Rating: Summary: OK DVD transfer isn't as good as it should have been Review: Given how pleased I was with the first 3 movies on DVD, I was just a little let down by the fact that FINAL CHAPTER seems to have been left a little shorthanded with the new transfer. The movie itself is a perfect example of a good slasher sequel, and fans of the series will love this die hard Jason movie. There is a slew of funny and interesting characters, some great setpieces, and Jason himself pretty much transformed into the Jason we all know and love in THIS movie. It's a good old fashioned stalk and slash gore fest. The only let down is the new DVD transfer. Paramount seems to have used an old dark print. All the night scenes are too dark and it makes it hard to see things and make out what's going on. Some scenes are too grainy and soft, where the first 3 movies on DVD are all sharp and crip. Viewers might benefit more from seeing the VHS because the DVD, although OK here and there, isn't what it should have been.
Rating: Summary: Love The Movie. Hate the DVD. Review: As you can see above, a five star rating. Well, that goes for the movie. This DVD gets two stars. Truly, this is a really bad disk. The picture is horrendous, the sound is unbearable, and there are absoloutley NO EXTRAS EXCEPT FOR A TRAILER!. And, that trailer is the worse one of the whole series, and the picture's even worse than the movie. Now, I'm not going to give the plot, because every time I do for a Friday movie I feel like I did it before. And besides, I'm sure other reviews will give you some plot information. But what I'm grading is this DVD from Paramount. As said above, it's really BAD. OK, so it is a bit better than the video, but not by much. After three really good Friday DVDs (#3 in particular) Paramount loads us this ... disk. There are many flaws in this disk.#1. The picture. What I consider the most important part, is about as good as a really old video that's been watched a million times. In every dark scene (basically the whole movie) there's grime and dots that glitter on the screen, and in some parts the grime takes over and you cannot see the picture! Very lousy picture quality. #2. What is the deal with the sound? It is so incredibly quiet that you'll have to turn your TV up as high as it goes (and strain your ears) just to hear what they're saying. But, there are subtitles if you can't hear it. #3. The stupid menu! It's really cruddy. AND it's really hard to pick the things on it. You can see a stupid trailer, and scene selections. #4. Oh! There's NO DELETED SCENES! This one had a ton of deleted stuff (both in scenes and in murders). I know that the previous ones didn't have deleted scenes, but #s 1 and 3 had a few extended murders. But, this one, which is really highley cnsored, is exactley the same! Nothing new! Nothing at all! I'll bet Paramount's just doing this o that they can release some super special Two Disk limited Edition or something. ... Anyway, sorry for no plot rviews, it's a good plot, but I hope I was helpfull in telling you whether this disk was worth it (if I was, please vote for me!). Friday the 13th The Final Chapter is Rated R For Strong Language, Light Gore, Some Violence, and Strong Nudity. If you enjoyed this movie, I'd recommend any other Friday The 13th film, Halloween, Halloween 2, A nightmare On Elm Street, and Scream.
Rating: Summary: This One Should Have Been The Final Chapter Review: OK. I know that my title sounds like I'm telling you to stay away from this, but what I mean is, this one (as well as part's 1, 2, and 3), is quite good. But, after this film came less scary entries such as Friday The 13th Part V A New Beggining, and others. Don't get me wrong, I love every Friday The 13th film with a passion, but they just weren't quite as good after "The Final Chapter".... It's got a good atmosphere and I particularly like Corey Feldman, and Crispon Glover... The Final Chapter is a very good entry in this endless series. It really does perfectly end the series, and I think if this had been the final film, it would have gotten much more respect by such losers as Leonard Maltin (who seriously needs to get a life) and other hating review criticts. This DVD falls short however. The picture (while disturbinly dirty) is a lot better than the terribul VHS, but there is still obvious faults and grimes in the picture. Unfortonutley this disk doesn't have deleted scenes and the extended murders I was hoping for. Oh well, maybe if that version comes out this one will be rare and a collectors item. There is a trailer and a 1:85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. Well, this movie is good, and sice the picture is better than the video, you might just as well get the DVD. ...
