Synopsis:

I've made extensive alterations in order to Shape my ideal version. Many changes have been made to strengthen continuity, remove filler & improve pacing.

Intentions:

My intention was to create a tighter version that injects new energy while retaining the original mood.

Change List:

-added my production logo. -new "a Dwight H. Little Film" credit. TITLE CARD / OPENING CREDITS- -new remixed opening theme using the tracks Pt.4 Opening & Darkest Night. -cut the "October, 3Oth 1988" title. -extended the shot after the Mustapha Akkad credit fades-out. -moved the Donald Pleasance credit to the cast credits. -new title card removes the numeral from the original title. -removed the "in" from the Donald Pleasance credit. -extended the final shot of the ambulance drivers. -fade-out on the final shot of the ambulance drivers. -added the "October, 3Oth 1988" title, cut earlier. AT THE FEDERAL SANITARIUM- -cut the security guard going over Michael's entire life story. -some of the guards dialog plays over different shots. -shortened the shot of the paramedic putting on her stethoscope. -the paramedic doesn't take so long to apply the blood pressure cuff. -cut Michael's arm falling off the gurney. -cut a shot of the paramedic removing her stethoscope. -cut a shot of the paramedic removing the blood pressure cuff. -the paramedic's "Alright. Let's move him." begins earlier, over the previous shot. IN THE AMBULANCE- -extended the HALLOWEEN 4 Theme using the OST version of the original theme. (H1) -cut Michael making a fist when the paramedic mentions his niece. -cut the paramedic saying "And?". -extended music fades-out when Michael attacks. JAMIE CAN'T SLEEP- -cut the shot of an ambulance parked outside the Carruthers house. -cut Rachel saying "Are you going for a record? The 7-year-olds' hall of fame?" -cut Rachel saying "Ugh, serious questions tonight?" -cut the shot showing that the ambulance is gone. -cut Jamie saying "Sure it does." -cut Rachel saying "Your mom used to babysit me. Bet you didn't know that." -shortened the shot of the window before Jamie closes it. -cut Jamie having & looking at pictures of young Michael Myers. -added an additional shot of Jamie's photo of Laurie. (reversed from earlier) -cut the shot of the window & tree branches. -cut the reflection of Michael in Jamie's mirror. -new music fades in as Jamie prays. (Pt.4 Opening) -fade-out after Jamie says "Amen." -cut Jamie's dream about being attacked by Michael. HALLOWEEN MORNING- -new music continues over the establishing shot of the Carruthers house. -fade-in on the shot leading to the Carruthers house. -cut Rachel saying "I'm on a diet. Do you want an oinker for a daughter?" -cut Rachel explaining how missing her date with Brady could ruin her life. -cut Rachel saying "...get dressed-up in a really scary costume and..." LOOMIS CONFRONTS DR. HOFFMAN- -cut Loomis calling Michael "Evil on two legs." -cut loomis asking "Do you know the date?" after "Do you know what today is?" -Dr. Hoffman answers his phone on the first ring. AMBULANCE CRASH SITE- -cut Loomis asking how many were on board & the officer's response. -shortened the wide bridge shot so Loomis is in the right place in the next shot. -cut Loomis saying "He's gone. He was here, but now..." -part of Hoffman's "Give the troopers a chance." is heard over a different shot. -cut Hoffman saying "Even if he is somehow conscious, his muscles would be useless." -Hoffman's "Now where are you going?" is heard over two different shots. -edited Hoffman's "Now where are you going?" to have a quicker cadence. TROUBLE AT THE SERVICE STATION- -shortened the shot of Loomis pulling up to the fuel pumps. -shortened the shot of Loomis parking his car. -cut Loomis attempting to pump gas. -cut Loomis attempting to use the old phone on the wall. -cut Loomis begging Michael to not go to Haddonfield. JAMIE AT SCHOOL- -re-scored the scene with the