| JOHN CARPENTER'S HALLOWEEN- HALLOWEEN DISTRIBUTION |
| John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN premiered on October 25th, 1978, not in Los Angeles with a big event at Mann's Chinese Theater, instead it opened in Kansas City.It did quite well there and opened up in Chicago and then earned showings in New York. From there, it had a platform release across the country, playing in different cities at different times.Now, over 20 years later, the movie has made its money back more than 200 times! This earned it the title of the most successful independent horror movie of all time. It's the second most successful independent flick overall, behind TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.HALLOWEEN made its way to home video soon, with versions released from Media Home Entertainment, Blockbuster Video, and most recently, Anchor Bay Entertainment, renowned for remastering classic horror films on videocassette. It has also shown up on several laserdisc releases and through DVD.The film made it's television debut on NBC in the early 80's. "First they told us what had o go, which was everything, and I wrote them back, elling them this was ridiculous," Debra Hill said in a 1981 interview. Carpenter went back and filmed a few extra scenes for the television version. They include Dr. Loomis talking with Smith's Grove officials on May 1, 1963, telling them "He's waiting." Loomis then walks into Michael's room, sees the child, and asks, "you've fooled them, haven't you Michael? But not me." Another extra shot features Dr. Loomis at Smith's Grove checking out Michael's abandoned cell - as well as the word "Sister" scratched into the door. Finally, a scene was added in which Lynda comes over to Laurie's house before she leaves to baby sit. This version occasionally makes its way to television. It can also be found on some of Anchor Bay Entertainment's releases of the film.- Halloweenmovies.com |
| UNITED STATES HALLOWEEN VIDEO DISTRIBUTION- 1979 First Home Entertainment Version The original Halloween was released several times. Most of the releases were from Media Home Entertainment. Media is no longer in business so most of the released versions are out of print and no longer available.The first release of HalloweeN was by Media Home Entertainment in 1979.This version is now out of print and is also very hard to find. |
| 1979 Media Home Entertainment version The next release of Halloween was in 1982. The cover has a copyright of 1981.The label on the tape is silver with a copyright date of 1982. This version by Media Home Entertainment is out of print. |
| 1987 Media Home Entertainment version In 1989 there was an accidentally released TV version.This version was also released by Video Treasures in 1990, just after Media went out of business.The box covers for the 1987 and 1989 Media version and the VERY rare 1990 Video Treasures TV version are very similar. They are basically the same on the front. But, on the the back, the Video treasures box has the Video Treasures symbol on the back, the Media version does not. This version is out of print and is like trying to find a needle in a haystack to find. It has been discovered that not all of the 1989 Media releases actually are the TV version. Confirmed with several e-mails, it has been determined that the regular version was released in 1989, but it wasn't until August of 1989 that the TV version was released.The only way to verify that a 1989 version of the Media release it the TV cut is to check the date stamped on the front end to see when the tape was duplicated. |
| 1987 Channel 5 Version In 1987 Channel 5 Video Distribution (nothing to do with the TV channel that open in 1997) took over the rights to Halloween and released it on VHS video tape in the Summer of 1987.This was the first Halloween VHS with the new 18 rating system that was introduced in 1985 by the BBFC (British Board Of Film Classification). |
| 1998 Anchor Bay 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Box Set On August 5, 1998, Anchor Bay Entertainment released a orange 2-tape Limited Edition Set. Only 40,000 sets were produced. The 2-tape set. Tape one includes the newly remastered Widescreen presentation, Uncut of Halloween and Has the Halloween and Halloween 4:The Return of Michael Myers movie Trailers.Tape Two includes interviews with Nick Castle, Debra Hill, Moustapha Akkad and Jamie Lee Curtis on the set of Halloween: H2O, TV spots, All theatrical trailers, radio spots, still gallery and the network TV scenes.The Box also Includes and Halloween 5 poster Key Ring, small book of Halloween pictures, Pictures of Halloween poster art work and lobby cards and some Halloween Merchandise information.Anchor Bay also release a single Halloween VHS in a keep case with the Re-stored Halloween and a Halloween trailer along with the Ltd. Edition box set also they release a special VHS version of Halloween with a very rare Halloween slow globe.Only 20,000 were ever made. |
