His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2-Disc Splatter Edition) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)The actual documentary gets **** Out of 5. But ***** overall for the DVD.
His Name Was Jason: 30-Years of Friday the 13th is a must own for fans of the franchise; this documentary on the series was written by Thommy Hutson & Anthony Masi and directed by Daniel Farrands who wrote Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers and hosted by Tom Savini. Due to some of the people involved like Anthony Masi and the fact this was put out by Starz Home Entertainment (using the Anchor Bay name) no doubt people will compare this to Halloween: 25-Years of Terror.
As much as I enjoyed His Name Was Jason it isn't without its flaws. I was hoping this documentary would cover some of the production on the movies, but actually very little of the making of the films are covered and that's where 25-Years of Terror edges it out. For most of the 90-minutes it's various members of the cast and crew and other filmmakers talking about the movies like Jason's psyche and some of the kill scenes. In a sense it's sort of like hanging out with friends talking about the films, which was really cool, but I would have liked to have heard more about the production of the films. The first 10-minutes or so are spent talking about the plots and I thought this documentary might fail. I mean I enjoy the series, but there weren't many plots. The first and third are really the only ones with hint of a plot, but once we get past that His Name Was Jason really picks up.
What I absolutely loved about His Name Was Jason was seeing some of the actors taking part. Some of the actors have done conventions or put themselves out there with interviews for various horror sites, but some of the actors are ones that haven't been heard of since the releases of the films. There were a lot of actors involved and that's what really made this so much fun. My only complaint is too much time was put on Joe Lynch director of Wrong Turn 2, Adam Green director of Hatchet and James Roday star of the TV series Psych. While I loved Hatchet and love Roday on Psych, I do feel too much time was spent with them. First off Lynch and Green were hysterical, but I would rather hear more from the people actually involved.
Like I said most of His Name Was Jason focuses on stuff you would chat with friends about rather than the making of the movies. Shavar Ross who played Reggie in the 5th part mentions how originally he was set to return for the 6th. Obviously that didn't happen since Jason Lives went in a different direction, but it would have been nice if stated what the original idea was. Granted it's not a huge deal, but information like this would have been nice. The documentary was very fun and at times informative, but I hoped for more focus on the production of the movies and there really should have been a lot more focus put on the people involved, but despite these complaints His Name Was Jason truly is a must own for fans and again despite any complaints the fans of these movies will love this documentary flaws and all.
Some people have complained about certain people not being involved, but look this documentary covers every film in the franchise and it would be impossible to get everyone involved. It would have been nice to see Dana Kimmell, Thom Matthews and Corey Feldman, but regardless His Name Was Jason is still great and has at least 1 person per film. Every film in the series has at least 1 person involved so due to that people have to lighten up.
As good as His Name Was Jason was it's the bonus features that really make this DVD so amazing. The DVD is jam packed with bonus features of 4-hours of content and this is how a DVD release should be like. Quite honestly His Name Was Jason would rate as one of my favorite DVDs; Anchor Bay truly did an amazing job at the release.
The 2nd disc has a feature called Final Cuts, which runs at a total of 77-minutes and are extended interviews with all the directors except Steve Miner and Ronny Yu. Neither of them took part in this set and it's quite a shame Steve Miner wasn't involved. Miner directed Part II, which was Jason's debut as the killer and Part 3, which was the first time Jason dons the Iconic hockey mask. When it comes to the franchise Jason and the mask are the first two things that come to mind and I would hate to think Steve Miner thinks he's above the series.
Final Cuts goes into much better detail on the making of the movies and gives pretty good insight. Some of what is said has been stated before, but this goes into pretty good detail about how the movies came about as well as filming them. His Name Was Jason was shot in 2008 and at that time some of the films ranged from 15-years old to 28-years old so it's understandable that certain details might be forgotten, but this is what the actual documentary should have been like. Again some of this stuff may have been stated before, but it was an excellent feature and really gives excellent insight.
From Script to Screen runs at 31-minutes and has interviews with Victor Miller writer of the original, Barney Cohen writer of the Final Chapter, Todd Farmer writer of Jason X and Damien Shannon & Mark Swift writers of Freddy Vs Jason and Friday the 13th 09. This is another solid feature, which gives excellent insight to the actual writing of the movies.
But my favorite features were Fox Comes Home, which runs at just under 4-minutes and features Gloria Charles who played Fox in part 3 she was a member of the biker gang and in this feature Gloria Charles walks around the filming locations of part 3 and at the end she recites one of her famous lines. Closing the Book on the Final Chapter runs at 12-minutes and features Erich Anderson who played Rob and director Joseph Zito.
This feature like Fox Comes Home is walking around the filming locations and even includes the Jarvis house as it looks now and that was really cool to see. This feature gives some really excellent insight to the making of the movie and again this is what the actual documentary should have been like.
Shelly Lives features Larry Zerner in character and was a laugh riot! This feature is bound to put a smile on the faces of the viewer and since Shelly was such a beloved character it makes this feature even better.
Overall His Name Was Jason: 30-Years of Friday the 13th is hands down one of the very best DVDs ever released. The documentary was very solid, but it's the bonus features that make this release so amazing. Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy the documentary and will love the bonus features; this is a must own for all Friday the 13th fans.
There are a lot more features on this DVD, but too many to review all of them, but trust me this DVD is worth every penny.

