Friday the 13th Part 3 – 3D Deluxe Edition DVD review

Richard Brooker as Jason Voorhees goes to work on another victim in Friday the 13th Part 3
Richard Brooker as Jason Voorhees goes to work on another victim in Friday the 13th Part 3

Spine-tingling horror gets a triple play, as Paramount Home Entertainment releases Friday the 13th Part 3 the Deluxe Edition on DVD – in 3D – for the first time in the U.S. While the third in the series of Jason movies starts to show it’s cracks, it’s still reminiscent of a time when slasher films were a fun diversion to explore with friends on a Saturday night.

Part Three is also a significant film in the evolution of the series in two ways:

  1. This is where Jason gets his iconic hockey mask (He takes it off of one of his victims, who’s an athlete).
  2. It’s the first modern slasher film to be shot in 3-D (which ups-the-ante in terms of spectacle a notch).

As with all of the early Friday the 13th movies, there’s some unique kills that occur, making the film more than just watchable, but enjoyable in a twisted sorta way.

Friday the 13th Deluxe Edition DVD coverThe storyline of part 3 is typical – another group of naive counselors choose to ignore Camp Crystal Lake’s gruesome legacy. Then find themselves in a bloody game of cat-and-mouse with the maniacal Jason who stalks their every move, and ruthlessly offs them off one-by-one, in creative ways actually – at least creative for a maniac killer. Jason also goes postal on a motorcycle gang that dares to cause trouble for the same counselors he’s trying to dismember.

The disc marks the first time this blood-splattered romp in the woods can be watched in all its gory 3-D splendor on DVD. It also comes with 2 pairs of 3-D glasses to ensure an optimal viewing experience, plus includes a 2-D version of the film as well. My eyes had some issues watching the 3-D version, so I switched about half-way through to the 2-D presentational. So it was nice having the option.

However, other than the original theatrical trailer and the cool 3-D glasses, the disc is devoid of extras, so it makes sense to purchase this version in conjunction with Parts One and Two, which have heaping portions of extras for fans to enjoy.

The Friday the 13th Part 3 – 3D 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, Portuguese and Spanish subtitles.

Director: Steve Miner
Writer: Martin Kitrosser
Cast: Dana Kimmell, Richard Brooker, Catherine Parks, Paul Kratka, Jeffrey Rogers, Larry Zerner, Tracie Savage, Rachel Howard, David Katims, Nick Savage, Gloria Charles

Original Theatrical Release Year: 1982
DVD Release Date: February 3, 2009

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