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Movie:		3.0
Picture:		6.0
Sound:		7.0
Extras:		7.0
Score:		5.0

Director(s):	Steve Miner
Writer(s):	Martin Kitrosser, Carol Watson
Starring:	Dana Kimmell • David Katims • Larry Zerner • Nick Savage • Paul Kratka • Rachel Howard • Richard Brooker
Genre:	Horror
Website:	http://www.fridaythe13thfilms.com/
Release Date:	June 16, 2009
Rated:

List Price:	Blu-ray - $19.99
Amazon:

It looks like Paramount realized that 3-D, which wasn’t all that great a gimmick back in its heyday, still isn’t good enough to warrant no extra features. They hadn’t figured this out when they released Friday the 13^th: Part III – Deluxe Edition on DVD (with no extras at all) a few months ago, but at some point since they did. Maybe it was the negative feedback on the barebones edition, or maybe they were just trying to bait Jason fans into buying one of the weakest installments of the series when it hit Blu-ray. To be honest, it’s not such a bad idea – they’ve added three decent extra features which, when coupled with the heightened resolution, might just push the casual Friday the 13^th fan to buy this wretched installment on Blu-ray.

If Friday the 13^th: Part II was the original on speed, Part III is the slow-witted bastard child with a flair for kitsch. Available on the Deluxe Edition Blu-ray, you’ll find the film in its 3-D and normal versions. Sure, with 3-D films currently on the rise today – you might think, ‘Hey, an old horror film in 3-D awesome!’ but you’d be wrong. Serious issues arose in the third installment of this classic horror series and the result is a subpar sequel. For those who choose to take advantage of the Deluxe Edition’s included 2 pairs of 3-D glasses – you’ll find the film certainly receives an increased and rather nice amount of depth to the scenes. However, that plus quickly loses favor as two consequences rear their ugly heads.

First, the old school red and blue 3-D glasses are as likely to give you a headache as they are to better your viewing experience. More likely in fact. I had to watch the 3-D version in 20 minute installments because the headache the glasses caused was so debilitating. Second, when the director uses the 3-D to its more kitschy effect – you can’t help but roll your eyes. Characters poking poles, pitch forks jabbing and multiple characters holding things out towards the screen is the director’s idea of 3-D put to good use. The poor use of 3-D just doesn’t make the headache worthwhile.

Early on we meet three real bad biker dudes. They terrorize our chubbier prankster character and then, after he takes revenge by driving a car over a motorcycle, follow them to the camp. Herein does the killin’ a’start.

Friday the 13^th: Part 3 marks the first in the series where our iconic slasher dons the hockey mask. Why? Because Jason gets considerably more screen time here than in any of the others that came before. Instead of spending all that time on the prosthetics and makeup, the director found it easier to cover it up with a mask. Honestly, I don’t mind that so much as it gives Jason a better aesthetic and helped establish his visage as a horror legend. The whole road trip plot up to camp and the ensuing biker brawl all make for a laughable sequel.

The part that draws in the fans, the creative kills, doesn’t make an appearance. In fact, a kill in Friday the 13^th: Part III directly rips off (or if you’re feeling generous “pays homage to”) one of the more gruesome kills in the original. Friday the 13^th: Part III marks a notable disappointment in what had been, up until this installment, a promising series. The ability of a slasher film to take itself with a grain of salt certainly helps it survive through the generations; but in this case it seems to have tilted all the way to self-parody but without being funny – only disappointing.

There’s an interesting paradox in watching a high-definition film in 3D. You’re paying for richer colors and sharper contrasts (which are quite evident in the 2D version), but when viewing the film in 3D what’s the difference? The red and blue glasses drown out the richness of the presentation and considering that the 3D effects are nothing to write home about, the trade-off of resolution for an extra dimension is unwise.

Blu-ray Bonus Features

Finally, some incentive to buy a copy of this inferior sequel. Besides a trailer, there are a few featurettes that fit well with those offered on the previous discs.

“Fresh Cuts: 3D Terror”: Producers, crew and cast members relate the behind the scenes dealings which lead to Paramount adding the 3D element to one of its top franchises of the time. While the idea brimmed with possibility, the process required to make the 3D work made for long shooting times – meaning the cast and crew show a bit of resentment for how long the filming took.

“Legacy of the Mask” tells the story of the iconic horror fixture. How was the mask chosen? How was the mask created? How did the mask evolve? All these questions and more receive fair coverage in a well thought out featurette.

“Slasher Films: Going For the Jugular” invites horror actors like Richard Brooker, Larry Zerner and Tony Todd (Candyman) to discuss the cultural impact of the slasher film and their involvement in its gory history.

“Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 3”: These shorts have no business being on these Deluxe Editions. Even if Part 3 is slightly better than those that came before it, it still remains a horribly crafted piece of schlock.