Filming has officially wrapped for 'Resident Evil' reboot!

 

 

With 2020 soon coming to a close, we can look forward to brighter days as things slowly but surely return to normal. While this year has dealt a big blow to the film industry, we still have plenty of projects heading our way in 2021, with one of my most anticipated being the 'Resident Evil' reboot. Today on their official Twitter page, Sony Pictures posted a photo and message announcing that they've officially wrapped on principal photography for the film which you can see below...

 

 

The film doesn't release until the fall of '21 but we can expect a trailer to arrive sometime this spring, most likely attached to the March release of 'Morbius'. 'Resident Evil' is looking to have a big year with the arrival of the newest entry of the game series with 'Village' as well as a revamp of the official website for the franchise. The reboot is written & directed by Johannes Roberts and stars Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell, Avan Jogia, Tom Hopper, Donal Logue, and Neal McDonough.

The story is currently still under wraps but is said to be a mix of the first two games of the series. The film will release worldwide on September 9th, 2021. Check out some behind the scenes pictures below and stay tuned for more news.

 

 

 

Godzilla vs. Kong May Be The Next to Head to Streaming

 

 

While it'd be nice to believe that 2020's misery won't carry over into early next year, it's merely wishful thinking. Today, The Hollywood Reporter have been circulating that the upcoming fourth film in Warner's 'Monsterverse' franchise 'Godzilla vs. Kong' may suffer the same fate as 'Wonder Woman' and head to home streaming services rather than a wide release this March as originally intended. According to the report, it has come down to Netflix & of course HBO Max. While HBO may be a likely home as Warner Bros owns the service, Netflix has attempted to sweeten the pot with a reported $200 million offer which may be more enticing as the film is likely not to make much of a profit otherwise.

The only downside to heading to Netflix is not only to do with its dropping number of members for several recent controversies and financial turmoil, but the service is not offered in China who provide the largest box office revenues in the world. This can mean an exclusive theatrical run for the country in 2021 which would benefit Warner Bros even more but with the pandemic reaching its peak at the moment, it's hard to determine.

'Godzilla vs. Kong' was scheduled for early this year, then Thanksgiving before moving into Spring 2021 with no specific date announced. The film will see the return of Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler who will reprise their roles from 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters'. They will star alongside Julian Dennison, Brian Tyree Henry, Demian Bichir, Alexander Skarsgard, Eisa Gonzales, Jessica Hardwick, Rebecca Hall, and Lance Reddick. The film was directed by Adam Wingard (Blair Witch).

Death Returns For Another Round in 'Final Destination 6'

 

 

The 'Final Destination' series is a personal favorite of mine, with each sequel getting sillier but resulting in fun popcorn entertainment. The series went on hiatus after the lackluster box office of 'Final Destination 5' despite receiving the best critical score of the series but news of a sixth entry persisted until January 2019 when it was officially announced that a sixth entry was in the works with 'SAW' writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan penning the script which is alleged to be centered on EMT workers, firemen, and police. The film has also been confirmed to NOT be a reboot of the series but thankfully a sequel story but will not focus on any previous locations or characters.

Rumors and news on the film's progress lingered until series creator Jeffery Reddick answered a fan's Tweet, confirming that the film is still indeed being made but like everything else in 2020 is being halted by COVID-19.

 

'Final Destination 6' is still lacking a release date, but will likely be shooting for a late 2021 or early 2022 release.

'Five Nights at Freddy's' Adaptation Begins Filming Spring 2021

 

 

While not my personal taste, there's no denying the massive enterprise the 'FNAF' video game franchise has become these many years. Beginning as a solo project for creator Scott Cawthon, there are now 15 games in the series with another on the way for the newly released PS5, multiple books, toys, and other merchandise. Naturally one would have expected a film adaptation right? Well to be honest not this far into the series' life.

 

Originally announced back in 2015 getting a 'Five Nights' film has been surprisingly difficult to get off the ground. Warner Bros. were the first to helm the project with Gil Kenan (Monster House) hired to direct. Then...really nothing until 2017 when Warner announced it had lost the rights and rumor has it that the script they were going to use was retooled into the god-awful 'Banana Splits Movie' released last year so maybe the shift was for the best.

 

Now under the eye of Blumhouse (because what horror project isn't these days?) the film saw delay after delay until this week they've finally got things in place. Scott Cawthon took to Reddit with the announcement.

 

 "Filming starts in Spring!!!" Cawthon stated while also mentioning the current screenplay saying that "It has the best pieces from all the screenplays!" "It's fun, it's scary, and it has a great central story!" You can see the Reddit post in full by clicking here where he goes a little bit more in depth with the many rejected scripts.

 

The film has yet to have a release date but it's safe to estimate at a likely 2022 release date. Keep an eye out here for more information.

 

 

 

 

SOURCE: Bloody-Disgusting.com, Reddit.com, Wikipedia.org
 

'Scream 5' Officially Wraps Filming. New Title is...'Scream'

 

 

You may or may not have even been aware of a new entry in the 'Scream' series was even under production as it's remained a bit under the radar since first announced last year. This week, the writer and creator of the series Kevin Williamson announced on his Twitter page that the fifth entry has officially wrapped filming and included a couple of nice pics with Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and of course Ghostface which you can view below.

 

 

Yes, the new film will be dropping the 5 and titled 'Scream' a frequent and honestly annoying trend in horror these days (Halloween 2018 anyone?). While the cast and crew have all stated that this is a sequel and not a remake of the 1996 film, the title may suggest it may ignore previous sequels like 'Halloween' or maybe it's just to be confusing.

