Friday the 13th: Uncut

Although John Carpenter's far superior Halloween actually started the slasher movie bandwagon rolling in 1978, there's no denying the influence of Sean S. Cunningham's 1980 Friday the 13th, a much gorier and grosser imitation that essentially cemented the pattern for the ever crummier efforts (including the endless series of sequels to both movies) that would follow. Released to coincide with the theatrical remake, this 30th-anniversary edition features a pristine high-definition remastering (especially on the Blu-ray release) and a new Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound mix (Dolby TrueHD on the Blu-ray), but calling it “uncut” seems a bit misleading, as only a few seconds of footage have been added to the original. Friday the 13th may be a historically significant film in the annals of pop culture, but it's not a particularly good one, serving up a string of brutal killings of young people who have been sent to reopen the derelict Camp Crystal Lake, which was shuttered after a boy drowned while counselors were off having sex. But it does boast a sold surprise ending (or pair of them, actually) as well as a notable early appearance by Kevin Bacon as one of the victims. DVD/Blu-ray extras include an audio commentary by Cunningham (along with cast and crew), an interview with the director (who takes the film very seriously, in contrast to writer Victor Miller, who blithely says it was designed as just a cheap rip-off of Halloween), a cast and crew reunion with Q&A from devoted fans, a retrospective featurette, and a new short film, Lost Tales from Camp Blood (Part 1). Recommended for larger horror collections, this is a strong optional purchase elsewhere. [Note: Friday the 13th, Part 2 and Friday the 13th, Part 3—3D are also newly available.] (F. Swietek)