Paramount Scares Volume 2 4K UHD Review
Paramount Scares is back!
Last year Paramount released the five film Paramount Scares Volume 1 4K box set which came out just in time for Halloween. This year Paramount is treating horror and physical media fans to a second volume containing the four films “Friday The 13th Part 2,” “Orphan: First Kill,” “Breakdown,” and “World War Z.” Despite containing one less movie, this is another marvelous box set that is loaded with goodies (see the extras for detailed listings) and is an absolute bargain for the list price. Each 4K disc also contains their own slipcover exclusive to this set. With the exception of “World War Z,” this is the first time the other 3 titles are being released on 4K.
Director Steve Miner’s “Friday The 13th Part 2” has been one of the most coveted horror 4K titles and it’s finally here at last. Although, to be fair, Paramount really needs to put out a 4K box set of the F13 films. Perhaps next year? Anyway, the “Friday The 13th” sequel covers familiar territory, but like other entries in this series, the second film surpasses the original. The story is simple- A camp near Crystal Lake becomes terrorized by the not so dead Jason Voorhees (or Baghead Jason as fans call him here as he does not yet have his hockey mask). Will any of the counselors make it out alive? This intense sequel features a strong cast (Amy Steel!), more brutal death scenes (no one is safe!), and an intense pace from start to finish.
“Breakdown” is a puzzling inclusion here as it’s not a horror film. It’s very much a mystery-thriller in which a couple (Jeff and Amy) on the road to San Diego find their trip turning into a living hell when their jeep breaks down and Amy becomes kidnapped. Despite it not being a horror film, it’s a deeply intense film through and through. The less said about this underrated Jonathan Mostow directed 1997 film the better as it’s full of surprises. It’s also refreshingly free of CGI and contains some superb stunts and car stunts (see the end sequence). Kurt Russell and J.T. Walsh (who is especially creepy here) are in peak form here as the two central stars.
“Orphan: First Kill” is an overlooked prequel to “Orphan” and explores the backstory of Esther (AKA Leena). Esther’s stay at a psychiatric hospital is covered here alongside her scheme to pose as a missing person (Esther) while trying to fit in with the family. The family, however, is harboring dark secrets of their own. Campy, weird, twisty- “Orphan: First Kill” is all these things, but Isabelle Fuhrman crushes it once again as the serial killer character. Some viewers may prefer the original, but, to me, this sequel is more fun and explores the character of Esther much more.
“World War Z” is the weak link here. It’s a bloated mess of a movie that strangely doesn’t follow the source material (Max Brooks beloved novel of the same name). This adaptation revolves around a family man UN investigator named Gerry looking for answers about a global pandemic that is turning people into zombies. Even with the presence of Brad Pitt (who is weirdly robotic here), WWZ is a lifeless spectacle that is sorely lacking character and instead favors big action set pieces, cartoony running CGI zombies, and poor direction by Marc Foster. The action-horror movie has its fans, but it’s always come across as a botched blockbuster adaptation to me.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p for “Orphan: First Kill,” 1.78:1 2160p for “Friday The 13th Part 2,” 2.35:1 2160p for “Breakdown” and 2.40:1 2160p for WWZ. All 4 films are subtly better than the past Blu-ray releases. The image quality is sharper and the colors are crisper. WWZ perhaps benefits the most when comparing the 4K to the Blu-ray.
Audio Tracks: 5.1 DTS-HD MA for “Orphan: First Kill,” Dolby TrueHD 5.1 for “Friday The 13th Part 2” and “Breakdown” and 7.1 DTS-HD MA for “World War Z.” All of the tracks feature clean audio tracks. The 7.1 track for WWZ is the most dynamic and audio intensive.
Extras:
* Digital copies of all 4 films.
* A special issue of Fangoria magazine.
* A cool poster celebrating all 4 films.
* A Paramount Scares pin
* 4 patches (one presenting each film)
* A domed Paramount Scares sticker
* “Orphan: First Kill” Blu-ray copy
* “Breakdown” Blu-ray copy with the same extras as the Paramount Presents release- Alternate opening with and without commentary by director Jonathan Mostow, a “Filmmaker Focus” interview with Jonathan Mostow, 2 separate interviews with Kathleen Quinlan and Martha De Laurentiis, and trailers for “Breakdown,” “Hard Rain,” and “Kiss The Girls.”
* “Friday The 13th Part 2” Blu-ray copy with the following extras: Theatrical trailer, “Inside Crystal Lake Memories” (about the book and documentary), “Friday’s Legacy: Horror Conventions” (about “Friday The 13th” presences at horror conventions), “Lost Tales From Camp Blood Part 2” (the 2nd part of the short film/fan film), and “Jason Forever” (a 2004 convention Q&A with 5 Jason actors).
* “World War Z” Blu-ray with the extras: “Origins” (a featurette on the novel, film adaptation and Brad Pitt’s involvement), “Looking To Science” (about zombies and scientific influences to the story), and “WWZ: Production” (a 4 part extra that covers the opening sequence, F/X, the Israel sequence and the airplane sequence).
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