FRIDAY THE 13th - The Ultimate Collection Details

Paramount Home Entertainment have announced the October 4th 2011 release of  FRIDAY THE 13TH - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION 8-Disc DVD Set. The set collects all eight of the Deluxe Editions of FRIDAY THE 13th thru FRIDAY THE 13th PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD. Very excited for this one as Friday the 13th is my favorite slasher film franchises of all time, more so than HALLOWEEN or NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Jason Voorhees continued to entertain through the years with one bloody kill after the other. While a few of the sequels are imbued with some unintentional cheese I find myself revisiting the films annually without fail.

Through the years I've purchased each edition of the films, including the FRIDAY THE 13th - FROM CRYSTAL LAKE TO MANHATTAN boxset and I own about half of the deluxe edition collected here but for $40 it's cheaper to buy this set, an easy buy for me. No word if a Blu-ray set will follow, you may recall that the first three films did get 1080p deluxe editions, it would be great to see the entire series get the HD upgrade, too.

Paramount Home Entertainment Press Release:

31 YEARS OF THE 13TH IN ONE KILLER BOX SET

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

Eight Feature Films Plus Hours of Special Features Debut in Limited Edition DVD Set October 4, 2011 with Collectible Hockey Mask

Take a ride down memory lane with everyone’s favorite psychotic killer Jason Voorhees in the to-die-for DVD set FRIDAY THE 13TH THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION arriving just in time for Halloween on October 4, 2011 from Paramount Home Entertainment. When the original Friday The 13th debuted in 1980, it captured audiences’ imaginations and permeated our collective psyche. 31 years later, the iconic machete-wielding killer continues to haunt, fascinate and terrify a new generation. This comprehensive set includes every murderous moment from Friday The 13th - Uncut Deluxe Edition, Friday The 13th Part 2 Deluxe Edition, Friday The 13th Part 3-3D Deluxe Edition (with two pairs of 3D glasses), Friday The 13th - The Final Chapter Deluxe Edition, Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning Deluxe Edition, Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives Deluxe Edition, Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood Deluxe Edition and Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan Deluxe Edition.

This extraordinary collection, which will be released in a Limited Edition of only 50,000 numbered units worldwide, includes a replica of Jason’s hockey mask, an 8-page Collector’s Booklet and hours of special features including slashed scenes, making of featurettes, killer commentaries and much, much more.

FRIDAY THE 13TH -  THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION will be available for the suggested retail price of just $39.99 U.S./$42.00 Canada.

The FRIDAY THE 13th - Uncut Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish Mono along with English, French and Spanish subtitles.

Bonus material includes:
• Commentary by director Sean S. Cunningham with cast and crew
• Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th
• The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham
• Friday the 13th Reunion
• Lost Tales From Camp Blood – Part 1
• Theatrical Trailer

The FRIDAY THE 13th Part 2 Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish Mono along with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Bonus material includes:
• Inside “Crystal Lake Memories”
• Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions
• Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 2
• Jason Forever
• Theatrical Trailer

The FRIDAY THE 13th Part 3 - 3D Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish Mono along with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Bonus materials includes:
• 3D Version of the film (includes 3D glasses)
• Theatrical Trailer

The FRIDAY THE 13th THE FINAL CHAPTER Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish Mono along with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Bonus material includes:
• Commentary by director Joe Zito, screenwriter Barney Cohen and editor Joel Goodman
• Fan commentary by Adam Green and Joe Lynch
• Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 4
• Slashed Scenes
• Jason’s Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday the 13th The Final Chapter
• The Lost Ending
• The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part I
• Jimmy’s Dead Dance Moves
• Theatrical Trailer

The FRIDAY THE 13th PART V: A NEW BEGINNING Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround and English, French and Spanish Mono along with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Bonus material includes:
• Commentary by director/co-screenwriter Danny Steinmann with cast and crew
• Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 5
• The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part II
• New Beginnings: The Making of Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning
• Theatrical Trailer

