CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES:
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13TH (2013)
Label: 101 Films
Region Code: B
Rating: Cert. 18
Duration: 400 Minutes
Audio: English PCM Stereo 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Daniel Ferrands
Inspired by the critically acclaimed 2006 book of the same title the Crystal Lake Memories - The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013) is an epic near seven-hour doc that combines tons of photographs, screenplays, film clips, outtakes, archival documents, conceptual art and behind-the-scenes footage, alongside more than 150 cast and crew interviews that spans all eleven films, the 2009 reboot, and the television series. It's an exhaustive but never tiring examination of the beloved slasher series straight from the mouths the creators, producers, studio execs, special effects teams, crews and actors that made them. If you're a deep diving fan of the series this is gonna be body count catnip, with Corey Feldman providing the not only the overlayed narration throughout the doc but acting in a campfire tale intro/outro.
The doc gets into the genesis of the series as a Halloween cash-in, the evolution of Jason Vorhees from sackcloth masked killer to the unstoppable hockey masked juggernaut, how the MPAA butchered several of the films, and differences in opinion in execution between producers and directors, plus a lot more. There's plenty of input from series creator Sean S. Cunningham and longtime producer Frank Mancuso, Jr. throughout, everyone giving a thoroughly unvarnished and candid accounting of the series, and touching on what they believe made it such an iconic series, as well as where they failed or perhaps went astray along the way. The actors show up full force as well, final girls supreme Adrienne King and Any Steel are represented, with some choice words from King about her demise in the second the film after surviving the first, and Betsy Palmer is always a gas, she having played Jason's hellbent on revenge mom in the first film.
The various directors show up to celebrate and sometimes defend their creation, sometimes with ample opposition from other talking heads, like Danny Steinmann's sleazed up and Jason-less fifth film, and John Carl Buechler MPAA butchered seventh film, plus we get lots of actors/stuntmen who played Jason through the years talking about their takes on the hulking character and what they brought to it, including Kane Hodder, Ted White, Derek Mears, Ari Lehman, Richard Morga, CJ Morga, and others, sometimes talking about who they replaced on certain films. The special effects guys also show up en masse, we get Ted Savini, Greg Nicotero, Doug White, Gabe Bartalos, and others, discussing their elaborate and bloody special effects, and what ended up on the cutting room floor thanks to the MPAA, some of which was sadly never to be seen again.
Of course we gets plenty of input from composer Harry Manfredini getting into the creation of the now iconic "kill kill kill ma ma ma" refrain, and original writer Victor Miller shows up as well. I do love the wat certain things are argued as to who came up with the idea, like the fact that no one seems to agree on who chose the hockey mask. While there are a few missing pieces, like bigger names like Kevin Bacon choosing not to participate it's a pretty damn complete deep-dive, and I am pleased they chose to include the 2009 reboot, which I enjoyed, and the TV series, which I liked quite a bit despite the initial disappointment that it was not a Jason-themed endeavor, but still won me over.
Audio/Video: Crystal Lake Memories - The Complete History
of Friday the 13th (2013) arrives on 2-disc region B locked Blu-ray from 101 Films in 1080p HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. A pleasingly strong HD image that blends footage from the films, behind-the-scenes footage, behind-the-scenes pictures and interview footage quite nicely. Clarity, depth and detail fluctuate accordingly but overall looks fantastic with a good flow that is not disruptive. Audio comes by way of English PCM stereo 2.0 with optional English subtitles. Everything is well-balanced and clean, Corey Feldman's overlaying narration is consistent throughout and the score sounds good, zero complaints.
The only extras - aside from the whopping 400-minute feature which is essentially an epic extra unto itself - is an audio commentary with Audio Commentary with Daniel Farrands, author Peter Bracke and editor Luke Rafalowski that is a pretty great listen on it's own as the team discuss the trials and tribulations of the the doc, it's genesis from book to doc, and cool behind-the0scenes decisions like what transfer of Friday the 13th: Jason Lives should they use, the blue or the green leaning version, and how it was left to that film's director to decide how his film was represented visually in the doc. Having Bracke on hand to talk about the doc versus his book is also quite interesting. It's casual and conversational and the love all three have for the franchise bleeds through. The 2-disc release arrives in an oversized clear Scanavo keepcase with a one-sided sleeve of artwork featuring the key art. Inside are the 2 discs, each with the same key artwork on them.
Special features:
- Audio Commentary with director Daniel Farrands, author Peter Bracke and editor Luke Rafalowski
Great to see this in-depth and quite entertaining doc get a new release in the UK from 101 Films, it's simply my favorite horror doc of all-time, no other even comes a close second. It might be sacrilege to say, but I was contemplating a Friday the 13th marathon this past October and I decided to just watch this doc for the umpteenth time, I don't regret it, this is the rare doc I can re-watch a lot, provided I have seven hours to spare. Even if I don't have seven hours, the way it breaks the films down in chronological order makes it easy to watch it in bite-sized installments. I was thinking that next year I might marathon the series and watch the corresponding segments after each film. Anyway, obviously this comes highly recommended, no horror collection should be without it!
Screenshots from the 101 Films Blu-ray:
