Friday the 13th 8-Movie Collection - Steelbook Blu-ray Review

Details: By Loron Hays; 17 November 2025

Friday the 13th

“Kill her, mommy!"

Okay, so the Friday the 13th 8-Movie Collection Steelbook dropped. It’s the horror equivalent of finding your old mixtape labeled “DO NOT PLAY—SCARES MOM.” All eight of the OG flicks are here, from the 1980 original up through Jason Takes Manhattan, which is basically “what if our favorite machete guy took a Carnival Cruise?” It’s a shiny metal time capsule of blood, bad decisions, and the most cursed summer camp in movie history.

"is like a yearbook of future stars and horror lifers who didn’t know they were about to be immortalized in fake blood"

The first one’s still the champ — scrappy, mean, and starring a baby-faced Kevin Bacon before he was even Footloose. Then we hit Part II and Jason finally shows up (wearing a potato sack, bless him). By Part III, he finds the hockey mask — you know, the look that launched a thousand Halloween costumes — and by The Final Chapter, we’re knee-deep in Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover, and dance moves that deserve their own trigger warning. It’s like watching the ‘80s evolve in real time, with more blood and less logic.

The middle films are the comfort food of horror: greasy, loud, a little stale, but somehow still perfect. A New Beginning pretends Jason’s gone, Jason Lives goes full monster-movie revival, and The New Blood brings in a telekinetic girl — because sure, why not? By the time Jason Takes Manhattan rolls in, our boy’s just vibing — killing people in alleys, punching heads off shoulders, probably wondering how he got on this boat. It’s less “scary” and more “slasher sitcom,” but that’s what makes it glorious.

The Friday the 13th 8-Movie Collection is like a yearbook of future stars and horror lifers who didn’t know they were about to be immortalized in fake blood. The original 1980 film gave us Bacon, with King and Betsy Pal,mer, the latter turning “crazy camp cook” into one of horror’s most unhinged moms. Dana Kimmell carried the torch (and the trauma) through Parts II and III, while Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover brought glorious Gen X energy to The Final Chapter.

Then you’ve got Thom Mathews trying to outsmart zombie Jason in Jason Lives, Lar Park Lincoln unleashing psychic powers in The New Blood, and by the time Kane Hodder takes over as Jason in Part VII, he becomes the face — or, well, the mask — of the franchise. It’s a mix of up-and-comers, scream queens, and stuntmen-turned-legends who made dying at Camp Crystal Lake look like the ultimate Hollywood rite of passage.

The steelbook itself? Sweet. Matte finish, killer artwork, and it looks like something you’d keep on a shelf next to your old Fangoria mags. Picture this: you pop open a cold one, slide in Part VI, and for a second, you forget streaming ever existed—no buffering, no algorithm judging your taste, just pure analog carnage. You can almost smell the VHS plastic and pizza grease.

This set is the perfect nostalgia hit for anyone who remembers when horror movies felt dangerous and slightly illegal to watch. The later sequels go off the rails, but that’s half the fun — it’s Jason, not Shakespeare. You’re not here for plot; you’re here for camp counselors making every bad decision possible. If you grew up in the Gen X trenches — renting from Blockbuster, rewinding tapes with a pen, and quoting “ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma” at sleepovers — this is a must-own. Just… maybe don’t take it to summer camp.

5/5 stars

4k details divider

SteelBook / Limited Edition / Blu-ray + Digital

Home Video Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Available on Blu-ray - November 11, 2025
Screen Formats: 1.85:1, 2.39:1
Video:
Audio:
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; six-disc set
Region Encoding: Blu-ray locked to Region A

Experience the terror of Camp Crystal Lake like never before with the Friday the 13th 8-Movie Collection Steelbook. This ultimate Blu-ray set brings together all eight iconic entries in the legendary slasher franchise, featuring 1080p high-definition transfers with DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 sound for a fully immersive viewing experience. From the chilling original through Jason Takes Manhattan, the remastered editions of the first four films showcase a sharper picture, deeper blacks, and the perfect mix of grain and grit that fans love. Packed onto six discs, this collection includes bonus features such as commentary tracks, featurettes, behind-the-scenes insights, and more — plus digital copies of all eight films for on-the-go horror. With sleek Steelbook packaging, this set is a must-have for collectors and new fans alike, delivering over 12 hours of suspense, scares, and classic 80s slasher action.

VIDEO

So, how does the Friday the 13th 8-Movie Collection Steelbook actually look? In short: surprisingly good for a series that started life looking like it was shot through a mosquito net in the woods. The first few films — especially the OG Friday the 13th through The Final Chapter — clean up real nice. Colors pop, the foggy nights around Camp Crystal Lake have a bit more mood, and you can finally see that yes, Kevin Bacon really did die in the world’s most uncomfortable bed. The remasters keep the grain, which is great — this isn’t some over-scrubbed, plastic-faced “AI upscaled” nonsense. It still looks like film that finally showered. By the time you hit the later sequels — A New Beginning through Jason Takes Manhattan — things get a little, uh, rougher. Not terrible, just… softer. Like someone copied your VHS copy of Part VII onto another tape labeled “DO NOT ERASE: MACGYVER.” These later transfers aren’t new, and it shows. The shadows get muddy, the colors fade a little, and poor Jason looks like he’s stalking victims through a fog machine set to “infinite.” But hey — that’s part of the charm, right? The ‘80s were never about perfection. They were about the vibe. And this set has vibe for days. It’s not a 4K UHD release — this is Blu-ray quality (1080p). So if you are in the 4K world and want the “ultimate” in sharpness, you may feel it’s not bleeding-edge.

AUDIO

Bonus points: the Steelbook’s tracks are clean enough to throw on a home theater system without feeling like you’re torturing your speakers. The score still makes you tense, jump, and occasionally laugh at how melodramatic it all is. Dialogue clarity is solid for the main players, though background screams and incidental shrieks can occasionally get lost if your system’s not well balanced — but honestly, it feels authentic, like you’re in the cabin with them.

Supplements:

Commentary:

See special features

Special Features:

If you’re grabbing the set mostly for the movies (and you are, let’s be honest) — the special‑features are decent for what’s included, but don’t expect a full “making‑of the franchise” deep dive. The first four movies get a bit of love (new transfers + some trailers) but beyond that, the extras shrink. If you’re the type who pops in a disc and clicks “Play” then launches the bonfire of bad decisions (and body counts), you’ll be fine. But if you’re the kind of collector who craves that 3‑hour documentary, hours of commentary, behind‑the‑scenes footage and deep archival stuff — this set might leave you muttering “where’s the commentary?” at 2 a.m.

Film 1: Friday the 13th (1980)