Friday The 13th: Part II 4K Ultra HD

In "Friday The 13th: Part II," its five years after the events of the first film and a summer camp next to the infamous Camp Crystal Lake is preparing to open, but the legend of Jason is weighing heavy on the proceedings as a young team of councilors are in training. (Gary Reber)

Special features include four featurettes: "Inside "Crystal Lake Memories" (HD 11:15), "Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions" (HD 06:50), "Lost Tales From Camp Blood Part II" (HD 08:54) and "Jason Forever" (HD 29;27); original theatrical trailer and a digital copy.

The 1.85:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 4K Ultra HD Dolby Vision/HDR10 picture, reviewed on a VIZIO Quantum X P85QX-JI UHD/HDR display, was photographed on Eastman film stock using the Panavision Panaflex camera systems and sourced from a 4K Digital Intermediate. Unlike Arrow Video 4K Ultra HD presentation of Friday The 13th reviewed in this issue, this Part II edition is a disappointment. Aside from the bad acting, the production design and lighting fail to create scariness, The opening flashback dream sequence is rough looking but once into the film the imagery appears much more refined with virtually no distracting grain, but still the imagery is exaggerated in terms of color fidelity and contrast. This is due to a poor production design and cinematography. Color fidelity exhibits seemingly over saturated hues with strong primaries that often pop, such as deep reds as in intense blood. Flesh tones appear healthy and saturated. But the color intensity overall generally appears over graded. HDR contrast exhibits an unnatural brightness to the imagery, both interiors and exteriors as in the woods and foliage surrounding the camp cabins. The wooden siding on the cabins are detailed as well as the red Volkswagen. Blacks are deep but shadows are often too dark to discern resolution. At times, white levels appear overly bright and unnatural given the setting. The lighting in the interior cabins are unrealistically too bright. Resolution is good with fine detail exhibited throughout, especially during closeups. But medium and distant shots are soft. This is a mediocre 4K Ultra HD picture that presents over exaggerated imagery, color fidelity and contrast. (Gary Reber)

The repurposed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel soundtrack is poorly produced and dated sounding with a harsh orchestral score whose distortion and screeching irritates. Atmospherics sound generally realistic, but sound effects are way overly exaggerated and spatially forward sounding with virtually no deep or foundational bass to provide eeriness and pending horror pr actual violence. Instead just harsh sound effects screech out to create viewer jumpiness. A sequence of thunder cracks and rain sounds distorted. Foley sound effects also sound forward and artificially pronounced. Surround energy is for the most part the music, and without the soundfield often collapses to a monaural presence, Dialogue is intelligible throughout but forward sounding and wanting in spatial integration. This is a mediocre and dated soundtrack that sounds distorted and low-budget. (Gary Reber)