Friday the 13th: From Crystal Lake to Manhattan DVD Collection

DVD year of release: October 5, 2004
Approximate running time: Various
Aspect ratio: Anamorphic 1.85:1 & 2.35:1
Rating: R
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, Surround and Mono
DVD Release: Paramount
Region Coding: Region 1 NTSC

Retail Price: $79.95


Reviewed by:
DJ Nock on December 3, 2004
Quick links: [video] [audio] [extras] [overall]
The Film
Dump a couple of Z-grade actors in the wilderness...Cut them up...Film, and repeat. Eight times. Paramount's Friday the 13th series never departed from its stubborn formula, and for that, we thank it. The budgets may have got bigger, but never has a Hollywood studio took such a shine to cranking out exploitation pictures on a regular basis. 24 years after its conception, the name Jason Vorhees has become synonymous with the genre, spawning everything from a short-lived TV series, to a healthy line of merchandise. The fans continue to hold these eight films in such high regard, rendering them critic-proof. New Line could go ahead and make Part 20, and we'd still handover the cash; no matter how inept or ridiculous the end product is. But I love them. I suspect every horror fan likes at least one of the Friday's, if only for the mere fact that it coined a new term in "slasher", and provided a quick dose of gory glory. Love 'em or despise 'em, the franchise has stood the test of time, and its popularity never seems to crumble...

The original came from nowhere in 1980. We all know the stories. Struggling producer Sean S. Cunningham couldn't make a comedy to save his life, but he knew a thing or two about horror. Returning to the fertile ground of the infamous Last House on the Left, Cunningham set out to make a new bloody "masterpiece", using the success of Halloween to cash-in on the genre that helped make his name. The fact that he didn't even have a story, is one of the more amusing aspects of Friday's genesis. By placing an ad in Variety with the title "Friday the 13th", he soon got his funding, and with a little help from writer Victor Miller, crafted a story about camp counselors getting butchered in the woods. It could be shot on the cheap, didn't require any name stars, and would appeal to audiences wowed by the impact of Michael Myers.

Cunningham couldn't have imagined how successful his creation would be. His rare venture into the director's chair had produced a classic, which was scooped from obscurity by Paramount, and given a nationwide release. Critics condemned it, but audiences flocked to it. Who would have thought that a no-budget slasher could give The Empire Strikes Back stiff competition at the summer box office? Still, there was only one reason why the film got noticed - the violent murder sequences that Cunningham had taken so much glee in staging. Today, Tom Savini is treated like a God among men; possibly the most influential of all make-up artisans. His work here not only proved revolutionary, it would spark a series of gonzo gore films that would last throughout the decade and beyond. Without these scenes, Friday the 13th would have been nothing - its impact limited to a couple of good scares, and Harry Manfredini's unnerving score. Minus the gore, it would have been a pale imitation of Halloween, which to be blunt, is all it ever really was. Still, it's a hugely enjoyable entry in a genre that would become overcrowded. Memorable for its killer, the deranged Mrs. Vorhees (Betsy Palmer), it's terrified heroine (Adrienne King) and the twist ending, Friday the 13th is still an effective offering.

Paramount thought so too, and wasted no time in mounting a sequel. Cunningham wouldn't helm the second go-around, handing the baton to his old protégé Steve Miner. The result was a complete retread of Part One, without the novelty value of seeing Kevin Bacon get slaughtered. Still, there was a new twist in an old snake. The son of Mrs Vorhees would take the machete and run with it; cutting through these dim-witted stereotypes like butter. Jason's first proper appearance is probably one of the more memorable, and Warrington Gillette gives the character a creepy vibe (especially with his potato sack head). It's also very amusing - in all the wrong ways - with an opening that spends too much recapping its predecessor, and the death of King's Alice after a nasty discovery in her fridge (it'll certainly put you off midnight snacking). It's all very fun with nudity to marvel over, but the lack of gore comes as a definite disappointment. Miner, clearly fumbling under the watchful eye of the producers, drops all of the explicit shots for a film that rarely gets bloody. Only a machete to the head of a cripple gets us excited, in a scene that would never be shot today. Slim pickings indeed.

