Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter: Deluxe Edition

1984

It's not for nothing that the fourth "? and, before box-office grosses came in, supposedly final "? film in the "Friday the 13th" franchise remains a fan favorite. The sequel is a strong entry for two reasons: First, it makes a great case for killing off masked machete man Jason Voorhees once and for all. Second "? and this is the only time I'll ever say this in my life "? Corey Feldman is great.

Mind you, this finds Feldman back as a cute kid, rather than the annoying teen or the irresponsible adult he grew up to be. He plays monster-obsessed boy Tommy Jarvis, camping at Crystal Lake with his mom and sister. While all the other  "Friday" films before and after make teenagers the focus, putting a kid up against Jason is quite novel, especially when you consider the lengths to which his character goes.

Oh, and if you want a third reason, yes, it contains plenty of gory murders to satisfy your bloodlust.

Paramount vastly improves upon the previous release with this "Deluxe Edition," packing it with numerous extras, including funny footage of Crispin Glover dancing; a terrific mini-documentary that benefits from director Joseph Zito's frankness; and another episode of the new "Lost Tales from Camp Blood," this one set in a hospital.

There are some deleted scenes, sadly without sound, and an original mockumentary on "The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited." That one's kind of annoying, but a rare blight on an otherwise killer package.

  "?Rod Lott

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