‘His Name Was Jason’ Doco On Blu-Ray?
Inevitably, all films in the Friday the 13th franchise will be released on Blu-Ray high-definition discs. Currently, you can only purchase Friday the 13th (1980), Friday the 13th Part 2, Friday the 13th Part 3, Freddy vs Jason and Friday the 13th (2009) on Blu-Ray disc. Would you ever think that last years documentary on the series, ‘His Name Was Jason’, would be available on Blu-Ray? I know we didn’t. Apparently, though, the French are gearing up for bringing the definitive series documentary home in high definition.
Over at Amazon.fr, there is a listing for the doco complete with Blu-Ray cover art. The listing does not imply anything will be different from the DVD release. The disc is not for sale yet as you can pre-order the item only. Does this imply that fans in the United States can plan on seeing the series retrospective on Blu-Ray disc in the near future? Time will only tell. The questions is, would it really matter to purchase ‘His Name Was Jason’ in high definition?
While I currently own all of the available and mentioned above by our good friend jasonsfury adventures of Mr. Voorhees on Blu Ray (including the disappointing redux from last year, as well as the disappointing upon re-visiting FVJ; sorry folks, but I mostly love the early Paramount years, but to each they’re own!), I have–as many do here–the original cheap-o 2 disc set from Wal-Mart that was only $5.98 or so retail when it debuted much ealier last year. And in Blu Ray I doubt it’ll look THAT much better to warrent an up-grade on buying it, even though outside of retro old school pro-wrestling Blu Ray takes up nearly 90% of the current movies I’m buying.
I’m sorry, but the extras and it’s first twenty minutes or so are fine, and the second disc extended interviews–especially form Ted White (Part 4 Jason) and Steve Dash (the real Part 2 Jason no matter what anyone says)–were a real treat. But I actually felt the Halloween: 25 Years of Terror 2 disc set from Anchor Bay, as well as this year’s Never Sleep Again definative Elm Street doc was much, MUCH more informative. The His Name Was Jason one was often ruined by pointless (and none appealing, if I may say so dispite my known love of my fellow brunettes) skanky nudity from the emo lookin’ lameoid ‘strip monopoly’ playing (twins?), painfully unfunny Tom Savini quibs and goofy ball noteable series death re-enactments. I wanted to like it much more then I did, and really it’s not THAT bad, but it’s a real missed oppertunity as there are ultimately way too many genre fan website guys & gals such as mods and web site runners talking on screen.
I’m sorry, but I ultimately would have rather heard from the writers a lot more, as well as the directors who of course showed up sans Steve Miner as we all knew he would have, and plus more form the actors and make-up FX artists. I simply don’t give two shits what gentleman from the now long-deceased in my eyes Fangoria magazine or Rue Morgue, or sites like Icons of Fright or Shock Till You Drop or whatever have to say about the series social and over all pop-cultureal impact. But at least it was nice to see many old faces there, for what all it was worth. Guess to each they’re own. I just really don’t see this warrently a re-buy, unless of course (and this is far-fetched here, but whatever) it was HEAVILY re-edited (and I know: fat fuckin’ chance of that happening).
Rather have Parts 4 through 8 on Blu-Ray myself!
I hear ya Richard. I’d much rather have parts 4-8 on blu-ray as well. Come on Paramount, get off your butts and get working on those releases.
I wouldn’t mind getting this on Blu-Ray. I bet the picture and the sound would be much improved!
I so agree with the points Tommy_Jarvis_Guy made about His Name. I was real disappointed with it. So much if it was just boring and pointless. Another actor has another story…dull.
And to hear it may get a b-r release before parts 4 – 7 is an outcry
I’ll pass on this docu.
Hey,
I have some news that could cheer someone up if they want parts 4-8 on blu-ray. On the Playstation network (Unsure about Xbox Live), you can watch parts 4-8 all in HD. I haven’t checked them out yet due to my intensely slow internet connection, but when I can, I’ll report on the quality.
If they are like what was on Monsters HD, then they should look very nice.
I still have my DVR recordings of 4-8 and they look fantastic. Jason X is the only one I have never seen in HD. Sci Fi sometimes airs it, but its cropped on the sides.
Big thanks to Richard, Chris and of course John Robert.
While it’s of course true that jasonsfury can’t report on what Paramount doesn’t do or doesn’t work on, like everyone said above, this is only a documentary and it being in HD wouldn’t be THAT much of an improvement as it’s not 35mm film.
I would rather finally have Blu Ray releases of Parts IV-through-VIII (from The Final Chapter right on down to Jason Takens Manhatten) of course on Blu. And with any inclusive extras and even ore cut scenes they can find down in the aramount vaults that sadly haven’t been thrown out. And it’s good to hear that Mnsters HD once showed them in High-Definition. So far the Blu’s for Parts 1-through-3D that I own all are vast improvements over the older from ’04 on down standard definition DVD prints used, and so I just boughtt eh Deluxe Editions’ of arts IV and onward to tide me over for some reasons, the big series fan that I am.
And Jason Goes To Hell is one of my least favorite of the entire franchise series run, so I honestly don’t care if I ever see that in HD, as I’m sure it would look ever more cheap and “direct-to-VHS” looking horrible, but for it’s few fans and defenders, I hope it’ll eventually make it to Blu Ray one of these years, just for them. I just don’t care to ever own it again after re-watching a DVD copy I bought much earlier in the year up-converted. It’s stil lmy least favorite of the series along with Jason X and Parts VII and and the remake and Freddy Vs. Jason. But to each they’re own.
For the most part, whether it’s His Name Was Jason, Never Sleep Again or Halloween 25, these are all just interviews thrown together. So, I don’t think these necessarily have to be in HD.
Would much rather have 4-8 on Blu.
I turn all my Friday the 13th movies in blu-ray. I love my blu-ray burner.
I don’t see why someone would get this on blu-ray, it’s just a documentary. It’s not like this is Planet Earth or anything. As far as the documentary goes, I enjoyed it but it isn’t nearly as great and in-depth as Never Sleep Again is. They spend maybe 5 minutes tops talking about each of the movies. I agree with one of the posters, the two naked girls, death reenactments, and savini’s unfunny one liners detracted from the documentary and were highly unnecessary.
The extras were great though.
i will definitely upgrade to this. any dvd in my collection that comes out on blu ray i upgrade. standard def is obsolete and painfully annoying to watch, even for a documentary.
i hope the french release will be region-free! i don’t think i’ll be springing for a hacked player anytime soon like i did for dvd. region-coding is fucking retarded.
i agree 4-8 would be a much better treat, but i’ll take anything friday i can get.
“As far as the documentary goes, I enjoyed it but it isn’t nearly as great and in-depth as Never Sleep Again is…”
Amen, Justin.
“I agree with one of the posters, the two naked girls, death reenactments, and savini’s unfunny one liners detracted from the documentary and were highly unnecessary.”
Why thanks once again, my dear Justin.
But yeah, the documentary most DEFINATELY had potential to be as near epic as Never Sleep Again was this year for old school genre film franchise/series lovers, and it had all the winning ingrediants, but I don’t know: Never Slee Again with it’s narration and editing turned out simply much, MUCH better then His Name Was Jason chould ever hope to be with it’s never ending long-line series of assholes who are mods and main runners of genre fan websites such as Shock Till You Drop and all of that whom of course my main gribe overall have NOTHING to do with the mostly ’80s productions themselves and bring only outsider to the production’s opinions on the subject matter.
In that respect, His Name Was Jason, and the oddly enough better produced on the fly and rather quickly thrown together (as it’s makers told http://www.deadpit.com), which at least followed an order and give out rare behind the scenes info on the film, (sadly) easily triumpth the HNWJ doc. Not that I hated His Name Was Jason or anything; I just feel it has many lameoid parts, is barely mediocre, and I’m still a bit pissed off since it is of course mine–and I’m assuming everyone elses’ who posts here or why else would you be here?–favorite of the big name genre franchises, and it was barely even a half-ass’d documentary. I would really call it more of a VH1-esque overly long “I love the ’80s: Jason Voorhees Edition!” special for 92 or so minutes then a real doc more of less, but to each they’re own.
Never Sleep Again was awesome but they had one huge advantage that His Name was Jason didn’t have. NSA was done in house by Bob Shaye’s 1428 Films which has all the Elm Street material you can think of. HNWJ was done by Anchor Bay. That’s a huge world of difference. Everything from the animated intro to even the quality of the green screen was vastly superior to HNWJ.
I would love to see this redone right.
Off topic, but I didn’t know where to say this and it is about blu-ray – “The Prowler” hits b-r next week!!
Sweet; Joseph directed and Tom did the gore.
Great slasher movie.
I pre-ordered it and I can’t wait to get it! The Blue Underground DVD isn’t that old and the quality was great. The commentary of Tom and Joe was great as they spent a fair amount of time talking about Final Chapter.
Here are my thoughts on blu-rays. I’ll only buy them if the picture and sound make a difference. For instance, I wouldn’t buy a comedy on blu-ray because a movie isn’t going to be funnier in HD. I bought Extract on blu-ray and I thought it was overpriced because I didn’t notice a difference in the picture and sound. The only extras they had were 3 deleted scenes. They could have easily put that on the dvd. Another reason I’ll buy a blu-ray is if it’s cheaper or the same price as the dvd. Concert blu-rays are pretty good. I got the new Porcupine Tree blu-ray/dvd combo and the blu-ray’s sound is so good, that you feel like you’re at the concert.
To Mr. Romero:
“I would love to see this redone right”
I, too, would also love to see this done right. If the parties involved heavily re-edited it with a voice-over (let’s say from like Adrianne King) and used the combo of film footage and rare behind-the-scenes stills and used more fresh/new interview footage and made up a new defanitive four hour documentary such as New Line did for Never Sleep Again, they chould easily–if they tried and went in franchise chrinological order and have Peter BRacke’s involvement especilaly–make the definative Friday series documentary. After all, everyone is still alive, so I would really push for it, and many have spoken about they’re general disappoint in “HNWJ”.
However sadly, I don’t see that happening all too soon.
Ah well.
Oh and sort of staying with this lite off-topic discussion: I have most of the Blu-Ungerground Blu Rays (from The New york Ripper, to Argento’s underrated The Stendhal Syndrome to Romero’s original The Crazies) and I also pre-ordered Joseph Zito’s ’81 slasher entry The Prowler. I too thought the older DVD tended to be soft as a lot of older films are, but it was a fine film. Blu Underground usually does a pretty damn good job as well.
Also the good folks on over at HorrorDVDs (aka: Horror Digital now) reviewed it with pics, and the Image Quality got an A! Enjoy the review: http://www.horrordvds.com/viewarticle.html?articleid=845 (fabulous site, by the way–I hate to somewhat advertise, but I like to go there every other month or so in addition to listening to deadpit.com, it’s where I get most of my general genre film news since I don’t buy in print physical publications that you can hold anymore; it’s just a waste of money in my eyes since it’s all more or less avilable for free online). But yeah, The Prowler does have it’s slower bits, but all in all, it’s a pretty cool late 1980 shot old school ‘body count’ film.
Is this going to be tha same as the 2 disc DVD edition?