Friday the 13th [raymix]

I loved this! The pace is improved so much and I didn't feel as disorientated as the first film made me feel thanks to a better edit. Definitely recommend.

Ray Danger has done a very good job here, although I feel like it's a little too restrained for its own good. Amazingly, while 20 minutes have been cut, the entire set-up still lags significantly. I also feel that some scenes that add to the atmosphere/foreboding (snake scene/storm story) have been needlessly trimmed, while other bits of character banter that just pull everything down have been retained (such as the very lengthy swimming scene). There are times, such as Pamela's exposition, which just feel a touch rushed. The climax is probably where this shines the best and moves along at a nice pace, though I would say the decapitation slo-mo still feels egregious. Cutting the "it's all a dream" scene is understandable and makes the ending hit a bit harder.

Ray Danger has high technical standards, which I always appreciate. It's clear that effort has been put in to retain a consistent editing style, although a handful of shots cut too quickly (eg. 1:07:37 - shot of the moon is pretty abrupt). This is fairly nitpicky though, as 99% of the time, even if the pacing isn't to my liking, everything flows seamlessly.

Audio editing was flawless as far as cuts go. One comment I have though is on the audio mix, which is largely a fault with the original surround track, but I think the issue has potentially been accentuated by Ray mixing it down to stereo. The surround audio track is a bad mix IMO, with the music very loud and upfront, and the main audio being too quiet. Mixed down to stereo, some of the dialogue is just inaudible. I think it would have been beneficial either to keep the original channel layout, or boost the centre channel (or bring down the others) to compensate for it all being smudged together.

Overall, an enjoyable watch and a solid alternative. More can be done, but this still makes for a more streamlined viewing experience. Probably a good go-to if you're already familiar with the film and are doing a marathon. The technical standard is very high.

A good way to pass the time

I'm going to keep these reviews very brief as I'm reviewing numerous films in RayDanger's series -

First off, the Friday the 13th series is not top shelf cinema, but they are a fun set of films. RayDanger does a miraculous job of streamlining the entire series, providing a lovingly curated narrative that is more sensical that the ones that the original producers released.

It terms of visual tone, audio, and overall editing, the experience is greatly improved with greater emphasis on suspense throughout.

The first film in particular, I find to be the black sheep of the series, and even RayDanger's edit struggles against the flat characters and lack of a whodunnit mystery that earns the Mrs. Voorhees twist at the end of the film.

Regardless, RayDanger elevated the film's presence, greatly improving the ending and providing a stronger launching pad for Jason.

The best way to watch the original.

Great editing, pacing and even if it does not massively improve it, it flows better and makes for a fun quick watch to start the franchise!