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Jason Voorhees has carved his place into American pop culture and is one of the most recognizable cinematic killer in horror history. Now nearly, 30 years later, see how it all happened! With over 100 interviews with cast and crew, behind the scenes footage and dozen of film clips spanning the entire Friday the 13th series leading up to the 2/13/09 remake, there is no better way to get up close and personal with one of the most feared icons of our generation. Shut off the lights, lock up the cabin and get ready to learn all about a boy... His Name Was Jason.HIS NAME WAS JASON: 30 YEARS OF FRIDAY THE 13TH is a two disc set loaded with over 4 hours of bonus material. This film is a behind the scenes look at the franchise that broke horror box office records and made Jason a pop culture icon. With over 80 interviews from the cast and crew of the Friday the 13th film franchise, including the new Friday the 13th film, these firsthand accounts of never-before-told stories and rare behind the scenes photographs offer the ultimate look at the history of FRIDAY THE 13TH!

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Wolf Creek (Unrated Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)As per usual, there have been a great many moronic things said about this movie. Some critics have been offended by it, but don't let that make you think this is some sorta gorefest. The violence is intense and reasonably graphic, but it's certainly not gory in the conventional sense. I find it amusing that those who were offended by the film have more or less said that it was too horrifying, cause ya know, god forbid that someone actually be horrified by a horror movie. They've also said it is misogynistic, just like they've said about every other slasher movie ever. (Slasher movie isn't entirely appropriate for describing this, but it's as good as we'll get.) This is a particularly irritating complaint, first because they always say this, second because it's a bullcrap non-argument evasion intended to avoid any real analysis, and finally because it isn't true. In fact, it's even less true here than it usually is, cause the film doesn't make the killer into the hero. Yes, bad things happen to the women in this film, but we AREN'T supposed to be happy about it. And, of course, very bad things happen to men in the film as well, but who the hell cares about them anyway? Everyone knows that women are much, much more important than men. I also think it's interesting that the killer is a fat, greasy dude from out in the country, as they so often are in this sorta movie, yet it has not been accused of being bigoted against rural people, nor has any horror movie I've ever heard of. What a bizarre coincidence. Wonder why critics don't seem to care about those sorts of people. Maybe they really think that they all are killers. I dunno.
But, critical idiocy aside, this is a very nicely done horror film. The plot is simplicity itself- 3 youths are captured and tormented by a backwoods psychopath while vacationing near Wolf Creek in Australia. Subplots are rarely of interest in slasher films, and 'Wolf Creek' fortunately has none of them. Still, with the very small cast we get to know these characters quite a bit better than we usually would in a slasher film, and they are certainly far more likable than the hot young teens of the American slasher revival. (Of course that doesn't mean much, as said hot young teens are usually loathsome.)
'Wolf Creek' was really made on the cheap, only about 1 million bucks, I hear, and it's certainly got a rough, gritty look. Some people claim that grainy, DV films with handheld cameras are more realistic, which makes precisely no sense as life is not especially grainy, and I tend to hold my head fairly still. However, this technique can allow for a greater sorta intensity and physicality, which works well here. Despite the generally rough visuals, it's still got some rather beautiful cinematography at times, and the great Australian deserts are a fine backdrop for such events.