The FRIDAY THE 13th PART VI: JASON LIVES Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Surround and French and Spanish Mono along with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Bonus material includes:
• Commentary by director Tom McLoughlin with cast and crew
• Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 6
• The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part III
• Jason Lives: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
• Meeting Mr. Voorhees
• Slashed Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

The FRIDAY THE 13th PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Surround, French Mono and Spanish Mono along with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Bonus material includes:
• Killer Commentary by director John Carl Buechler and actors Lar Park Lincoln and Kane Hodder
• Jason’s Destroyer: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
• Mind Over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis
• Makeover by Maddy: Need a Little Touch-Up Work, My Ass
• Slashed Scenes Intro
• Slashed Scenes

The FRIDAY THE 13th PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Surround, French 2.0 Surround and Spanish 2.0 Surround along with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Bonus material includes:
• Killer Commentary by actors Scott Reeves, Jensen Daggett and Kane Hodder
• New York Has a New Problem: The Making of Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
• Gag Reel
• Slashed Scenes

DVD Review: Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)

GOING TO PIECES: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SLASHER FILM (2006)

“Ever Evil, Every Nightmare, Together in One Film”


RATED: Unrated
RUNNING TIME: 89 Min.
DIRECTOR: Michael Bohusz
CAST: Akkad, Lilyan Akkad, Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Rob Zombie, Sean S. Cunningham, Harry Manfredini, Gregory Nicotero, Betsy Palmer, Tom Savini, Stan Winston, Joseph Zito. Narrated by Ed Green

 

ANECDOTAL: Genre film documentaries at their best are like greatest hits collections of your favorite films, genre, or director. The few that I’ve seen completely enraptured me. I watch ‘em, notepad in hand, giddily scribbling down names of obscure giallo, grindhouse, and slasher films. The thrill of the hunt, something new that had previously eluded me, been forgotten, or lost to the VHS-era never to seen in the digital glory of DVD. The following is a list of documentaries I highly recommend. The vary in depth and quality, but each is entertaining and informative: MARIO BAVA: MAESTRO OF THE MACABRE (2000), MIDNIGHT MOVIES: FROM THE MARGIN TO THE MAINSTREAM (2005), DARIO ARGENTO: AN EYE FOR HORROR (2000), AMERICAN NIGHTMARE (2000), NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD (2009). Personally, I would love to see a documentary uncovering some classic VHS-era slashers that never made it to DVD. If you, dear reader, would like to suggest a title I may enjoy please do so.

SYNOPSIS: A documentary chronicling the history of the Slasher film from Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960) on through to Rob Zombie’s HOUSE OF A 1000 CORPSES (2003) and all points in between.

DVD: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio, Dolby 2.o sound. Special Features; Message from the Author, Bonus Interviews, Trivia Game, Trailer, Trailer Gallery

THE FILM: This is a documentary that originally aired on the Starz network in 2006; it is based on the book of the same title by author Adam Rockoff. Of course, as with most things awesome - I missed it! Not to worry, it’s available on DVD. This film features one of the greatest assemblies of horror directors and talking heads I’ve ever seen in any genre doc, it’s an 80’s slasher orgasm in here folks, seriously. I would say the majority of the films interviews center around John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and Tom Savini. The archival clips from the films are staggering, touching most, if not all, the prominent slasher films of the 70’s/80’s, and a few obscure ones as well, GRADUATION DAY (1980), PIECES (1982), and a personal favorite HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (1981). You don’t get a lot of deep, intellectual conversation about social commentary, though you do get Siskel & Ebert ranting about the misogyny of slasher films and how they’re a response to the empowerment of women. They really come across as a couple off hysterical ass clown, ugh! For more Siskel & Ebert douche baggery you need to see their original review of BLUE VELVET (1986), it appears as a special feature on the Blue Velvet: Special Edition DVD. If you are a hardcore horror geek you’ll notice a few omissions, but overall, this is slasher nirvana. As with the best of the genre it clocks in at less than 90 minutes, a brisk, yet informative, 88 minutes.

VERDICT: If you are a horror geek, a slasher enthusiast, or just enjoy the occasional scary film, GOING TO PIECES is a MUST SEE! ****1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)