NOTE: This is not a real DVD box cover. I made it myself as an idea of what a Special Edition box might look like.
Halloween: Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
The Producers' Cut
DIRECTED BY: Joe Chappelle
WRITTEN BY: Daniel Farrands
DISTRIBUTOR: Never Officaly Released
STARRING: Donald Pleasence, introducing Paul Stephen Rudd, introducing Marianne Hagan, Kim Darby, Bradford English, Keith Bogart, Mariah O'Brien, Leo Geter, and Mitch Ryan as Dr. Terence Wynn
RUNNING TIME: 100 Minutes
Intro:
The overall pace and tone of the film is different. Chappelle's version has many MTV style flash cuts during action sequences. In the Producers' cut the editing is smoother, like the other Halloween films. Chappelle seems to think that he is in some kind of a race to reach the end of the movie. The music is also different. Chappelle's version augmented some parts of Alan Howarth's score with electric guitar stings and lots of knife slashing noises. This version stays with Howarth's standard Halloween style music.
The producer's cut moved at a pace of
1. Somebody starts running
2. Another shot of them running for about 10 seconds with some Halloween music playing in the background
3. Bam, they run into Michael Myers
Chappelle's version is more like
1. Somebody starts running (guitar sting followed by the sound of a knife slashing)
2. Bam, they run into Michael Myers
I tried to watch the two at the same time side by side but I could not keep the two synchronized; it seemed like Chappelle shortened or cut every 3rd shot in the movie. This is a breakdown of the high points of the producers' cut. It is by no means a complete list of every little difference between the two; I don't have nearly the time to figure out all of the little differences.
Differences:
The shots of Jamie having her baby run smoother (no flash cuts) and don't have the electric guitar stings on the sound track.
The opening titles are different. And the opening narration is given by Dr. Loomis, not Tommy Doyle.
When Jamie escapes the chase scenes run longer (NOTE TO CHAPPELLE: This is called building suspense, audiences tend to respond to it better than being slapped in the face with flash cuts.)
Tommy's phone call to Barry Simms radio show is longer. Tommy tells his name before he tells his theories on Michael Myers.
The first scene with Loomis & Wynn is longer. Loomis says that he got plastic surgery to remove the burn marks he acquired at the end of Part II. "It costs a fortune but at least I don't frighten people any more."
After Jamie and Michael's car chase Jamie is stabbed and left for dead; no farm machinery.
Wynn says that if Myers is still alive he wants him captured, not killed.
After John Strode slaps Kara, and before Danny pulls a knife on him. Danny sees Michael and hears a voice telling him to kill John.
Before Kara gets into Beth's car she talks to Danny and says that her father did not mean to hurt her.
As Kara and Tim leave John and Debra talk about her. Debra says that whatever Kara did she's still their daughter. John says that she's not his daughter any more.
At the barn where Jamie was found she is still alive and put into an ambulance. After Loomis sees the Rune-of-Thorn, the sheriff tells him to leave town. "I've got enough problems without you here telling ghost stories." Loomis responds "I suppose it was a ghost who did all of this, and a ghost on the radio last night, and a ghost being
carried out of here now."
Before Tommy meets Loomis at the hospital Wynn tells him that their is nothing he can do for Jamie. Jamie still being alive explains Loomis why Loomis is at the Hospital when Tommy arrives with Jamie's baby.
When Loomis meets Debra at the old Myers house he tells her that Jamie was stabbed and we see shots of her being operated on.
After Tommy and Kara meet for the first time their is a scene in the hospital with Jamie. She has a flash back to being with Wynn's people. Than Wynn comes into her room and shoots her "Your work here is done."
Instead of Loomis being told that an autopsy revealed that Jamie had a baby, he first yells at the doctors that they let Jamie get shot. Than the doctor says that when they performed surgery on Jamie they found that her uterus was hemorrhaging, and that she must have giver birth less than 24 hours ago.
When John is electrocuted his head does not explode.
After Kara is captured by Wynn's people she is strapped to an alter as a human sacrifice.
When Tommy and Loomis arrive at Smith's Grove they talk about Runes. Tommy says that he thinks he can stop Michael with a Rune-of-Light that will cancel Michael's evil power, which comes from the Rune-of-Thorn.
The scene where Loomis confronts Wynn in his office is longer. Wynn tells Loomis that he needs his help to control Michael. Wynn says that he is trying to use Michael to restore balance to the world, and Loomis should help protect Michael. After Loomis is knocked unconscious Wynn says to leave him in the office "It's his office now."
Wynn's people begin a ceremony where the Jamie's baby is to be sacrificed, which will complete Michael's curse. Kara is strapped to a table for Danny to kill, because Michael's curse will be passed to him. Kara realizes that Michael is the father of Jamie's
baby. (Note: Ewwwww gross) She tries to make Michael stop by reminding him of that fact. Michael hesitates and Tommy sneaks in and holds a knife to Wynn's throat. Wynn lets them go, rather than be killed by Tommy. Once they leave Michael chases after them. They meet up with Loomis, who knows how to get out. Tommy sets up a circle of Runes to trap Michael. Michael steps to within the circle and starts to strangle Tommy, but than releases and just stands there. Tommy follows Loomis and the others out. Wynn finds Michael and, seeing that Michael is standing frozen stiff, asks "What have they done to you?"
Once out of the hospital Tommy, Kara, Danny, and Steven (Jamie's baby) get into a car. Loomis tells them to go as far away from Haddonfield as possible. They ask Loomis to come with them. He declines, saying that he has some unfinished business to attend to (as in the theatrical cut.) He goes back into the hospital and sees Michael laying on the ground. He rips off the mask and finds that it is Dr. Wynn in Michael's cloths. Wynn awakens and realizes that Michael switched their cloths and is gone. He grabs Loomis' arm and tells him "It's your game now." Loomis looks at his arm and sees the Rune-of-Thorn. Realizing that he is now supposed to be Michael's new guardian he screams. We see Michael walking off, now dressed as The Stranger.
Deaths:
Mary (Susan Swift) - Head impaled on a spike coming out of the wall
Motorist (Tom Procter) - Neck Broken
Jamie Lloyd (J.C. Brandy) - Shot by Dr. Wynn
Debra Strode (Kim Darby) - Chopped with an ax
John Strode (Bradford English) - Electrocuted
Barry Simms (Leo Geter) - Stabbed
Tim Strode (Keith Bogart) - Throat slit
Beth (Mariah O'Brien) - Stabbed