Yeah, the film does take a while to get going, certainly longer than is necessary, but seriously, are you guys all 3 years old or what? Go out in the lobby and drink your juice and then go potty, and then it'll almost be time for the killing to start. The acting is extremely good for a film with this kinda budget. The 3 leads all do a fine job, with some fairly authentic, if not exactly fascinating, casual banter in the first half of the film. Still, the second half is much more important, and they play it a bit different from most horror films, which is largely why this bothers so many critics. In most horror movies, none of the characters are ever authentically terrified. They're pretty nervous and jumpy and may let out a scream before they die, but they're pretty much in control. Not so here, as Magrath and Morassi spend much of the latter part of the movie in near hysterics, and are utterly convincing, with two of the finest performances of this sort since Marilyn Burns' classic turn in the original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. John Jarrat is also excellent as the killer. They use a trick which is fairly common, in that we are introduced to him as if he were a normal character, who seems amiable enough, if a bit odd, and we then slowly see his violent side revealed. It's an old trick, but a good one, and it works especially well here, aided by his Australian accent, which are always inherently non-threatening to me, for some reason. He does get to be a bit wisecracking at times, but never to the point which he becomes the hero of the film.
Many will say this has an anticlimactic ending, and while I can't help but agree with this to some degree, it's also kind of interesting in that it is so different from what you'd usually see in this sorta film. The small cast also makes it quite a bit less predictable, as most slasher movies have the few central characters who will obviously survive, along with plenty of cannon fodder. With only 3 main characters there just aren't enough people to allow any meaningless little kills stuffed in at the beginning, and it's tougher to predict the order in which they will be offed.
Though I'm sure many of you are sick of hearing this, `Wolf Creek' really is a throwback to the more intense horror films of the 70's like `The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and `The Hills Have Eyes'. It's got an intensity and seriousness that is almost inevitably lacking from later slasher movies, and the old rough and violent feeling. As such, it certainly isn't for everyone, as many people seem to only like gentle, feel-good horror or conventional gorefests. But, it you've got a taste for something darker and more intense, `Wolf Creek' is definitely worth a look.
Grade: A- (This is after watching it again on DVD, and determining that it was even better than I'd thought initially. I'd change the rating to a 5, if I could.)

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Welcome to Wolf Creek, where the suspense of The Blair Witch Project meets the horror of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Inspired by Australia’s "Backpacker Killer" who murdered seven backpackers in the ‘90s, Wolf Creek won wide acclaim from critics, filmmakers and audience members alike at the Sundance Film Festival.Three unsuspecting hikers take off for a drive across Australia. When the trio returns from a four-hour hike to Wolf Creek National Park, they find their car is dead. Help comes in the form of big, back-slapping bushman Mick (John Jarratt).Since Mick appears to be more Crocodile Dundee than Freddy Krueger, the trio trusts him…which proves to be a grave mistake.Quentin Tarantino said, "Jarratt delivers a performance that’s destined to go down as one of the greatest film heavies of the last 25 years."Not since the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre has terror felt so real."Ken Fox, TVGuide

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Are You Scared (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Yes, this movie is similar to Saw, but not a total rip off. It has its interesting moments, and a good twist. The ending was a little too improbable, but I'll let it go, since the movie was interesting and kept me awake. Fun horror movie. Nothing too gory or gross.

