Halloween: 25 Years of Terror

Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask will be solved with this DVD issue. It's in the same way as the documentary of Jason Voorhees but it's in some way better, I mean, when some actors refer to a scene you actually see the scene. Some interviews are a bit too deep in explaining things but I guess if you are really a Halloween geek you will love it. For me it was very interesting to hear why some editions failed and why for example part 6 has two different versions, one that's out on DVD and strangely a more bloodier part that is called the 'producer's cut'. Also nice to hear what happened to the original Myers house, you will see all the locations that still exist and others that are gone or completely changed. A must have for the Halloween geeks.

If you're a fan of the "Halloween" series, this is most definitely the ultimate Halloween documentary you've been waiting for. The 80 minute feature is an excellent compilation of interviews with all those involved with every film (so far) in the series, with extensive behind-the-scenes takes and very informative input from cast and crew, all excellently narrated by P.J. Soles (who played Lynda in the original "Halloween"). The documentary is topped off with footage from the "Return to Haddonfield" Halloween convention in Pasadena, California, which consisted of panel discussions and interviews with the cast and filmmakers of each of the movies, where fans could come together and meet those who were a part of creating some of their favorite movies.

Basically, if you are a fan of the series, this 2 disc DVD-released documentary is a must have. It's very informative and gives you a lot of great info on the making of the movies. It was nice to see all of the cast and filmmakers from all the films come together to compile such an interesting documentary. Very well done, every Halloween fan must see this. 10/10.

Recently I binge watched all of the Friday 13th movies I hadn't seen (Which was most) followed by the documentaries. I always found them underwhelming but watchable.

Halloween however I've never liked, not a single one of the entries did anything for me at all so what chance did a documentary stand? Crystal Lake Memories was the pinnacle of Friday 13th documentaries standing at 5hrs and was a fantastic piece of work. 25 Years Of Terror emulates that but on a smaller scale.

It covers the first 8 movies, gives you a small background on each before moving onto the next so it might not enlighten you as much as you'd hope.

With backstage footage, horror-con access and more there is certainly plenty of material for fans but nothing as ground breaking as they did for Friday 13th.

Essentially viewing for fans? Not really, but it's harmless enough if only for the Danielle Harris interviews.

The Good:

Danielle Harris

Some interesting background on each film

The Bad:

PJ Soles narration is awful

Some of the fan videos are cringe inducing

Things I Learnt From This Documentary:

Halloween fans are lunatics

Michael Myers was a lot funnier as Austin Powers

Halloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

An all too short but still entertaining documentary that tries to take a look at the entire run of HALLOWEEN movies. Just about everyone you could hope for shows up in interviews but when you're trying to cram all of these films into 83-minutes obviously you're not going to be able to give each film a lot of respect or detail. The first eight movies are looked at with interviews from a wide range of people from the best known in the series to those who just played small parts. Some of those interviewed include Moustapha Akkad, John Carpenter, Dean Cundy, Bianca Kajlich, Nick Castle, Rob Zombie, Tom Atkins, Danielle Harris, Edgar Wright, Rick Rosenthal, Clive Barker, Nancy Loomis and many, many others. Again, covering so much ground in such a short time is impossible but I still think fans will enjoy this. While it doesn't go into any great detail I do think it offers up enough good interviews to make it worth viewing. It also doesn't hurt that so many cast members return for the interviews and we get some honest remarks by producer Akkad who admits to certain mistakes made in the series. This includes rushing HALLOWEEN 5 into theaters and there's also talk about the issues surrounding HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS and how things got so messed up. We even hear about the various problems with the mask on HALLOWEEN: H20 and why more than four were used. Some of the best moments deal with the fans of the series as we see some wild ones, weird ones and some that are just downright creepy. This here leads to a discussion with some of the actresses talk about being stalked by fans and there's talk about what impact horror films and violence has on the public. The documentary also does a very good job at explaining each film in its limited time so those that aren't familiar with it will be able to watch this and see what all the fuss is about.

This insightful, well made documentary is about the groundbreaking horror classic "Halloween" and its seven sequels. Which this feature has interesting interviews with several of the cast and crew of each "Halloween" movie, including Michael Myers less sequel "Halloween 3:Season of the Witch". This is a true story of what went great and the controversies, they had with these pictures. This DVD also has interviews with the die hard fans of the original like Rob Zombie (The Devil's Rejects), Clive Barker (Hellraiser) and Edgar Whight (Shaun of the Dead).

DVD has an sharp full frame (1.33:1) presentation and an fine-Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. Beside the very good documentary, this 2-disc set is packed with extended interviews with the well respected sequel to "Halloween" and the oddball third film, extended celebrity interviews, several behind the scenes footage of the Halloween movies, terrific Panel discussions and a whole lot more.

What makes this DVD special is genuinely feel that this documentary is certainly made with care. It is also surprisingly funny to see the real fans of these movies (Which it was filmed in California at the "Return to Haddonfield Convention" back in 2003). Which makes you realize how special the Halloween movies are. DVD also included a collector's booklet and a bonus comic book. Since the late executive producer of the series:Moustapha Akkad (Who passed away in 2005) managed to succeed to keep the franchise alive and had every reason to be proud. Even from non-fans of the series will certainly enjoy it. (****/*****).