'Scream' is scheduled to release January 14th 2022 and will be the first in the series to not be helmed by the late great Wes Craven but instead directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett who brought us the excellent horror comedy 'Ready or Not' last year. The film follows the story of a young woman who returns to her old hometown, only to encounter horrific murder cases connected to an infamous masked serial killer.

Keep an eye here for future updates on 'Scream' and other horror news and let me know what your thoughts on the new movie is in the comments below.

Source: @kevwilliamson on Twitter, Bloody Disgusting, Paramount Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment

First Look at the 'Resident Evil' Reboot!

 

 

After going quiet likely due to the current state of the world, we finally get some new info on Sony Pictures' upcoming reboot of the 'Resident Evil' film franchise. Originally scheduled for a Fall 2020 release, the film has since been delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak to sometime in 2021. Sony has remained silent for the most part since announcing the project back in 2018, only stating that the film will go back to the beginning and mix the stories of the first two games in the series. We've now since received our first look with some photo uploads of what appears to be the Spencer Mansion as well as a S.T.A.R.S. helicopter.

Thanks to Residence of Evil's Twitter page, you can view the individual photos below. 'Resident Evil' is directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down) and will star Donal Logue, Tom Hopper, Kaya Humphrey, and Robbie Amell.

Source: Residence of Evil @ROEnetwork on Twitter

Some Changes To Our Format (November 2020)

 

Hello again, and I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving/Holiday Season. For a long time now (surprisingly longer than I remembered) I mostly focused on reviews of movies and home video and had a lot of fun doing it. However with the sad state of the world this has become tougher with very little new movies arriving and theaters being mostly closed down. Rather than temporarily shut down the blogs until further notice, I decided that I wanted to make some changes so that I can keep doing what I love and hopefully you will continue to enjoy my work.

So starting today, I will be posting news articles on both here and my 'Splice Here' page about the industry, have in depth discussions on certain topics or themes in particular films or genres, and other horror and movie related material such as video games, YouTubers, or books if possible. I hope this will improve my material and writing skills as I take a deeper dive into new material.

I hope the site can grow with your help and keep enjoying. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone.

 

Come Play (2020)

 

 'Come Play' was written & directed by Jacob Chase and stars Azhy Robertson as a young autistic boy named Oliver who discovers a mysterious storybook app on his tablet one night. It tells the tale of a lonely monster named Larry who seemingly only desires young Oliver for a friend. However, Larry's hauntings and behavior begin to grow more violent and aggressive as the creature stops at nothing to take the boy at any cost.

The film began as a short, simply titled 'Larry' by Chase and was an effective little chiller but stretching out to a full feature has given the story more depth and a stronger foothold on what the director is trying to convey. Being a film produced by Amblin Entertainment, a company founded by Steven Spielberg it's easy to figure out that 'Come Play' will likely follow the similar trappings of 'Poltergeist' or 'Super 8' or even perhaps a bit from Jennifer Kent's excellent 'Babadook' film, but it also inputs a lot of strong themes of its own about friendships, parenting, children in need of guidance and help, and a lack of communication and companionship in an era of modern technology where we only look at our screens but not each other.

That goes a lot deeper than I ever expected for your usual horror flick these days but Jacob Chase has shown he can give you the same horror experience and make it mean something as well. The stand out here of course is the young Azhy Robertson as Oliver who was previously seen in the Oscar Nominated film 'Marriage Story'. Playing people on the Autism Spectrum is more difficult than people give credit to and as someone on said spectrum I was impressed with his accuracy while still giving the character more layers beyond his condition. You can see and feel Oliver's emotions and thoughts without Robertson saying a word and is one of the strongest child performances this year.

I also have to give a huge thumbs up to the special effects crew from the Jim Henson Puppet Shop, who provided an amazing mixture of computer effects and practical puppetry for Larry. While much of him is in shadow, when they do show him off it's quite the feat with that creepy creaks and moans he makes but also they show off that the creature does indeed mean no harm in some sense as it shows some sympathy as well.

'Come Play' may come off as a by the numbers ghost thriller on the surface, but it's so much deeper than that. It's a thought provoking film that also delivers the right amount of eerie atmosphere and thrills to satisfy horror fans looking for something a bit different this Halloween.

A

The Empty Man (2020)

 

 

'The Empty Man' is the directorial debut of David Prior and is based upon the graphic novel of the same name by Boom! Studios. It stars James Badge Dale as a man who begins searching for his friend's lost daughter and uncovering a sinister cult with dark plans for him. 

This film was shelved back in 2017 by 20th Century Fox which is now a part of the Walt Disney Company who I guess felt they could get a few bucks out of some patrons during this dry bones Halloween season. After watching the film, I can completely understand why the film was ultimately shelved until now, and that's because it makes you ask "How can I possibly market this film?". I'm gonna be upfront and say that I have neither read nor even heard of this graphic novel before sitting down to watch this flick, and in what seems like a first I went in completely blind with no prior research to see if I could critique the film better and I feel that had I seen the poster and marketing beforehand, I'd be more angry I think.

'The Empty Man' simply lacks an identity. It doesn't know what it wants to be so it throws cinematic crap at the wall to see which sticks, which spoiler alert is none of them. The beginning shows promise with an eerie atmosphere and set somewhere in Tibet as a group of mountain climbers seem to unleash a curse or spiritual entity of some kind setting up a simple premise that can be built upon if done right. We then jump ahead where the film suddenly becomes a hybrid of 'Ring' and films of the slasher genre with the titular spirit bumping off some teens in quick fashion.

