Halloween Deluxe

Brandon Tobatto has done something special here. What Tobe Hooper & Stephen King did for vampires in 1979's 3 hour long Salem's Lot, has been done the same for slashers in the now combined efforts of John Carpenter & Rick Rosenthal, through Brandon's meticulous editing. Two halves, united in one whole, making for an EPIC narrative.

Thorn fans will be in for a treat after the end credits, & with Halloween 4, 5, & 6 now retroactively turned into 2, 3, & 4 (with Deluxe as the original), the Thorn Saga is now the DEFINITIVE Halloween timeline.

With a rotating selection of final girls throughout, we now see that it was always more about Loomis vs. Myers, the former literally cursed to be the latter's caretaker, though in a way he never could've imagined.

I only have a couple of nitpicks, & neither ruin this experience for me. One is the additions of new sound effects (such as thunderstorms & blaring sirens), which aren't particularly "necessary", but they do give this edit its own unique identity.

At least it's nothing as egregious as what George Lucas was able to officially do to the original SW films, & if these alterations aren't to your fancy, you can still at least watch the original Halloween & Halloween 2.

The other nitpick concerns something that is actually made note of in the opening disclaimer of this edit, so it isn't a bait & switch, & that's the rough quality of certain bits of additional footage, in this case reserved to the H2 portion of the edit. The additions from the TV cut of Halloween '78 look great, with my particular favorites being the moments with Loomis at Smith's Grove.

While a lot of the additional H2 moments are noticeably rougher looking, there is the one great bit at the end I quite like, that being the new ending where Jimmy is on the same ambulance as Laurie.

It's an emotional moment of triumph, though ultimately short-lived given what we know happens before The Return of Michael Myers. All that turmoil suffered & survived, only to get taken out by a car accident. Tsk tsk.

For final note, when you ask for this edit from Brandon, you'll be given three choices of file size.

The 6 GB version, the smallest, is the lowest in quality, but it actually has a retro VHS vibe to it, so it might add to your experience.

The 55 GB version is Blu-ray quality, & the one I was most satisfied with.

The 106 GB version is 4K quality, & while it looked incredible on the computer I was able to watch it on, its large size might make it difficult to play on certain devices, so be advised & make sure you have the processing power for it.

If anyone's reading this before Halloween, make sure you hit up Brandon on his socials while you can, as the edit will be going away after that until next year. It comes highly recommended as the ultimate way to view the night HE came home.

"Halloween Deluxe" is the very definition of a top notch Halloween Double Feature. By seamlessly putting together Carpenter's "Halloween" and Rosenthal's "Halloween II", spicing various scenes up with new sound effects and visual thunder effects AND adding all scenes from the alternate TV cuts, editor/producer Brandon Tobatto gives you an absolute perfect mash-up that feels as if these two flicks have always been one.

I won't spoil anything, but let me just say Tobatto kept the best for last with terrific ending credits and a little post-credits surprise that made me cheer out loud. Marvellous work and for sure the best Fan Edit I've ever seen. 10 out of 10, you deserve it, Mr. Tobatto!

This was really really awesome!! I love how it was done. The editing is remarkable with deleted scenes placed in carefully while still keeping the theatrical versions intact. And even some added effects here and there. The way he does this, the first film perfectly transits inti thevsecobd film, with even a perfectvefitvto the music soundtrack to guide it along. No flaws to be found, in my opinion. I really loved watching this. It was a Halloween treat!! But also something wonderful to enjoy all year round. Any Halloween film enthusiast needs to see this when you get the chance. You definitely will not be disappointed.

This is such a fun way to submerge yourself into the small town of Haddonfield. Spend the entire Halloween night watching Laurie as she is stalked from babysitting to the hospital as if it was one movie! A seamless edit of this makes it feel as if it is one. There are many other attempts but this is the perfect edit of this film. Includes deleted scenes and amazing end credit sequence and little changes to tie it all together as one epic movie. I truly hope to see more from this editor as there is much more story to be told involving Halloween and Michael Myers. This was so well done it will now be a new tradition in my home.

This fan edit by Mr. Tobatto, "Halloween Deluxe," masterfully weaves together the chilling original Halloween with its immediate sequel, Halloween II, creating a seamless and even more terrifying experience. The inclusion of deleted scenes adds valuable depth, particularly to the aftermath of Laurie's ordeal, making for a richer and more cohesive narrative. For any Michael Myers purist, this unified vision is an absolute treat, enhancing the dread and expanding the lore without sacrificing the iconic simplicity of Carpenter's masterpiece. It's the definitive Haddonfield nightmare you didn't know you needed!!!!!