DVD Review: Friday the 13th Part VI - Jason Lives (Deluxe Edition)

Release Date: June 16th, 2009
Running Time: 87 minutes

The Film

More than other genres, horror films tend to have numerous sequels, often one year after the next (Saw currently follows this trend). The challenge is keeping the franchise fresh while preserving what people want to see. Though I am a massive Friday the 13th fan, I’ll be the first to admit that the sequels are very uneven. Enter Tom McLoughlin. Part VI – Jason Lives is a high point in the series, finding a balance between humor and scares that makes the film one of the most enjoyable in the entire franchise. The Deluxe Edition isn’t a massive improvement, but it still the best release yet and belongs in every Friday the 13th collection.

The film marks the third confrontation between Tommy Jarvis (this time played by Thom Matthews) and Jason Voorhees, if you count Part V. Tommy, the one person to truly kill Jason, is finally out of mental institutions but is still plagued by his past. He heads to a graveyard with a friend to dig up Jason’s body and destroy it once and for all. Tommy stabs the body with a piece of fence, only to have lightning strike the post and revive Jason as an indestructible force of nature. Tommy’s friend is killed, and he barely escapes alive. Jason, now all maggoty and with leathery skin, begins his slaughter in Crystal Lake, now called Forest Green.

Tommy tries to warn the town about Jason, but the Sheriff (David Kagen) won’t believe him. He even locks Tommy up and ends up dumping him on the outskirts of town. The only person who listens to Tommy’s warning is the Sheriff’s daughter, Megan (Jennifer Cooke). Megan also happens to be a counselor at a newly opened camp full of young children (the first time we see Jason threatening campers). With Jason picking apart the counselors, Tommy and Megan come up with a plan to put Jason to rest once and for all.

Jason Lives is grade-A slasher goodness and one of my favorite entries in the franchise. McLoughlin serves as both the writer and director, making it solely his vision. Understanding that slasher films are supposed to be fun and scary, he embraces a self-referential tone that allows viewers to laugh and scream without the film becoming a complete parody of itself. In fact, there’s nothing cheap about the film at all. Dialogue is witty for a horror film, and the camera work features some excellent epic shots of Jason.

McLoughlin also brings the action back to Crystal Lake and steps it up in terms of the kill sequences. The gore isn’t as censored, but it’s not dripping out of every scene either. I would normally be mad, but McLoughlin crafts each sequence very skillfully, working up the tension and delivering some brutal and unique deaths, such as a face through a trailer wall and a triple beheading! This is a horror-fan’s horror film; one made with a passion and understanding for the genre that sets itself apart from countless other sequels. You can’t ask for much more from Jason’s first resurrected killing spree.

The DVD

The video is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The color palette embraces more browns and tans than vibrant primaries, but they are displayed accurately and without bleeding. The image isn’t as sharp as Part V, causing a dip in fine detail, but there is still an improvement over the 2004 disc. Black levels suffer the most as the lower lit scenes still have some video noise and compression problems. The print itself, however, has been cleaned up quite well. I’m not sure how many of these issues have to the do with the original source material, but it is unfortunate because this is one of the sequels that would really benefit from a more polished look.

The audio is offered in an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound mix, English 2.0 Surround, and French/Spanish Mono with English/French/Spanish/Portuguese subtitles. Like the other Deluxe Editions, the 5.1 mix is more of a glorified stereo track than an immersive surround experience. The rears are used for the rare atmospheric effect and are mostly occupied with the score. The front-heavy mix features some good effect separation, but not much panning. Dialogue is balanced as well. So while the mix may not be very noteworthy, the improved clarity and separation of the elements helps everything feel less harsh and more balanced.

The Extras

Commentary is offered with Director Tom McLoughlin, Editor Bruce Green, and actor Vinnie Guastaferro. McLoughlin is a fantastic, enthusiastic speaker that sheds light on his influences, the humor in the film, anecdotes from the set, and more. All of the participants really enjoy the film, making for one of the best commentary tracks in the franchise.

“Jason Lives” is a 13-minute making-of featurette with cast/crew interviews. McLoughlin again provides excellent information about the production and the tone he wanted to create while actors share their experiences on set and effects guys talk about the gore moments. It is a short but jam-packed piece that will give you a better appreciation for what McLoughlin wanted to achieve with the film.

The “Slashed Scenes” section runs 6 minutes and contains a lot of extended gore moments that I wish were cut back in. It’s amazing how much more you can get away with these days. Unfortunately the video quality is pretty rugged, and their really isn’t six minutes new content as the scenes the footage was cut from are shown to provide context.

“Meeting Mr. Voorhees” is a 3-minute collection of storyboard art with dialogue for an alternate ending featuring Jason’s father. McLoughlin introduces the segment.

“The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited, Part III” is the next 9-minute segment in the mockumentary comprised of news clips and interviews that supposedly bridge the gap between the films. The horrendous acting and failed attempts at humor prevent this from having any real impact.

“Lost Tales from Camp Blood Part 6” is the next 6-minute short film and again is disappointing. For supposed fans of the series, the people making these shorts really don’t capture the Friday the 13th spirit at all.

Finally, the Theatrical Trailer is offered.

Final Thoughts

Friday the 13th Part VI – Jason Lives: Deluxe Edition is one of the most entertaining entries in the franchise. Though the technical aspects of the new disc aren’t a revelation, the improvement is still noticeable. As the first entry where Jason is essentially unstoppable, this is a must-own title for any self-respecting horror fan.