We then drop that subplot and suddenly we are now in a 'Wicker Man' or 'Midsommar' cult horror film until we arrive at an incoherent science fiction climax that I won't spoil but it hardly matters. I expect most folks to be ready to pack up long before then. Now that I've savaged the movie so harshly I will say that the film does some things right. Like I said, the prologue was very well done and effectively creepy and while the story goes off the rails from there, it does retain that creep factor for most of the running time. I also have to again praise composer Christopher Young, who is a favorite among horror directors with his most famous film of course being 'Hellraiser'.

'The Empty Man' is likely a better read than it is presented here and I will likely catch up with it long before I sit through this one again. This is just another one of Fox's sad leftovers in a sea of leftovers brought over from the Disney merger. Do yourselves a favor and look for the scares somewhere else this Halloween.

D-

The Witches (2020)

 

 

 

With COVID-19 creating chaos across the globe the world as we know it has changed forever and our favorite pastimes have become one of many things compromised by the virus. Once slated for theaters this month, Robert Zemeckis's remake of the Roald Dahl novel 'The Witches' has now been given a home exclusively on the HBO MAX streaming service starting today. This new adaptation stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, and Stanley Tucci and follows the same beats as the novel and 90s version but throws in some of its own elements such as a location change and a somewhat extended ending.

For those unaware of the tale, it revolves around a young boy (Jahzir Bruno/Chris Rock) after his parents pass in a terrible car accident. He's left in the care of his loving Grandmother (Spencer) who takes him away to a prestigious hotel in Alabama to help him out of his sadness. However, they soon realize that they have stumbled upon a group of evil spell-casters led by the Grand High Witch (Hathaway) who are devising a new plan that will eradicate the world's children.

 

 

The 1990 film was sadly a box office bomb but showed great talent and is easily one of the best adaptations of a Dahl novel and over the years has gotten the appreciation it deserves. The new film sadly doesn't have the charm or longevity of the 90's version, but it has a lot of good going for it to make it a worthwhile experience with the kids. The obvious stand out here is Hathaway, who chews the scenery and is obviously having a lot of fun playing the Grand High Witch. She's not really scary like Huston's performance or intimidating really even when given a nasty CGI makeover but her over-the-top performance and funny lines make her the biggest positive of the film. I also loved Octavia Spencer and felt that she was the more warm and loving portrayal of the character than the previous film.

 

Honestly, the biggest problem with the 2020 'Witches' is that like many newer adaptations of children's material it simply plays it too safe, and that's saying a lot considering how far out of their way they attempt to scare children. The CGI is too cartoonish and Hathaway's performance is far too goofy to find her scary even for a young audience. The original film's director Nicholas Roeg had horror film experience and you can see it in his version. The camerawork, the special effects and witch makeup, as well as the more graphic elements from the book certainly pushed the PG rating at the time but here it's clear that they've pulled back a bit which is a shame as it goes against the tone of the book.

 

 

While I don't think the CGI really enhances the movie, it's done well and there is some clever use of practical mixed with computers such as with the witch's various features so while it won't age as well it is good enough. The music by Alan Silvestri is well...music. It's not a standout score for the man, especially after coming off of 'Avengers: Endgame' but the film also utilizes some period songs that are all fun and appropriate picks. As far as technical elements go overall 'The Witches' has great cinematography, set design, and sleek but it's just missing that feeling of something being off like the original. It's a bit too bright and cheery, most scenes set in the middle of the day which may have been to keep the scarier elements more toned down but it feels odd to have a spooky movie have little to no spookiness.

 

 

I saw the film on HBO MAX using their 7-day free trial and overall I'd say I was satisfied with this movie. It's nothing special really but as far as a Halloween kids film I'd recommend it if you see it for free. Otherwise you won't be missing out on much if you're a fan of the original or are looking for something else out there. Anne Hathaway is the biggest reason to check it out in my opinion as she's clearly having a ball being absolutely nuts and she's pretty funny. Still though, I think most are better off just checking out the original film. This one doesn't have that magic or uniqueness to make it stand out much.

C-

The Fog (1980)

 

 

'The Fog' was written and directed by John Carpenter (Halloween) and stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Hal Holbrook, and Janet Leigh. The story revolves the seaside town of Antonio Bay, where a mysterious phenomena seems to have plagued the town one cold dark night. It all leads to a dark background of the town's origins, conspiracies, and a mysterious and deadly fog that begins to take over the town and killing it's residents.

The minute 'The Fog' begins, it will become perfectly clear why it's yearly watch on my Halloween playlist. An old sea dog recounts the tale of the mysterious figures who were led to their deaths at sea and brings an ominous warning to the children. This campfire opening sets the tone perfectly: it's a modern day urban legend or tall tale we all were told as children. We then transition to the town of Antonio Bay as we see windows break, lights come on by themselves, and even mild earthquakes. It's a good opening that provides great tension and gives us that feeling that something is off.

We then meet a few of our cast members who at first all seem unrelated but various subplots will bring them all together at the film's climax. This causes some of the film's issues however as only two characters have any kind of significance to the plot: Radio DJ Stevie Wayne and Father Malone who both have important ties to the backstory and action of the film. The rest of the gang here are underwritten or feel unneeded, with Jamie Lee Curtis being the standout of this issue. For someone who received top billing and got onto the poster, her character serves no purpose to the story whatsoever but don't get me wrong, I do love Jamie Lee but I don't know why she's here.

