Halloween in Mono or Stereo?

Michael-Myers.net General Discussion
21

I think I’ve brought this up here on this board before… mostly all of the DVD releases of HalloweeN have either the stereo or re-done mono soundtracks. I have the original DVD Anchor Bay put out, which I believe was from '97 or '98 [don’t have it in front of me right now] – this DVD is essentially a direct dub of the out-of-print Criterion laserdisc [which I also have & includes some great extras]. The video is quite pixelated in certain scenes… afterall, this was a very early release as far as DVD technology goes. BUT, it features the untouched mono audio – which is much better than any of the re-created stereo mixes [in my opinion].

Most noticeable are a few scenes:

-When Laurie is screaming/squeeling [first at the top of the steps after just discovering her friends’ bodies, and next, running out front of the houses as The Shape is in pursuit]… Jamie Lees voice is most annoying & piercing on the “new” stereo tracks. Her whining sounds go above any other audio/music in the scene.

-Next, again, while JLC is running from The Shape to the neighbors house & then across the street… that bass should be booming! It is on the original mono recording, but has been softened/lowered considerably on all subsequent releases.

Now, I’m referencing all of this on a standard 2.1 set-up, using a pair of 3-way floor speakers; NOT a 5.1 surround set-up… although, I have experimented briefly on a 5.1 arrangement. I think that to minimize distortion & equalize sounds effects, the overall volume & intensity of certain audio elements have been greatly reduced on newer prints starting as far back as 1999… unfortunately.

The original Media VHS releases, & the Blockbuster release all have the original mono recording, so they sound great!

Now, will it sound “vintage”, & not quite up to par with modern audio techniques? Yes, but that’s the way it was done – to change it now has only negatively affected it.

22

Hey, if this is true…you JUST made my day! :drinkers:

23

Seriously, if you have access to older prints such as the VHS or the VERY FIRST Anchor Bay pressing… just compare them to newer releases. It’s definitely noticeable.

Further proof… Anchor Bay did the same shit with Dario Argento’s SUSPIRIA. I have an older VHS & Laserdisc edition which are great – but, AB went back & “tweaked” the audio with their THX enhacements; now, that Goblin/Simonetti soundtrack is lost in the background… when it should be booming & waling in all it’s synth glory!

With modern audio set-ups like 5.1, I don’t doubt that an original mono/stereo recording would sound like crap going through it – but, if you can’t adjust the equalizer & correct distortion properly, for the sake of diminishing the overall effect… then don’t touch it! Or, perfect the technology needed to do so first, before releasing inferior products onto the market.

24

I’m so happy to see this discussion today that I’ve actually registered to join the forum just to participate in it! I have been driven mad with the new mixes of the Halloween music that has appeared on virtually all DVD releases - from the odd high synth lines that appear in the opening theme to the irritating detuning effect that is added to the music after Michael kills Judith…I love this movie so much and all I’ve ever wanted was a version that has clear sound but is untampered with! On the original Varese Saraband release, there was that awful thump-thump going on in the background of the opening theme and then that high synth line that is not in the film version…couldn’t believe it when I first heard it having waited so long for the release of the soundtrack (so long? Five years seems like nothing now…)…however, there was a compromise when you turned over and played the first track on side two…basically the end version of the theme tune - still the thump-thump but everything else sounding the same…phew! HOWEVER, we have no such luxury with the DVD soundtracks and I have scouted the internet for a long time to see if there was anyone else out there who agreed or even noticed…then today, here we are! Thank you all for making my day…oh and by the way, what brought me here was hearing today that the new “Complete Collection” from Anchor Bay/Scream Factory has a version with the original cinema mono track…happy days!

25

ah, the days of watching H1 on telly in mono or on VHS for that matter…

26

On the box set, finally…the mono I have waited for! It only took 8 releases to get it right. :slight_smile: But still, I can’t believe it took this long…it was shot mono.

Now, the extended footage disc is still incorrect with the missing title card before going to the institution and the hearing and also the dumbed down stereo mix to mono. But, you can’t win them all. :slight_smile:

27

If a film was originally produced & exhibited in mono, I am strictly mono. In Halloween, there is a noticeable difference in comparison to the [many] newer audio streams. The original mono in this film has a very dry & vintage sound, you can hear flaws in the performance as well as tracking (speed & timing) which really adds to the unsettling feel the visuals present of this low-budget title, whose shooting & scoring were both produced with urgency. Those with a keen ear will certainly hear the unique tone of the original hardware, as executed by Carpenter, which has a rough & abrasive feel, the original synth has an unmistakeable quality, it is something special, along with all the original SFX, also. Simply said, this film should be seen as it originally was presented, in my opinion, in comparison to all the overly edited & polished streams. The largest issue is the newer streams are being performed by someone else (Alan Howarth?) & likely not on the original hardware, or at least the original recording signal chain. They just don’t have the same feel, naturally. The original performance & hardware provided by Carpenter, it’s not broken; why “fix” it?

Corrections are welcome, but I’m 99% certain the 2007 DVD & BD releases have a true & original mono option, albeit low-resolution. This is delivered in 192kb/s, 2-channel AC3 format. Many mono tracks are delivered in mirrored 2-channel, so home theaters output to both L & R for fullness, and not “stuck” to the smaller C (center) speaker, though anyone with knowledge of their hardware can usually route C to both L & R. I have split this 2-channel track with editing software to prove both channels are identical, and they are. This is the only audio stream I have heard that is not polished & has no overdubbing, unlike all others. I have not gotten my hands on the LaserDisc, perhaps the LD release is where this unique audio track was sourced from.

I have this audio track demuxed from the 2007 BD release and have muxed it together with the BD video stream from 2013. This is very easy to do, in my opinion, and is the solution many of us want. Please message me if you require assistance in this matter, or I can post a guide here if requested. Beyond this, you can natively hear this track on the 2007 BD or DVD as noted. Or, maybe this box set has already done the work for you, as Billy mentions.

And yes, the 2013 BD release does not deliver original mono. It’s as Billy mentioned, a dud to those concerned. But to be fair, it’s not advertised as “Original”, but slyly as simply “English Mono”, wherein the 2007 BD correctly states “Original Mono”, and I am convinced as such. Billy, can you confirm the resolution of the mono track provided in the box set? I will probably order it anyway, to analyze. Maybe it’s the same as the 2007 BD.

The very original audio that Carpenter produced & provided for the initial print & distribution of this film, it must see the light of day, in lossless form, preferably both home video & standalone (dialogue removed) soundtrack form! I have only heard it in the low-resolution track I mentioned. I know if Criterion were to become involved in an archived release, they would accept no less than the original mono in lossless for their print. The disturbing evidence is this source may be lost or unavailable, why else would we be receiving so many chopped, hacked & mutilated audio streams over the years? And not a single soundtrack release has truly been Carpenter’s original recording.

I will be providing a blu-ray comparison thread in the near future as my annual Halloween treat here, stay tuned…

28

That missing title card bothered me a lot from the ‘98 dvd release. I remember saying Anchor Bay should have a replacement disk program for those that wanted one with the title card added in and I caught a lot of flak on the old Halloween message boards. The Criterion laserdisk at least has it (still need to get its’ contents put on dvd).

I’m very glad the new blu-ray in the box set has the original mono as well as the new Cundey approved transfer (and the great 7.1 audio track as well).