Friday the 13th: 8 Movie Collection Blu-ray Review

THE MOVIE — 3/5

Friday the 13th (1980) — 3.75/5

A classic horror film, it’s hardly perfect but for the genre is pretty original for the fact you don’t see the killer, only their POV, until the very end. The kills are gruesome, though timid I guess by today’s sick standards, and despite having some so-so acting is still a fun little ride that would spawn numerous sequels and a remake.

Friday the 13th: Part 2 (1981) — 4.0/5

This is a rare exception, especially in the horror genre, where the sequel was equal or better than the original. The sequel finds a new crop of coeds training to be counselors on the other side of the lake opposite Crystal Lake Camp being methodically hunted down by Jason Voorhees as he seeks vengeance for the slaughter of his dear serial killing mother. The kills are great and the introduction to Jason is wonderful.

Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982) — 3.25/5

This third entry continues the saga and introduces yet another cinematic milestone: Jason’s hockey mask. Yep, we get some more coeds this time gathered together for a weekend of sex, drugs and other shenanigans on a ranch owned by Chris Hoggins’ (DANA KIMMELL) family. One by one, Jason picks off the men and women with Chris being the obvious last woman standing in this installment.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) — 3.0/5

Not my favorite, though I know a few people who enjoyed it more than even the original, this entry finds Jason going after more coeds and killing them in unique ways from in the shower with his bare hands to the classic machete. However, as much fun as the series has been, the character’s actions in this one border on stupidity. Take for instance one gal is watching Jason killing a friend, she stands back stunned… while HOLDING A MACHETE! After Jason finishes his business, he focuses on the girl as his next victim. I could only shake my head at that scene and a couple others. Still, given it is the fourth in the series, it’s mildly entertaining.

Friday the 13th: Part V – A New Beginning (1985) — 3.0/5

The fifth entry takes an interesting turn for the series as Jason actually never appears and we instead have someone else behind the mask. Tommy Jarvis (JOHN SHEPHERD) is sent to a new age-like open sanitarium still reeling from killing Jason at the end of part 4. While there people start dying and Jason apparently is back for more blood. Personally, I didn’t mind that twist but it is getting the concept is getting a bit tired although I will give the writers credit for trying something new.

Jason Lives: Friday the 13th: Part VI (1986) — 3.25/5

The beginning of part 6 in the long-running franchise finds Tommy Jarvis (now played by THOM MATHEWS) going to the cemetery with a friend where Jason Vorhees is buried. He intends on making sure Jason remains good and dead by digging up the grave and burning the body. But thanks to a not-so-freak lightning storm and a well placed shovel into the corpse, lightning strikes twice and brings Jason back to life and now more immortal than ever before! This entry returns to Camp Crystal Lake now named Camp Forest Green and is a fun addition and although the kills aren’t anything new, it’s still a fun little flick with one of the better female leads (JENNIFER COOKE) since Part 3.

Friday the 13th: Part VII: The New Blood (1988) — 2.0/5

The beginning of the end for me in this series as the seventh entry finds Jason going mano-e-girlo with a young woman who can move objects using her mind and thusly goes after the hockey-mask wearing serial killer after she inadvertently raises him from the depths where he was left at the end of part 6. This is a silly movie and even with a cute lead actress, it’s just so dumb and filled with awful acting. Trivia note: this is Kane Hodder’s first foray as Jason.

Friday the 13th: Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) — 1.0/5

Shark meet Jason. Jason, meet the shark. Now that Crystal Lake has grown tiresome for our intrepid serial killer, the filmmakers decided to place Jason on a boat with a bunch of bratty “teenagers” and a few d-bag adults. This is by far the worst in the series so far and even though it’s only 100-minutes long, it feels like it goes on for an eternity. The acting is OK but Jason has transformed and developed some sort of telepathy as well as the ability to appear in multiple places in mere seconds. There’s only so much suspension of disbelief one can have…

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3½/5

Friday the 13th (1980) — 3.5/5

The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham (8:58) – The director discusses his memories and experiences of working on the movie and how it has affected his life over the years.

Friday the 13th Reunion (16:45) is a cool featurette where cast and crew members gathered in 2008 at a convention for a reunion and sharing memories of the production.

Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 1 (7:31), a 6-part slasher movie where Jason hunts and kills more coeds.

The Friday the 13th Chronicles (20:34) is an older featurette with archival interviews.

Secrets Galore Behind the Gore (9:32) — Another old featurette focusing on the special make-up effects.

Theatrical Trailers are available for all eight movies.

Missing from this disc is the audio commentary with Director Sean S. Cunningham, Screenwriter Victor Miller, Betsy Palmer (Mrs. Voorhees), Adrienne King (Alice) and others (collected from various sources) and Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th which were a collection of interviews.

Friday the 13th: Part 2 (1981) — 2.25/5

Inside “Crystal Lake Memories” (11:15) is an interview with the author of “CLM” book giving insights about the research going into writing it going through archives. It’s nothing more than a promotional item but it’s not too bad.

Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions (6:50) looks at the popularity of F13 at the various conventions and the icons from the series who attend them. This is more or less fluff material.

Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part II (8:54) is the continuing story of the short film.

Jason Forever (29:27) – This old featurette focuses on iconic nature of our favorite slasher serial killer at a convention with different participants talking on a panel intertwined with interviews and behind-the-scenes photos.

Original Theatrical Trailer (2:12)

Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1984) — 1.75/5

Fresh Cuts: 3D Terror (12:52) is a featurette about using 3D being the ‘hook’ to bring something new for the fans. It’s interesting to at least hear the process of doing 3D.

Legacy of the Mask (9:33) – Yep, the iconic mask gets its own featurette where interviewees chat about how it came about.

Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular (7:09) focuses on the kills in the series and what made Jason so scary.

Finally there is the Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part III (4:49) and the Original Theatrical Trailer (2:09).

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1985) — 3.25/5

Audio Commentaries – There are two tracks available. The first is with Director Joseph Zito, Screenwriter Barney Cohen and Editor Joel Goodman; the second track is a fan commentary with Adam Green (creator of the Hatchet movies) and Joe Lynch (director of Wrong Turn 2 and a friend of Green’s). Both tracks are actually quite fun with the first bringing some behind-the-scenes trivia and the second from an outsider’s perspective.

The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part IV (13:16) – This old featurette has interviews with the cast and crew (including Corey Feldman) primarily talking about making the second sequel and distinguishing it from the previous movies.

Secrets Galore Behind the Gore: Tom Savini on Part IV (13:30) – The master special make-up effects artist discusses his work on The Final Chapter.

Deleted Scenes (15:20) are some scenes, with no audio, removed and includes a director’s commentary.

Jason’s Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (11:03) is a cool retrospective featurette with new-ish interviews with the cast and crew speaking to how this was supposed to be the final F13 film and the end of Jason.

Deleted Scene: The Lost Ending (3:22) is an ending that was found, along with the other outtakes and deleted scenes presumably, and shown with commentary.

The Crystal Lake Massacre Revisited, Part 1 (18:10) – This is a mock documentary treating as if the events in the movies were real.

Also included are Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 4 (6:22) and Jimmy’s Dead Dance Moves (2:09) about Crispin Glover’s unusual dance and the Original Theatrical Trailer (1:56).

Friday the 13th: Part V – A New Beginning (1985) — 3.0/5

Audio Commentary includes Director/Co-Screenwriter Danny Steinmann, Actors John Shepherd (Tommy Jarvis) and Shavar Ross (Reggie) and horror guru Michael Felsher (on the phone) who is a fan of the movie. It’s a lighthearted track but a lot of fun as the participants reminisces about their time filming.

The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part V (5:51) is the latest installment this one focusing on the first film and mostly has Corey Feldman explaining why he couldn’t reprise his role beyond the opening and his thoughts on the character going on.

Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 5 (7:10) is the continuing saga nobody gives a crap about, myself included.

The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part II (10:11) – This is the second part of the mock-umentary acting as if the massacres were real, something supporting characters refuse to even acknowledge.

New Beginnings: The Making of Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (11:04) is the most comprehensive featurette for this movie getting the thoughts from various members of the cast and crew who worked on the film.

Original Theatrical Trailer (2:00)

Jason Lives: Friday the 13th: Part VI (1986) — 3.25/5

Audio Commentaries – There are two tracks, one with just Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin and the other with McLoughlin joined by Editor Bruce Green and Actor Vincent Guastaferro (Deputy Cologne).