Rating: Summary: THE FINAL CHAPTER, THE BIG CHEAT, A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT !!! Review: FRIDAY THE 13TH - THE FINAL CHAPTER, theatrically released on Friday, April 13, 1984 was a big disappointment back in the day and is still a big disappointment today. With the release of FRIDAY THE 13TH - THE FINAL CHAPTER on DVD, there were all the great expectations after watching PART 3 on DVD, I was severely let down, big time. The only thing that's really impressive about this title is the video cover design, as the rest is hideous. FRIDAY THE 13TH - THE FINAL CHAPTER has a menu board that was designed very badly. I don't remember any fire in that film as the menu board illustrates. The theatrical trailer was also not good. This title brought us back to standard widescreen (1.85:1) format. The sound was muddled in several places as some forms of the film's score has been changed. The video quality is also very poor as there are lots of dark scenes and filled with grain which makes this film look very outdated. Perhaps this had to do with the camera equipment that was used to process this film. Picking up after FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3, Jason targets on a group of teens and a small family, who temporarily put a stop to Jason. Paramount cheated the fans with 4 more sequels, then New Line Cinema's JASON GOES TO HELL. A must have for fans but risky in its quality !!! If you notice, the inside menu card is Jason, but not from THE FINAL CHAPTER, but from PART 6 - JASON LIVES !!!!!!! And that DVD cover looks extremely BAD !!!! Nice try but was a slice !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: Summary: Much Better Than Part 3 Review: This sure beats Part 3. Just when they were getting bad. The Final Chapter makes the series worth watching again. Funny how a child can kill a psycho, but a bunch of virgin women couldn't. This sequel also has more surprises. Jason pops out of the water, from behind overhead screens, and from under the docks. This movie had a very good ending. After this one they should have waited at least five years to make another sequel. Instead they did one every year. Which was stupid. This is one of the best entries in the series.
Rating: Summary: A Frightening Entry To The Legendary Series Review: The "Friday the 13th" series is probably best known for three things; bad acting, gruesome killings and ... Jason Voorhees. This entry in the series features all three in abundance. But, even though there is some bad acting in this film there is also some excellent acting as well. Crispin Glover does a fine job as a sex starved nerd whose insecurities overshadow his good looks and quirkily charming personality. The young Corey Feldman is outstanding as Tommy Jarvis, whose fascination with horror films is probably something the producers used to help the audiance identify with his character. Last, but not least, there's Ted White's uncredited performance as Jason. He turns the character into something truly terrifying in this film. Jason's not the lumbering behemoth he was in "Part 3", instead, White injects a fresh sense of dread into Jason. His portrayal of Jason is more subtle yet more frightening; silent, stealthy, brutal, savage and unstoppable. And when Jason pulls out all the stops at the end and begins RUNNING after one of his victims...it truly scares you. You can FEEL the rage White is emitting. The killings in this film are absolutely incredible in terms of ingenuity and technique. Tom Savini returned to the series because he said he wanted the chance to kill Jason, but we all know he relishes the chance to display his make-up prowess in all facets as well; and the film really benefits from his return. The killings are savagely gory and really shock the viewer when they happen (the highlight of all the killings was the cleaver to the face) which is part of what makes this movie so damn frightening. It is profoundly disturbing on a very primal level and it is, again, VERY brutal in many ways. The director, Joseph Zito, knew what people wanted to see; Jason offing teens. ut his approach to the series gave this film the tone that makes it such a great horor film. The lighting, atmosphere and settings are dark and the cinematography is almost claustrophobic. Zito films the movie in a way that makes the viewer feel like they too are trapped in the woods with Jason. There are no brightly lit shots of the woods and even during the daytime Zito frames his shots so that the audiance feels cramped and as if there is no where to turn (the hitchhiker scene). Manfredini's score is eerily effective, as always, and the ending is the best of the series. Overall, this is probably, at least to me, the most frightening of the "Friday" series. A dark, brutal and disturbing film that, along with "The Blair Witch Project" made me never want to go camping again.
Rating: Summary: Second Best Slasher Film Ever Review: Being a big fan of the Friday the 13th movies since I was a kid I have to admit I was having nightmares of Jason for a while. The scene from the 1st movie at the end where Jason jumps out of the lake onto the girls boat made me shreek like a girl(man I'm sexist). Maybe the fact that I was about six didn't hurt but it's still one of the scariest scenes I've ever watched. Years later I watched it again but I found that it wasn't the best of the series at all. As many others have pointed out this series is unique in that some of the sequels are actually better than the original. This movie starts with a classic run down of Jason's killing sprees to date as told at a campfire. Jason's body is picked up from the barn where he was "killed" in the last movie and taken to the morgue. Of course he isn't dead and after a couple hospital workers are killed he goes back to Crystal Lake. In this one is victims are a small family and another group of horny teens taking a vacation so they can be help build up the kill count. This in my opinion is Jason at his best. Many Jason fans believe Kane Hodder to be the best Jason but I believe Ted White pulls off the most realistic and scary ever. Kane Hodder brought a more comicy and unstoppable feel to Jason. I consider them to be almost two different Jason's. He's not super powerful in this one. He's just a big as hell guy with some sharp objecks and a hockey mask. I also enjoyed how he actually ran after one of his victims in this one. He might have in earlier films in the series but I know he never did after this one. The acting was also the best yet in the series with some great casting choices. The killings are varied so you get a bit of everything. You even get to see Jason without the hockey mask. Tommy's sister was pretty impressive at the end not playing the usual victim girl. Not many of us would go at it mano y mano with Jason Voorhees. Jason's kill scene is also the best one in the series and honestly the best kill scene of any slasher film I know of. Tom Savini's make up job was incredible. This movie is one I'm going to keep in my collection forever right next to Halloween. That by the way is the best slasher film, in my opinion at least, but its sequels could never even come close. Many have said that Jason was a copy of Michael Myers but I would have to disagree. Myers may have been behind some of the inspiration but Jason is a character unique unto himself. I always liked to think of Myers as more of an urban slasher while Jason more rural. Another difference in the series was the acting. Many of the early Friday the 13th's suffer from terrible acting and many times you'll find yourself cheering for Jason to put an end to them. I rarely found myself cheering for Myers in the Halloween's. You'll notice if you watch movies from both series that they both steal from each other but I like to think of this as a good thing. Two slasher movies that took the best scenes from each other and added on too them was a positive thing for this genre. So here's my final call. Halloween the best slasher film ever. Friday the 13th the best slasher series ever. For more good Jason movies I would check out Friday the 13th part 6. If your looking for another good slasher check out Madman. Email me if you know of some other sweet slashers I may be interested in.
