I was actually quite pleased to receive this DVD for Christmas. I had seen this one in the store and had desired to purchase it but for one reason or another passed on it. And to be quite honest I am glad I didn't pay for this myself. As much of a horror fan that I am, I was pleased with some of the elements of this compilation but on the whole I would have to say that there are more disappointments that triumphs in this project.
The DVD includes some excellent features such as Robert Englund providing some very insightful commentary concerning behind the scenes production notes. One rather interesting tidbit that I learned was upside down set that was manufactured for the famous scene in Nightmare On Elm Street where Rod watches Freddy slice Tina open and she is dragged to the ceiling and then dropped( the same effect was used when Glen was pulled down into his bed and blood sprays onto the ceiling. This is told to us by Wes Craven in the Nightmare On Elm Street Platinum series on DVD, an excellent purchase), spraying blood all over Rod. Another interesting and informative piece was when Englund began explaining the problems that Freddy VS. Jason was having coming to fruition.
So I guess what it comes down to is that if you have seen the DVD version of this, then it is somewhat worth the money that you are spending. But the VHS version does not contain Englund's commentary nor does it have some of the other extras. Therefore it may not be worth buying. Other problems I have with the compilation is some of the clips they chose. While there are excellent scenes involving Pinhead and Andy Robinson from Hellraiser, Leatherface and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Englund's own Nightmare On Elm Street and even some of Carpenter's Halloween, the video really drops the ball on films like Friday the 13th and Scream. I could think of perhaps 2 dozen scenes from the first four Fridays that were more worthy that the one they chose from the Final Friday, Jason Goes To Hell. For example, how about Teddy getting nailed with a corkscrew in the hand and then a machete to the face in the Final Chapter? Or how about again in the Final Chapter when Tommy ( and a huge assist to Rick Baker and Tom Savini ) whacks Jason with a machete to the side of the head and he falls face first into that machete, destroying his mug for future sequels? There is also the guy walking on his hands in part Three, the harpoon to the eye in part Three, hangings in part Two and of course the Mrs. Voorhees beheading in Part One. There was all of these pernicious and fatal acts to choose from and they chose what they did from the last and perhaps worst Friday? They didn't even show Jason dying. And that is a shame. As for some of the other films, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I Know.... and The Leprechaun and Candyman should be included in this compilation. How about An American Werewolf In London, or some of the other classic cheese films from the 70's and 80's like The Beast Within, Last House on the Left, The Mutilator, The Prey or The Town That Dreaded Sundown. All of these films offered some realistic and disgusting gore and yet they were ignored. Why?
Boogeymen is a treat to watch for some of the insight offered by Englund and because of some of the scenes for some of the movies, but on a whole it is quite a disappointment. And that is frustrating because there is a plethora of clips they could have included.
6 out of 10
