Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (DVD)
Reviewed by Uncle Creepy
Starring Shavar Ross, Ron Sloan, Dick Wieand, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., Debi Sue Voorhees, Melanie Kinnaman, John Shepherd, Carol Locatell
Directed by Danny Steinmann
Released by Paramount Home Entertainment
From Danny Steinmann, a director of early Seventies soft core porn, comes an entry into the Friday franchise that’s just as sleazy as it is fun — Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning!
Some would say this is the bastard of the franchise as Jason Voorhees isn’t even in it. Instead we get a copy-cat ambulance driver with a bone to pick over the loss of his fat, chocolate-bar-stained son. Did it work? No. Is it good? Not really. Can it still be appreciated for some “What the hell were the thinking?” type fun? Oh, hell yes!
At the very least this entry provides some great kills, Reggie the Reckless (Ross), some ludicrously funny dialogue (I’m looking at you, Ma and Junior), and the painfully awkward yet thoroughly hilarious Miguel Núñez singing to his girlfriend while he’s taking a shit sequence. I’ve never sung while shitting, but this movie inspires me to try, damnit!
Most of you bought the original release of this film just to complete your Friday collection. That’s cool and understandable. But should you shell out the extra payola for the reissue? I’m thinking that it depends on how much of a completist you are.
You get an audio commentary moderated by the always dead-on-the-money Mike Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures, the New Beginnings: The Making-of Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning featurette, which is brimming with backstory and truth be told is quite good, more of that insipid Lost Tales from Camp Blood drivel, and in my estimation the number one reason to buy the disc — The Crystal Lake Massacres Revisited — Part II which focuses on Reggie the Reckless’ relatives and what they thought of the way Reg dispatched of the phony Jason while wearing nothing but his lil red jumpsuit! WORD!
At one point a fan commentary featuring myself and Staci Layne Wilson was to be included as well, but it was removed because I think we just had a little too much fun at the movie’s expense for Paramount’s taste. Shame, too. Everyone who heard it outside of the studio sang its praises. Maybe one day it will surface in one way or another.
There ya have it, kids. The skinny on the Friday V deluxe edition DVD. The rest is entirely up to you on this one. I say buy it — if only for comedy’s sake.
Special Features:
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“>2 1/2 out of 5
Special Features
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4 out of 5
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