Friday the 13th Part 2 – Deluxe Edition DVD review

The remains of Mrs. Pamela Voorhees from Friday the 13th
The remains of Mrs. Pamela Voorhees from Friday the 13th

The Paramount classic Friday the 13th Deluxe Editions wouldn’t be complete without Friday the 13th Part 2: Deluxe Edition. Five years after the massacre at Camp Crystal Lake – now a condemned piece of property – the legend of Jason Vorhees and his diabolical mother lives on. Of course, despite ominous warnings from locals to stay away from “Camp Blood”, a group of counselors at another summer camp on the other side of the lake, decide to explore the area where seven people were brutally slaughtered. All too soon, they encounter horrors of their own and the killing begins again.

Friday the 13th Part 2 was watered down because of an MPAA rebellion against slasher films, and while Jason’s kills are more inventive, they seem tame in comparison to its predecessor.

However in the Friday the 13th history, this first sequel is extremely important. It gave the world an enormous, powerful and crazed murderer, obsessed with getting revenge on humanity for the death of his mother.

The bonus materials are the real jewels here, especially if you’re a hardcore fan of the series.

Inside Crystal Lake Memories features a conversation between Del Howison – who owns the horror memorabilia store Dark Delicacies – and Peter Bracke, the author of Crystal Lake Memories. They discuss how the book came to be in this interesting 10 minute conversation. Bracke also gives some details about what’s inside the volume.
Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions was shot at the 2008 Scare Fest in Lexington, KY, and features a look at classic Friday the 13th stars at the convention as they meet with fans, signing autographs, answer questions and attend film screenings. This was lots of fun for me to watch, as I am a huge fan of comic and horror conventions.
Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 2 is a short film follow up to the one included on the Friday the 13th Part 1 Deluxe Edition. It features a couple hiking through the countryside after their car breaks down, who are stalked by a Jason-like hooded killer. It’s a well-made short, and a nice change of pace from standard featurettes.
Jason Forever features a panel from a 2004 Fangoria convention, with four actors who have played Jason Voorhees. The panel is moderated by author Peter Bracke and includes Ari Lehman (from Part 1), Warrington Gillette (from Part 2), CJ Graham (from part VI), and Kane Hodder (from parts VII, VIII, IX and X). It’s a very interesting conversation on how they became involved with the series and where their careers have gone since.
Things are topped off with the original theatrical trailer from the film.

The Friday the 13th Part 2 – Deluxe Edition DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround; English, French and Spanish Mono; and English, French and Spanish subtitles

Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Ron Kurz
Cast: Amy Steel, John Furey, Adrienne King, Kirsten Baker, Stuart Charno, Warrington Gillette, Betsy Palmer

Original Theatrical Release Year: 1981
DVD Release Date: February 3, 2009

Film

Extras