Thankfully, getting through the exposition is relatively quick here and once the ghosts arrive in the fog the movie picks up again to make for an enjoyable climax. Really what makes 'The Fog' so effective is the special effects by Rob Bottin, score by Carpenter himself, and Dean Cundey's always excellent camerawork making it an effectively eerie tone. Carpenter could always take a story or idea that may come off as cheap or B-Grade in the hands of anyone else and make it work and look like a 50 million dollar movie. While 'The Fog' doesn't offer as much substance or scares compared to his other work, it's still works enough to make it a part of your annual Halloween marathons. Oh, and please avoid the 2005 remake at all costs.

Ju-On: The Grudge vs The Grudge (2004)

 

 

 

I realized when going back to the few movies I DID manage to see in theaters in 2020, I saw that I had seen 'The Grudge' back in January...and then I re-watched about five minutes of it again and remembered why I forgot about it. But it did make me think of when I would go back and check out the previous entries before tackling the newest sequel or remake so better late than never I suppose. I'm going to be covering both the 2002 Japanese original (which is actually a sequel to 'The Curse' which never got adapted in the US) and it's 2004 US remake. Both films are directed by Takashi Shimizu and both were huge hits at the time during a big boom for the sub-genre known as J-Horror after the success of 'Ring' and it's American counterpart as few years earlier. But does being directed by the same person mean the same quality?

 

The premise is similar for both films and overall it does seem like many scenes or lines of dialogue are exact so there's little change in that department. The story involves a cursed home where the ghost of a murdered wife and her child haunt and eventually kill anyone who enters the home, or has contact with anyone who has entered. How this premise is shown is where the two films begin to take different courses. The remake makes the common horror mistake of explaining too much with exposition rather than slowly revealing information like the original which tends to spread out it's mythology throughout. While this is a common problem with western horror in general, I feel that 'The Grudge' makes this mistake stick out all the more because the filmmakers chose to keep the location in Japan, but having 99% of the cast be westerners. 

The debate of whitewashing in Hollywood has been a hot topic for many years now, and in this case I see the problem. Changing the venue to the appropriate place can drastically make a difference when remaking a foreign product for another country. This was why 2002's 'The Ring' was a bigger success because it took the original premise of a video tape that haunts you and changed it to Seattle to make the setting more fitting. 'The Grudge' just feels very unrealistic that so many caucasian people would be living in the country all near this house, especially when you are aware of the country's strict immigration policies. It takes you out of the movie for myself and many others and it feels more than a bit insulting to have Sarah Michelle Gellar patronizing the audience by explaining Japanese culture as mysterious and weird like this is the 1800's.

 

 

What the remake does do well is recreating the original's iconic scares well without adding any gore or jump scare nonsense. It also manages to take some scenes from other films in the series such as 'Ju-On: Curse' and even though having the mostly white cast isn't ideal they all perform well. Really, going back over these two films it was harder than I thought to pick out precise elements that made one superior to the other but really what it comes down to is this: They are so similar that it just ultimately makes the 2004 remake pointless. It does nothing to stand out as it's own movie like with 'The Ring' it's more or less the exact same film so there's really no reason to see it over the Japanese version unless you're really that much against subtitles. However at that point why would 'The Grudge' even interest you? Takashi Shimizu got very lucky and was given a once in a lifetime chance for a foreign director to make it in Hollywood and it's hard to blame him for taking it. It's just a shame it didn't turn out to be such a fairy tale ending for him with a pointless remake, a terrible original sequel, and two sequels without his involvement. Thankfully, his work in Japan such as 'Marebito' were worthy redeemers.

Terror in the Aisles (1984)

 

 

'Terror in the Aisles' is a strange one among the many horror movie documentaries out there. If you've ever seen one of those infamous clip show episodes of 'The Simpsons', you'll know what I'm talking about here. The film is a compilation of what was considered at the time the most scary and intense movies of all time with far too many to list here. So why bother with watching various clips from hundreds of scary movies when it's easy to do so on YouTube in 2020? Well, I won't say that 'Terror in the Aisles' is necessarily a convinient way to view these movies but the context of when it released does give it some merit.

 

Now I did say that the film is comprised mainly of various clips and scenes, but it does have a skeleton so to speak with the narration and newly shot footage of actors Donald Pleasance of the 'Halloween' series and Nancy Allen of 'Carrie' who provide eerie dialogue that comes off as pure cheese these days but gives the movie an extra boost with its fun and silly nature. Having Pleasance and Allen talk about the horrors of the world, movies, and various other related topics while trying to act scared in a movie theater of patrons is quite amusing and keeps the film from getting dull. You also get some fun moments where various audience members are shown as cliches such as the stoners and the ones who yell at the characters on screen.

While it's not a documentary in the traditional sense, the film does at some points bring up various topics such as the classic Universal Monsters era, the evolution of makeup effects, and asks the audience why do we seek out horror films? They sadly gloss over this material very quickly in favor of getting as many clips from various films in as possible but the highlight is a famous interview with director Alfred Hitchcock as he goes over a couple of the techniques he would use to scare his audience, including the famous monologue about the bomb under the table. The lack of information of these various horror movies really drags down 'Terror in the Aisles' for me, especially when we have 7 hour docs on just one film series these days. The film also oddly chooses to take scenes from a ton of movies that aren't considered "horror" such as 'Nighthawks' and 'Marathon Man'. With so many films being utilized here and even more if you see the television cut of the film, bringing in these random clips are a bit odd to me.