The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part VI (14:42) are fairly elaborate interview sound bites with director McLoughlin and C.J. Graham (Jason) talking about some behind-the-scenes stories about the production.

Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 6 (7:17) is the next installment of the student film series.

The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited, Part III (9:36) – Yep, part 3 of the mock-documentary continues. Nothing great but I’ll give them credit for going all out with this thing.

Jason Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th, Part VI (12:57) – This featurette is a set of “new” interviews with McLoughlin and others in the cast and crew, though the director has the most to say, discussing the sixth film and giving it a comedic twist.

Meeting Mr. Vorhees (2:46) is an alternate ending (via storyboards) where Jason’s father would be introduced.

Deleted Scenes (6:06) are a culmination of scenes excised, or trimmed, for one reason or another.

Original Teaser Trailer (1:43)

Friday the 13th: Part VII: The New Blood (1988) — 2.75/5

Audio Commentary – Director John Carl Buechler and Actors Lar Park Lincoln and Kane Hodder sit down for a fun track discussing their time working on the project. It’s nothing profound but I enjoy tracks that include the actors.

The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part VII (11:39) – This old featurette has interviews with various people including Kane Hodder, Lar Park Lincoln and John Carl Buechler primarily talking about the new look for Jason.

Secrets Galore Behind the Gore (11:11) has Buechler delving into the make-up effects for Part 7.

The Making of Friday the 13th: Part VII (15:07) is a pretty good and newish featurette with updated interviews with Buechler and Hodder while Lincoln’s is the older material. The participants discuss more items like the changes demanded by the MPAA.

Mind Over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis (7:25) – This thin featurette gets interviews with experts in the scientific field, as well as a psychic, talking about the telekinesis in the film.

Makeover by Maddy: Need a Little Touch-Up Work, My Ass (2:43) – This is a reunion between actresses Elizabeth Kaitan (Robin) and Diana Barrows (Maddy) as the pair get a make-over.

Deleted Scenes (17:01) include a whopping 21 scenes that were either cut or reduced due to the violence which, as Buechler says, would be tame by today’s standards. Be warned, however, they are in really rough shape.

Original Theatrical Trailer (1:39)

Friday the 13th: Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) — 3.0/5

Audio Commentaries – There are two commentary tracks available: 1) Director Rob Hedden and 2) Actors Scott Reeves (Sean), Jensen Daggett (Rennie) and Kane Hodder (Jason).

The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part VIII (14:32) – This old featurette has some interviews with writer/director Hedden and Kane Hodder sharing some BTS info on the production such as shooting Vancouver posing for New York City.

New York Has a New Problem: The Making of Friday the 13th: Part VIII (18:02) – Is more of the same but updated with newer interviews and includes more of the cast chatting up their experiences. This is actually one of the better ‘making-of’ featurettes in this entire set…

Deleted Scenes (12:56) includes 16 scenes which were sliced and diced from the final cut, some thanks to the MPAA.

Gag Reel (4:54) contains fun on-set hijinks and flubbed lines.

Original Theatrical Trailer (1:19)

VIDEO/AUDIO

Paramount releases this film for the 100th time it would seem, this time getting a new 1080p high-definition remaster, and I’m, fairly confident this is the same transfer that was released in the Shout Factory box set (mainly because 1-4 all say New 4K scan in the SF set). In any case, I found this one to look quite good, detail is sharp and colors are bright with some vibrancy despite this being a slasher. The nighttime scenes also have nice contrast to them and black levels are stark without appearing to be crushed, still able to discern anything going on. 4.5/5

Note, I copied this from my original review as still applies, though does feature a different audio codec. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very strong from the victims’ screams and shrieks to the now classic score by composer Harry Manfredini which really comes through the front and rear channels with excellent pitch and clarity. 4.75/5

Friday the 13th: Part II (1981)

The movie is presented with a 1080p high-definition transfer and shown in the original 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio. The picture here looks excellent, although based on my original review that too looked great. Anyway, this was another one that apparently got remastered but I’m wondering if it’s the one from the Shout Factory release. However, this one has sharp and nicely defined picture, detail is well done and colors are still bright. 4.5/5

