Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday The 13th (2013) Review

Spawning over thirteen entries with potential for many many more, the Friday The 13th franchise has become one of the most (if not the most) notorious franchises in cinema history; a title well earned and deserved(?).

Birthing horror’s most iconic face with Jason Voorhees, we were treated to a slew of boisterous slasher flicks that took us all the way to space. Whether it’s a dish served for everyone’s taste is a different conversation altogether, but within the horror community stands one of the most beloved and admired; for the good, the bad and the ugly. What better way to celebrate the fandom and its loyal dedication by the release of a nearly seven hour (yes you heard that correct) detailed documentary on each entry into the Friday franchise. You’re all bloody welcome!

Clocking in at six hours forty minutes, Crystal Lake Memories is not for the faint hearted; a brash and chunky bible for all things Voorhees. Deciding to watch anything of its ilk not being an avid franchise fan is a risky choice indeed, one that is sure to result in an inevitable switch off or maybe only skipping to the franchise entries you actually enjoy if you’re patient enough. If you are a huge fan however, Crystal Memories in its entirety is undeniably a fantastic find for those who always preferred they’re slasher’s a little more machete happy with an extra dose of mummy issues.

For those who sided with Jason over Freddy, and for those who enjoyed their silly metre dialled all the way up to ten. If you think this hefty heavyweight of a documentary might be a lot to get through then never worry, treat it like you would a Netflix documentary and watch it episodically. That’s how I made it out the other end in one piece, allowing me to soak in each deliciously detailed chapter with eyes-widened devotion and attention.

Crystal Lake Memories was nothing short of brilliant, and despite its lengthy runtime was a surprisingly taut and well-paced chunk of documentary filmmaking. Narrated by the young Tommy Jarvis himself Corey Feldman, we are introduced with a fun albeit cheesy mini-movie replicating the cliche’s of the classic Friday The 13th formula, accompanied by a credit scene dripping in the franchises signature flare.

Proving that this is a documentary made by the fans for the fans, strapping you up and buckling you in for what will be a fascinating and educational trip down nostalgia lane. Strung together in such a fun manner that it would make the faintest of Friday fans giggle with childlike excitement, hooking us in with an abundance of trivia and behind-the-scenes drama through an admiringly candid perspective; one you rarely see with such franchise chatter.

Following a linear structure, Crystal Lake Memories takes each narrative entry one at a time in chronological order. Wasting no time, it has no issue breaking each entry down with intricate precision, refusing to move on to its next entry until every conceivable question has been answered and every aspect of pre and post production have been covered. Something so admirable in comparison to many documentaries of its kind, which only scratch the surface in comparison.

This at first was to its detriment when, if you’re like me and watched the Friday The 13th episode as part of Netflix’s Movies That Made Us, provides the same information on the franchise’s original entry as it did here. This naturally made the first forty minutes a drag to get through, failing to add further information for anyone who’s trivia on the 1980’s classic isn’t already squeaky-clean.

It isn’t until it makes its natural progression onto the Jason filled sequels when Crystal Lake Memories really begins to come into its own, treating the fans to a plethora of cast and crew interviews, special effect breakdowns and all the moments that didn’t make the cut; enough information to make a grown Voorhees fan cry.

Ironically enough, I found myself most engaged with the chapters on the franchises’s notoriously weaker entries; with The Final Chapter, Jason Takes Manhattan, The New Blood, Jason Goes To Hell and Jason X all being the highlights of Crystal Lake‘s thorough roster. Moments such as the hospital incident with Part 2, the many different story versions with Freddy Vs. Jason and the cut that was never seen with The New Blood make for an undeniable fascinating watch, elements that are not worth spoiling yet absolutely worth checking out.

Most intriguing however is when the cast and crew weigh in on their Friday experience, delving into its narrative and characters with refreshing honesty, all whilst adding some hilariously inept backstories to their one dimensional blood bags of characters. It never quite takes itself too seriously, and allows itself and you to have fun with it. I mean, who doesn’t want to hear constant slander over the Jason Goes to Hell’s questionable turn of events or Freddy Vs. Jason‘s ludicrous fight scenes, we’ve all done it so why not join in.

There is a lot to unpack here, and if you prefer some Friday the 13th movies over others and fear not as each entry gets its time to shine, and never spares a moment to pump its viewer full of wonderful nostalgia and knowledge. It’s a delightfully retro throwback to a simpler time for horror, racking up a royal rumble of familiar faces to excite that baby Jason that lives deep within.

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