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

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Aug 30, 2021
Format: Blu-ray Disc

Director

Various

Release Date(s)

Various (August 10, 2021)

Studio(s)

Paramount Home Entertainment

Film/Program Grade: See Below
Video Grade: See Below
Audio Grade: See Below
Extras Grade: B-
Overall Grade: C

Review

In 1979, Sean Cunningham decided that he was going to, in the words of screenwriter Victor Miller, “Rip off Halloween.” Quickly coming up with a story, a cast, and a crew, they not only succeeded, but unintentionally created one of the longest-running horror franchises ever.

One of the first independent films to be released nationally by a major studio, Friday the 13th was highly successful in 1980, spawning multiple sequels between two studios. Taking place at Camp Crystal Lake, where a group of camp counselors are preparing for a reopening, they’re quickly knocked off one after the other by an unidentified killer, who turns out to be Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason who drowned years before at the camp due to negligence.

After its success, a sequel was developed without the involvement of Cunningham, and in 1981, Friday the 13th Part II made its debut. Directed by Steve Miner and taking place in an area just a stone's throw away from Camp Crystal Lake, the film follows a group of new camp counselors in training. It’s revealed that not only is Jason somehow still alive, but that he lives in a nearby shack. When the young teens inadvertently disturb his home turf, the body count continues.

Friday the 13th Part III, again helmed by Steve Miner, was released in 1982. Taking place moments after the previous film, a young woman with a troubled past and a group of her friends come to the country to vacation at an isolated farm house. But with Jason lurking around, it isn’t long before they’re dispatched. Though not as successful as the previous two films, Part III became synonymous with the 3D craze of the 1980s. It was also the first film in the series to feature Jason in his iconic hockey mask.

Paramount then decided to close out the series and kill off Jason once and for all with Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter in 1984. Handling directorial duties would be Joseph Zito (The Prowler), and returning from the first film to do the make-up effects would be Tom Savini. While a group of teenagers throw a party next door, a small family, including the young and resourceful Tommy Jarvis, attempt to steer clear of them. In the woods nearby, a young man is camping and on the lookout for Jason in an effort to avenge his sister’s death. Meanwhile, Jason is slashing his way towards them all. However, Jason has finally met his match in Tommy Jarvis.

The decision was then made to continue the series, but without Jason. In 1985, Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (directed by Danny Steinmann of Savage Streets) made its way into theaters. Traumatized after the events of the previous film, Tommy Jarvis is now grown up and being transferred to a sanatorium of sorts. He begins seeing visions of Jason, who then shows up to kill everybody in and around the institution at random, but it’s eventually revealed that this Jason is just a disturbed impostor. Despite a decent turn-out, the disapproval from fans was felt by the studio and a course correction was needed.

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives had a slightly higher budget, a talented director (Tom McLaughlin), a better story, and more interesting actors. The film also went in a more humorous direction while still maintaining its key horror elements. A now recast Tommy Jarvis returns to Camp Crystal Lake (now named Camp Forest Green) to find and dispose of Jason’s remains, which ultimately get up and start killing more people. Released in 1986, the film was a massive hit, both financially and with fans who welcomed Jason’s return with open arms.

The seventh sequel, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, debuted in 1988. Bringing in special effects guru John Carl Buechler on to direct, the film took a more traditional approach, but also introduced fans to the man who would play Jason more than any other actor or stuntman: Kane Hodder. While a party with teenagers is taking place next door, a concerned mother and her daughter Tina are looking for seclusion with a psychologist who is seemingly attempting to help Tina overcome a childhood psychosis. It’s later revealed that he is much more interested in her telekinetic abilities, which accidentally force Jason to re-emerge from his slumber at the bottom of Crystal Lake (ignoring previous continuity). He once again slaughters everyone in his path, but Tina’s supernatural abilities make her a worthy adversary. Despite the MPAA’s infamous destruction of all of the major gore effects, the film was another success for the series.

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan was the last film in the series to be released through Paramount Pictures, who later sold the rights to New Line Cinema. Directed by Rob Hedden, the story concerns a graduating high school class taking a cruise ship to New York City. Jason manages to hop aboard and begins taking them out quickly, eventually making his way to the streets of the Big Apple. Released in 1989, the film wound up the lowest grosser of the series.