But Jason wasn't out for the count. He still wants to avenge the death of his mother, and kill big-bosomed girls in skimpy tops. I've got no problems with him yet, and neither did Miner, returning for Friday the 13th Part III, in 3D! Clearly, the filmmakers had never seen the travesty that was Jaws 3, and ploughed ahead with the most gimmicky of all the Fridays. Without the benefit of the 3D image, and no pair of trusty specs, we can no longer enjoy what this silly installment had to offer. Instead, you can observe and laugh at all of the objects that come hurtling toward the screen - look mom, an eyeball! Miner really does take relish in the over-the-top kills, but it's a little hard to enjoy now. It's a technological feast without the technology that made it so great in the first place. But it still raked in the dough. Another year, another sequel. This time, "The Mountain" appeared to be stopping the series, with Joseph Zito's The Final Chapter. The director (of The Prowler fame) managed to entice Savini to return as make-up artist, and the result is Jason's most grisly comeuppance yet; turning the waters of Camp Crystal Lake blood red. Well, it would have been gory, except the censors cut back the films bloody showmanship, leaving Zito with most of his death scenes sliced. That said, the film marks the first appearance of 80's icon Corey Feldman, who has the distinction of playing the first Tommy Jarvis. It all leads to a confrontation in which Jason gets the pointy end of a knife. But it wasn't the end for the character, making a mockery of the "Final" tag.

A New Beginning was clearly a chance to change the direction of the series, but it merely comes across as more of the same. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Feldman returns, albeit briefly, in a film where Jason is out of action. Are these deaths really the work of Vorhees, or is someone else committing the crimes? Danny Steinmann milks this idea for all its worth, and provides the series highest body count. Part 6 would mark a return to better material. Jason Lives is probably Paramount's best sequel, if only for its wink-wink humor and jovial tone. Director Tom McLoughlin takes no prisoners with his approach, with Jason's corpse reanimated by a lightning bolt; only to return to his savage ways. Jarvis (this time played by Thom Matthews), is the only guy who can stop him. Well, he tries at least. In fact, Jason's finest match (apart from Freddy Krueger), would be Lar-Park Lincoln's telekenetic heroine in The New Blood. Amusingly dubbed "Jason Vs. Carrie" at the time, effects maestro John Carl Beuchler directs with a sure hand, producing one of Paramount's more entertaining efforts (especially since Kane Hodder is Jason, mind, body and soul). With a cool conclusion, and fun scares, it would be their last decent entry.   

And so Paramount's juggernaut drew to a close with Jason Takes Manhattan, directed with good intentions but little flair by Rob Hedden. All it provided was a change of location, yet the title proved misleading. With most of the action taking place on a cruise liner bound for NY, Hedden had to scramble to fit the Big Apple into the films second half. There's some decent carnage, but by this point, the franchise was running out of smoke. Paramount would sever their connection to the character, due mostly to low returns. However, Vorhees really wouldn't die. New Line Cinema bought the rights to this enduring horror icon, and he continues to paint the town red. Jason Goes to Hell, Jason X and the wildly successful Freddy Vs. Jason have all kept his legacy going. However, his new resurgence is disappointing. As reported here and elsewhere, Paramount hasn't provided uncut editions of the films, with those R-rated cuts still in circulation. Even the original is edited, despite the previous disc being intact (a contrast to current overseas releases). This is a sad and depressing state of affairs, but the distributor has at long last made all of their Friday films available in a "deluxe" box set. Primed for your enjoyment, the Crystal Lake to Manhattan collection is guaranteed to bring back those memories of Jason's finest hours. Bloody fun.     