| 1996 M.I.A Video Version In 1996 the M.I.A re-release the film on a single VHS with new the Halloween poster art work.Also the M.I.A release a special Edtion VHS tape called "John Carpenter's Classic" which included Halloween and The Prince Of Darkness, both of these Versions are deleted and rare to find. |
| 2001 Anchor Bay Special Restored Edition In 2001 the rights to Halloween went over to the American Distributors "Anchor Bay" and eleased Halloween on DVD on October 1st 2001.The 2 disk DVD Features included- Halloween Full frame presentation re-formatted to fit 4x3 TVs with an extra 12 minutes (The TV scenes), The Original theatrical trailers, Television and Radio spots, Talent biographies, Still and poster gallery, Behind the scenes still gallery, and the Halloween Unmasked 2000 Documentary.Anchor Bay also released Halloween on a new Halloween Restored VHS on the Same day. |
| Halloween TV Version 2001 On August 7th, 2001, the Halloween Extended TV version was released by Anchor Bay, it contained the television footage edition of the film, previously only available through the remastered Limited Edition 2000 DVD.The new incarnation of the film sports this creepy new cover art, which rivals the original "pumpkin and knife" artwork. The edtion came with a Halloween film cell when you bought the edtion from a best buy store. |
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| Halloween Restored Version DVD 2000 ANchor Bay release Halloween on DVD in 2000.The version included a Holograph Cover, Halloween UnMasked 2000, TV Spots,Talent Files,Trailers also Anchor Bay release a Special Editon version of this which included 2 disks one being the TV version of Halloween and also and a Postcard of Jamie Lee Curtis or Nick Castle. |
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| 1995 Blockbuster Video Version After the Media distributors went out of buiness Blockbuster videos bough the right to Halloween releasing Halloween on VHS in the early 90's before Anchor Bay bough the right to Halloween in 1997 along with the rights for Halloween 4 and Halloween 5. |
| UNITED KINGDOM HALLOWEEN VIDEO DISTRIBUTION- 1984 Halloween Media Versions Halloween was first release on Home Video in the United Kingdom in 1984 on VHS and Betamax by the Media Home Entertainment distributors (The same Distributors as the US versions) with a X rating also n the same year the Media distributors released Halloween again but this time the back ground was blue instead of Black, these versions has been unavaible since 1985.. |
| 1992 M.I.A Special Edition Double feature Version In 1992 The Distribution rights went over to the M.I.A and they released Halloween on a Double Feature VHS which included Halloween and Halloween II.Also in 1992 the M.I.A release another Double feature VHS set which included Halloween and The Howling in a double VHS box. |
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| 1997 Anchor Bay Versions Blockbuster only had a two year agreement for the rights to Halloween.Since Media Home Entertainment is no longer in business, it is released through Video Treasures a.k.a. Anchor Bay. They released a "theatrical" version (no TV cuts) in both pan-and-scan and Widescreen formats.Also in late 1997 Anchor Bat release a special Edition in a keep case, the edition included Halloween, Widecreen and the Halloween Trailer. |
| 1994 Four Front Video Version In 1994 the M.I.A and 4 front Video release a new version of Halloween with a new front cover.The art work on this version has Michael standing at the top of the stairs with the words "The Night He Came Home" down the side.This version has been deleted since 1996. |
| 1996 M.I.A Video Special Widescreen Edition Version Along with the other 1996 M.I.A release this new Widescreen version was released.This version has the same art work and the same back cover information as the 1996 M.I.A Video version but this version has a Digital Transfer and made Widescreen.Also Has the Original Cinema Trailer.This is the far best version of Halloween there has ever been in the UK, The picture is very clear and bright.This has now been deleated along with the other version. |
| - please e-mail me if you have any questions on these video version of Halloween or e-mail me if Ive miss a release out. E-mail: johncarpenters_halloween@hotmail.com |
| Halloween 25th Anniversary Version 2003- Coming Soon! On August 4th 2003 Anchor Bay will be releasing a new Special Edtion DVD in light of the 25th birthday of Halloween.The features are unknown at this time but Anchor Bay have released this- "It has been 25 years since Michael Myers first returned to Haddonfield. Now he returns to DVD for this special anniversary edition. Extras are still being determined, but expect a plethora of new goodies (i.e. audio commentary, etc.) for this exciting release. Expect more announcements in the coming months, and please note all features at this point are tentative and subject to change. Closed Captioned for the Hearing Impaired." |