundtrack.

R Rated

• 2010 EIV Blu-ray
• 2010 EIV DVD
• 2009 cinema release