There are some very memorable horror movies from my childhood, and the years before and since. When I think of villains of these movies amongst Chucky, Mike Meyers, and Freddy Krueger there is of course one name that is synonymous with brutal murders and horrifying chases, Jason Voorhees. In fact when I was a kid I was afraid of going near the water in the fear that Jason would emerge, just as we were left at the conclusion of Friday the 13th. So it goes without saying that the series is creepy, and has a lasting effect on its audiences. But I’d hardly call it debatable that the series tapered downhill after its initial film (as is the case with most sequels) but at which point does it really decline? Some could say that Friday the 13th Part 2 is where it all begins, because we are first introduced to the real villain, Jason. So where does Part 2 rank in the midst of a long line of Friday the 13th sequels?
Film
As we faded to black in 1980 we were left with the image of a water logged man yanking an innocent canoe paddler under the water. While the original film wasn’t met with much response by critics it was an instant classic, and by all accounts an extremely profitable slasher flick. As we know it has since spawned a barrage of sequels venturing from Camp Crystal Lake to outer space and in crossover worlds with Freddy Krueger. But before the series went south there were some memorable moments, and Friday the 13th Part 2 opens 2 months after the conclusion of the first film. A mysterious man is seen murdering Alice, the lone survivor from the first film. When then fast forward 5 years, Camp Crystal Lake is now condemned but a group of youngsters are on their way to a camp councillor training session. Not heeding the warning of Crazy Ralph the group proceeds. That evening around the campfire, Paul the evident leader of the group, tells the story of Mrs. Voorhees and her son Jason and their connection to “Camp Blood.” The group seems engaged in the story as a mysterious man approaches out of the bush and gets the group freaked out. It turns out that it is just their friend Ted, and Paul claims there is nothing to fear. From here on I’m going to be honest with you, there isn’t much of a story (although there are some interesting story and character developments), the group is stalked and killed one by one while trying to solve the mystery of Jason Voorhees. That’s the beauty of the film, as it wasn’t commonplace when it was first released and amongst the teenage sex and partying, there are some brutal murders.
Alright, so the premise took a little turn down the avenue of faux realism in contrast to the first Friday the 13th. While believing a female senior citizen could man handle a bunch of healthy young teens could hardly be called realistic, we now step into the realm of impossibility. That is in the fact that the 10 years dead Jason Voorhees is now the muscle saturated machete wielding burlap sack wearing murderer. But let’s be realistic none of the best horror films are entirely comprehendible; The Amnyitville Horror, The Exorcist, The Omen, A Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. While there are some plausible horror movies that do get a rise out of us, the real magic is in the unknown, the impossible.
Friday the 13th Part 2 is easily the second best film in the long line of Jason movies, as it serves as the introduction to the psycho himself. The story is actually quite entertaining and serves as a great sequel to the original which still remains the definitive Friday the 13th in my eyes, the 2009 re-release included. I’m going to recommend checking out this horror classic if you haven’t already, and if you already own the original on Blu-ray then you might as well pick this one up, as it serves well in the franchise.
Video
Presented in 1080p 2.40:1 aspect ratio and encoded in MPEG-4, Friday the 13th Part II comes to Blu-ray with some surprisingly good results. I actually watched Friday the 13th Part III first because of the promise of 3D, but the video presentation was simply lacklustre to the one found here. The color presentation is much better as we are given a vibrant palette instead of a washed out one. The films shadows look deep and rich creating a visually frightening atmosphere.
The print has been cleaned up as there are no visible compression artifacts or heavy specking.
Fans of the film will no doubt be please with this films video presentation as it is the best the film has ever looked.
Audio
The 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track is extremely front heavy, but there are more than a few instances where the entire surround system is used. During these “fright” scenes the rear channels pick up nicely, but bass support remains on the weak side for most of the film. The dialogue track sounds dated and is completely flat, but when accompanied with soundtrack or background effects it manages to mesh much better.
Overall the track does its job of presenting the material, but fails when compared to other top tier releases.
Special Features
- Crystal Lake Memories (HD) – Peter Bracke gives us some inside info about his book and some cool tidbits about Part II.
- Friday’s Legacy (HD)- A look at the people who are the hardcore fans of Jason.
- Jason Forever (SD)- A discussion with most of the people who had the task of playing Jason over the years. This feature is interesting for those who would like a candid discussion with the people who brought Jason to life.
- Lost Tales from Camp Blood Pt. 2 – The fan made Jason short film.
- Trailer
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that Friday the 13th is a horror classic, but sometimes I wonder why even I myself hold this series in such high esteem. I don’t mean that to be a complete knock of the quality, because I actually really enjoyed the movie and thought it was a good addition to the series. It’s just that I remember there being something more to the series. Maybe when I was younger I got more of a rise out of it as a horror, as the bar has been risen to high in terms of gore and cheap thrills. But I have to look at the film as being released when it was, and in that time period I have no doubt that this movie was awesome. So in the end I will definitely recommend checking this one out, and if you are a fan of the series I’ll go as far as saying you should buy it. While the features, audio, and video aren’t anything to write home about they will be enough to keep you somewhat satisfied.
