It all starts with antique dealer Uncle Lewis. He made a deal with the devil to help His Evilness to distribute cursed and evil objects through his store. Objects included Jack The Ripper’s scalpel. Finally Satan comes to collect Uncle Lewis and his tattered soul, leaving his niece Micki (Robey) to clean up the mess. She and cousin Ryan (Le May) have the unenviable task of tracking down these items and sealing them safely away so they can do no more harm. They were often assisted in their task by Jack (Wiggins) who knew something of the occult. The series ran from 1987 to 1990 and never made more than a ripple in the ratings. The show included Steve Monarque as Johnny Ventura in this second season.
We pretty much pick up where the previous season left off. Uncle Lewis might have been defeated and killed, but Lewis had enchanted a mirror before he died, allowing him to open a portal to Hell and escape. So it’s back to tracking down the artifacts and getting them all returned. Artifacts this season included a voodoo mask, antique radio, violin bow, make-up case, handkerchief, pocket watch, World Series ring, pendant, snow globe, and snow shoes.
If you come to this DVD set in the hopes of discovering something to do with Jason or even his machete wielding momma, you will be very disappointed. There is no Camp Crystal Lake, and no one’s wearing a hockey mask. The fact is that this series, syndicated from Canada, had absolutely nothing to do with the film franchise. They have no characters in common. They have no connection to the stories in the film franchise. Basically the name is the only thing they share.
Video
Each episode of Friday The 13th is presented in its original broadcast full frame format. There’s not a lot of good that can be made of this presentation. The picture often looks like a dub with excessive grain and wear. Black levels are pretty weak, and that’s not good when the series is more often than not shot at night. Even if you’re a fan of the show, you’ve got to be disappointed that no effort was made to provide any restoration of the prints.
Audio
The Dolby Digital 2.0 track is basically serviceable. You can hear the dialog, and that’s pretty much all there is anyway. Some of the music contains elements of distortion, and it’s all very mid heavy.
Special Features
Nothing
Final Thoughts
You can’t really start with the second season. The show requires some setting up, and it really does pick up where it left off. If you liked the first season, you’ll find more of the same here. I guess the release of the reboot/remake Friday The 13th film might renew interest in this old series, even if it has nothing to do with those films. “Stranger things have happened.”