track Pt.4 Opening. -kids pick on Jamie because of her uncle Michael, not for being an orphan. -cut two shots of the kids laughing at Jamie. -looped audio so the kids taunt "Jamie's uncle's the boogieman!" longer. -added sound effects of kids laughing. -cut a shot of Jamie running from school. -slo-mo on a shot of Jamie to better match the previous shot. IN THE CAR- -fixed an audio edit when cutting from the car driving away to Jamie in the back. -cut Rachel introducing "Lindsey". (I like to think Lindsey is Tina from H5) -cut some of Rachel & Tina's conversation about Brady. AT VINCENT'S DRUG STORE- -shortened the shot panning to Kelly pricing merchandise. -shortened the shot of Tina's car approaching the drug store. -cut Rachel & Brady making-out while Jamie looks for a costume. -extended a shot of Jamie looking into the mirror. -cut Jamie seeing a young Michael in the mirror. -corrected the audio sync when Rachel crashes into the card rack. -Jamie calls Michael "The boogieman" instead of "The nightmare man." -added music to create a smoother transition into the next scene. (Pt.4 Opening) HITCHIN' A RIDE- -cut the first car ignoring Loomis & driving past him. -shortened a shot so that the dust cloud is already covering Loomis. -cut Rev. Sayer saying "I saw it clear as breasts in blue suede shoes." GOING TRICK R' TREATING- -cut Rachel telling Jamie to hurry up a second time. -cut several black frames after Michael's POV looks away. -Michael only finds pictures of Laurie in Jamie's room, not of himself. THE BOYS AT THE BAR- -cut Earl remarking that Sheriff Meeker wouldn't be afraid of aliens. LOOMIS & SHERIFF MEEKER AT THE CARRUTHER'S HOUSE- -cut Loomis finding the pictures of little Michael. AT THE POWER STATION- -re-scored the scene with the track Darkest Night. -shuffled several shots when the technician is killed. -moved a shot of the power going out at a house. -cut a shot of Michael. -cut a couple shots of the sparking machinery. -extended the shot of a house after the power goes out. -shortened a shot of sparking machinery. RACHEL LOOKS FOR JAMIE- -continued -re-scoring using the track Darkest Night. -shortened a shot of Rachel to match her position the next shot. -removed a stray piano note from the films soundmix. -extended the shot of the jack-o-lantern after Jamie walks away. -cut Rachel seeing Michael & running scared. (she doesn't know what's up yet) LOOMIS & MEEKER FIND RACHEL & JAMIE- -replaced a shot of Jamie & Rachel in the back of the car with one cut later. A GROUP OF FAKE MICHAELS- -cut this entire scene. AT THE POLICE STATION- -shortened the shot panning across the desk. -cut "My men would have fought back"/"They didn't know what they were fighting." -increased the volume of Loomis' reply, "Evil." -tighter edit so that the dialog between Meeker & Earl is faster, more intense. -cut Earl saying "We're gonna fry his ass." MOB IN THE PARK- -re-scored the scene with the track Outside the House. -shortened the guys shooting into the bushes. -added additional gunfire sounds to match what we're seeing. -cut Earl calling Orrin a "Dumb son of a bitch." KELLY & BRADY AT THE MEEKER HOUSE- -cut Kelly suggesting they go upstairs. -shortened a shot of Brady by the fire. -shortened a shot of Kelly & Brady making-out. PREPARING FOR MICHAEL- -re-scored the scene with the track Upstairs. -cut Sheriff Meeker getting the rifle out of the gun cabinet. -cut Deputy Logan asking Sheriff Meeker "Aren't we going overboard?" -cut Jamie saying "The kids at school were right." -cut Deputy Logan nailing the shutters closed. -shortened a shot of Brady walking through the attic. -cut Brady getting scared by a sound. -Kelly's kettle whistle begins during an earlier shot. -switched Rachel leaving Jamie asleep & Meeker radioing the state troopers. -shortened the shot of Rachel coming down the stairs. -cut Rachel talking with deputy Logan. -cut Rachel & Kelly's chat in