Paramount has decided to re-release the majority of the Friday the 13th franchise in a new Blu-ray set carrying films 1 through 8. Scream Factory’s massive Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection 16-disc boxed set from a couple of years ago brought together all 12 films in the series plus a mountain of new and existing extras and was pretty much the final word on Friday the 13th on home video. But for fans on a budget who only care about the Paramount films in the series, or were maybe hoping for digital copies in addition to Blu-rays, the Friday the 13th: 8 Movie Collection is your ticket. The good news is that all of the same video transfers used for Scream Factory’s release are present and accounted for (aside from aspect ratio changes on films 5 through 8). The bad news is that everything else is not. This is more or less the same discs that Paramount has been re-releasing for years with the same audio options and extras, but with the new remasters of the first four films.

The uncut version of Friday the 13th is sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original camera negative. Certain scenes from the previous Blu-ray had a green push to them. Those are now gone, leaving behind more natural colors. Whites are brighter and blacks are deeper. Grain is better resolved and the level of detail has been boosted, but not by much as the low light cinematography can only allow for so much visual information to be obtained. Contrast is also improved. The images are crisper and more vibrant during daytime scenes, but not murky or overblown during nighttime scenes. Everything appears clean and stable with no visible damage leftover. It doesn’t look like a new film, but it’s much sharper with more refined detail and natural color than previous home video releases. Unfortunately, the theatrical version is exclusive to the Scream Factory boxed set.

Part II is also sourced from a 4K scan from the original camera negative. Improvements are similar to the previous film, but in this instance, skin tones are much more natural over their tanned counterparts. More detail can be observed and grain is better refined. A couple of moments, including Ginny’s horrifying discovery in Jason’s shack, were too bright on the previous Blu-ray. They have an appropriately darker look now. Also like the previous film, the color palette has been slightly adjusted in regards to reds and greens, including those found on foliage and clothing. Blacks are also deep without being crushed. It all appears clean and sharp, with only a minor (and mostly impossible to detect) scratch that lasts for a single frame.

The 2D version of Part III is also sourced from a 4K scan from the original camera negative. It benefits greatly as the amount of detail has jumped, though the film is still soft compared to the previous films. The anamorphic lenses used to shoot the film are also more obvious around the edges of the frame. The color palette isn’t that much different than the previous Blu-ray. Instances of reds and greens are similar, though browns are a tad darker. Sadly, the 3D version is not included and is exclusive to the Scream Factory boxed set.

The Final Chapter is also sourced from a 4K scan from the original camera negative. The differences between this scan and the previous Blu-ray aren’t obvious at first. The slight blue push on the old master is now absent, which helps to improve skin tones. Grain is also slightly more resolved, allowing for higher levels of shadow detail and deeper blacks. Contrast is dialed ever so slightly higher and everything appears sharper without any leftover damage.

A New Beginning lacks the finer detail of a fresh scan, but it’s otherwise identical to its counterparts. The color palette has a nice variety of hues and skin tones appear mostly natural, although they do get a bit too pink at times. Black levels are decent and the overall presentation is clean. Because film grain isn’t quite as refined as it could be, there’s a mild bit of flicker leftover, which is more obviously on solid backgrounds.

Jason Lives has also been carried over as a previous master, but lacks the greener tint of the previous Blu-rays (aside from the Scream Factory release, that is). It has a cooler, more natural look. The reds are redder and the blues are bluer. Blacks are also deep and contrast levels are ideal. Grain is well resolved and fine detail is abundant, which is most likely due to the stock that the film was shot on rather than the age of the master itself.

The New Blood and Jason Takes Manhattan are also carryovers, but they’re slightly lesser masters comparatively in terms of fine detail. It’s a minuscule amount of difference, but pixel counters will definitely notice, particularly in backgrounds and skylines. Nothing has been done to substantially alter them like Jason Lives, but both feature excellent color reproduction and deep blacks with good contrast.

The uncut version of Friday the 13th features English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French mono Dolby Digital audio with optional subtitles in English, English SDH, and French. Missing in action from the Scream Factory boxed set is the restored English 2.0 mono track. The 5.1 spaces out the elements well enough, though it’s limited by its single channel source. Dialogue exchanges are clear while Harry Manfredini’s score rules the roost sonically. Sound effects often lack dimension, but they’re true to their source.

