Friday the 13th Part 3 appears in a 2.35:1 ratio on this Blu-ray disc. Presumably due to the 3D cameras it used, the image seemed erratic.
Sharpness came across as spotty. Though some shots looked just fine, many felt soft and undefined.
I noticed no jagged edges or shimmering, and edge haloes remained absent. The film showed natural – albeit often heavy – grain but occasional print flaws materialized.
Most came from gate hairs or dirt on the lens, though a few small specks appeared as well. These never became major but they created some distractions.
Colors varied. The tones occasionally appeared moderately drab and dull, but the majority of the movie presented reasonably vivid hues. The outdoors shots looked best, as these could present nicely distinctive colors.
Blacks were generally solid, though they could be somewhat inky, while shadows tended to come across as a bit dense. They weren’t terrible opaque, but they lacked great clarity. The image of Part 3 fell to “C+” levels, as it always seemed mediocre.
At least the DTS-HD MA 5.1 remix of Part 3 proved to be more satisfying. The soundfield tended toward environmental elements. Unique surround information remained rare. I noticed a car that zipped to the right rear at one point, and a spear flew to the back channels as well.
Otherwise, I felt the mix stayed with general atmosphere, and that aspect of track was pleasing. The effects seemed fairly believable, and the nice stereo music adds pizzazz to the package.
Audio quality worked fine, and Part 3 offered the best sound of the first three films. Speech was generally natural and clear, without edginess or other issues. Effects didn’t show great vivacity, but they seemed acceptably concise and accurate.
Music fared nicely, as the score was bright and dynamic. The track wasn’t great but it worked well.
How did this 2020 Shout Blu-ray compare to the 2021 Paramount BD? They came with identical picture and audio.
However, the Shout disc includes a 3D version of the film. The 2009 Paramount BD also provided the movie in this format except it used those red/blue anaglyph glasses, a format that simply looked ugly.
The Shout disc uses the polarized process, which meant much improved visuals compared to the anaglyph one. Of course, this comes with the downside that viewers need 3D TVs to watch it, whereas the anaglyph worked on all sets.
In terms of picture quality, the two seem similar. Though the 3D version comes with the same drawbacks as the 2D, the stereo image actually helps “hide” those concerns to some degree. This makes it a bit more appealing in the long run.
As far as the 3D elements go, Part 3 comes with a lot of broad, in-your-face visuals, and that’s both a strength and a weakness. On the positive side, the movie will make “popout” fans happy, and it also provides a nice sense of depth.
Really, that’s the area that works best, as the movie comes with a good impression of the setting. This seems especially true with shots from heights, such as when the camera looks down on characters.
The 3D boom of the early 1980s really loved its crazy popout effects, though, and these jump to the fore with Part 3. Most seem silly and gratuitous, but they create an occasional distraction from the stupidity of the film itself so they add to the production.
Originally found on a 2004 DVD, we locate an audio commentary from actors Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka, Richard Brooker and Dana Kimmell. Along with author Peter M. Bracke, all five sit together for a running, screen-specific look at casting, prior knowledge of the series, working in 3-D, the atmosphere on the set, character issues and story changes, cut sequences, and various production anecdotes.
Bracke asks good questions and helps keep the track moving at a nice pace. The actors seem to enjoy each others’ company and interact well to lend the chat a strong energy. It’s a fun and fairly informative look at the early years of the Friday series.
Fresh Cuts: 3D Terror runs 12 minutes, 52 seconds and presents remarks from Zerner, Brooker, Crystal Lake Memories author Peter Bracke, 3D supervisor Martin Jay Sadoff, costume supervisor Sandi Love, and special effects makeup designer Douglas White.
“Terror” looks at alternate ideas for the movie’s story, the use of 3D and technical elements, the design of Jason, some thoughts about the shoot, multiple endings, and the film’s reception and legacy.
The brevity of “Terror” acts as its main weakness; it’s just too short to be particularly deep. However, it includes a good mix of notes from the production. We learn a fair amount of interesting facts in this short but sweet program.
A continuation of a series started on the releases for the first two movies, Lost Tales from Camp Blood – Part 3 goes for four minutes, 49 seconds. Neither of the first two became terribly interesting, and that trend continues here. Don’t expect much from this forgettable piece of horror piffle.
Finally, we find one trailer, three TV spots, three radio spots and two still galleries.
These cover “Movie Stills” (70 images) and “Posters and Lobby Cards” (75). Both offer good shots, especially since “Movie Stills” comes with ample behind the scenes photos and not just bland elements from the film itself.
Possibly the most witless and inane movie in the series, Friday the 13th Part 3 suffers from many problems. The film uses 3D effects to entertain rather than as any form of storytelling or characters, so the flick never turns into anything positive. The Blu-ray offers pretty blah picture plus good audio and a few interesting supplements. The 3D version would make this release more interesting, but as a 2D affair, it’s nearly unwatchable due to the poor quality of the film.
Note that as of March 2025, this Shout Blu-ray of the film appears solely as part of a 12-film “Friday the 13th Collection” set. It also includes the movie’s two predecessors, its seven sequels, 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, the 2009 reboot and two discs of bonus materials.
Note that this Blu-ray loses some extras found on the 2021 Paramount release. However, these appear on the aforementioned bonus discs, so the Shout set doesn’t drop existing materials.
To rate this film visit original review of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3
