There is no way it has been 40 years since 1980, yet one look at the calendar and a basic understanding of math and sadly … it is true. Then again, if every four-decade celebration of a film is as awesome as the 40th-anniversary Steelbook of the slasher classic Friday the 13th, marking the massive passage of time would be much easier!
Two years prior, Michael Myers slashed his way into horror fans’ collective hearts in the original Halloween, seemingly capping off a decade that put the slasher film on the Hollywood map. Who knew, as the 70s decade was coming to a close, that there was room for another serial killer to join Myers in the lexicon of horror immortality? That’s right, where Michael wore the most disturbing of masks, Jason donned a hockey mask and the rest was history.
It was May 9, 1980, and Friday the 13th arrived in theaters and audiences came out in droves. The cume box office when all was said and done was an astonishing (for 1980 numbers) $59.8 million global gross. Like so many horror flicks, it would spawn a number of sequels (11, to be specific!). Now, with the release of the Blu-Ray Steelbook, it is a chance to bring the flick into your collection (if it’s not there already). Even if you already own the classic, there is something so freakin’ cool about the entity that is the Steelbook Blu-Ray and we cannot recommend purchasing Jason’s coming out party more!
Whereas Myers made good use of a kitchen knife, Jason turned to the slicingly more effective machete. A testament to the film’s story, its ensemble cast, and direction by Sean S. Cunningham is its resonance four decades after the film landed in theaters.
Friday the 13th not only made the hockey mask a scary thing, where it used to be simply protection for goalies but put the fictional summer camp’s moniker from the film instantly became part of the pop culture zeitgeist. Simply ask someone if they would like to go to Camp Crystal Lake and everyone knows the look you’ll get!
The flick followed a group of young camp counselors who gathered for the reopening of Camp Crystal Lake for the first time since the facility was closed after a boy drowned years prior. As is the case in the best horror flicks, our subjects go for a walk and don’t return. They venture outside for a moment and disappear. Alas, one-by-one these easy on the eyes camp counselors are picked off by this horrific murderer whose taste for death grows exponentially with each passing kill. Friday the 13th also had the privilege of introducing the world to an actor who just returned to the horror milieu this week with You Should Have Left, Kevin Bacon. The film also starred Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Laurie Bartram, and Peter Brouwer.
This limited edition Blu-Ray Steelbook includes the uncut, unrated version of the movie, some incredible artwork (i.e. the film’s original movie poster), and previously released bonus features.
Plus, plunge deeper into the film with previously released bonus content including commentary, interviews with cast and crew, and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Start with The Man Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham, which serves as a great, almost nine-minute interview with the film’s helmer. It’s a great chat that puts so much of the legacy of the flick in context. Cunningham also sheds some light on what everyone involved felt the film’s purpose was when they showed up on set to start filming as well as how much of the special effects were envelope-pushing at the time.
Lost Tales From Camp Blood – Part 1 is a poorly illuminated short that finds a couple meeting their doom by Jason. It’s interesting enough. But what totally makes the release a must-own if you don’t already is the twenty-minute The ‘Friday the 13th Chronicles. It’s a great look at the making of the movie, especially the early parts of pre-production. Secrets Galore Behind the Gore is a nine-and-a-half-minute look at the bloody carnage from a “how did they do that?” point of view.
Also included, and this is a treat to witness, is the film’s original theatrical trailer!
Do not miss the commentary track by Cunningham, who is joined by author Peter Bracke, scriptwriter Victor Miller and a few other folks that truly enlighten the entire “making-of” aspect of this home video release. A nice treat was included that was a 2008 cast reunion that included special effects make-up artist Tom Savini, writer Miller, Palmer, King, and composer Harry Manfredini.
Film Grade: B
Bonus Features: B+