The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is strong providing crisp and clear dialogue coming mainly from the center channel, and there is some great depth with the LFE kicking on giving this lossless track some nice depth. 4.75/5

Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982)

The movie is presented in the original 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio and a remastered 1080p high-definition transfer. Reading my original review, I was not very impressed with it the last go around and while this one does look good, there are still some splotchy elements here and there (perhaps the scenes made for 3D), but otherwise plenty of scenes are sharp and the colors are bright during the daytime and the darker shows showcase good black levels. 3.75/5

This DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (which from memory sounds similar to the original TrueHD mix) might not be as dynamic as its predecessors but it gets the job done with crisp and clear screams, nice surround elements with a downpour of rain and the score, which is weaker this go around, coming through with some depth. 3.5/5

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1985)

This fourth entry is presented with a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and features a new 1080p high-definition transfer. As with 1-3, this is likely the same or similar to the one in the Shout Factory release. In any case, the picture here does look fairly nice as detail is relatively well defined while colors are decent enough. The black levels are pretty nice looking as well, showing some starkness but still being able to the discern what is happening in the scene. 4.0/5

The disc includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which wouldn’t surprise me is similar to the one on the SF release. Still, dialogue comes through crisp and clearly with no real discerable bouts of hissing or inconsistencies (like sometimes in lower budgeted films you can hear ambient noises anytime someone speaks before going quiet once they’re done talking). There is some fine depth here and even though it’s not as dynamic compared with the first two films, it is a solid lossless track nevertheless. 4.0/5

Friday the 13th: Part V – A New Beginning (1985)

Warner Brothers, via Paramount, releases the fifth in the series with a 1080p HD transfer that looks pretty darn good especially considering not only the age but also the low budget. The picture shows off some fine detail especially during the daytime scenes while the darker scenes still look decent and don’t show signs of artifacting. 3.75/5

The disc includes a nice DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless track which has crisp and clear dialogue from the center channel and the other, more action parts, make up the front and rear channels. And once again, the classic score really comes through especially during the opening credits. 4.0/5

Jason Lives: Friday the 13th: Part VI (1986)

Equally as impressive is part 6 which resides on the same disc as part 5. The 1080p transfer on this movie, presented with a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio, seems to have good details being able to see every spot on Jason’s mask and the back of his head while background objects can be on the blurry side. The black levels are deep enough and the picture on the whole seems clean enough aside from some minor scratch marks. 4.0/5

The DTS-HD MA 5.1 on this movie pretty matches part 5 from the dialogue levels to the other sound elements such, once again, the stormy weather to the slasher audio for each of Jason’s kills. 4.0/5

Friday the 13th: Part VII – The New Blood (1988)

The 1080p high-def transfer shows off nice details and a decent color array. The picture shows no signs of artifacting and I didn’t notice any significant flaws with the transfer such as dust marks or scratches. It’s not something I would call reference quality but it’s a nice transfer especially for the budget. 4.25/5

The lossless audio track, once again 5.1 DTS-HD MA, isn’t anything amazing yet still notable enough. Again, the bulk of the action takes place through the center channel from the dialogue/screams to the stabs and gushing blood. The front and rear speakers, meanwhile, round out for some decent depth for ambient noises. 4.0/5

Friday the 13th: Part VIII – Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

Crap movie it may be, but the picture looks pretty darn good. The movie is presented with a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p HD transfer (with a MPEG-4 AVC codec). The black levels are especially impressive as I noticed those shots to be dark with no artifacting or pixilation, it was absolutely clean. The lighter scenes are also well detailed and while there is some fine grain, it still is a solid transfer and no doubt never looked better. 4.0/5

Nothing different from the others, this 5.1 DTS-HD MA track shows off especially on the boat with the usual water noises when – yet again – another major storm hits the vessel. The dialogue also sounds nice and clear although there are some minor issues that seem associated with the source material rather than anything to do with the transfer. 4.25/5

OVERALL – 3½/5

Overall, the Friday the 13th: 8 Movie Collection offers the movies under license by Paramount and while it does not include any new features from the Shout Factory box set, if you can get this at a reasonable price, maybe <$40, you will get upgraded picture on the first four films (5-8 are the same exact discs, however). But if you already own the Shout Factory set, no good reason to pick this one up.