Well Deserved Praise

Let's be realistic.

The first must-see film of the year.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Pretty much the go to fan film!! This is awesome!! I recently shared this movie through my page Facebook page HorrorGeek, with the permission of Vincente DiSanti who not only is an awesome film maker but also a really cool guy!!

I thought this movie was highly well made. Just from a film technicality side, it has a lot to offer. It has some very gorgeous shots. I thought that the color grading was very well done. Our main character's acting was on par or better than most large budget horror films today. The makeup and effects were all on point. All these components make this feel like so much more than a so-called fan-made film.This take on the Crystal Lake universe should be taken into high consideration for any reboot being considered in the future. I understand there is a legal battle between the franchise and Victor Miller, so that may be a very long ways away (if ever). This is exactly what I was looking for in a reboot film where the past reboot of 2009 fell short in every single way. It threw out any formula that tickled the nostalgia of Jason lovers from generations past. It felt so much more nimble. Which, in turn, made it so much more suspenseful. The nostalgia they did offer up came through a much more organic and fresh take with the usage of the crime scene markers. It gave us a little tour of the notable crime scenes from the past Friday movies. It did, however, have some shortcomings. Some notable con are continuity errors which are a result of poor writing. Like how the ambulance shows up literally out of nowhere with zero explanation as to how it got there. Our protagonist goes blank out in the middle of nowhere and wakes up fully strapped to a gurney without any connection as to how they got out into the woods or how the found him. This introduction of the paramedics came to viewers with very poor acting from the only characters other than our protagonist and antagonist thus far which really makes the pacing come briefly unhinged. Despite all that, the ambulance became a literal vehicle to shift direction in the film from action thriller to psychological thriller. This could have went very wrong, but ended up making for some of the better content in the movie. In this scene, our director Vincente DiSanti also gives a strong nod to Alfono Cuarón's film adaptation of the novel Children of Men through the use of very well executed first-person view tracking shot that adds a tsunami of suspense as the film reseats itself comfortably in this new direction.A few other minor notable pitfalls in production I felt took away from the experience that are worth noting are: the sound mixing-particularly Jason's footsteps. Overuse of the "found footage" solo cam. I understand this film technique was probably to help move the story along while also probably help save on budget for some of the filming. At first, it left me a little confused as what type of movie they were going for. I think it could have done with a little less. Also, the camera frame on the go pro made for a little too obvious of a visual cue for when it was found footage. This is really all semantics when looking at the grand scope of this extremely well executed independent made "fan film." I think if this was given the same budget and backing as the 2009 reboot, this would have made for the best Friday movie since the first 3. Kudos to all involved; most especially DiSanti who not only wrote and directed the film, but also slayed it as Jason (pun intended).

A hiker takes his camcorder to a nature reserve & embarks on a long hike but soon stumbles across Camp Crystal Lake from Friday the 13th. It may be all dilapidated but he's not alone.... This is a fan movie which could well spell trouble but in this case we get some rather excellent production values. There's much impressive camera work, making great use of the beautiful countryside, it's well acted, packs some suspense and the make -up is of a high quality. It even stars Thom Matthews reprising his role as Tommy Jarvis. The only downside for me was that for most of the film there are only two characters, the hiker and Jason, and even at only 54 minutes long it did feel like an over stretched chase sequence. But that's just a minor quibble. As a fan I'd love to see some new Friday movies but until then this will do nicely. Well done!

I'm a fan of the "Friday the 13th" franchise, this film just like Jason I honestly didn't see coming but once it came it was one of the best surprises. Fan films have always been hit or miss with me, but this film is thankfully one of those hits.The way the film is handled and directed feels like it could be a lost sequel to the franchise. The production value is on par, I really love the use of the wooded location. Music is also great, they use some of the old tracks we're familiar with in the movies, and there are a few new tracks to keep things fresh. The blood effects are really solid, the scene where the protagonist is closing a wound hurt me watching almost similar to the scene in "First Blood".Cinemagography is great I really like how the film mixes both the P.O.V. and regular cinematography making it seem not too much like one kinda film. The use of the P.O.V. is excellent not just it making the film have a bit of a documentary sense, giving the film a slight realism as if Camp Crystal Lake and Jason could exist but also a participatory factor because in a way the P.O.V. makes us hiker no. 2 as we are with the protagonist the entire way.However what really powers this film is in it's suspense and this film is just great in it, it's the simple cat and mouse premise and that was the right way to go because that's part of what the franchise and slasher films are by their nature. I really like how throughout the film you are just in constant suspense and extremely tense from beginning to end.I really like the fact that Jason throughout the film from the first to a bit of the second half we see flashes and glimpses, letting us know he's around and watching. Despite the fact that we don't see Jason in most scenes were are on constant red alert knowing and thinking he just might pop up again any time any where. Like in one scene where the protagonist is in a room of Crystal Lake there are two windows behind him, I couldn't help but think, ah oh Jason is going to show up on one of them.Once we see Jason himself it doesn't disappoint. The person playing Jason is the director himself and he is just excellent, if they ever think of making a new sequel or a better revival film to "Friday the 13th" I wouldn't mind him playing the role. It's pretty much a physical performance but he really gets it down to a tee, just the walk, movement of his head, behavior it's all there. Though what really gets me is sound of his footsteps which are a loud stomping, it just gave me a chill because it just conveys menace and just the sound of a monster closing in for the kill.However the other villain of the film is "Camp Crystal Lake" itself, there is just a disturbing and oppressive atmosphere thought-out the abandoned camp, you already know the protagonist unknowingly has walked right into Jason's den. Really like some of the shots of the place, from the grit, old wood, rust and dirt, down to even some dried up blood in a place or two you know this place has death written all over it. There are even some ribbons you see hung up with numbers and you already know those are markers of death and the next one has his number on it.But also what makes it good is protagonist himself Kyle he's likable he's sort of one of those extreme hikers/outdoors men whom is just doing one of the things he loves and does best for fun. From his persona it just all the more hope he somehow gets out alive, but of course when it comes to dealing with Jason there are no guarantees. Let alone I love the fact that once again a guy takes the lead which needs to happen more often in horror. Kyle is kinda the third male protagonist to go toe to toe against Jason and the physical confrontations between both of them are solid, their not fancifully choreographed but that's because it's realistic, as if this is what a fight against Jason would be in the real world. But the protagonist holds his own well against danger and we see he doesn't just use just physical force to defend himself but also his wits, which are really the best weapon against Jason.Overall, if your a fan of the "Friday the 13th" franchise then hike to this film, it makes the cut.Rating: 4 stars