Part II and Part III feature audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English, German, Spanish, and French mono Dolby Digital; and an English Audio Description track. Subtitles include English, English SDH, German, Spanish, and French. Part II has a bit more ambiance to it, particularly in the bar scenes later in the film. Part III is less interesting aurally than the previous two films as the focus was likely driven towards the visuals. However, the audio selection is more than serviceable—even giving a minor amount of boost to the disco theme during the opening and closing credits. Unfortunately, the restored 2.0 mono tracks are exclusive to the Scream Factory release.

The Final Chapter also features audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English, German, Spanish, and French mono Dolby Digital; and an English Audio Description track. Subtitles include English, English SDH, German, Spanish, and French. The restored 2.0 mono track that was included on the Scream Factory release was on par with the previous films, allowing for clear dialogue reproduction and a potent score. Things got a little muddled in the finale because of all the various activity that’s taking place, but the 5.1 manages to straighten that out a bit.

A New Beginning features audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, and French and Spanish 2.0 mono Dolby Digital. Subtitles include English SDH, French, and Spanish. The restored English 2.0 mono track from the Scream Factory release definitely had a lot more bite than expected, particularly during all of the kill scenes where the screams, stabbing sounds, and music are all top notch. Dialogue exchanges were clear and precise as well. The 5.1 is fine as an alternative.

Jason Lives and The New Blood feature audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, and French and Spanish 2.0 mono Dolby Digital. Subtitles include English SDH, French, and Spanish. The 5.1 options are basically remixes, which have their own advantages (chiefly filling out the surround speakers), but the original stereo tracks (which were included in the Scream Factory release) gave each film a whole new dimension.

Jason Takes Manhattan features audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (minus the stereo mix from previous releases), and French and Spanish 2.0 mono Dolby Digital. Subtitles include English SDH, French, and Spanish. Having the original stereo soundtrack would have been preferable, but the 5.1 is very active. It takes full advantage of its environments, including the many sounds of the ship at sea and the various locations throughout New York. Dialogue exchanges are clear and precise and the film’s score and music selection have plenty of room to breathe in the surrounding speakers.

FRIDAY THE 13TH – UNCUT (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B/A-/B
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART II (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/A-/B
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III – 2D (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B-/B+/B-
FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/A-/B
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): C+/B/B
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/B+/B
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): C/B/B
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): C+/B/B

Each disc contains the following extras:

DISC ONE – FRIDAY THE 13TH (UNCUT VERSION)

Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th (HD – 14:07)
The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham (HD – 8:58)
Friday the 13th Reunion (HD – 16:44)
Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 1 (HD – 7:31)
The Friday the 13th Chronicles: Friday the 13th (SD – 20:34)
Secrets Galore Behind the Gore: Friday the 13th (SD – 9:32)
Trailer (HD – 1:20)
Friday the 13th Part II Trailer (HD – 2:03)
Friday the 13th Part III Trailer (HD – 1:43)
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter Trailer (SD – 1:54)
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning Trailer (SD – 1:55)
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives Trailer (SD – 1:33)
Friday the 13th Part VII: Thew New Blood Trailer (SD – 1:33)
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan Trailer (SD – 1:14)

Fresh Cuts speaks to members of the cast and crew, as well as others, telling random stories about the making of the film. The Man Behind the Legacy is a comfortable sit-down with Sean S. Cunningham about the making of the film and its legacy. The Friday the 13th Reunion is a Q&A with the cast and crew, hosted by Michael Felsher, featuring Adrienne King, Betsy Palmer, Victor Miller, Ari Lehman, and Tom Savini. Lost Tales from Camp Blood is an ongoing series of slasher short films in the vein of Friday the 13th. The Friday the 13th Chronicles and Secrets Galore Behind the Gore are vintage featurettes from the DVD era that interview the cast and crew about the making of the films. Also included are trailers for all eight films, although the trailer for the first film is modern trailer, likely cut for online advertising. The other seven trailers are pretty much the same trailers as always, although some have been trimmed slightly to remove the older Paramount logo (despite being present in full on other discs in this set).