I've always enjoyed 'Terror in the Aisles' but I will also admit that it's far from the best horror documentary out there. If you grew up renting tapes in the 80's and 90's like I did, you probably have already seen it and it was a good way to get a taste of all these famous horror films at the time but my nostalgia clashes with the facts, and the facts are that a 90 minute clip show does not age well in the era of YouTube or other video sharing sites. It's a fun little movie overall that won't bore you, but it won't wow you like it did to my generation either.

 C

Buy or Rent 'Terror in the Aisles' Here

 

Friday the 13th: The Collection Deluxe Edition (Part 4)

 

 

(Continued from part 3):

 

...Each movie in the series gets it's own case featuring the original poster artwork and the first five movies have reversible covers featuring alternate poster art. The set also includes two bonus discs of special features in a separate case along with special features on each film's disc. A booklet covering the entire series is a fun but brief read that is a nice little bonus. If you pre-ordered from Shout! Factory's official website, the set also came with two limited edition posters.

The first four 'Friday' films have been remastered and are presented with a brand new 4K transfer and they are the best the series has looked yet. 'The Final Chapter' in particular being a stand out its crisp visuals and vibrant colors. Part V-Jason X seem to be the same blu-ray transfers from the previous collector's set and while that's a bit of a bummer, they all still have nice transfers overall. The biggest disappointment here is how Shout! or Warner Bros. got a little cheap with Freddy vs Jason and the Remake because they're the exact same blu-ray discs you can buy individually. Even the artwork on the disc itself remains unchanged. Come on guys, you did such a beautiful job with this set and you couldn't even change the disc art?

Audio transfers are also brought over from the previous release but luckily the sound mixes are very good or as good as 'Friday the 13th' is gonna get at this point. Ten films are presented with Dolby 5.1 while the latter are presented in Dolby True HD. I did seem to think the dialogue was a bit better and more audible this time around though it has been a while since I first went through my old sets for comparison but I did notice a nice boost to the sound effects and music which do seem to be remixed for a better output. 

 

 

I won't be getting into every single special feature at once because we'll be here all day so instead, I will be going over the new additions exclusive to this set and give out a list of the special features below at the end of the review. The original film adds some television and radio spots and an international trailer so not a whole lot new here but I think at this point, we've gotten all we're going to get out of the first film.

Part 2 includes one of the best additions of the set by finally including the long lost deleted scenes from the film. These are unfortunately presented without sound and are in VHS quality but I think the picture is nice considering its age and the uncut kills do not dissapoint. This is a big win for fans of the series and was the highlight of the set for me. Also included are two brand new audio commentaries, a new interview with actress Amy Steel, and the original Mono soundtrack.

Part 3's biggest addition is that the film can now be seen in modern digital 3D, though I was unable to experience this due to needing a 3D television, which are now in short supply and were generally unpopular. This is a nice thing to throw in but it does seem strange since I'm not sure how many people will even be able to experience it.

We then skip over to 'A New Beginning' we get two new commentaries with the cast, crew, and a fan commentary with Adam Marcus (Hatchet) & Joe Lynch (Mayhem) who also provided a fan commentary for part 4 in the last set. Part VI adds two more commentaries on top of the two it already had which is an extra nice bonus for fans of 'Jason Lives' like myself.  

 

 

We then jump way ahead to 'Jason Goes to Hell', which oddly gets a lot of love from Shout! Factory this time around. We finally get both the 'R' and 'Unrated' cuts of the film on blu-ray, and tons of new features including various interviews and a mini documentary and a second commentary for the unrated cut. The same love goes to 'Jason X' as well with the film finally getting a commentary which is nice and a nice documentary that's a fun watch even if you aren't the biggest fan of the film. You also get new interviews and a brand new introduction to the film from Kane Hodder.

As stated above, 'Freddy vs Jason' and the 2009 remake are the exact same discs from previous single and box set releases and have no new features whatsoever. This is the biggest flaw of the set as a whole because it just seems lazy. They actually tried to put a lot of love and effort into even the worst films of the series but they couldn't bother to get new material for these? And the remake is only presented in its extended cut so unlike 'Jason Goes to Hell' you can't watch the shorter and better cut of the film. At least with 'FvJ' it does include some decent features like an audio commentary and some documentaries but after such a fun ride through the rest of the film's special features, it's a dull ending.

Luckily, the two bonus discs more than make up for those lackluster final movies, and their additions give this box set a total of over 25 hours worth of special features and you'll be content watching them for quite a while if you even end up finishing it all. It has both new and old special features from previous bonus discs including more deleted scenes, new interviews, archival material, documentaries, and even the Alice Cooper music video 'Man Behind the Mask'. This set is absolutely packed.

So, we've finally come to the finale of this marathon review for the new 'Friday the 13th Collection' set! I really appreciate you sticking with me throughout and I cannot thank you enough. Overall, my final verdict is this is a must have set for any 'Friday' fan or horror fan in general. I know that this series has been re-released time and time again but if you love this franchise you really are gonna want this one. It has every single piece of material possible aside from the Crystal Lake Memories documentary from all of the previous releases as well as a tone of brand new material. This is the ultimate 'Friday' experience!

