Friday the 13th Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Friday the 13th Blu-ray Movie Review

Scream Factory via Shout! Factory has released the original 1980 classic franchise ignitor 'Friday the 13th' to Blu-ray in both theatrical and uncut versions with a fresh 4K scan and a pair of lossless soundtrack options. Several supplements are included a well, mostly carrying over the critical extras from the old 2009 Paramount release and adding a few new ones. It's an excellent Blu-ray and well superior to the Paramount disc. It is currently only available in the exciting, and limited, Friday the 13th Collection which includes all 12 films featuring killer Jason Voorhees as well as two bonus discs.

Friday the 13th Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout! Factory brings Friday the 13th to Blu-ray with a fresh 4K scan, and the results are tremendous. The picture's excellence is immediately in evidence, revealing an outstanding 1080p effort that is hands-down the best the film has ever looked in the home. The opening sequence, taking place back in the 1950s, shows handsome grain in an even, flattering, natural consistency, supported by superior black levels -- shadowy corners in a loft where two teens make out, the boy's black shorts, and certainly nighttime exteriors where darkness absorbs the screen with depth and intensity but not to the detriment of any fine detailing within -- that heighten the scene's authenticity and sense of pending doom alike. The scene's excellence is bolstered by superior texturing, showcasing wonderful detail to woods and faces. As the picture transitions to the small town near Camp Crystal Lake, the vibrance and clarity around only amplifies the image's credentials. Pavement, fuel stations, and weathered bricks and siding highlight this stretch, while around camp a few minutes later the natural vegetation and battered wooden components delight with lifelike, tangible texturing that invites audiences to feel the rustic venue. Grain pushes a little heavier at times, indoors and in low light, which obviously comprises much of the film's latter half, but even if it's not as perfectly refined as the opening half, there's no mistaking the majesty of Shout!'s new 4K scan. Bolstered by well saturated colors -- natural greens, colorful slickers, and of course red blood -- and an absence of any print issues or encode flubs, there's nothing to dislike here. This one teeters on 1080p perfection, particularly for a lower budget 40-year-old film.

Friday the 13th Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Friday the 13th's uncut disc slashes onto Blu-ray with a pair of lossless audio options. New to this release is the inclusion of a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono soundtrack; previous iterations included a 5.1 lossless soundtrack but limited the mono to lossy Dolby Digital. Originalists will delight in the mono track's inclusion, which is perfectly serviceable, offering authentic spacing, expert elemental clarity, and perfectly imaged front-center dialogue. It's ambitious in all the right ways, dominant as it can be and forceful in delivering music and effects alike. But the 5.1 track is its superior in most every way. The expansion from two channels is seamless and more obviously filling. Listen to the opening titles. The iconic score is mesmerizingly rich, clear, and immersive. While it's not quite as dominant as the two channel track in terms of raw volume, the added finesse and detail around the listener is immediately evident. The 5.1 track allows light ambience to filter through the back channels with excellent spacial awareness, critical in the setup at camp with chirping birds, hooting owls, and other natural elements setting a serene scene in stark contrast to the brutal weather and violence to come. Screams are piercingly intense and clear though a few crashes and tussles in the more violent, intensive scenes come across as a little flat. Nevertheless, the 5.1 track finds a richness to space and clarity well beyond the two channel offering. While purists will rightly enjoy the excellent mono track, the increased spacing, low end depth support, perfectly engaging surround elements, and more precise sound placement and detail make the 5.1 the vastly superior track. Kudos to Shout! Factory for including both, though. Watch the movie with each one!

Note that the 5.1 track is exclusive to the Uncut version; the only audio option included with the Theatrical cut is the 2.0 lossless presentation.

Friday the 13th Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Friday the 13th includes several supplements, some accessed on the Uncut version (1:35:26) disc, some on the Theatrical version (1:35:09) disc. See below for what's included. New material is marked as such. Please click here for coverage of the carryover content. Note that the only extras from the Paramount disc that do not carry over here are Secrets Galore Behind the Gore and The Friday the 13th Chronicles which can be found on the above-linked collection boxed set. As it ships in the Friday the 13th collection box set, no DVD or digital copies are included and the release does not include a slipcover.

Uncut Disc:

• Audio Commentary: Director Sean S. Cunningham with Cast and Crew.
• Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday the 13th
• The Man Behind the Legacy - Sean S. Cunningham
• A Friday the 13th Reunion
• Lost Tales from Camp Blood - Part 1
• NEW! Fangoria Articles: Accessible via a Blu-ray PC drive.

• U.S. Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:35).
• NEW! International Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:17).
• NEW! TV Spot (1080p, 4x3, 0:34).
• NEW! U.S. Radio Spots (1080p, 2:19): The ads play over a red-and-black still.
• NEW! U.K. Radio Spot (1080p, 0:32): The ads play over a red-and-black still.
• NEW! Movie Stills Gallery (1080i, window box, 6:41): The images advance automatically. There is no musical accompaniment.
• Posters and Lobby Cards Gallery (1080i, 8:46): The images advance automatically. There is no musical accompaniment.

Friday the 13th Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Friday the 13th's makeover is as tasteful as it is striking. The 1080p presentation, sourced from a new 4K scan, is nearly perfect, as is the 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Shout! has ported over all of the supplements (though some are found on bonus discs in the larger boxed set) and added some new ones centered around the movie's promotion. Very highly recommended.