 





Video 4/5
The controversy begins here! Fans can demand extras morning, noon and night, but what people really care about are the transfers, and thankfully, Paramount's box set looks great. The other Friday the 13th DVDs never bothered me on a technical level, but left room for improvement too. As most of you will already know, those discs were single-layer affairs, so Paramount have simply placed two films on each double-layered disc. It's a decision that saves the studio some cash, but at the end of the day, the transfers really don't suffer. All eight films are anamorphically-enhanced (1.85:1), and aside from a few subtle differences, they share the quality of their single-disc counterparts. (On another note, the 3D-less Part III is letterboxed at 2.35:1). Naturally, most of my attention was spent looking at the original film, which seems to defy its age. The colors are much stronger on this release - with the greens of the forest, and Savini's bright make-up leaping from the screen. That said, it could have been a little bit sharper (die-hard fans like myself will keep their uncut Region 2 discs). Nit-picking aside, Friday the 13th sure looks good.

The other transfers are above-average too. I'll confess now, that I only sampled a small portion of the original releases, so I can't confirm if changes have been made. That said, I was pleasantly surprised with the picture quality overall. You'd expect this "two-films-a-disc" strategy to reveal heavy compression, but the transfers are pretty much free of such artifacts. If problems do arise, it's that old chestnut called grain, that rears its ugly head. There are some instances of it in every film, but I doubt it could have been avoided (these prints aren't getting any younger). The colors are fairly vibrant, the pictures are clear and defined, and even in the darker scenes, detail was high. At least Paramount got this right!



Audio 3/5
With massive advancements in audio technology over the years, it shouldn't be surprising that Friday the 13th and its brethren, are all light-weights in the sound department. No DTS options here, so bass junkies will be upset. Paramount simply give the films their original audio tracks, each one with a decent mix. It goes down like this:

-- English Dolby Digital 5.1 (The New Blood)
-- English Dolby Stereo 2.0 (Jason Lives, The New Blood, Jason Takes Manhattan)
-- English Mono (all)
-- French Stereo 2.0 (Jason Takes Manhattan)
-- French Mono (all)

Naturally, The New Blood track still rules the roost here (as it did on its original release; surprising many of us). It's just a shame that the whole franchise didn't get better treatment - hearing mostly mono tracks is certainly disheartening, in this age of impeccable surround sound. Still, it's doubtful Paramount could have made decent re-mixes. Either that, or their laziness ground these plans to a halt. As the series progressed, the sound design improved, and throughout these titles, a notable shift in quality can de detected. More recent episodes like Jason Lives and Jason Takes Manhattan fare better, with stronger music and effects. The 2.0 tracks are no slouches, and if you liked the previous discs, you'll be pleased here. If only the original film could boast a more dynamic track. But it's no use in complaining; we'll have to make do with what we've got. Quibbles aside, the transfers help to give Jason a new lease of life, and while he's looking a little rough around the edges, I'm still thankful to see him at all...


Extras 3.5/5
The news of a Friday box set was amazing. I remember hearing the details clearly; a sense of excitement slowly grew with each update, until I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. But suddenly, the inevitable struck - Paramount was holding out on us. Some of the materials they discovered were not going into the mix, there would only be a few commentary tracks, and the audacity to place two films on each disc helped deflate my enthusiasm. The "Mountain" are calling this set an "Ultimate Collection" - a splash of hyperbole that doesn't ring true. There could be more here, in terms of extras and effort, but after viewing the set, I was more or less satisfied. Not over-the-moon, but pleased all the same. The Crystal Lake to Manhattan box set is a must-own for fans of the series, but those expecting something exceptional will be sorely disappointed. That said, there is a lot here to enjoy. We get the following:

-- Audio Commentary on Part 3 with cast
-- Commentary on Jason Lives with director Tom McLoughlin
-- Commentary on The New Blood with director John Carl Buechler and Kane Hodder
-- Commentary on Jason Takes Manhattan with director Rob Hedden
-- "The Friday the 13th Chronicles" 8-part featurette
-- "Secrets Galore Behind the Gore" 3-part featurette
-- "Crystal Lake Victims Tell All!" featurette
-- "Tales From The Cutting Room" deleted scenes
-- "Friday Artifacts and Collectables" featurette
-- Theatrical Trailers

