While in modern history the term dynasty is often associated with the longstanding success of a sports team, it can also be used to describe a film franchise. During the 1980s, there was a Horror dominance in the movie world, and a clear heavyweight leading the way was the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th series. Between 1980 and 1989, Friday the 13th released eight films, almost like a rivalry, while between 1984 and 1989, A Nightmare on Elm Street put out five films.
With A Friday the 13th series have four year head start on A Nightmare on Elm Street, in the grand scheme of things A Nightmare on Elm Street wrapped up their run with seven films (concluding with Wes Craven’s New Nightmare in 1994), while Friday the 13th had ten films (wrapping up almost a decade later in 2001 with Jason X). All of this before the long-awaited battle between the two infamous villains of Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees in 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, some clear markers could be seen as the end of a dynasty for both franchises.
Looking deeper into this, there was no question that as the ‘80s came to a close, so did specific hot trends. This happened in the way of Glam Metal giving way to Grunge Rock, and the same with the consent by Paramount Pictures for Friday the 13th and New Line Cinema for A Nightmare on Elm Street, feeling that perhaps it was time to retire the cash cow film series. After all, the writing was on the wall, especially on Friday the 13th, with the release of Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan hitting theaters in July 1989, becoming the least successful installment until that point. A film with many believing it was the poorest in the series, perhaps most did not have the foresight to see it. Jason’s stay in NYC was not too bad, and could get worse.
Licking their wounds at the low box office showing Jason Takes Manhattan, Paramount Pictures sold their rights to the Jason Voorhees character to their competitors, New Line Cinema. A factor which eventually would break ground for the Freddy vs. Jason film that popped up almost ten years later, with New Line Cinema having control, they did not want to let their new acquisition sit in the garage too long, and thus came a brand new standalone Friday the 13th film in 1994 called Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday.
Now, even though New Line Cinema bought the rights to Jason Voorhees, they did not have the rights to the Friday the 13th title, hence why they could not use it in the title of Jason Goes to Hell nor 2001’s Jason X. Something that could have perhaps directly hurt pushing both films, even though Jason Voorhees is in his own entity, most have always reconigzed his film fame with the title Friday the 13th. Either way, a strong film could have made up for this little detail, but unfortunately, this was also a strike against Jason Goes to Hell.
Released in August 1993, Jason Goes to Hell had many glaring flaws that even the most dedicated fan could not get past. To start with, the film’s screenplay and how it was presented made the film feel more comedic than horrific. Yes, you could argue that to continue the story of Friday the 13th through the ‘80s, the stories become more and more absurd. Although, at least they still have a Horror film atmosphere that sticks with you. With Jason Goes to Hell, that is replaced by a more Action-Comedy vibe that, truthfully, was the final nail in the coffin for Jason Voorhees’s legacy and literally.
Rather unfortunate, in defense of everything, it is challenging to keep a film franchise riding high and retaining quality as long as Friday the 13th had. With that in mind, Jason Goes to Hell ranks at the bottom of the standings, only slightly ahead of Jason Takes Manhattan, and beaten out for last place by Jason X.
Regardless, the cold, hard truth is that Friday the 13th fans still recognize Jason Goes to Hell, and most recently include it in their home video collection. Released initially to VHS in 1994, DVD in 2002, it also appeared as part of the 2013 Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection Blu-ray collection and was a part of Scream Factory’s 2020 Friday the 13th: The Ultimate Collection Blu-ray set. However, it was never released in 4K Ultra HD… until 2025, when Arrow Video gives it the honor.
Set for release on May 20, 2025, Jason Goes To Hell will be released as a standalone 4K Ultra HD Limited Edition set on the same day as Jason X in 4K Ultra HD. A treat for Friday the 13th fans: the cool thing about the Jason Goes to Hell release is that Arrow Video offers you the film in 4K for the first time, but it is also doing so for the unrated cut. Having been released before in physical format, unrated, again, this is the first time in 4K.
Factors that should strike plenty of interest include that the new Limited Edition release comes as a two-disc set (disc one being the theatrical cut, disc two being the unrated cut). Beyond this, you also get a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin, an illustrated collector’s booklet, and a nice double-sided foldout poster with original and new art. There are also plenty of interviews and an amusing, but brief introduction by Jason Goes to Hell Director Adam Marcus, admitting this is probably the fourth time you are purchasing the movie.
Altogether, Arrow Video’s Limited Edition release of Jason Goes to Hell in 4K is the best standalone edition of the film ever put to market. Above all, the 4K Ultra treatment is undoubtedly a notable upgrade that sweetens the pot. Overall, if you love Friday the 13th, are a completist, and have a soft spot for Jason Goes to Hell, it is recommended to grab a copy of this new Limited Edition release, with Cryptic Rock giving it 4 out of 5 stars.
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