Friday the 13th: The Series Season 2 (DVD)

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Friday the 13th: The Series Season 2 (click for larger imageReviewed by Uncle Creepy

Created by Frank Mancuso, Jr. and Larry B. Williams

Starring Louise Robey, Chris Wiggins, John D. LeMay, R.G. Armstrong

Directed by Various

Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment


It just feels so good to be able to watch this show whenever I want. To say it brings back childhood memories is an understatement! Back in the late Eighties there were two types of “Friday the 13th: The Series” fans — those of us who dug the show for the quirky little spookfest that it was, and those of us who were uber-pissed that this had nothing at all to do with the movies themselves.

So was this just an in name only cash-in? Well, sort of. For those of you who haven’t been playing along, allow me to hash out the connection, such as it is. From my Season 1 review:

Antique shop owner Lewis Vendredi (Armstrong) made a deal with the Devil. He was to sell hexed objects for Satan to the unknowing masses in exchange for immortality. These cursed curios would come in all shapes and sizes, but they all had one thing in common — anyone who owned them would end up on the old metal slab in the morgue. After many years of doing Big Red’s bidding, Vendredi (which in French translates into “Friday” and there’s your reason for the show’s title) welshed on his contract and ended up taking a dirt nap.

Friday the 13th: The Series Season 2 (click for larger imageSo now as in Season 1 it’s up to Micki Foster (Robey and her hair), her distant cousin Ryan Dallion (LeMay), and Jack Marshak (Wiggins) to clean up the mess left behind by that evil Vendredi!

“>Season 1 (review) was great nostalgic stuff to watch, but Season 2? The heat is turned up. Way up. This collection of episodes, twenty-six in all, contains some of the best of the series. In fact, I’d hazard to say Season 2 is the best of the show’s entire run. What can you expect? Strap yourselves in, kids; you’re in for one hell of a ride! We have an antique radio that causes the criminally insane to die of fright (wait … is that a bad thing?), a playhouse that eats the children who enter it (YAY!), and the stellar “Coven of Darkness” episode wherein we learn that Micki is actually a witch! See? I knew that head of hair was purely supernatural! No normal person could sport such a mane! Mind you the above is just the tip of the iceberg! There’s hours and hours of cheesy horror mayhem to be had here.

Just like last time, absolutely no attempt has been made to remaster the show’s video or audio. In some strange way this flagrant disregard adds to the charm of watching this again, but after a few hours of staring at a blurry slightly out-of-focus looking picture, your head is likely to start pounding. My advice? Chew slowly. It’s the good stuff!

Speaking of flagrant disregard … we don’t get a single extra. I’m talking NOTHING. No trailers, no commentaries, no interviews, we’re talking donut land. I still, however, am awarding a half a stabbie in the special features department for Robey’s hair. It’s an entity in and of itself.

Is this show really good? Honestly? I am pretty biased. I’m sure most of us thirty-something horror fans out there who watched it when it was first on the air will be, too. All you whippersnappers out there who will rent this and wonder where Jason is can swing from my sac like a happy monkey. Thanks.

Special Features

  • Robey’s giant-ass hair

    Series:

    4 out of 5

    Special Features:

    1/2 out of 5

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