The late 1970s and 1980s was the era of the mega horror franchises. Innovations in filmmaking techniques and technologies, not to mention the growing turbulence within the world, made it a fertile time for genre cinema to flourish. Huge series sprung up, which weren’t just big box office hits but also gained avid (often rabid) fan followings. The advent of VHS allowed them to continue, even when cinema numbers waned. The likes of Halloween, a Nightmare on Elm Street, The Omen and Hellraiser went on for years to come.
One of the biggest is undoubtedly the Friday 13th series. It’s probably safer to use the present tense because these things tend to come back. Sean S. Cunningham’s low-budget horror captured the imagination and has gone on to create a behemoth comprising twelve films, a TV series and a number of books and comics. This journey has taken one of cinema’s most compelling bad guys, Jason Voorhees, to many places. Including space. Daniel Farrands’ documentary Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th tells the story.
Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th is exhaustive, to say the least. Clocking in at well over six hours, in many ways it’s a labour of love. Covering the entire franchise, from the 1980 original until the 2009 remake, it features well over a hundred cast members and is extensive in its scope. Inspired by the critically-acclaimed book, it features a raft of rare footage, insider anecdotes and behind the scenes photos. If you’re a fan of the movies, you’ll love Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th.
Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th is released on Blu-ray by 101Films on 11 April and available on digital platforms now.