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ARE YOU SCARED - DVD Movie

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Masters of Horror - Don Coscarelli - Incident on and off a Mountain Road (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although it was the first episode of MASTERS OF HORROR to air on Showtime when the series debuted in October 2005, director Don Coscarelli's "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" is the fourth series segment to be released on DVD. And it is also one of the best of the series thus far (series one has ended, but the show is expected to continue for at least one more season). Longtime genre fans will recognize the name Coscarelli, of course, as he is the writer/director of the classic horror flick PHANTASM (1979) and its sequels, director and co-writer of the sword-and-sorcery fantasy THE BEASTMASTER (1982), and the writer/director of the more contemporary horror-comedy cult favorite BUBBA HO-TEP (2002).
An adaptation of the short story by genre author Joe R. Lansdale--who also wrote the story on which BUBBA HO-TEP was based--"Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" is an interesting, fresh take on the girl-chased-through-the-woods slasher-type flick, one with a very wry twist at the end. It stars cute actress Bree Turner (some genre fans my recognize her from 2005's JEKYLL + HYDE) as Ellen, a young woman who has an auto accident late one night while driving through the rural mountains of Oregon. After crawling from the wreckage and trying to assess the damage, Ellen quickly finds herself pursued by a hulking mountain-dwelling madman (John De Santis, familiar to horror fans from his role as Lurch in the short-lived late-1990s TV series THE NEW ADDAMS FAMILY). But Ellen is no ordinary damsel in distress. Through occasional flashbacks, it is revealed that her ex-husband was an obsessive survivalist and that he forced her to participate in his training sessions. And as a result, Ellen has a few tricks up her sleeve that just may help her outwit her brutish pursuer and survive the night.
As is, Lansdale's original story rises way above the cliche of its slasher roots, but the script by Coscarelli and his co-writer, Stephen Romano, ratchet it up even higher by adding some elements only hinted at by Lansdale. This enables Coscarelli, as director, to create a 60-minute visual ride that is dense with layers of thrills, suspense, and shocks that lesser directors would have trouble fitting into a two-hour flick. Of course, he is helped by the outstanding acting abilities of Turner, whose talent allows her to convincingly vacillate between vulnerability and strength, as well as the intense performance from Ethan Embry (who plays Ellen's ex-husband in flashback sequences) and the skills and menacing presence of De Santis. Even Coscarelli's old friend Angus Scrimm--who became a genre icon playing the Tall Man in the classic PHANTASM series--makes a delightfully quirky appearance.
The DVD edition of "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" offers a pristine digital transfer of the filmic series episode in anamorphic widescreen at its original aspect ratio of 1.77:1. And as is almost always the case with discs from the cool folks at Anchor Bay, the DVD is chockful with bonus features. This one has TWO commentaries--one featuring writer/director Coscarelli and co-writer Romano (moderated by Anchor Bay's Perry Martin); the other with Coscarelli and author Joe R. Lansdale--an interview with Coscarelli; a documentary on Coscarelli's genre career; a special-effects featurette (hidden in an "Easter egg"); and lots more! It's well worth amazon.com's reasonable price of admission.
All in all, "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" is a top-notch entry in Mick Garris' MASTERS OF HORROR series, and it leaves no doubt as to why Don Coscarelli was one of the first directors chosen to participate. But even apart from the series and despite its short runtime of 60 minutes, the episode itself easily stands alone as a masterpiece of horror film, and it is sure to become a genre classic. So even those rare horror fans not impressed by the overall TV series should seriously consider adding this flick to their collections.

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MASTERS OF HORROR:DON COSCARELLLI INC - DVD Movie

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