PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2014
35 IS THE NEW 40
WHEN HALLOWEEN 35TH ANNIVERSARYWINS AT
40TH ANNUAL SATURN AWARDS
Seminal Horror Classic Nabs “Best DVD/BD Classic Film Release” From
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Halloween, the 1978 John Carpenter terror classic that transformed the modern horror film, received yet another validation of its legendary status when the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films awarded Anchor Bay Entertainment’s Halloween 35thAnniversary Blu-ray™ the Saturn Award for “Best DVD/BD Classic Film Release” at tonight’s ceremony. The event, marking the 40th anniversary of the Saturn Awards, was held at the Castaway in Burbank, California. Dean Cundey, the cinematographer (who supervised the new HD transfer for the Blu-ray™) and Malek Akkad, son of the original film’s producer Moustapha Akkad, accepted the honor from presenters Eric Balfour and Joanna Cassidy (who worked with Cundey onWho Framed Roger Rabbit).
"This award is really a testament to the talents of John Carpenter and the original artists that made a film that is still so compelling 35 years after it's release," said Trancas International Films' President Malek Akkad. "We worked hard with our partners at Anchor Bay to make this a special release, and we thank the Academy for their recognition."
"Halloween is one of my proudest accomplishments, not only because it was early in my career, but it's especially rewarding to know that audiences continue to appreciate it,” said Cundey. “Receiving this Saturn Award thirty five years later is a wonderful reminder of the film’s social and historical significance.”
“Anchor Bay has proudly featured the original Halloween in our library for almost 20 years,” noted Bill Clark, President of Anchor Bay Entertainment. “We thank the Academy for validating all our hard work here to create a definitive Blu-ray release of one of the greatest horror films ever made.”
For last year’s 35th Anniversary ofHalloween, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Trancas International partnered on the Halloween 35th Anniversary Blu-ray™. For this very special release, an all-new HD transfer was created, personally supervised by the film’s original cinematographer, Academy-Award® nominee Dean Cundey (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Apollo 13, theBack to the Future trilogy), as well as a new 7.1 audio mix, a brand-new feature length audio commentary by writer/director John Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis, an all-new bonus feature with Ms. Curtis, and selected legacy bonus features from previous ABE releases.
Halloween 35th Anniversary bested truly stellar competition in the category, including Fantastic Voyage, The Haunting, House of Wax, Nosferatu, andThe Wicker Man. The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films was founded in 1972 by Dr.Donald A. Reed to recognize and honor excellence among filmmakers in the science fiction, fantasy, horror and action/adventure/thriller genres