Right off the bat, I was shocked by the lack of a commentary for Part 1. The UK disc has a pretty decent track (albeit one made up of interview material). Sean Cunningham has always been very vocal about the film, and if pressed to record a commentary, he would have jumped at the opportunity. The tracks we do have vary in quality, but they hold a surprising amount of entertainment value. Part 3 reunites cast members Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka, Richard Brooker and Dana Kimmell. The proceedings are moderated by DVD File editor Peter Backe, who manages to get some decent banter from the group. Annoyingly, the recording quality for this track is piss-poor. Other critics have highlighted this problem, and I agree - the track is flat and tinny. Despite this, the commentary is more than worth the listen. In fact, it can be pretty hilarious. Bracke teases the group for anecdotes, and they spill the beans about a variety of topics. Naturally, a lot is said about the 3D production, and the camera technologies that made it possible. They also talk about the elaborate death scenes, and the "honor" of working on a Friday movie. They laugh, they joke, and they have a lot of fun. The rapport between them gives the affair a genial edge, making this track worthwhile.

Moving on, director Tom McLoughlin goes solo for the wonderful Jason Lives. A lifelong fan of the genre, he went into this commentary well-prepared. Surprisingly, his memory of the production is vivid, recalling any number of on-set events. McLoughlin highlights his many influences - Hammer Horror gets a rather in-depth discussion - and he even mentions Frank Capra (!). The director is filled with love for this film, which is applaudable, and his affection for the series is clear from every word. While it would have been wise to give McLoughlin a sparring partner, he does well to make his track entertaining. The next commentary features John Carl Buechler and the immortal Kane Hodder, who treat The New Blood to their frank opinions. As soon as it begins, Buechler launches his tirade against the censorship bodies. A lot was taken out of the 7th film, and the director gives the lowdown on those missing sequences. Hodder also has a lot to say about this, and the pair seem to get on well. Which leaves us with Rob Hedden's take on Manhattan. By far the weakest film, I wasn't too interested in what he had to say, but surprisingly, the guy made me interested. His talk makes the film infinitely more intriguing. He was proud to add a new angle to the series, and he has a lot of love for the ideas that went into its making. While you won't agree with some of what he says, Hedden clearly enjoyed the experience. A nice capper to a decent set of yack-tracks.

Now, we get onto the real blood and guts of this release - the very reason why you'll buy it. The featurettes take on the form of an eight part “Friday the 13th Chronicles”, providing some great interview material for the whole saga (yet New Line's contributions go swiftly unmentioned). Naturally, the first film gets the longer treatment, with a neat 20-minute summary that really entertains. Cunningham once again gives his thoughts on the film, his opinions on the saga, and the icon that is Jason. He then back-tracks into production territory, most of which we've heard before, but it's always fun to hear. Also interviewed are Tom Savini, Adrienne King, Betsy Palmer and Ari Lehman (Jason). Anyone who caught Warner's featurette will encounter some redundancy here, but Cunningham has always been an engaging speaker, and this is no exception.

King continues to discuss Part 2, alongside Amy Steele and the first "real" Jason, Warrington Gillette. Annoyingly, Steve Miner is nowhere to be found (he'd get interviewed for Last House on the Left but not this?). There's a lot of humor though, which makes up for his absence; especially Gillette's memories of getting the role. Steel has aged very well indeed, and tells of her initial reaction at receiving a part in the film, and being less-than thrilled. Later, she'd mellow out, and seems to love being part of the franchise. Part 3 is mostly documented by Larry Zerner, who left the movie business to pursue law. He was picked off the street to play a part in the film, and has nothing but fond memories. Naturally, the piece delves into the 3D process, and despite Miner being MIA, there's some decent technical banter. The Final Chapter features director Joseph Zito, Savini and Corey Feldman, in what is my personal favorite of the featurettes. Zito talks about his role in trying to end the series, the fun shoot, and the novel casting of Crispin Glover. Savini is perhaps the most intriguing, documenting how he got lured back to make-up duty. And if it's humor you want, Feldman delivers it. The man seriously needs work, but he holds a lot of pride for his role, and is clearly a fan of the genre. He also goes on to talk about his limited work in New Beginning (he was shooting The Goonies at the time), and that he was intended to be the main character.

