Friday the 13th (Uncut): Deluxe Edition
Directed by Sean S. Cunningham
Studio: Paramount
Year: 1980
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 anamorphic
Running Time: 95 minutes
Rating: NR
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 English; 2.0 mono English, French, Spanish
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
MSRP: $ 16.99
Release Date: February 3, 2009
Review Date: January 20, 2009
The Film
2.5/5
Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th is an unpretentious little chiller. Not claiming to be anything other than a cinematic haunted house of horrors, Friday the 13th succeeds on its own meager terms. There’s no question that the story could have been more imaginatively written, turned into more of a legitimate mystery a la And Then There Were None. That being said and watching it again for the first time in almost thirty years, I was rather surprised at its actual lack of graphic carnage. True, more than half a dozen murders take place during the film, but my memory had built up the level of gore to be much more horrendous than it actually is. We do see a couple of murders in close-up, but more of them happen off camera where we then witness only the aftermath. In its own eccentric way, there’s a sort of stylishness to its handling of horror.
Camp Crystal Lake is attempting a reopening in 1980 after many aborted tries to return the camp to normalcy after two successive summers of tragedies - a drowning death in 1957 and the murders of two counselors in 1958 - had pretty much closed it down for good. A group of young counselors hired by owner Steve Christy (Peter Brouwer) have arrived a couple of weeks ahead of the campers to get the old place into running order. We get to know most of them only by name: Alice (Adrienne King), Marcie (Jeannine Taylor), Jack (Kevin Bacon), Bill (Harry Crosby), Brenda (Laurie Bartram), and Ned (Mark Nelson). A young girl Annie (Robbi Morgan) hitchhiking to the camp to be its cook is the first one slaughtered, and from then on, an unseen observer with a knife seems to begin picking the youngsters off one at a time.
Though the film has been among the most seen and discussed horror films of the last thirty years, no spoilers will be offered here to ruin anyone’s first visit to Crystal Lake. Writer Victor Miller has spent little time on developing personalities for any of the group apart from Ned’s irritating practical joke nature and Alice’s undisguised dissatisfaction with the camp’s owner and a desire to leave, only giving in at the last minute and agreeing to stay for one more week to pitch in with getting the place up to speed. When the killer is finally revealed, it’s something of a surprise, and there is some adequate motivation offered for the crimes, but one regrets that more wasn’t done to set up a group of suspects from the town (some of whom we meet early on when Alice is asking for directions) so that the twist revelation could have been an even greater and more effective shock. Obviously, writer Miller and director Sean Cunningham were more interested in the quick series of horrifying discoveries of bodies all over the campgrounds once the number of surviving counselors ebbs to one. And one can certainly see the influences of Halloween especially in one late moment when the one survivor is hiding from the killer in a closet with rays of light streaming in between the wooden slats before an ax begins chopping down the door.
Though show business veterans like Betsy Palmer, Ronn Carroll, and Rex Everhart get a scene or two to ply their craft, not many of the youngsters get much opportunity to strut their acting stuff. The young Kevin Bacon is remembered for this film more for what happens to him (perhaps the most memorable moment in the movie) than for any words he speaks. Undoubtedly, his career as an actor, producer, and director has risen to greater heights than any of the other young performers in the movie. In this film, though, his work is no better or worse than anyone else's.
Video Quality
3.5/5
The film has been framed at 1.78:1 and is anamorphically enhanced. Never having owned any previous editions of Friday the 13th, I can’t say how much improved this new release is over previous releases, but I can say that this transfer is a very clean and mostly solid encoding. Black levels are good without being great, and shadow detail is more than adequate. There are a few shots that seem abnormally soft, ill-matching the mostly sharp images that have come before and after, and occasionally the image seems rather dull and dated though that isn’t the case with most of the transfer. The film has been divided into 15 chapters.
Audio Quality
3.5/5
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is a remixed version of the original mono (also available with this set). Though the music and some occasional sound effects are sent to the rear channels, the majority of the film’s sound is spread across the front channels. Despite the fact that a great portion of the movie takes place during a terrific thunderstorm, the LFE channel is not exploited for much benefit.
Special Features
3/5
The audio commentary is hosted by author-critic Peter Bracke and along with his astute observations on the film, the commentary is pieced together with comments from director Sean Cunningham, writer Victor Miller, composer Harry Manfredini, actresses Betsy Palmer and Adrienne King, and others. It’s a very informative track, well worth a listen.
“A Friday the 13th Reunion” is a 16 ¾-minute question and answer session held at a film convention and featuring stars Betsy Palmer and Adrienne King, composer Harry Manfredini, makeup supervisor Tom Savini, writer Victor Miller, and actor Ari Lehman (who played the young Jason in the film’s coda). The session is presented in anamorphic widescreen.
“Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th” offers 14 more minutes (in anamorphic widescreen) with Miller, Lehman, Savini, Manfredini, and actress Robbi Morgan (the first to die) relating their memories of working on the production.
“The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham” is a 9-minute anamorphic widescreen tribute to the film’s producer-director. He speaks of his involvement with the film and the subsequent career he owes to its success. His son Noel, now also a director, also comments on his father’s work.
“Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 1” is a 7 ½-minute anamorphic short in the slasher vein of Friday the 13th as an unknown killer slashes a couple to pieces in their home. Obviously made on a shoestring budget, this story will continue on the DVD for Part II.
The original theatrical trailer is presented in anamorphic widescreen and runs 2 ½ minutes.
In Conclusion
2.5/5 (not an average)
One of the seminal horror films of the last half century, Friday the 13th might not be a great film, but it’s still a pretty good time. Turn out the lights and hold on!
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
