The Video: How Does The Disc Look?
One thing this Friday the 13th reboot does have going for it is the participation of veteran horror cinematographer Daniel C. Pearl, who not only shot the original 1974 Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but also the 2003 remake. Pearl has made this latest entry in the ongoing Camp Crystal Lake franchise look far better than any of its predecessors, shooting it with lush moonlight and silvery-gray overtones. This latest installment really outshines the B-movie look of the originals, and it certainly benefits from the high-def format. The film is presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio compressed with the AVC video CODEC. Although the film skews a bit on the dark and monochromatic side, color balance remains strong throughout. Details such as the fibers on Jason’s early “sack” mask look clear and well-defined while close-ups of some of the cast members reveal slight hints of razor-stubble. Black levels remained deep, dark and inky and I didn’t detect any compression problems or artifacts. The image did tend to skew a bit soft at times, especially during some of the movie’s frequently dark and underlit scenes. But overall, this is a solid and impressive video presentation.
The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Despite the lack of a preferred DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, the lossless TrueHD 5.1 option is a solid and commendable alternative. With robust and dynamic audio that delivers content to all six channels, this track remains active and aggressive throughout. Dialogue is always clear and concise through the center-channel mix, while the rear surrounds get a workout — especially when providing ambient background noise in the dense and hollow woods surrounding Camp Crystal Lake. There are also some nice directional effects and music cues peppered across the stereo front channel mix, with deep and resonant bass notes reserved for subtle “stinger” cues when Jason pops up without warning. Effects such as the dull thud of Jason’s machete entering an unsuspecting girl’s head and the sound of Jason literally smashing and trashing his underground lair are distinct and realistic. Steve Jablonsky’s (Transformers) score is also given a full and ambient soundstage, replete with his own variation on Harry Manfredini’s infamous “kill-kill-kill” theme. Overall, a very good and lifelike audio presentation.
The optional subtitles are inEnglish SDH, French and Spanish.