DISC TWO – FRIDAY THE 13TH PART II

Inside Crystal Lake Memories (HD – 11:15)
Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions (HD – 6:50)
Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 2 (HD – 8:54)
Jason Forever (SD – 29:27)
Trailer (HD – 2:03)

Inside Crystal Lake Memories features an interview with Peter M. Bracke by Del Howison about the creation of Bracke’s book, as well as the films themselves. Friday’s Legacy delves into the film’s impact on horror conventions. Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 2 continues with another slasher short film in the vein of Friday the 13th. Jason Forever features a Q&A held at a 2004 Fangoria Convention with Peter M. Bracke, Ari Lehman, Warrington Gillette, C.J. Graham, and Kane Hodder. And finally, there’s the film’s trailer.

DISC THREE – FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III

Fresh Cuts: 3D Terror (HD – 12:52)
Legacy of the Mask (HD – 9:33)
Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular (HD – 7:09)
Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 3 (HD – 4:49)
Trailer (HD – 1:43)

In Fresh Cuts, the cast and crew talk about the making of the film and how difficult it was. Legacy of the Mask discusses Jason’s look. Slasher Films: Going for the Jugular briefly discusses the horror genre. Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 3 continues with another slasher short film in the vein of Friday the 13th. And finally, there’s the film’s trailer.

DISC FOUR – FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER

Audio Commentary with Joseph Zito, Barney Cohen, and Joel Goodman
Audio Commentary with Adam Green and Joe Lynch
The Friday the 13th Chronicles: Friday the 13th Part IV (SD – 13:13)
Secrets Galore Behind the Gore: Friday the 13th Part IV (SD – 13:30)
Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 4 (HD – 6:20)
Slashed Scenes with Introduction and Audio Commentary by Joseph Zito (HD – 15:18)
Jason’s Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (HD – 11:01)
The Lost Ending with Audio Commentary by Joseph Zito and Kimberly Beck (HD – 3:20)
The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited: Part I (HD – 18:07)
Jimmy’s Dead Dance Moves (HD – 2:06)
Trailer (SD – 1:54)

The first audio commentary with Joseph Zito, writer Barney Cohen, and editor Joel Goodman is another lively conversation about the making of the film, but also very educational as they mention several details that are not mentioned elsewhere. The second audio commentary with filmmakers Adam Green and Joe Lynch is a very high energy fan commentary. The Friday the 13th Chronicles and Secrets Galore Behind the Gore are vintage featurettes from the DVD era that interview the cast and crew about the making of the films. Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 4 continues with another slasher short film in the vein of Friday the 13th. The Slashed Scenes are a series of silent outtakes from the film with an introduction and audio commentary by Joseph Zito. Jason’s Unlucky Day is a great making-of piece that speaks to the cast and crew about the film. The Lost Ending features audio commentary by Joseph Zito and Kimberly Beck over the dream sequence ending that was ultimately cut from the final film. The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited: Part I is a mockumentary series that explores the history of Crystal Lake and its citizens as if it were a real town and the events of the films actually took place (and feature some familiar horror community faces throughout). Jimmy’s Dead Dance Moves features outtakes from Crispin Glover’s infamous dance scene with comments from Joseph Zito. And finally, there’s the film’s trailer.

DISC FIVE – FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING

Audio Commentary with Danny Steinmann, John Shepherd, Shavar Ross, and Michael Felsher
The Friday the 13th Chronicles: Friday the 13th Part V (SD – 5:51)
Lost Tales of Camp Blood: Part 5 (HD – 7:10)
The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited: Part II (HD – 10:11)
New Beginnings: The Making of Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (HD – 11:04)
Trailer (SD – 2:00)

The audio commentary featuring Danny Steinmann, John Shepherd, Shavar Ross, and a patched-in by phone appearance by producer and fan Michael Felsher, is a very funny and informative discussion of the film. The Friday the 13th Chronicles is a vintage featurette from the DVD era that interviews the cast and crew about the making of the film. Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 5 continues with another slasher short film in the vein of Friday the 13th. The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited: Part II continues the mockumentary series from the previous disc. New Beginnings is a brief but excellent featurette about the genesis and making of the film with some of the main cast and crew. And finally, there’s the film’s trailer.