Fan favorite Jason Lives bags contributions from McLoughlin and C.J. Graham, who paved the way for Hodder's entrance in Part 7. McLoughlin tells of his grand plans to make the series different, and that his idea for "13 deaths" was vetoed by the studio (luck it seems, wasn't on his side). The New Blood features Kane Hodder, the still gorgeous Lar Park-Lincoln and Beuchler. The most interesting anecdote, is Lincoln agreeing to do a film, and not realizing it was a Friday sequel. Still, the fans wanna see Hodder, and we get him. He talks about the casting process, and how his role was never set in stone (it's difficult now, to imagine anyone else as Jason). He also contributes to Jason Takes Manhattan, mostly discussing the stunt work he was asked to perform. Hedden pops up to provide details on the projects genesis, shooting a film about NY but making it elsewhere, and how we was picked for the gig (he'd worked on the Friday TV show). Ultimately, the "Chronicles" featurettes satisfy. If only more contributors came forward...

Moving on, is the half-hour piece “Secrets Galore Behind the Gore”, and documents those tricky make-up appliances. It doesn't cover the whole saga, focusing on the original film, Final Chapter and The New Blood. Savini just loves to talk about his work (as always), and covers most of the legendary scenes (including Kevin Bacon's meeting with an arrow). There's also a lengthy plug for his renowned make-up school, but avoids being promotional with plenty of details about the process. Beuchler and Hodder reunite for Part 7, discussing the director's very own work, and how gutted they were when the effects were, umm...gutted. A neat documentary. “Friday Artifacts and Collectables” (7 minutes), features the filmmakers and their memorabilia from the various Friday shoots. Hedden has the coolest - a guitar, hockey mask and film slate. McLoughlin also kept Jason’s tombstone, which he placed in his garden, as well as that memorable coffin. Beuchler keeps the butchered head of Tina's father from The New Blood, which Paramount deemed too sick to include. The perfect opportunity for fans, several of them come forward to highlight their collections. It's a fun few minutes.

It's all good so far, but the REAL extra is "Tales From the Cutting Room Floor", which includes most of the cut gore footage from the original film, The Final Chapter, Jason Lives and The New Blood. Without it being integrated into the films, this is perhaps the only way to see Beuchler's original vision, or Jason's grisly death in Part IV. Paramount's way of showcasing the footage is a little annoying (the cut footage runs next to the finished product), but it's fun to see the blood-drenched takes. Beuchler and Hodder provide optional commentary for their "lost" materials, and ponder if it was wise to cut it, or leave it intact. I know which film I'd rather see - the gory one! It's all must-see stuff, and makes this set well worth the purchase, yet you'll have to make-do with the odd presentation and imperfect quality. Perhaps I'm nit-picking. The last extras of the set, are of course, the original theatrical trailers, which provide a heady trip down memory lane.

All in all, an above-average collection of materials, but where are the missing commentaries? Where is the Alice Cooper music video they promised? Where is the featurette on producing the trailers (which is actually listed on the box)?!! Omissions like this are irritating, but Paramount have given us enough to chew on. With several hours of stuff to see, this set is no slouch, but it's no champion either.


Overall 3.5/5
The "Ultimate" box set? Not by a long shot. Still, savage disappointment aside, this is still premium Friday the 13th, and the best treatment of the series to date. Paramount deserve both applause and angry letters for their work - there's so much to enjoy, but a lot to attack too. That said, watching these films again was immense fun - fans of the series will want this for the materials, which are pleasing and worth the set's asking price. Those who have the films already might feel cheated, but unfortunately, that's the pain of double-dipping. It's doubtful Paramount will make a better collection, so this my friends, is the way to go...


Film Rating DVD Rating
Director: Various
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Writer: Various
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Released: 1980-89
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Cast: Various
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