Starring: Richard Booker, Dana Kimmell, Jeffrey Rogers, Tracie Savage
Directed By Steve Minor
Jason Voorhees always seems like such a tragic character to me. Okay, hear me out. He can’t help who he is in a lot of ways. He was born with “challenges”, neglected at a summer camp and has a mother with issues and now lives as a “monster”. Jason is full of hurt and he is only releasing that hurt. He is different than Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger. Jason has more in common with Candyman, another tragic horror character. Anyway, that is my theory. Paramount Home Video recently released Friday the 13th Part III on Blu Ray.
The Movie
After the financial windfall of the first two films in the Friday the 13th series, the studio gave the green light to the 3rd installment and even offered this nugget in 3D. So, if you want to watch this in 3D, that version and glasses are included in this Blu Ray release, but if you want to watch in “2D”, it is here too.
I digress. What can I say: Jason is up to his old shenanigans here. Young and sexually charged young people are on their way to a ranch on a lake and of course, this is situated near Camp Crystal Lake. There are your typical stereotypes: popular and cute, hippies and nerds. They will all be dispersed in gory fashion by the ultimate “emo” kid: Jason.
What makes this film stand out among the other in the franchise is that this is the film where Jason first dons the iconic hockey mask. Freddy has his glove, Michael has his distorted William Shatner mask, Candyman has his hook so now: Jason has his mask.
Jason continues to be one tough bastard. No matter what anyone does to him, he just keeps coming right back at you. Just think of how Jason would have competed if they had Ultimate Fighting back then?
Anyway, this movie doesn’t provide any in depth character development of a better psychological understanding of Mr. Voorhees. Rather, it gives the viewer exactly what he or she expects: some jumps, some scares and some gore.
The acting here isn’t anything special, but it doesn’t have to be. If anything, some of the bad acting that is on display here just makes the movie more fun. The direction by Steve Minor (House, Warlock, Lake Placid, Halloween H20) works just fine for this horror romp and he has a good grasp on how to deliver what the horror fans want.
So, what else can I say here? If you just love the misunderstood Jason Voorhees, check this out. And, if you look for the subtle nuances of the emotional pain that Jason feels, you might just understand my far reaching theory.
6.5/10
The Video
The film is available in “2D” and “3D” (with two pair of glasses included) in high def and were transferred in MPEG 4/AVC. I thought the transfer of the 2D was much stronger with better definition, colors and black levels. I did notice a bit of grain here and there which proves the source material wasn’t in great condition to start with.
5/10
The Audio
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track offers some nice dynamic range .. Dialogue and sound effects, and score are all well mixed and properly prioritized. It’s not the best mix on blu-ray from Paramount but it is of good quality.
7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
The single disc release comes packaged in a standard slim blu-ray amazray case with artwork suitable to the film presented.
First up, Fresh Cuts: 3D Terror focuses on the process of bringing this film to this format. Legacy of the Mask discusses why the hockey mask was chosen for Jason and Slasher Films: Going for the Juglar discusses the genre with legendary makeup artist Tom Savini.
Rounding things out is Lost Tales from Camp Blood: Part III.
5.5/10
Overall (Not an Average) 7/10
The Review
The Movie 6.5/10
The Video 5/10
The Audio 7/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 5.5/10
Overall (Not an Average) 7/10