Friday the 13th Deluxe Edition DVD & Blu Ray Reviewed!
As long as I can remember, fans have sought after an uncut edition of Friday the 13th. While it was typically obtainable through foreign markets and bootlegs, never before was it released commercially in the US. Thus the excitement amongst Friday the 13th fans reached a fever pitch in September of 08, during a Friday the 13th reunion Q&A (taped especially for the DVD) at The Scare Fest Horror Convention, when the cat was let out of the bag that Friday the 13th was finally set to be restored and uncut on a brand new DVD by Paramount Pictures! Announced a bit later, it was learned that not only would we get a DVD uncut entitled “Deluxe Edition”, we would also be treated to the film on Blu Ray! On February 3rd, fans will be able to take home Friday the 13th on their choice of Blu Ray or DVD in Deluxe edition form stacked with a lot of special features that make double dipping worth all the while if you own previous versions of the film. Also available on the same day are Deluxe Editions of Friday the 13th part 2 (with some great features as well) and FINALLY Friday the 13th part 3 3D!! The reviews for 2 and 3 are coming later this week. Let’s take a look first at the original Friday the 13th uncut!
No need to go over the plot line in depth with you. If you’re on this site, you know the story of revenge seeked out by a deranged Pamela Voorhees. You know how the film turned out and you know all about who popped out of the lake just before credits rolled. Odds are, if you’re reading this, you’re wondering “Why should I buy a DVD that I already own…twice?”. Most of you have probably already gone through countless VHS editions, laserdisc, and likely have a barebones DVD and another DVD from the “Crystal Lake to Manhattan” set. So why SHOULD you buy it? Would a commentary track be enough to convince you? Long overdue, this edition of Friday the 13th contains a very informative commentary track moderated/narrated by Peter Bracke (Crystal Lake Memories) featuring cast and crew members. It’s something Friday fans have wanted on their DVD for a long time. How about the uncut footage? A few of the death scenes contain extra gore scenes incorporated and restored right back into the film that most fans in the US have had to do a little digging to find. Primarily noticable in the deaths of Kevin Bacon and Betsy Palmer. They are nicely done and, while short, they add something special to this print of the film.
Perhaps you are a tech junky and get your fix on great picture and sound while watching your films. Is the standard edition uncut DVD a better transfer than previous editions? Yes indeed it is. Friday the 13th is mastered in high definition with an all new 5.1 Surround Mix in widescreen with 2.35:1 aspect ratio. It looks and sounds great only to be outdone by, you guessed it, the Blu Ray edition! Though it’s still dark and somewhat grainy, this “nearly 30 year old” film will likely never look better on any home format. Mastered in 1080p, the colors and the sound are simply phenomenal. All of the special features on the Blu Ray are also amazing in HD with the exception of two previously released special features that were also included on the Blu Ray that were ripped from the extra disc included in the “From Crystal Lake to Manhattan” set.
Sigh. So the picture doesn’t effect your need to buy a new edition of this film? What? You grew up on this film and remember it as dark, grainy and you nearly destroyed your VCR tracking button and it never bothered you? Ok. I get it. Some of you do not care about the upgraded picture quality. Did I say something about special features earlier? I think I did. Perhaps that’s what it’s going to take to dig you out of your stubborn rut. So be it! Let’s take a look at the special features, where I will be forced to become long winded and share more pics than you care to look at, shall we?
SPECIAL FEATURES
On hand during the Q & A we have Adrienne King (Alice), Betsy Palmer (Pamela Voorhees), Harry Manfredni (Composer), Victor Miller (Screenwriter in surprisingly his first convention appearance), Ari Lehman (Jason Voorhees) and Tom Savini (FX). They discuss every detail in their journey to becoming Friday the 13th alum from casting, their initial reaction to characters in the film, and much much more! You even get to witness everything from how awesome it is to see Betsy Palmer go in and out of character, to hearing the return of one of the greatest screams in horror movie history as Adrienne King screams for your viewing pleasure! Adrienne King also talks about her past experience with a stalker in which she later elaborated a bit deeper on in my interview with her HERE. Viewers will also learn other interesting facts such as why Betsy Palmer turned down the chance to reprise the role of Pamela Voorhees in Freddy vs. Jason.
Most of the fan questions were cut out of this. But all important bases are covered and this is definitely a treat worth picking this disc up for. If you have no other incentive, pick it up just to find me in the audience!
Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th (DVD and Blu Ray): Fresh cuts is a very interesting feature containing interviews with the cast and crew discussing many memories of their time in making the original Friday the 13th. A lot of the stories many viewers will likely have never heard including an interesting note from Ari Lehman on who may have originally been tapped to play the first Jason Voorhees! We even get to hear from one of Mrs Voorhees very first victims in hitchhiking Robbi “Annie” Morgan! She is very honored to have been one of the first! This feature contains a lot of discussion about various things that doesn’t get as much attention as other aspects of the movie may get elsewhere.
From working with Harry Crosby and Kevin Bacon, stories from the set, to the very last detail from Harry Manfredini on scoring the film, it’s one of the better features ever included on a Friday the 13th collection.
The Man Behind the Legacy Sean Cunningham (DVD and Blu Ray) - In this all new 9 minute feature, Sean Cunningham welcomes Friday fans into his home (even referred to at one point as “the house that Jason built”) for a discussion on the past and future. This isn’t your typical “How Friday the 13th came to be” discussion. This is more of a chance to “get to know Sean Cunningham” in a more personal setting. In this feature, Cunningham talks about how, that though he’s more interested in exploring the future than the past, he will always be proud of his Friday the 13th history.
Sean discusses his ability to now be able to work from his home and the comfort he has in that including his working relationship with his son Noel Cunningham. We get a look around his home all the while reflecting on the original Friday the 13th in a completely different way than we have previously been treated to.
Lost Tales from Camp Blood part 1 (DVD and Blu Ray) - Written and Directed by Andrew Ceperly, Lost Tales from Camp Blood is a pretty interesting addition to the set. Though it’s not directly part of the Friday the 13th saga, it is a short film, shot in Friday the 13th style with a Jason-esqe killer (probably due to rights issues). When a noise startles awake, she sends her boyfriend Mark to investigate. As you can imagine, things don’t turn out so well. It’s rather well done and manages to capture the feel of the early Friday the 13th movies. The killer, while Jason in form, has a different look, bald, but wearing a hooded sweatshirt. He’s even listed as “Killer” in the closing credits of the short. Helping to make this feel like a mini Friday film is the score. Lifted directly from previous Friday films, it really adds to this special feature. Running at 7 1/2 minutes, you can tell that Ceperly is a genuine fan of the series and that he had done his homework when it comes to the Friday the 13th series.
Click to enlarge
Friday the 13th Chronicles (Blu Ray only) - This is one of two special features that more Friday the 13th fans will already be familiar with if they purchased the previous “From Crystal Lake to Manhattan” boxset. It is part of the “Killer Extras” bonus disc included in the set. It’s a nice little addition to this set, especially if you did not pick up the set when it was initially released. Presented in standard definition, it’s a pretty 21 minute documentary featuring cast and crew interviews telling a few of the same stories told in the new special features, but this feature also contains some pretty cool photographs. I also contains a lot of insight from Sean Cunningham that really needed to be on a definitive Friday the 13th DVD.
Secrets Galore Behind the Gore (Blu Ray only) - The second of two features pulled from the previous set is the feature “Secrets Galore Behind the Gore”. This is also a good thing to have along as it is a pretty in depth look at how certain special effects were achieved as Tom Savini discusses how he pulled it off. It runs 9 1/2 minutes and covers most angles of how things came to look how they looked on film.
Retro Slashers Headlines
Hey guys. Hope you enjoy reading! It’s a long one. I know.
Thanks so much for reviewing these discs! I can’t wait to get my hands on the Blu-ray and now that I know there’s a commentary from Peter Bracke on it, i’m even more excited! I’m currently reading Crystal Lake Memories and there’s no question that he’s the foremost authority on all things Jason. Should be a real pleasure to watch it with him. I finally get to replace my barebones copy of the flick!
Can’t wait to read your reviews of part 2 and 3, Tony!
hey checked out the new tv spots
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TheMovieBox0Net&view=videos
and new pics
http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/15004
Does anyone know what the aspect ratio of the DVD is? Is it 1.85:1 like the version of Part 1 already released, or is it 2.35:1 like the DVD release of Part 3?
It’s 2.35:1
This could not get any cooler! I remember at 13 years old watching part 1 on NETWORK t.v. (totally cut!) and it still freaked me out. This franchise set the standard for horror and i’m glad to see it still lives on. $100 million or bust!
Agh! I cant find the Blu rays of 2 and 3 on Amazon!
“the guy on the left”
thats cuz there is only gonna be a blu ray for part 1!!!
I can\’t wait to pick up all of these baby\’s! I really wish that 2 and 3 were getting Blu-Ray though, but I guess that begger\’s can\’t be chooser\’s. It doesn\’t matter because I will double dip in the future if they do get a BD release. The Lost tapes of Camp Blood sounds really interesting IMO!
LOL
\Ari can be such a chose sometimes.
I could have sworn that I read on this site tat parts 2 and 3 were getting the blu-treatment.
Damn, well, atleast I can throw out that old Japanese Laserdisc of F13 1 which was uncut. It’d be nice to watch the movie with out Japanese subtitles.
What’s weird is, ONLY parts 2 and 3 are getting the Blu-treatment here in Scandinavia. And NONE are getting the new DVD editions…talk about backwards. Interesting cover artwork too..
http://www.discshop.se/shop/ds_produkt.html?lang=&id=71440&lang=se&subsite=movies&&ref=
http://www.discshop.se/shop/ds_produkt.html?lang=&id=71441&lang=se&subsite=movies&&ref=
Oh, and in the UK..
Just a matter of time before it hits the US then.
Why in the hell is this version of Friday the 13th in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1? Is there any info on the top and bottom cropped off or what?
this is so AWESOME!
I think I will make this my first blu ray movie that I buy and I really want to see the uncut stuff. How much of this movie will I not be familiar with due to the uncut stuff? Anything? What exactly are we talking about here? Is it enough to make me say damn, I don’t remember that being in the original. Whats your take on that Tony.
HI I LIKE ALL YOUR FRIDAY THE 13TH MOVIVE I CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE THE NEW UNCUT MOVIES AND THE NEW FRIDAY THE 13TH CAMING UP ON FEBRUARY 13TH FRIDAY. YOU SHOULD MAKE A MOVIE HOW DID JASON WAS KILLED OK THANKS
I knew those last 2 features sounded familiar! They’re on the boxed set. I’m buying the standard version since I don’t own a Blu-Ray player (nor do I care to own one but that’s another story) and I’m not missing out since I own the boxed set. I will be buying it along with the 2, 3, & His Name Was Jason on 2/3/09 along with pretty much all of you guys too! Bring it baby!!! F13th carnage galore on 2/3!!
Thanks, Tony.
James, 2.35:1 is the aspect ratio of the original negatives so there won’t be any of the picture cropped off. The 1.85:1 wide screen versions are the ones where they crop off the bottoms of the screen. When you compare Friday Part 3 (which is 2.35:1) on DVD to the VHS version you’ll notice that there’s alot more of the picture on the sides. But when compare the other Fridays released on DVD in 1.85:1 you’ll see that it’s just the full screen versions with the bottoms cropped off. The film studios do that alot of times with the 1.85:1 DVDs to save money, instead of remastering from the original negatives they just take the full screen versions they already had for the VHS copys and crop the bottoms off to fit a wide screen tv.
I meant “then compare” not “when”. Sorry about the typo.
Do you know that for sure Kristen? The aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is not a cropped full screen version. It’s just like full screen with a bit more info on both sides.
I have both the DVD and the Blu-Ray and this review is incorrect — the aspect ratio is most definitely 1.85, NOT 2.35.
I can’t wait to pick up the Blu-Ray!
James, I know for a fact. Most older movies released on DVD in 1.85:1 wide screen are not remastered from the original negative. They’re the full screen versions cropped at the bottom to make a wide screen fit. I know this for a fact because I’ve compared both versions. You can clearly see that there isn’t more of the picture on the sides, there’s less at the bottom. The same thing was also done with the Nightmare On Elm Street DVDs.
I hope this review is correct. Part 3 on DVD (which is 2.35:1) is so much better than the VHS version it’s like a completely different movie. On VHS it was so zoomed in, it was almost unwatchable. With the difference it made with Part 3 there’s no telling how much better the other Fridays would be in 2.35:1.
Well Kristen that’s true for movies like The Evil Dead and Fright Night 2. Those were originally shot in 1.33:1 full frame but in some DVD versions of those two movies they had black bars put on the bottom and the top. But I was on a website which compared 1.85:1 widescreen and 1.33:1 full frame and I seen more info on both sides of the widescreen version and the full frame version had less info visible on both of the sides. But the full frame version DID have a little more info at the bottom and the top. It all depends on what aspect ratio a particular movie is shot.
James, that’s true for alot of movies originally shot in wide screen as well. Most of the older movies released on DVD are done that way. I know this because I’ve compared my old VHS full screen copies to my wide screen DVDs. When compared you can see that there isn’t anymore of the picture on the sides, there’s less at the bottom. If you have any old VHS copies of the old Friday movies or Nightmare on Elm St movies, compare them to your wide screen DVDs. You’ll see what I’m talking about. The only one that had more of the picture on the sides was Friday Part 3 which is 2.35:1 wide, the ones cropped at the bottom are 1.85:1.
Thanks for the review. I am definately more impressed with this release. The annoying thing is that here in the UK they are not releasing the new edition??? doesn’t make sense as they’re releasing all the others. We already have the uncut version over here but not with all the new features.
that’s more like it! i’ll buy this one. i just wish they’d done this good a job with parts 2 and 3.
It looks like Paramount might have done a good job this time. I liked the orginal cover art better but that’s not a big deal, I’ll just switch covers.
I meant to say original, sorry about that.
This Dvd looks really good. Why couldn’t Part 2 have been done like this? Anyway… nice review Tony, thanks!
For those interesting, Deep Discount is already shipping all three of the deluxe editions. Yesterday, someone told me their’s was shipped, and sure enough, I was notified today that mine shipped.
I meant interested. I always make that typo.
Thanks for the info, James.
Tony,
Thanks for the review.It was comical and really informative!
Got mine today. The picture looks really beautiful. Wish they would have done 2 & 3 on Blu-ray, too.
One gripe - has anyone else noticed on the cover that knife (or the entire image perhaps) is BACKWARDS? You can tell because the knife is inscribed with the words “COLD STEEL”. So the idiots at Paramount decide to give the DVD art a facelift, and STILL manage to fuck it up. Great attention to detail. Ugh.
Some cool new footage is there and kevin gets his buns squeezed twice.Glad he some loving before the big bang.
The picture being cropped so much, was a deal breaker for me.