Moustapha Akkad’s Name Removed From Universal’s Halloween II Blu-ray
Steve Barton
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It’s a tough time to bask in nostalgia. Between the already notorious (and unwanted) changes to the as-of-yet-to-be-released Star Wars saga collections to a much less publicized edit on Universal’s Halloween II Blu-ray, old school fans are certainly getting the shaft when it comes to reliving childhood favorites in glorious high definition.
If you haven’t followed Twitter incessantly or trawled the right message boards, you might be wondering what chicanery Universal pulled with the anticipated 1080p version of Halloween II. It’s a significant alteration to the opening credits which sees the exclusion of one of the franchise’s most prominent names: Moustpha Akkad (see below).
Yes, the late Mr. Akkad’s name has been edited out of Halloween II’s opening credits, only to be replaced with a far more jarring Universal, an MCA Company, Presents title card that couldn’t even be bothered to match the rest of the credits font. Anyone who follows my Twitter feed knows I was appalled to learn this last night, pointing out the further inconsistency that while Moustapha Akkad apparently no longer presents the film, the credits on the Blu-ray box remain unchanged. So much for quality check, Universal.
What’s the purpose of this? Does a transference of rights have anything to do with it? While Universal has yet to comment on this bizarre edit, Malek Akkad, son of the late producer, is understandably furious about the whole debacle, and on Facebook there’s a fan-made campaign urging everyone not to buy this release that dishonors his father’s invaluable contribution to the iconic horror franchise.
Honestly, it’s bullshit. To any Halloween fan, the name Moustapha Akkad is an intrinsic piece of the franchise. It was Akkad who constantly kept the franchise running (well, until he got mixed up with those hatchet men at Dimension), and there’s no reason for his name to be stricken from the record when it comes to Halloween II.
“I am very disappointed that anyone would remove any filmmaker’s credit posthumously,” said Moustpha’s son, Malek Akkad, when reached for comment. “Obviously this is more personal as it is my father, but this would hold true for anyone who worked on the film, down to the caterer. It has been that way for 30 years, and for them to change it now after his death is shameful.”
We couldn’t agree more. As you would imagine, fans are incensed by this travesty. If you are, too, visit the official Facebook page that has been set up for everyone to air their opinions and work together to try to right this wrong.
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