Friday the 13th: The Collection (A+)

FILMS: (B+)

VIDEO: (A+)

AUDIO: (A)

SPECIAL FEATURES: (A+)

 

 

 DISCS ONE: R-RATED THEATRICAL VERSION OF FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)

• NEW 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• NEW International Theatrical Trailer
• NEW TV Spot
• NEW S. Radio Spots
• NEW K. Radio Spot
• U. S. Theatrical Trailer
• Movie Stills Gallery
• Posters And Lobby Cards Gallery

DISCS TWO: FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) – UNCUT VERSION

• NEW 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• NEW Restored Original Mono Track
• Audio Commentary With Director Sean S. Cunningham, Screenwriter Victor Miller, Actresses Adrienne King And Betsy Palmer, Composer Harry Manfredini, Editor Bill Freda, And Assistant Editor Jay Keuper, Hosted By Peter M. Bracke
• Fresh Cuts: New Tales From Friday The 13th
• The Man Behind The Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham
• Friday The 13th Reunion Panel
• Lost Tales From Camp Blood – Part 1
• NEW Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom)

DISC THREE: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981)

• NEW 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• NEW restored mono track
• NEW Slashed Scenes – the long-awaited uncut gore footage!
• NEW Audio Commentary with actress Amy Steel, filmmaker Thommy Hutson and author Peter M. Bracke
• NEW Audio Commentary with actors Russell Todd, Kirsten Baker, Bill Randolph, Lauren Marie-Taylor, Stu Charno and author Peter M. Bracke
• NEW My Life with Ginny – a conversation with actress Amy Steel, moderated by Justin Beahm
• NEW Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD-Rom)
• Inside Crystal Lake Memories: The Book
• Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions
• Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 2
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer
• Japanese Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots
• Movie Stills Gallery
• Poster and Lobby Cards Gallery

DISC FOUR: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 (1982)

• NEW 4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative For Both The 2-D And 3-D Versions Of The Film
• NEW Blu-ray 3-D Version Of The Film (To Watch The 3D version, You Must Have A Fully Capable 3D TV And 3D Blu-ray Player)
• NEW Restored Mono Track
• Audio Commentary With Actors Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka, Richard Brooker, And Dana Kimmell
• Fresh Cuts: 3-D Terror
• Lost Tales From Camp Blood – Part 3
• Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – NEW To The Set)
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots (NEW To The Set)
• Radio Spots (NEW To The Set)
• Movie Stills Gallery
• Posters And Lobby Cards Gallery

DISC FIVE: FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)

• NEW 4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative
• NEW Restored Mono Track
• Audio Commentary With Director Joe Zito, Screenwriter Barney Cohen, And Editor Joel Goodman
• Fan Audio Commentary By Filmmakers Adam Green And Joe Lynch
• Slashed Scenes With Audio Commentary By Director Joseph Zito
• Jason's Unlucky Day: 25 Years After Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter
• The Lost Ending
• Jimmy's Dead Dance Moves
• The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part I
• Lost Tales From Camp Blood – Part 4
• Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – NEW To The Set)
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot (NEW To The Set)
• Radio Spots (NEW To The Set)
• Movie Stills Gallery
• Posters And Lobby Cards Gallery

DISC SIX: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING (1985)

• NEW Restored Mono Track
• NEW Audio Commentary With Melanie Kinnaman, Deborah Voorhees, Tiffany Helm, And Author Peter M. Bracke
• NEW Fan Audio Commentary By Filmmakers Adam Green And Joe Lynch
• Audio Commentary With Director/Co-screenwriter Danny Steinmann, Actors John Shepherd And Shavar Ross
• Lost Tales From Camp Blood – Part 5
• The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part II
• New Beginnings: The Making Of Friday The 13th Part V
• Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – NEW To The Set)
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots (NEW To The Set)
• Movie Stills Gallery
• Posters And Lobby Cards Gallery

DISC SEVEN: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986)

• NEW Restored Stereo Track
• NEW Audio Commentary With Thom Mathews, Vinny Gustaferro, Kerry Noonan, Cynthia Kania, CJ Graham, And Author Peter M. Bracke
• NEW Fan Audio Commentary By Filmmakers Adam Green, Joe Lynch, And Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin
• Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin
• Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Tom McLoughlin, Actor Vincent Guastaferro, And Editor Bruce Green
• Lost Tales From Camp Blood – Part 6
• The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited Part III
• Jason Lives: The Making Of Friday The 13th: Part VI
• Meeting Mr. Voorhees – Alternate Ending Storyboards
• Slashed Scenes
• Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – NEW To The Set)
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots (NEW to the Set)
• Still Gallery

DISC EIGHT: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD (1987)

• NEW Restored Stereo Track
• Audio Commentary With Director John Carl Buechler And Actor Kane Hodder
• Audio Commentary With Director John Carl Buechler And actors Lar Park Lincoln And Kane Hodder
• Jason's Destroyer: The Making Of Friday The 13th Part VII
• Mind Over Matter: The Truth About Telekinesis
• Makeover By Maddy: Need A Little Touch-Up Work, My A**
• Slashed Scenes With Introduction
• Vintage Fangoria Magazine Article (BD Rom – NEW To The Set)
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot (NEW To The Set)
• Movie Stills Gallery
• Poster And Behind-The-Scenes Photos

DISC NINE: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN (1989)

• Audio Commentary With Director Rob Hedden
• Audio Commentary With 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
• Slashed Scenes
• Gag Reel
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots (NEW To The Set)

DISCS TEN: JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY (1993) – R-RATED THEATRICAL VERSION

• NEW 2K Scan Of The Interpositive
• NEW Introduction By Director Adam Marcus
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots (NEW To The Set)
• Movie Stills Gallery
• Poster And Behind-The-Scenes Photos
• A Look At The Friday The 13th Prop Museum Book

DISC ELEVEN: JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY (1993) – UNCUT VERSION

• NEW 2K Scan Of The Interpositive With HD Inserts
• NEW Audio Commentary With Adam Marcus And Author Peter Bracke
• Audio Commentary With Director Adam Marcus And Screenwriter Dean Lorey
• NEW Introduction By Director Adam Marcus
• NEW The Gates of Hell – An Interview With Director Adam Marcus
• NEW Jason vs. Terminator – Adam Marcus On Growing Up With The Cunninghams
• NEW Über-Jason – An Interview With Kane Hodder On Playing Jason
• Additional TV Footage With NEW Optional Audio Commentary With Director Adam Marcus And Author Peter Bracke

DISC TWELVE: JASON X (2002)

• NEW 2K Scan Of The Interpositive
• Audio Commentary With Director Jim Isaac, Writer Todd Farmer, And Producer Noel Cunningham
• NEW Introduction By Kane Hodder
• NEW Audio Commentary With Writer Todd Farmer And Peter Bracke
• NEW Outta Space: The Making Of JASON X – Featuring Interviews With Producers Noel Cunningham And Sean S. Cunningham, Actor Kane Hodder, And writer Todd Farmer
• NEW In Space No One Can Hear You Scream – An Interview With Writer Todd Farmer
• NEW Kristi Is A Headbanger – An Interview With Actress Kristi Angus
• NEW Jason Rebooted – Sean S. Cunningham On Jason Goes To Hell And Jason X
• The Many Lives Of Jason Voorhees – A Documentary On The History Of Jason
• By Any Means Necessary: The Making Of Jason X – Making-Of/Production Documentary
• Club Reel
• Vintage Cast And Crew Interviews
• Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Electronic Press Kit (NEW To The Set) – Cast And Crew Interviews And Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot (NEW To The Set)
• Movie Stills Gallery
• Posters And Behind-The-Scenes Gallery

DISC THIRTEEN: FREDDY VS. JASON (2003)

• Audio Commentary With Director Ronny Yu, Actors Robert Englund And Ken Kirzinger
• 21 Deleted/Alternate Scenes, Including The Original Opening And Ending With Optional Commentary By Director Ronny Yu And Executive Producer Douglas Curtis
• Genesis: Development Hell
• On Location: Springwood Revisited
• On Location: Cabin Fever
• Art Direction: Jason's Decorating Tips
• Stunts: When Push Comes To Shove
• Make-up Effects: Freddy's Beauty Secrets
• Visual Effects Exploration
• My Summer Vacation: A Visit to Camp Hackenslash
• Pre-fight press conference At Bally's Casino in Las Vegas
• Music Video: Ill Nino "How Can I Live"
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots

DISC FOURTEEN: FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)

• Hacking Back/Slashing Forward – Remembering The Groundbreaking Original Movie
• Terror Trivia Track With Picture-In-Picture Comments From The Cast And Crew
• The Rebirth Of Jason Voorhees – A Look At The Making Of
• Additional Slashed Scenes
• The Best 7 Kills

DISC FIFTEEN: BONUS DISC (#1)

• NEW Crystal Lake Confidential – An Interview With Producer/Director Sean S. Cunningham
• NEW Machete Memories – An Interview With Producer/Director Steve Miner
• NEW Chicago To Connecticut: The Early Career Of Harry Manfredini – An Interview With Composer Harry Manfredini
• NEW The Magic Keyboard – Harry Manfredini On Scoring Friday The 13th
• NEW Blood Types – An Interview With Actor Harry Crosby
• NEW Once Speared, Twice Shy – An Interview With Actor Bill Randolph
• NEW Back To Camp: The Locations Of Friday The 13th And Friday The 13th Part 2 Hosted By Michael Gingold
• NEW It Came From The Vaults – An Interview With La-La Land Records' Matt Verboys And Michael V. Gerhard And Composer Harry Manfredini
• NEW Finding Friday: On Location Of The Friday The 13th Films
• The Friday the 13th Chronicles – An 8-Part Featurette On The First 8 Films
• Secrets Galore Behind The Gore – A 3-Part Featurette On The Makeup Effects Of Part 1, Part 4 And Part 7
• Crystal Lake Victims Tell All!
• Tales From The Cutting Room Floor
• Friday The 13th Artifacts And Collectibles
• Jason Forever – Q&A With Ari Lehman, Warrington Gillette, C.J. Graham, And Kane Hodder
• Legacy Of The Mask
• Slasher Films: Going For The Jugular
• The Friday The 13th Playing Cards Still Gallery
• Easter Eggs

DISC SIXTEEN: BONUS DISC (#2)

• Music Video: Alice Cooper The Man Behind the Mask
• NEW Alice Lives: Alice Cooper And Friday The 13th Part VI – A Look At The Music Video The Man Behind The Mask Featuring Interviews With Alice Cooper And Director Jeffrey Abelson
• NEW Legends Never Die – Tom McLoughlin At The Hollywood Forever Cemetery
• NEW Life, Death And Jason Voorhees – An interview With Director Tom McLoughlin
• NEW The Road To Crystal Lake – An Interview With Producer Sean S. Cunningham
• NEW Faceless Evil – Sean S. Cunningham And Jason
• NEW Jason Was Here: Friday The 13th Part 3 – 6 Locations Then and Now
• Scream Queens: Horror Heroines Exposed (2014) – Including Interviews With Adrienne King And Melanie Kinnaman (80 Minutes)
• Slice And Dice: The Slasher Film Forever (2013) – Including Interviews With Corey Feldman And John Carl Buechler (78 minutes)
• Trailer Reel – All 12 Friday The 13th Trailers In A Row
• Freddy Vs. Jason Storyboards And Production Galleries
• Friday The 13th (2009) Teaser Trailer
• Friday The 13th (2009) Theatrical Trailer
• Friday The 13th (2009) TV Spots
• Friday The 13th (2009) Electronic Press Kit – Interviews With Cast And Crew, Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Friday The 13th Series Newspaper Ad Still Gallery – Vintage Newspaper Ads For All 12 Films
• Easter Egg