Rating: Summary: Jason's last hurrah? Not quite... Review: Director Joseph Zito and makeup wiz Tom Savini first worked together on "The Prowler" (1981), a poorly-written thriller designed primarily as a showcase for some fairly gruesome set-pieces. Given a bigger budget and a marginally better script, the two men joined forces once again for "Friday the 13th The Final Chapter" (1984), a brave and much-heralded attempt to breathe fresh life into the slasher saga following the lucrative but creatively moribund "Friday the 13th Part III" (1982) - this time by seeking to end Jason's rampage for good. Making short work of a couple of nurses in the hospital where his 'corpse' had been taken following his previous massacre, Jason (a curiously uncredited Ted White) heads back to the woods and targets - you guessed it! - yet another group of vacationing teens. This time around, the basic scenario is spiced by the introduction of a young hunter (E. Erich Anderson) seeking revenge against Jason for the death of his sister, and a horror-crazy schoolkid (a very young Corey Feldman, pre-"Stand By Me") whose penchant for mask-making not only plays an important part in the film's hair-raising finale, but also directly petitions the audience's core crowd of 'Fangoria' readers. As usual, the characters are little more than Jason-fodder, and whenever the script allows them a brief moment of interaction, the dialogue is so mind-numbingly awful, you'll just want to curl up and die! Aside from Feldman, other notable cast members include Crispin Glover (whose fortunes were established the following year when he landed a major role in "Back to the Future") as a potential victim, and the lovely Joan Freeman as a single mom living in an unlikely house in the woods next door to the focal point of Jason's rampage. Freeman, a veteran performer of mainly lightweight movie fare (she was also a TV regular who began her career as a child actress in the early 1950s and later worked with the likes of Roger Corman and Elvis Presley), sadly took her own life in 1988. If you can stomach the film's unrelenting cruelty (most of Savini's gore effects were pared to the bone to appease the increasingly censorious MPAA, though the brevity and viciousness of the murder scenes lends them all the impact of a swift kick in the teeth), then there's actually much to enjoy: Zito dispenses with logic and cranks up the tension to fever pitch, with some fairly obvious false alarms giving way to sudden eruptions of absolute horror designed to bludgeon entire audiences into terrified submission! Some of it is clever (like the murder depicted in silhouette during a sudden lightning-flash, and an impressively-staged stunt involving a parked car, which I won't spoil), some of it is dumb (watch out for the indestructible rubber dinghy which refuses to sink, even after it's been thoroughly punctured!), but the low budget production values are fairly solid, due mainly to Zito's no-nonsense direction, Joao Fernandes' moody cinematography, and Joel Goodman's rollercoaster editing, while Harry Manfredini provides yet another memorable variation on the series' famous music score. Ultimately, the film plays fair with viewers' expectations, and if it hadn't been so popular in theaters (leading to even more sequels!), this would have made a grand finale to a successful franchise. Paramount's region 1 DVD (which runs 91m 13s) is a no-frills affair, sporting a fine anamorphic (1.85:1) transfer and a forceful, two-channel mono soundtrack. The English captions are excellent, and there's a widescreen trailer (also anamorphic) which sells the picture as: "The one you've been screaming for!" Fans will lap it up.
Rating: Summary: A must see... Review: this marks the best film in all the series. Jason is now haunting a family, inlcuding 12 year old Tommy Jarvis, who eventually kills him. This features the same great F13 stuff, and includes just about everything that makes a horror film great.
Rating: Summary: Tied for best Friday... Review: along with part 6...Friday the 13th movies are interesting in that the even numbered sequels have been better than the odd (the first, 3rd, 5th, 7th and last one SUCKED) Jason is pretty frightening in this movie, and this movie has one of the better casts(that's still not saying much) it's pretty formulaic and obvious who's going to live and who gets killed, but it's still worth seeing.
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