“Friday the 13th part 2 is the solid follow up to the fantastic release of the first film. Jason is now all grown up and ready for blood and is going to sneak up on you in HD!”
TITLE: Friday the 13th Part 2
DURATION: 86 minutes
COMPANY: Paramount
RATED: R
RELEASED: June 16, 2009
Produced and Directed by Steve Miner
Written by Ron Kurz
Based on Characters Created by Victor Miller
Associate Producer: Frank Mancuso Jr.
Music by Harry Manfredini
Co-Produced by Dennis Murphy
Starring:
Amy Steel as Ginny Field
John Furey as Paul Holt
Adrienne King as Alice HArdy
Kirsten Baker as Terry
Stuart Chamo as Ted
Warrington Gillette as Jason Vorhees
Walt Gorney as Crazy Ralph
Marta Kober as Sandra Dier
Tom McBride as Mark
Get ready for twice the terror with Friday the 13th Part 2! Five years after the massacre at Camp Crystal Lake, the nerve-wracking legend of Jason Vorhees and his diabolical mother lives on. Despite ominous warnings from the locals to stay away from “Camp Blood” a group of counselors at a nearby summer camp decide to explore there area where seven people were brutally slaughtered. All too soon, they encounter horrors of their own and the killing begins again. You’ll be at the edge of your seat for this gruesome thriller about 24 hours of bone-chilling fear!
So Jason is back but does he impress as much as the release of part 1? Thankfully, I can whole heartedly say yes. The video quality on this release is even slightly better than the first release. There are a few less special features but the quality of the supplements is just as good. I particularly enjoyed the interview with Peter M. Bracke.
Again, the plot is not really the point here much like the first film. This movie is made to the strict formula guidelines of young sex crazed folks out in the woods just waiting to be murdered for no real reason at all. The film is all about showcasing fantastic scenes of gore and violence.  By today’s standards while it isn’t nearly as gruesome as some of the films coming out today like Hostel,  the makeup FXs are very well don’t and add to the value of the release.
In regards to the video quality, the film shows just the right amount of grain but definitely looks cleaned up and properly mastered.  No complaints on the video transfer at all. It is rare to see such good quality on Blu-Ray for an 80s film. There is not any noticeable noise or dirty displayed.
The packaging is a standard Blu-Ray case with the jacket only printed on one side. There are no inserts.
Where this release truly shines is that it looks and feels as if this product was put together with love and thoughtfulness towards the fans. There is a nice uniformity in the packaging and bonus materials that make this feel like part of a large set of releases. The case look nice on the shelf next to its fellow volumes and the bonus materials from each release nicely complement and build on the previous release. This bodes will for future releases in the franchise which I can only hope are done with as much care.
Again the audio shines with the clarity of Crystal Lake. Harry Manfredini’s score for the film is even better on this film. The sounds really grabs you at the right moment and greatly heightens the experience.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
- 1080P Widescreen 1.78:1 Color
The video was solid considering its age. Â Nice amount of grain with no signs of over used DNR. Â No significant compression artifacts with only a small amount of noise was visible which looks carried over from the film and not due to the disc mastering. Â Color balance was good with solid black tones. Contrast does not appear over saturated which is good as much of this movie occurs in the dark and shadows. Â Overall the transfer looks well done with no major flaws. Â Slightly better than part 1 with the prime difference being the clarity of the night time scenes.
Subtitles:
- English
- English SDH
- French
- Spanish
- Portugeuse
Audio:
- English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
- English Mono
- French Mono
- Spanish Mono
The audioscape was solid with voices center and up front with the score moving from chilling quiet to enveloping with the unforgettable chi-chi-chi ha-ha-ha hitting from all sides. Â Don’t expect too much as the original soundtrack didn’t have much to work with but is included here to show the improvement in the 5.1 version. Â A slight but noticeable improvement over the first film but only marginally.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Friday the 13th Part 2 comes with several special features most of which are in High Definition and one in Standard Definition.
Included are:
- HD – Inside Crystal Lake Memories (16 minutes)
This is a very entertaining and interesting retrospective by Dark Delicacies bookstore owner Del Howes interviewing Peter M. Bracke author of the book, Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday The 13th. Â The studio gave Peter full access to the archives for the Friday the 13th films and it is great to hear both a fan and expert speak well to the franchise. I would have like to have seen this feature go on a bit longer and show more material from the archives. - HD -Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions (7 minutes)
I found this to be the interesting although short but then I also like Horror conventions. Most other folks will find this a bit boring.
- HD -Lost Tales From Camp Blood – Part 2 (8 minutes)
A short tale of murders that is a new piece made for this release that is really more of an inspired by short. Â The Tales series has the look and feel of a nicely done YouTube video except in HD. Â It doesn’t really add much to the release overall and you will likely watch it once and never watch it again. - Jason Forever (29 minutes)
This is the only feature in standard definition. This is a discussion from a convention with the various actors that portray the psycho killer Jason. Â Kane Hodder, CJ Graham, Warrington Gilette, and Ari Lehmann are all at table providing their insights to the deformed crazy known as Jason.
- HD -Theatrical Trailer
It is nice to see the promo trailer in HD as most released provide them in standard definition.
If you enjoyed the first release, then don’t hesitate to pick up part 2. It builds on the first film by keeping to the rules set forth by part 1. Murder and mayhem are doubled dosed in this 2nd trip to Crystal Lake. The quality of the release of part 2 is solid and in some ways slightly exceeds part 1 in picture and sound quality. The extras are strong as well on this release. Once the evil is set in motion by getting the first release, you are certainly doomed to own the 2nd and the 3rd.
For those unfamiliar with the series, this is a solid entry in the horror genre. While the film can stand alone on its own, it is best when watched following part 1. Â Warning if you don’t like gruesome scenes of murder -stay away. While it isn’t the biggest gorefest by today’s standards, it is a film made to clearly showcase senseless violence which it does rather well.
I was very pleased with the release and GREATLY look forward to part 3 in its glorious HD 3-D.