the kitchen. ESCAPE FROM THE MEEKER HOUSE- -cut Rachel asking "What does that mean?" when Brady can't break the lock. -Brady doesn't fumble around with the rifle as long. -Michael doesn't take as long to climb the stairs. -cut Rachel yelling at Michael to "Leave us alone!" -added sound effects as Michael climbs over the clutter on the stairs. UP ON THE ROOF- -cut a shot of Rachel & Jamie climbing to the top of the roof. -cut a shot of Michael standing up. -cut one of Rachel's "I've got you!"s. -cut a shot of Michael sauntering across the rooftop. -new sound effect when Rachel hits the ground. DOWN ON THE GROUND- -cut one of Jamie's "Come alive!"s. -shortened a shot of Jamie crying over Rachel. -shortened the shot of Jamie crossing the street. -shortened the shot of Jamie & Loomis taking off towards the school. IN THE SCHOOL- -frame-by-frame Photoshop work to fix the shots of Michael's unpainted pink mask. --(I've had no luck dying the hair brown... sorry.) -cut Jamie suddenly being far from Michael after Loomis is thrown out the window. -cut Jamie running down the hall, trying locked doors. -cut Jamie seeing Michael on the stairs before she runs down them. -cut another shot of Michael standing on the stairs. -shortened the 1st shot of Rachel spraying the fire extinguisher into the camera. -altered the color timing of the 2nd extinguisher spray to remove the brown tint. -2nd fire extinguisher spray fades into the following shot of the truck. TRUCK RESCUE- -re-scored the scene with the track Shape Attack. -cut Earl asking "Where?" & Rachel replying "In the school!" -cut a shot of the swings as Jamie pleads with the men to not go inside. -Jamie's dialog is heard over the shots of the school hallways. -added the sound of the truck starting. -shortened the shot of the truck rounding the corner. -moved the shot of the guys in the back of the truck. -cut the guy in the back firing his shotgun when he sees the state troopers. TRUCK ATTACK- -shortened a shot to match Michael & Al's position from the previous shot. -shortened the shot of the men falling out of the back. -cut a shot of Earl driving as the men in back are attacked. -cut a shot of Jamie & Rachel after the men in back are killed. -shortened the shot of Michael standing up after being thrown from the truck. -cut a shot of Rachel as she's shifting gears. DOWN TO THE WELL- -cut & shuffled several shots during the shoot-out. -added a shot of Jamie & Loomis from HALLOWEEN 5. -added 3 shots of the troopers dropping dynamite down the well from HALLOWEEN 5. -added additional sound effects when the well caves in. BACK AT THE CARRUTHER'S HOUSE- -music begins as Darlene starts drawing the bath. (Michael's Finale) -shortened the beginning of Jamie's 1st POV. -music continues through the shot of Darlene preparing the bath. -cut a shot of the tub filling with water. -shortened the beginning of Jamie's 2nd POV. -added a slash sound as the footage cuts to black. END CREDITS- -new end credits music. (H4 Theme, H1 Theme (OST ver), Darkest Night & Still He Kills) -added the title card before the credits roll. -adjusted the color & contrast to make the credits text orange. POST CREDITS- -added & extended a shot of the Carruther's house. -added the Trick r' Treat rhyme from the beginning of the original HALLOWEEN. -added my production logo to the end. -added a cue from the track Michael Kills Judith.

Additional Notes:

I wanted the editing to feel more kinetic without any obvious changes. This version has a quicker pulse than the original, but still feels like the '78 classic.

Other Sources:

SOURCES USED: VIDEO- -Halloween (Shout! Factory bluray, 2021) ADDITIONAL AUDIO- -Halloween 2007 (Lionsgate bluray, 2011) -Halloween Soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande Records, 1983) -I'm Your Boogie Man by K.C. & the Sunshine Band (from the album Part 3, 1976) -Sound Effects (YouTube.com).

Special Thanks: