# Friday the 13th: Complete Collection - Blu-ray Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=12701[/img] 
*Title: Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection* 

*Movie:* :3.5stars:
*Video:* :3.5stars:
*Audio:* :3.5stars: 
*Extras:* :3.5stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*70




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=12702[/img]*Summary*
FINALLY, is all I can say. For years, the fans have been begging Paramount to release the rest of the Friday the 13th series on Blu-ray. After the release of the first three installments, Paramount pretty much gave up releasing the rest and we were stuck with the 5 titles that Paramount and Warner had put out respectively. Paramount even went on records saying that releasing the rest of the series would be “not financially viable at this time” and when Paramount started licensing titles out to Warner Brothers we were hopeful once more. Now the time has finally come and Warner has put out all 11 titles (including Freddy Vs. Jason to bridge the gap between the two longest running slasher series) in one big box set. Horror fans are probably one of the hardest groups of people to please, even above hard core sci-fi and comic book fans, and this is no different. From the moment the final specs were released, there has been some contention amount the fans, especially when we heard that Warner brothers, for some bizarre reason, didn’t include the director’s cut of “Jason Goes to Hell” and there were a few commentaries missing from the DVD box set. I was actually pleasantly surprised when I opened up the packaging and saw that Warner had actually put a decent amount of effort into the release rather than just slap them in a case and that be the end of it. The tin that it comes in is very sturdy and has artwork running on all four sides (front and back, inside and out) and is right at Blu-ray height instead of making it some giant monstrosity. On the inside, we have a little booklet, a crystal lake counselor “patch” and anaglyph glasses for the 3D presentation of Part 3. There are 10 discs total, with parts 1-4 and Freddy Vs. Jason and the Remake on their own individual discs, while parts 6-10 are split 2 films per disc across 3 discs. The final disc is a DVD with some brand new special features for us to enjoy.

The “Friday the 13th” series has always been a guilty pleasure for the fans, ever since day one. The first film had a great twist to it, but the rest were all VERY obvious cash-ins that were just a cheesy blast to watch. They all have the same basic plotline. A bunch of stupid teenagers get together for a weekend, or vacation, and Jason is around to punish those teenagers for their irresponsibility and stupidity (with their lives of course). The plot doesn’t deviate much, and we all know the desired outcome. One or two lone teens are able to survive the bloodbath and send Jason back to some sort of demise or stasis. Originally, Jason was just a child of the original Crystal Lake killer, but soon he evolved into a supernatural being, able to rise from the grave and regenerate tissue at an alarming rate. He even escapes Hell, thanks to Freddy Krueger, to come back and terrorize the world. The “Friday the 13th” series is unique in that he’s one of the FEW slasher monsters that you actually root for almost. Freddy, Michael Myers, the rest, you want them to get whipped and sent with their tail between their legs. Here you’re almost rooting for Jason just because the teenagers displayed are just sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo stupid and over that top that you beg for Jason to show just so they SHUT UP. It’s kind of a weird paradox - you know Jason is the bad guy, and you know that the kids are going to win, but at the same time, you’re cheering for the serial killer because you’re tempted to throw a lamp at the kids within the first 15 minutes. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=12703[/img]
The films range from great to good to bad to just plain awful, depending on the movie in question. The first has always been a horror classic, and the next few after that are almost as good; however, that’s where the series deviates a bit and gets really cheesy, albeit that cheesiness can be a good thing at times. Jason starts gaining supernatural powers and we even have a victim with telekinesis, complete with a full on telekinetic battle with Jason. “Friday the 13th: A New Beginning” even pulls the “Halloween 3” angle and actually doesn't even have Jason in the film. Once we hit the 8th film in the series it’s dragging BADLY. “Jason Takes Manhattan” is, in my opinion, the VERY WORST of the series. It’s so bad that I honestly don’t know if I can watch it again without a couple beers. “Jason Goes to Hell” is unique movie that almost doesn’t fit into the franchise, but it’s a fun flick nonetheless, and that was the “setup film” shall we say, for the “Freddy Vs. Jason” crossover (which is actually one of my favorites of the series). Even “Jason X,” as bad as it is, still can’t hold a torch to the horrible nature of “Jason Takes Manhattan”. Like “Leprechaun 4,” it’s so bad that it’s almost good. It even has two of the very best kills in the entire franchise! After what seemed like an eternity, we had the Michael Bay reboot of the series, which for some was an abomination, but for many a fresh take on the masked killer. It had its quirks, mainly dealing with Jason not acting like he normally would in some scenes, but it was fun and Jason could actually MOVE in this one, rather than be the hulking brute who stumbles around. 




*Rating:* 

Rated R



*Video* :3.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=12704[/img]As with something of this size, the picture quality is a mixed bag. The original 3 are the same discs that Paramount put out a few years ago. The original looks quite good, but number 2 is rather weak and part 3 is just plain abysmal, the worst picture quality in the series with scratches, dirt and dings everywhere on the print. Almost looks identical to the DVD. However, with Warner getting a hold of the prints, parts 4 and up look quite good. Parts 4, 5 and 6 are a solid presentation, hovering around a 3.5 score in my opinion. Nice levels of film grain give it that rough, 80’s and 90’s horror presentation with some nice detail. Parts 7-10 are where it really starts picking up into the 4/5 score range. Picture quality is better, budget was definitely higher and the detail is very solid, with Jason X and Freddy Vs. Jason showing the most improvement. I’d almost rate Jason X at a 4.5. As you can guess, the remake still sports the same soft looking transfer it did years ago, but it’s still quite serviceable, albeit a bit soft for my tastes. Averaged out the series is a solid 3.5.







*Audio* :3.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=12705[/img]As with the video, the audio is a mixed bag as well. The earlier films had that sort of scratchy sound to them that a lot of low budget horror movies had, with minimal surround usage. Around part 6 or part 7, the series gets some better quality audio with heavier surround usage and some solid dialogue control. Parts 8 and up get into the 2000 era and definitely show their chops with some solid LFE and great surround usage. Freddy vs. Jason and Jason X really shine as their battle scenes are more impressive both audio and special effects wise. Fine auditory detail is present: the clink of Freddy’s claws clicking and the thud of Jason’s footsteps resounding all around. The remake has some really impressive LFE and some decent surround usage. Dialogue is clean and clear, but the dynamic range is a bit soft for a modern film. Again, with such a wide range of good, bad and great tracks it makes an average of 3.5 for the series.

EDIT: Freddy Vs. Jason actually isn't a carbon copy like I originally wrote. It has 6.1 DTS-HD MA Discrete audio on it vs. the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD of the original single disc release. Also it has the "new" style of warner menu's rather than the pop-up menu of the old Warner style.



[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=12706[/img]*Extras:* :3.5stars:
*Friday the 13th:*
Commentary
Friday The 13th Reunion
Fresh cuts: New tales from Friday the 13th
The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham
Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 1
The Friday the 13th Chronicles
Secrets Galore Behind the Gore
Theatrical trailer.

*Friday the 13th: Part 2:*
Inside "Crystal Lake Memories"
Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions
Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 2
Jason Forever
Original theatrical trailer.

*Friday the 13th: Part 3:*
Fresh cuts: 3D Terror
Legacy of the mask
Slasher films: Going for the Jugular
Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 3
Original theatrical trailer.

*Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter:*
Commentary
Behind the scenes: The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part 4
Behind the scenes: Secrets Galore Behind the Gore - Tom Savini on Part 4
Behind the scenes: Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 4
Deleted scenes - with commentary by director Joseph Zito
Behind the scenes: Jason's Unlucky Day: 25 years after Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Deleted scene: The Lost Ending
Behind the scenes: The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited, Part 1
Behind the scenes: Jimmy's Dead Dance mMoves
Original theatrical trailer.

*Friday the 13th: Part 5: A New Beginning:*
Commentary
Behind the scenes: The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part 5
Behind the scenes: Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 5
Behind the scenes: The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited, Part 2
Behind the scenes: New Beginnings: The Making of Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Original theatrical trailer.

*Friday the 13th: Part 6: Jason Lives:*
Commentary
Behind the scenes: The Friday the 13th Chronicles. Part 6
Behind the scenes: Lost Tales from Camp Blood - part 6
Behind the scenes: The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited, Part 3
Behind the scenes: Jason Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th, Part 6
Behind the scenes: Meeting Mr. Vorhees
Deleted scenes
Original theatrical trailer.

*Friday the 13th: Part 7: The New Blood:*
Commentary
Behind the scenes: The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part 7
Behind the scenes: Secrets Galore, Behind the Gore - John Carl Buechler on Part 7
Behind the scenes: Jason's Destroyer, The Making of Friday the 13th, Part 7 - The New Blood
Behind the scenes: Mind Over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis
Behind the scenes: Makeover by Maddy: Need a Little Touch-Up Work, my 
Deleted scenes
Original theatrical trailer

*Friday the 13th: Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan:*
Commentary
Behind the scenes: The Friday the 13th Chronicles, Part 8
Behind the scenes: New York Has a New Problem, The Making of Friday The 13th: Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan
Deleted scenes
Gag reel
Original theatrical trailer

*Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday:*
Additional scenes: TV version alternate scenes
Theatrical trailer

*Jason X:*
Commentary
Featurette: The Many Lives of Jason Vorhees
Behind the scenes: By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Jason X
Theatrical trailer

*Freddy vs Jason:*
Commentary
Genesis: Development Hell
On location: Springwood Revisited
On location: Cabin Rever
Art direction: Jason's Decorating Tips
Stunts: When Push Comes to Shove
Make-up effects: Freddy's Beauty Secrets
Visual effects
My summer vacation: A Visit to Camp Hackenslash
Pre-fight press conference
Deleted scenes
How Can I Live music video
Trailers & TV spots

*Friday The 13th (2009):*
PIP with trivia track
The Rebirth of Jason Vorhees
Hacking Back/Slashing Forward
The 7 best kills

*Killer bonus disc:*
The Friday the 13th Chronicles
Secrets Galore Behind the Gore
Crystal Lake Victims Tell All
Tales From the Cutting Room Floor
Friday artifacts and collectibles
Original trailers.






*Overall:* :3.5stars:

I have a hard time giving a definitive answer to Jason fans on whether to buy the set or not. On one side, you can see that Warner skimped out a bit on the unrated cut of “Jason Goes to Hell” and the original 5 discs that were released are just carbon copies of the individual discs, menus and all. So if you have those already, the price of the set may be a bit off putting till a sale comes along. However, with Paramount treating the series like a pariah, and Warner not known for doing tons of re-mastering, this very well may be the best we’re going to see for a VERY long time. The series is here, it’s got some very solid picture and audio quality (for the most part), and I don’t see it getting any better any time in the near future. The extras are very solid, some commentaries are missing from the previous complete collection DVD set, but the new disc of extra features adds some new ones and the collector’s edition tin is surprisingly classy, adding some great value to the set. As a hardcore fan, I just couldn’t pass this by, and I can’t possibly NOT recommend the box set, but the movies already out and the missing unrated cut on a film may make some people pause. 

*Additional Information:*

Starring: Keven Bacon, Kane Hodder, Danielle Panabaker
Directed by: See Individual Titles
Written by: See Individual Titles
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1, 1.85:1 AVC, VC-1
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby TrueHD 6.1
Studio: Warner Brothers/Paramount Pictures
Rated: R
Runtime: See Individual Titles
Blu-Ray Release Date: Sept 13th, 2013


*Buy Friday the 13th: Complete Collection Blu-ray on Amazon*




*Recommendation: Watch It​*







More about Mike


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

I look forward to buying these. Thanks for the review!


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks for another great review! I have been a fan of Jason well since it started. Granted, I grew up with Jason films so that kind of added to the fanhood. 

