If you’ve already tackled the 1118 minutes of Crystal Lake awesomeness that makes up Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection, then Crystal Lake Memories, the 400 minute documentary on the making of this iconic series will actually seem pretty short. As someone who’s never even been a huge fan of the series, I have to say the documentary was pretty darn entertaining. Narrated by Corey Feldman, this in-depth look at the Friday the 13th movies is as interesting as it is comforting. Throw it on as background, or settle in for a night of serious viewing – this documentary is excellent either way.
As Friday the 13th fans undoubtedly know, this is essentially the DVD version of the beloved book Crystal Lake Memories that came out in 2006. Happily, this is not simply a retread of past interviews and making-of segments that have already been included as DVD bonus features. For the most part, Crystal Lake Memories features new interviews with the cast and crew of all the Friday the 13th films, and even delves into the TV show of the same name. Though completely unrelated to the saga of Jason Voorhees and Crystal Lake, this Fox television series aired in the late 80s and was completely solid in its own right. Long before I ever even saw my first Jason movie (and that’s what I called them as a kid), I was hooked on this freaky-deaky show about haunted antiques. To this day, I’m exceedingly careful about the types of items I’ll buy secondhand, so you can’t say that show was just a flash in the pan.
Inexplicably, the first disc of Crystal Lake Memories (roughly four hours long) passed in a flash. If not for the late hour, I feel like I could have watched the whole thing in one sitting. The genuine affection the cast and crew feels for these films, as well as their true appreciation for their devoted fan base makes this documentary feel like a labor of love. If you’re watching, you’re going to be treated like an old friend, and that’s not a bad way for anyone to spend 400 minutes.