 

Friday the 13th: The Collection Deluxe Edition (Part 3)

 

 

'Jason Goes To Hell' isn't without some positives but they hardly make up for such a poor attempt at a sequel. This is the first of the series once Paramount sold the rights over to New Line Cinema (Now Warner Bros) and you can see that they've given it a better budget with it's slick look and the gore has been ramped up and is more extravagant than before. Don't get me wrong, changing things up once in a while with a long series like 'Friday the 13th' can work like with 'Jason Lives' but what 'Jason Goes To Hell' is attempting here is retconning lore that's been established for a decade and it's just far too late in the franchise to attempt such a thing. Revealing that Jason is a resurrected demon thanks to the necronomicon from 'The Evil Dead' series and his heart is a hell worm that possesses people is certainly an original idea but it just does not fit the 'Friday' formula. Even with such a drastic departure, the film still keeps the cheap thrills and tropes of the slasher films that came before so it's really just a new idea on the surface but the same rotten fruit underneath. It's my least favorite film in the franchise, but at least I can appreciate some things about it.

I know, I know, Jason in space, worst in the series, all that other jazz but so help me I do find this one enjoyable. Don't be mistaken 'Jason X' is a bad movie all around from the acting, to the cheaper look, and the weak kills aside from a fan favorite however unlike JGTH, this one is entertaining because of how bad it is. Whereas the previous film played its silly supernatural story completely straight and grim, 'Jason X' revels in its sillyness coming off almost as a spoof. It's a theatrically released SyFy original movie and it's a fun piece of trash to watch with some buddies. Kane Hodder would again reprise his role for the final time and as said with my previous reviews of part VII & VIII he does a good job as Jason but he's in the worst movies of the series. For the majority of the film his makeup and design is pretty weak and almost looks as if very little makeup was even applied. It's the same problem as the last film where the version of Jason you came to see is only in the final act. As for everything else, like I said it's like watching a SyFy original or an episode of 'Star Trek'. It's baffling to believe that this film has the budget this high for such a low quality product. Still, I've got much more of a soft spot for 'Jason X' than some others. Consider it my guilty pleasure in a series of guilty pleasures.

I don't really see 'Freddy vs Jason' as a 'Friday the 13th' film to be honest. It has Freddy as the primary antagonist with Jason just doing his thing and being a puppet for Freddy throughout. It also revolves primarily around Freddy regaining his powers and takes place in his hometown of Springwood. But it's in the box set so I have to give it a once over. This was the first major film of either series for myself growing up as I had only caught a few of each on TV late at night so while familiar with the characters I did not realize just how big of a deal this was. Looking at the film now as a big fan of both franchises, I can easily see why the audience was left disappointed. The film is surprisingly slow paced with a lot of the kill or horror scenes being spaced out or just being forgettable until you get to that final act when they finally fight each other. If it was just fighting for the entire running time, that would have had fans just screaming in their seats cheering on their favorite killer but the truth is that the film is so focused on the teens and their stories that it becomes a chore to avoid skipping to the end. This concept does not need a plot or characters really to make fans happy. Just have Freddy and Jason fight each other and kill tons of victims along the way until someone rises victorious. Just go insane with it rather than weigh it down with so much boring padding.

 

During the heyday of horror remakes very few were worth the effort of making or watching them and even those were more for their popcorn entertainment value and are mere afterthoughts of the genre. The 2009 'Friday the 13th' doesn't really ascend further than that but of the major horror franchises that got the remake treatment in the 2000's it's by far the best. It takes what works in the previous films and doesn't try to stray too far or use any kind of extraordinary plots like so many remakes would attempt but just plays like any other 'Friday the 13th' film. The film's biggest flaw is how it opens but not the opening itself. The opening is one of the best of the series with this 20 plus minute long prologue before the title shows on screen and you get to see the sheer brutality of Derek Mears' new Jason with some solid kills. It's after that amazing opening that it goes downhill in the middle when we meet the second group of teens which are far more obnoxious and forgettable. We also have a silly subplot involving one of the girls from the prologue being kept prisoner by Jason and her brother searching for her. This is just needless padding, something that seems to plague these more recent 'Friday' films but this is especially an issue because all these stacked subplots result in a nearly 2 and a half hour movie. A 'Friday the 13th' film can hardly hold itself together at 90 minutes let alone 2 hours which is a huge strike against this film. What I do enjoy aside from the opening is Jason himself in this film, who's a brutal survialist like Rambo who uses animal traps and bow and arrows etc. While this makes the kills themselves a bit dull, they are still nice and gory just not particularly creative. 'Friday '09' is overall a good sequel but a bad remake of the original that runs too long for its own good but is much better than the previous three entries.

Jason Goes to Hell: (D-)

Jason X: (D+)

Freddy vs Jason: (D)

Friday the 13th (2009): (C+)

 

 

We've finally come to the end of the movie portion of our review. Whew! We now will be going over the rest of the set in tomorrow's review including our final verdict for the set. Thanks for reading folks, and enjoy your Halloween.