This is a great collection for Jason fans! A must own that is for sure!


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Thanks for the review Mike! :T

I can say with all certainty - this will be one of the very few that you guys review that I will not watch. 

I was never able to get into these and like you said, they just continued to get worse as the series went along.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Thanks for the review Mike. As others have said I also grew up watching the series and feel a nostalgic connection. I'll add this to the collection when the price is right.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

made an update to the audio section regarding "Freddy Vs. Jason"


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

To me as the series got more and more, the horror went away and got more silly so to speak. Never the less, I still enjoyed the movies!


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

tripplej said:


> To me as the series got more and more, the horror went away and got more silly so to speak. Never the less, I still enjoyed the movies!


Yeah. Happens to a lot of horror series. Nightmare on elm street comes to mind


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## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

I still have the boxset on DVD. As much as I want them on BR, I have yet to really even enjoy my DVD Boxset that I owned because I have not watched all of them. So I be afraid to buy it as I don't think I would watch them / series anytime soon. 

So I will just wait and see if there will be another boxset w/ more goodies released down the road. HA!!


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Picture_Shooter said:


> I still have the boxset on DVD. As much as I want them on BR, I have yet to really even enjoy my DVD Boxset that I owned because I have not watched all of them. So I be afraid to buy it as I don't think I would watch them / series anytime soon.
> 
> So I will just wait and see if there will be another boxset w/ more goodies released down the road. HA!!


as much as I would LOOOOOOOOOVE for them to do so. I doubt it will get any better than this (except maybe the inclusion of the Unrated JGTH). these are the same recycled extras for the most part that has been running around for 10 years, Paramount has literally just about washed their hands of the series and Warner isn't really going with the new stuff either.... my honest conclusion looking at history and the market is that the only other thing we can expect to see of this on the hi-def treatment is maybe a budget boxset that cuts down on the packaging and cuts out the extras DVD... other than that I think this is the best we're gonna see for about 10 years.


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## moosejr (Mar 24, 2013)

I loved the first two movies. The rest are so so to me!


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

I must admit thou, that the Friday the 13th Part III which was the 3d one, I think it was released around 1982 was poorly made for 3d. I wonder if they remade that now with the 3d technology available now, it would be better? Has there been a newer Friday the 13th that is in 3d? No, right?


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

I liked part 2 better than 1 maybe because that is when Jason takes over except when he jumps out of the water as a boy in part one. For me my favorite is the final chapter. Maybe because that was the first friday I saw at the theater.


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Yeah, I think the first (since it was the original) and the second were the best Jason movies. The rest were just milking it .. Trying to get as much money possible from the franchise!


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## kingnoob (Mar 12, 2013)

I cannot say my opinion on the other 4 movies. 

Friday the 13th killer cut...(2009) I greatly disliked this movie it had no real story-line, no good actors,horrible effects. I guessed every scene & whole story-line. I would rate the 2009 movie a F, 20/100. 
I expected much more of this classic title.


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

kingnoob said:


> I cannot say my opinion on the other 4 movies.
> 
> Friday the 13th killer cut...(2009) I greatly disliked this movie it had no real story-line, no good actors,horrible effects. I guessed every scene & whole story-line. I would rate the 2009 movie a F, 20/100.
> I expected much more of this classic title.


What I did not like about the remake was that Jason moved too fast and would even run. For me that took away the suspense.


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

asere said:


> What I did not like about the remake was that Jason moved too fast and would even run. For me that took away the suspense.


It always amazed me when watching the early Friday the 13th movies where Jason would walk slowly and the victim would be running fast, falling, running, etc. but in the end Jason always caught up to the person. Obviously he must have known the lake area like the back of his hands but man, every time!


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

tripplej said:


> It always amazed me when watching the early Friday the 13th movies where Jason would walk slowly and the victim would be running fast, falling, running, etc. but in the end Jason always caught up to the person. Obviously he must have known the lake area like the back of his hands but man, every time!


Yep its almost like he is a ghost. You run thinking he is behind you and you turn and he is right in front.


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