Rumor has it that when the John Carpenter and Debrah Hill penned (and, once again, Michael Myers-less) script for Halloween 4 was turned down, the duo promptly sold their rights to all things Halloween to producer Moustapha Akkad.  Whether out of anger or suave financial smarts, the move meant their partnership with what they originally created in 1978 was over and done.

Akkad knew what had to be done.

His first move was to bring the knife-wielding Myers back and win back the fans that Carpenter had turned away with the stand-alone Halloween III: Season the Witch fiasco.  It was the smartest move in Horror history.  Fans were chomping at the bit for another chance to witness the boogeyman and quickly made the fourth entry - when it arrived in 1988 - the highest grossing of the three previous films.  Now with its debut on blu-ray, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers can be seen by a whole new audience of the slasher genre.

It's the 10th anniversary of the Halloween night massacre in Haddonfield, Illinois.  Not everyone is celebrating, though and, when hearing mention of a niece living in Haddonfield, Michael Myers escapes from an ambulance while being transferred to another mental facility, the party is officially over. He eventually makes his way to the small town of his youth, mentally obsessed with finding and killing his nine-year-old niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) and anyone else shielding her from him. Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance) is hot on his trail and, alongside Rachel Carruthers (Ellie Cornell), must protect Jamie from her psycho uncle.

Directed by Dwight H. Little (Bloodstone), Halloween 4 doesn’t reinvent the wheel; it doesn’t have to.  Opening ten years after the original, the movie simply has to provide a rationale for Myers to return to Haddonfield.  Enter its secret weapon: Danielle Harris.  Usually when a film series relies on a child star, fans grow weary of its intentions.  Harris, who was all of 11 years old when the film was shot, does more to elevate the movie with her energetic screams and overall dedication to the role than the actual script.  She’s always been a smart actress and here, as a child, her prowess proves to be a natural part of her energy.

Returning to the Halloween fold is Donald Pleasance as Dr. Samuel Loomis, Michael's old psychiatrist, who survived the hospital explosion that ended the second film.  Loomis is not your typical psychiatrist and his relationship with Michael Myers is not the typical doctor-patent relationship.  He’s tried to kill him for ten years and knows he is pure evil; there’s no hope for making him a productive member of society.  Loomis himself is too affected by Michael’s undying nature and, when the two are reunited in a seriously iconic scene of hopeless weariness early on, the audience can see just how depressed Loomis is by their catch-and-release “fishing” games.

Acting as a more than competent sequel to Halloween 2, Little packs the film with wide shots and moments of subtlety that might seem out of place for hard-nosed slasher film.  It’s this approach that gives the movie an added lift from the usual body count.  Sure, people die and Myers survives but with the less-is-more approach Little invites the imagination to fill in the blanks.  The result is some good ol’ atmosphere that haunts every edge of this film.  Mix in a bit of horror cheese and the result is a quasi-Hitchcockian slasher film.

With the exception of bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis (who passed on the opportunity to continue on as Laurie Strode), Halloween 4 gives its fans exactly what they want from a real Halloween film and it doesn’t involve flesh-melting masks.  It might be a tad quieter in guts and gore than one expects but it cleverly brings new mythology to life and opens the story up nicely.  Myers mindlessly chops away at his victims and chases his nine-year-old niece with ferocity only Hell itself can understand.

The genre might have been waning but Michael Myers was just getting his second wind.  Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers shows there’s still life in a stale genre when its once straightforward mythology gets a cheesy bit of a facelift.

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Collector's Edition

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - October 5, 2025
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0; English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free; blu-ray locked to Region A

He Changed The Face of Halloween. Tonight, He's Back …  He butchered 16 people trying to get to his sister. He was shot and incinerated, but still the entity that Dr. Sam Loomis (the legendary Donald Pleasence) calls "Evil on two legs" would not die. Tonight, Michael Myers has come home again ... to kill! This time, Michael returns to Haddonfield for Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris, 2009’s Halloween II, The Last Boy Scout) – the orphaned daughter of Laurie Strode – and her babysitter Rachel (Ellie Cornell, Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers, House Of The Dead). Can Loomis stop Michael before the unholy slaughter reaches his innocent young niece?  Michael Pataki, Sasha Jenson and Kathleen Kinmont co-star in this smash sequel that marked the long-awaited return to the original storyline and remains infamous for its startling twist ending and graphic violence.

VIDEO

The included (and remastered) 4K transfer certainly looks better than its previous release.  Colors are crisp and the film’s detail is loaded with meat AND gristle.  It’s amazing how sharper focus and a more detailed image can really bring an older movie to life.  This might not have been the biggest budgeted movie at the time but you wouldn’t be able to guess its limitations from the crispness of the 4K transfer.

AUDIO

The soundtrack is presented in a new Dolby Atmos Audio track that adds a solid amount of crunch to the action.  Dialogue is relatively clear and free of distortion.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• See Special Features

Special Features:

Featuring two discs of bonus material, Shout Factory knows how to do Halloween right!

DISC ONE (4K UHD):

• NEW 2021 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• NEW 2021 Dolby Atmos Track
• Audio Commentary With Actors Ellie Cornell And Danielle Harris
• Audio Commentary With Director Dwight H. Little And Author Justin Beahm

DISC TWO (Blu-ray):

• 2021 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• 2021 Dolby Atmos Track
• Audio Commentary With Ellie Cornell And Danielle Harris
• Audio Commentary With Dwight H. Little And Justin Beahm
• “The Making Of Halloween 4: Final Cut”
• “The Making Of Halloween 4”
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Still Gallery

	Movie
	Video
	Audio
	Extras
Composite Blu-ray Grade

MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 88 mins
Director: Dwight H. Little
Writer: Dhani Lipsius; Larry Rattner
Cast: Donald Pleasence; Ellie Cornell; Danielle Harris
Genre: Horror | Thriller
Tagline: The Return of Michael Myers.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Whoever you are, I have a big dog with me, and he bites!"
Theatrical Distributor: Galaxy International Releasing
Official Site:
Release Date: October 21, 1988
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 5, 2025.
Synopsis: Ten years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens on Halloween Eve and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece. Can Dr. Loomis stop him?