HOLLYWOOD—I have been a fan of Jason Voorhees and the “Friday the 13th” films for as long as I can remember. I would argue since the age of 4. Don’t ask because it’s a long story, I have always had a fascination with horror films and that hockey mask that caused mayhem on Crystal Lake defined my 80s. I owned several versions of the franchise on VHS, then the DVDs started to come out 1 by 1 in the early 2000s and I had all of those. In 2004, a box set finally arrived with some goodies and I purchased that, but it was lackluster. I hate when films are placed on the same disc.

Then in 2013, a new version of all 12 films in the franchise was released in a steel tin case, in Blu-ray versions. The artwork was nice, the booklet was nice, but it still lacked the punch in terms of graphics and goodies. Notably, still NO true 3D version of the third installment in the franchise, instead we got the red and blue glasses. At this point, I had written off the opportunity to ever see the 1982 version of the flick in its true 3D fashion that was until July 2020 when it was announced a deluxe edition of the franchise was headed to stores. I was happy, but hesitant, but the moment I learned “Friday the 13th: Part 3D” would be in true 3D there was no question: I was buying this set and I would preorder it.

Well on Tuesday, October 13, the highly anticipated box set was unleashed. I was patiently waiting for my item to arrive in the mail and I was not disappointed to see the least. I mean all 12 films, particularly the first 8 films with artwork from their actual theatrical release. I mean none of the versions of the films had the original artwork beyond this box set, so that is a special perk people. In addition, the first four entries in the franchise have 4k transfers providing a crisp, clear and iconic picture that is so pristine it is almost scary. Add to that that opportunity to witness, a rated and unrated version of the 1980 classic, as well as the rated and unrated version of “Jason Goes to Hell,” which had been heavily speculated for years.

There are additional commentaries for all the films, features and deleted scenes that fans have been eager to discover, theatrical trailers and so much more. The films alone would take nearly an entire day to watch all of them. On top of that, you have a 60-page collectible booklet chronicling the history of the franchise, highlighting crucial details about each film and if that was not enough, artwork for the box set that highlights ever image of psychopath Jason Voorhees in all of his epic glory, from the 1980 flick to Part 2, Part 3D, The Final Chapter, Jason Lives, The New Blood, Jason Takes Manhattan, Jason Goes to Hell, Jason X, Freddy Vs. Jason and the 2009 remake. Seeing those iconic faces behind the masks and Mr. Voorhees himself holding iconic weaponry is one of a kind America.

I did think for a time NOT to open the box set, but I would be disappointed with the notion of not opening the set and seeing the artwork and looking to view all these goodies that I could only imagine. Now I have a collector’s edition that tops anything that has been released before. This will be a part of my movie collection until the day I die. It was worth the $140ish I spent and sometimes even I have to pinch myself that it is indeed ok to treat myself to something that means a lot to me, especially as a fan of cinema and someone who wants to create an iconic horror flick as part of his legacy.