DISC FIVE – FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES

Audio Commentary with Tom McLoughlin
Audio Commentary with Tom McLoughlin, Bruce Green, and Vincent Guastaferro
The Friday the 13th Chronicles: Friday the 13th Part VI (SD – 14:42)
Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 6 (HD – 7:17)
The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited: Part III (HD – 9:36)
Jason Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VI (HD – 12:57)
Meeting Mr. Voorhees with Introduction by Tom McLoughlin (HD – 2:46)
Slashed Scenes (SD – 11 in all – 6:06)
Trailer (SD – 1:43)

The first audio commentary is with Tom McLoughlin only. Despite him being alone, he is very entertaining and informative. The second audio commentary featuring Tom McLoughlin, Bruce Green, and Vincent Guastaferro is a nice companion to its solo counterpart. The Friday the 13th Chronicles is a vintage featurette from the DVD era that interviews the cast and crew about the making of the film. Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part 6 is the last of the slasher short films, while The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited: Part III is the last of the mockumentary series. Jason Lives is an excellent, though brief, making-of that speaks to members of the cast and crew. Meeting Mr. Voorhees is a storyboard recreation of the film’s alternate ending, with an introduction by Tom McLoughlin. The Slashed Scenes are sourced from a VHS workprint. And finally, there’s the film’s trailer.

DISC SIX – FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD

Audio Commentary with John Carl Buechler, Kane Hodder, and Lar Park Lincoln
The Friday the 13th Chronicles: Friday the 13th Part VII (SD – 11:39)
Secrets Galore Behind the Gore: Friday the 13th Part VII (SD – 11:11)
Jason’s Destroyer: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (HD – 15:07)
Mind Over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis (HD – 7:25)
Makeover by Maddy: Need a Little Touch-Up Work, My Ass (HD – 2:43)
Slashed Scenes with Introduction by John Carl Buechler (SD – 20 in all – 17:01)
Trailer (SD – 1:39)

The audio commentary with John Carl Buechler, Kane Hodder, and Lar Park Lincoln is a decent track, though it’s a bit of a patch-work as Lincoln was recorded separately and Hodder is participating by phone. The Friday the 13th Chronicles and Secrets Galore Behind the Gore are vintage featurettes from the DVD era that interview the cast and crew about the making of the films. Jason’s Destroyer talks to some of the cast and crew about many of the cuts made by the MPAA, as well as a couple of deleted and alternate scenes. Mind Over Matter speaks to psychic experts about telekinesis and other psychic phenomena. Makeover by Maddy features Elizabeth Kaitan and Diana Barrows having modern-day makeovers. And finally, there’s the film’s trailer.

DISC SIX – FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN

Audio Commentary with Rob Hedden
Audio Commentary with Jensen Daggett, Scott Reeves, and Kane Hodder
The Friday the 13th Chronicles: Friday the 13th Part VIII (SD – 14:32)
New York Has a New Problem: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VIII (HD – 18:02)
Slashed Scenes (HD – 16 in all – 12:56)
Gag Reel (HD – 4:54)
Trailer (SD – 1:19)

The first audio commentary is a solo track by Rob Hedden who enthusiastically, and sometimes sarcastically, goes over the making of the film. The second audio commentary features Jensen Daggett and Scott Reeves with Kane Hodder once again phoning in. It’s a fun commentary as the three crack jokes while watching the film together and remember what it was like to make it. The Friday the 13th Chronicles is a vintage featurette from the DVD era that interviews the cast and crew about the making of the film. New York Has a New Problem speaks to most of the main cast and crew about the making of the film. There’s also a set of Slashed Scenes, a Gag Reel, and the film’s trailer.

All of the discs are housed in red amaray casing with new artwork. Two double-sided pieces of paper tucked away inside include the Digital codes. Obviously, there is multitude of features missing from the Scream Factory boxed set, including additional trailers, TV, and radio spots for each film, as well as additional interviews, deleted scenes, commentaries, still galleries, and Fangoria magazine articles, among other extras that were mostly stuffed onto bonus discs in that set. Also missing in action is the Return to Camp Crystal Lake documentary from the film’s Blu-ray release in the UK, the Crystal Lake Memories and His Name Was Jason documentaries, and the Scary Trailers featurette which was to be included on the From Crystal Lake to Manhattan DVD boxed set but left out. In other words, this release is not for the ultimate Friday fans.

If you’re a die-hard fan of the Friday the 13th series and must own every release of it on home video, this is for you. If you’re a casual fan and want nothing more than a budget release or Digital copies, this is for you. For everyone else, this is a hard pass.

- Tim Salmons

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