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Review

Danger After Dark Review: 3 Stars
Love it or hate it (and indeed, many fans were greatly divided as to the merits of this long-awaited battle of the ’80s horror all-stars), but really—can you call yourself a fan of contemporary American horror movies, and not see Freddy Vs. Jason? With their individual Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises dwindling into irrelevance, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees were finally brought together for a dual sequel which managed to surpass anyone’s expectations and become the surprise horror hit of last summer, ensuring future match-ups. Now New Line has delivered a DVD release loaded with a dizzying wealth of special features that are bound to make any self-respecting horror nerd salivate. Mercifully free of much post-Scream self-referential humor, Freddy Vs. Jason deserves credit for approaching such a potentially impossible idea with straight-faced old-school classic horror theatrics, as Hong Kong director Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky, The Bride with White Hair) brings an imaginative visual style to the proceedings, and the picture-perfect young cast (notably Ginger Snaps star Katherine Isabelle) look great, whether attempting to emote or dying horribly under the influence of Robert Englund’s razor-sharp witticisms. But let’s get to the most important component of the film (no, not who wins): the gore. If it weren’t for Kill Bill, Freddy Vs. Jason would easily stand as the bloodiest American film of the year. It’s astonishing that the MPAA let this one slide by with an R rating, as there hasn’t been this much arterial spray on screen since Dario Argento’s Tenebre or the Lone Wolf and Cub series. You know you have to see it, so why resist?

TLA Guide Review: 1.5 Stars
The teaming of ’80s horror giants Freddy and Jason arrives after many years of speculation and anticipation and the result just isn't worth the wait. Freddy vs. Jason begins dreadfully with Freddy telling us the premise of the film! After this stumbling block, you'd think it could only get better — just barely. The teen characters we're introduced to are as bland and annoying as any in the worst entries of the Nightmare or Friday the 13th series, and even though Mr. Krueger has kindly explained the plot to us, these dorks still have to spell it out again ad nauseum. While mostly disappointing and dull, the film does boast several good sequences: Jason, set aflame, slaughtering deserving teens at a cornfield kegger, Freddy tormenting the young Jason at Camp Crystal Lake, and, of course, the final showdown between the two. Though there are one or two clever lines for longtime fans of both series, and it's certainly bloody enough, this matchup creates few sparks and ruins one helluva an idea. It's in desperate need of a bit more brains and balls.

 -- Dean C. Galanis