Hatchet: The Complete Collection Blu Ray Review (Dark Sky Films)

Hatchet is a 2006 slasher film written and directed by Adam Green (Hatchet franchise, Holliston, Digging Up the Marrow, Horrified, Chillerama, Spiral, and Frozen). The budget was $1,500,000 and it grossed $208,550 worldwide during it’s limited theatrical run. When a group of tourists which includes Ben (played by: Joel David Moore from Dodgeball and Avatar franchise), Marybeth (played by:Tamara Feldman aKa Amara Zaragoza from Gossip Girl and Dirty Sexy Money), Marcus (played by: Deon Richmond from The Cosby Show and Scream 3), Misty (played by: Mercedes McNab from Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Shapiro (played by: Joel Murray from God Bless America and Mad Men), Jenna (played by: Joleigh Fioreavanti from Trespassers and West of Brooklyn), Jim (played by: Richard Riehle from Office Space and Casino), and Shannon (played by: Patrika Darbo from Days of our Lives and Speed 2) on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour given by the clueless Shawn (played by: Parry Shen from the Hatchet franchise and General Hospital). They all find themselves trapped in the wilderness, their evening of fun and spooks turns into a horrific living nightmare when they start getting hunted down one by one by the local monster Victor Crowley (played by: Kane Hodder from the Friday the 13th franchise, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, and Best of the Best franchise)!!!!The original Hatchet is a very entertaining throwback and a fun homage to all those awesome 80’s slasher flicks from back in the day. The Friday the 13th franchise is clearly it’s biggest influence. Director and writer Adam Green flexes his horror geek knowledge on this project and it really shows. Hatchet really shines when it comes to it’s creative, gory, and over the top kills. The old school practical special fx is top notch from the legendary John Carl Buechler (Ghoulies franchise, Trancers, From Beyond, Dolls, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Halloween franchise, Bride of Re-Animator, and Troll). Buechler even pops up in a hilarious cameo here. Hatchet delivers when it comes to violence and nudity, there’s some nice eye candy in this. Joel David Moore and Tamara Feldman are both solid leads in Hatchet. Their awkward chemistry makes things interesting. Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley takes on his 2nd iconic horror character after the classic Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th films. I knew this one was special the first time that I seen it when it was originally released. This is one of the best slasher villains in a long time. He has a unique look and he murders his victims in a various brutal ways which really elevates Hatchet. Kane Hodder pulls double duty here when it comes to acting. He plays Victor’s father as himself without any makeup or special fx. It’s a heartfelt performance and it’s one of his better roles as an actor. He proves that he can play more than monsters on the screen. It has a solid supporting cast that includes Deon Richmond, Patrika Darbo, Joleigh Fioreavanti, Richard Riehle, Joel Murray, Mercedes McNab, Parry Shen, Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise), Tony Todd (Candyman franchise), and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project). The last three listed are cameos but it’s nice to see these horror actors show up in Hatchet. Tony Todd has a much bigger role in the sequel. Hatchet doesn’t take itself serious and it just has a blast with the horror genre. It has some hilarious moments, it’s a nice mix of comedy and slasher. I will say that I’m not really a fan of how Green always ends these movies. It only works if you are doing a marathon and watching them all together. I do respect and appreciate the confidence because it just shows that he knows there’s going to be a sequel every time before it’s even released. Hatchet was so violent that most theaters didn’t really want to show it. That’s why most of the franchise had just limited theatrical runs and I always loved that they usually were unrated. The replay value is very strong, I check out the original almost every year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Dark Sky Films! This 1080p (1.78:1) unrated director’s cut transfer is the same restoration and the exact disc as the 2010 Anchor Bay Entertainment home video release. That’s not exactly a bad thing because it always looked solid especially back then when blu rays were a newer format. It has an English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. This disc still sounds great after all these years. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the killing is elevated, and the music has a nice boost to it. It has English SDH and Spanish subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with director Adam Green and lead actor Kane Hodder. They chat about the aftermath of Hatchet’s release. They talk about the reactions, their thoughts, and the changes from it all. They bring up the horror genre and how it is these days. They go over the sequel. They discuss the distribution deal with Anchor Bay Entertainment and Hatchet’s rating. Kane Hodder is very excited and passionate about doing this audio track. Both are full of information and stories. There’s an additional “Audio Commentary” with director Adam Green, DP Will Barratt, actors Joel David Moore, Tamara Feldman, and Deon Richmond. This one really just focuses on the making of the film and dealing with an independent production. They have plenty to say here. They have nice chemistry and it’s very entertaining. “The Making of Hatchet” is a little over 39 minutes. It has interviews with the cast and crew. Director Adam Green chats about the origins of the Hatchet project here. They talk about the process of getting this low budget feature made. They go over the cast, stunts, concept trailer, and so much more. It’s a very detailed inside look into the slasher. “Meeting Victor Crowley” is a little over 9 minutes. This focuses on actor Kane Hodder and the new horror icon Victor Crowley at the time. Hodder keeps away from the cast so the scares are natural and on the spot when everything happens. “Guts and Gore” is almost 11 minutes. This is all about kills, gore, and some of the most gruesome scenes from Hatchet. “Anatomy of a Kill” is a little over 6 minutes. It’s a detailed and behind the scenes look into one of major kills from Hatchet. “A Twisted Tale” is a little over 8 minutes. Adam Green & Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider friendship is explored here. There’s almost 4 minute “Gag Reel” with goofs and outtakes from the set. It has a “Theatrical Trailer”. You can tell director Adam Green is a real horror fan and collector, he made sure this release was packed with extras.Hatchet II is a 2010 slasher film written, produced, and directed by Adam Green (Hatchet franchise, Holliston, Digging Up the Marrow, Horrified, Chillerama, Spiral, and Frozen). The budget was $800,000 and it grossed $156,190 worldwide during it’s limited theatrical run. The quiet but hot-tempered Marybeth Dunstan (played by: Danielle Harris from the Halloween franchise, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, and The Last Boy Scout) barely escapes from the clutches of the vicious Victor Crowley (played by: Kane Hodder from the Friday the 13th franchise, Prison, and Alligator II: The Mutation), who left a unforgettable massacre from the night before. Marybeth returns with a dangerous team of hired guns plus some unlikely guests which includes Trent (played by: R.A. Mihailoff from Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Trancers III, and Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings), Justin (played by: Parry Shen from the Hatchet franchise and Better Luck Tomorrow), Bob (played by: director Tom Holland from Child’s Play, Thinner, and Fright Night), Layton (played by: AJ Bowen from You’re Next and The Sacrament), Avery (played by: Alexis Kendra from The Cleaning Lady and Big Ass Spider!), and Vernon (played by: Colton Dunn from Blockers and Superstore) lead by the greedy Reverend Zombie (played by: Tony Todd from the Candyman franchise, Final Destination franchise, and Night of the Living Dead). It’s time to go back to the bayou for revenge. Marybeth is cursed from her family’s dark secret and connection to the unstoppable monster!!!!Hatchet II and the rest of the sequels all really have weak opening music, I was never a big fan of Green’s choices when it came to that. Hatchet II is very similar to the original when it comes to it’s atmosphere and gore. Special fx artist Tom Ceglia (The Lawnmower Man, Friday the 13th, Alien: Resurrection, Scream 2, Dexter, and Critters franchise) continues with the mayhem in this sequel. It’s loaded with creative murders, blood spraying everywhere, and some really wild visuals. This follow up has a little more action compared to the original. I know I am going to get some hate for this comment but Tamara Feldman was a much better Marybeth. Her accent felt real and natural in the first one. I understand why she was replaced, Harris is a huge star when it comes to the horror community. Danielle Harris’s accent sounds very fake and forced to me here. It’s probably because it’s her first time as this character because it does get better in the next film. Don’t get me wrong, I think she still has a solid performance in Hatchet II. I will say she handles the action better and she feels more like a bad ass compared to Amara Zaragoza. My favorite thing about this sequel is that Tony Todd as Reverend Zombie gets way more screen time. As always, he kills this role. He’s just as much as the villain as Victor Crowley in Hatchet II. Zombie is greedy, shady, and he honestly only cares about himself. Kane Hodder as the unstoppable monster Victor Crowley is fantastic. You can tell that he’s more way more comfortable and he knows this slasher better now for this return. This ghost is hard to kill. Kane Hodder also reprises his role as the father for some prequel footage. It has an nice supporting cast plus some awesome cameos that includes Parry Shen, R.A. Mihailoff, Tom Holland (No, not Spider-Man), AJ Bowen, Alexis Kendra, Colton Dunn, Rick McCallum (DarkWolf), John Carl Buechler (Hatchet), Mercedes McNab (Hatchet), Joleigh Fioreavanti (Hatchet), Joel Murray (Hatchet(, Shawn Ashmore (X-Men franchise), Emma Bell (Final Destination 5), Laura Ortiz (Victor Crowley), Nick Principe (Laid to Rest franchise), Director Joe Lynch (Holliston), and Director Lloyd Kaufman (Terror Firmer). As far as all the sequels go, this is the closest one to the original when it comes to having the same tone. The next two try to be a little different. It’s not as good as the previous effort but it’s a good follow up to it. It’s very fun and entertaining, RECOMMENDED!!!!Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Dark Sky Films! This 1080p (1.78:1) unrated director’s cut transfer is the same restoration and the exact disc from Dark Sky from 2011. It’s still a very solid looking home video release after all these years. The cinematography, production design, and special fx really shine in HD here. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This one has always sounded great when it comes to the audio. All of the dialogue is very clean, the chaos is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH and Spanish subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with director Adam Green, actors Kane Hodder, and Tony Todd. There’s an additional “Audio Commentary” with director Adam Green, DP Will Barratt, special fx supervisor Robert Pendergraft. Both tracks are completely different. Lots of information and stories are shared here. Adam Green is one of the better directors when it comes to commentaries. “Hatchet II: Behind the Scenes” is almost 34 minutes. It has interviews with the cast and crew. It has all kinds of behind the scenes footage. This is an awesome inside look into this slasher feature. “Hatchet II EPK” is a little over 8 minutes. This is basically a shorter version of the previous extra with the most important moments still left in. “The Killing Machine” is a little over 6 minutes. The special fx crew takes you through some of best kills in this sequel and gives you an inside look into the violence. It has a “Theatrical Trailer”, “Teaser Trailer”, “TV Spot”, and a “Radio Spot” for promotional material.Hatchet III is a 2013 slasher film directed by BJ McDonnell (Studio 666). It was written and produced by Adam Green (Hatchet franchise, Holliston, Digging Up the Marrow, Horrified, Chillerama, Spiral, and Frozen). The budget was $1,169,935. Marybeth Dunstan (played by: Danielle Harris from the Halloween franchise, Marked for Death, and Urban Legend) discovers the true secret to stopping the voodoo curse from investigator Amanda (played by: Caroline Williams from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and Leprechaun 3) that has left the ghost of deformed maniac Victor Crowley (played by: Kane Hodder from the Friday the 13th franchise, Wishmaster, and Daredevil) haunting and stalking the New Orleans bayou for decades. Sheriff Fowler (played by: Zach Galligan from the Gremlins franchise and Waxwork) is determined to stop all the killing in his community before there’s no one left. It takes an entire police department, paramedic response team, and heavily armed S.W.A.T. unit lead by Hawes (played by: Derek Mears from Friday the 13th, Swamp Thing, and Predators) to face off with the iconic slasher that won’t die!!!!Hatchet III is the most refreshing sequel when it comes to this entire slasher franchise. Original director Adam Green takes a break behind the camera for this one. He only wrote and produced Hatchet III. BJ McDonnell puts his own unique spin and style as the director. This is beyond action packed, it reminds me of one of those older crazy movies from the 80’s. It kinda has a Cannon Films vibe to it especially when they putting out so many slashers and action features at one point so this is a fascinating hybrid of both of those genres. All of the characters feel very different compared to the first two. Scream Queen Danielle Harris is so much better as Marybeth here. She just comes off more natural with that southern accent. She had more time to live and prep the lead role which really pays off. Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley is back and better than ever. This is my personal favorite performance from him and the character when it comes to the horror series. I think this one has the best supporting cast compared to all the others which includes Zach Galligan, Caroline Williams, Derek Mears, Parry Shen, Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses), Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs), Diane Ayala Goldner (Feast franchise), Robert Diago DoQui (NCIS: New Orleans), and Rileah Vanderbilt (Hatchet franchise). Hatchet has never been shy when it comes to violence but Hatchet III is even more gruesome. It has the highest body count. It has excellent special fx and gore from David Nash (Bug, Stay Alive, One Missed Call, The Final Destination, Night of the Demons, The Expendables, Killing Them Softly, and Green Lantern). Body parts fly everywhere and Victor Crowley damn near destroys everyone in sight. Hatchet III is definitely the most entertaining follow up when it comes to the Hatchet universe. It’s super fun and it has top notch replay value. Personally, I consider it the highest quality one besides the original. RECOMMENDED!!!!Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Dark Sky Films! This 1080p unrated director’s cut (2.40:1) transfer is the same restoration and the exact disc from Dark Sky from 2013. It’s still a great looking home video release after all this time. The special fx and action really shine in HD here. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This one sounds amazing when it comes to the audio. All of the dialogue is crisp, the action is elevated, and the music has a excellent boost to it. It has English SDH and Spanish subtitles. “Audio Commentary” with producer Adam Green, director BJ McDonnell, DP Will Barratt, special fx supervisor Robert Pendergraft. It has an additional “Audio Commentary” with writer Adam Green, director BJ McDonnell, and lead actor Kane Hodder. As always, Green is very passionate about these films. There is not a dull moment in these tracks. You learn a lot about the production. “Hatchet III: Behind the Scenes” is a little over 9 minutes. It has interviews with the cast and crew. It has some behind the scenes footage. The first two movies had really long making of documentaries but the one for Hatchet III is way shorter than expected. It covers most of the stuff that you would want from something like this. ‘Raising Kane” is almost 5 minutes. It’s a quick look at Kane Hodder getting transformed into Victor Crowley. “Swamp Fun” is almost 9 minutes. It’s basically a gag reel with outtakes and goofing around on the set. It has a “Trailer” and a “Teaser”.Victor Crowley (aKa Hatchet IV) is a 2017 slasher written, produced, and directed by Adam Green (Hatchet franchise, Holliston, Digging Up the Marrow, Horrified, Chillerama, Spiral, and Frozen). The budget was $400,000. In 2007, forty people were brutally torn to pieces and killed in various gruesome ways in Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp. Over the decade, lone and only known survivor Andrew (played by: Parry Shen from the Hatchet franchise and and Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight) claims that local boogeyman Victor Crowley (played by: Kane Hodder from the Friday the 13th franchise, Charlie’s Farm, and Monster) was responsible for the horrific massacre that’s haunted all the locals. There has been great controversy on the entire situation including some calling Andrew the real killer of all these heinous crimes. He gets offered a fortune to return to the scene of the nasty tragedy so gets on a plane with Kathleen (played by: Felissa Rose from the Sleepaway Camp franchise, The Perfect House, and Terrifier 2), Casey (played by: Tiffany Shepis from Tromeo and Juliet, Terror Firmer, and Abominable), Austin (played by: Brian Quinn from Impractical Jokers and Clerks III), and Sabrina (played by: Krystal Joy Brown from Power Book III and Magic Camp). Crowley is mistakenly resurrected by a film crew that includes Rose (played by: Laura Ortiz from The Hills Have Eyes and Holliston), Dillon (played by: Dave Sheridan from the Scary Movie franchise and The Devil’s Rejects), Alex (played by: Chase Williamson from John Dies at the End and The Guest), and Chloe (played by: Katie Booth from Tell me how to Die and Strange Angel). Andrew is now forced to face the bloodthirsty ghost from his past!!!!Victor Crowley is my least favorite from the Hatchet franchise. I think Adam Green went this direction for a few different reasons. Victor Crowley had the lowest budget out of entire series. The lowest one before this was Hatchet II which costs double so that’s wild when you think about it. The other reason was to change the formula because the atmosphere was consistent for the most part when it came to the original trilogy. I do enjoy what the script did with some of the characters. It’s similar to the Psycho approach. It introduces to a few people that seem like the leads and it’s flips it on you. Victor Crowley is basically Hatchet on a Plane. Most of it takes place in that location. It actually takes awhile for Kane Hodder to show up as the iconic slasher villain. As always, Victor goes on a nasty killing spree. Hatchet always delivers when it comes to special fx, gruesome deaths, and lots of bloodshed. Parry Shen as Andrew finally gets the lead role after playing a variety of supporting roles. He was always good in the others so it was cool to see him get a bigger and better opportunity in Victor Crowley. Laura Ortiz as Rose stole the show here. Her character has an amazing arc in this. She was feisty and she’s an unexpected bad ass when all the chaos is settled. It has a solid supporting cast that includes Scream Queen Tiffany Shepis, Scream Queen Felissa Rose, Tyler Mane (Halloween franchise), Tony Todd (Candyman franchise), Dave Sheridan, Krystal Joy Brown, Brian Quinn, Chase Williamson, and Katie Booth. Victor Crowley was a little slower but the finale was a non stop splatterfest. It has a great surprise scene and cameo after the credits. It makes you wonder if Adam Green is going to make another one someday. Dark Sky Films manages to finally to get all the Hatchet films together in the states for this set. The original was put out by Anchor Bay back in the day so it was always separate from the other three!!!!Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Dark Sky Films! This 1080p unrated (2.39:1) is the same restoration and the exact disc from Dark Sky from 2018. It looks better than expected especially for it’s lower budget. It has an English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Victor Crowley is impressive when it comes to the audio. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the slashing is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with director Adam Green, actors Parry Shen, Laura Ortiz, and Dave Sheridan. Adam Green and Dave Sheridan dominate this track. The others pop from time to time but they mainly let the other two chat about this sequel. They have a blast revisiting it. It has an additional “Audio Commentary” with director Adam Green, cinematographer Jan-Michael Losada, editor Matt Latham, and special fx artist Robert Pendergraft. I wasn’t expecting this one to be more fun than the previous track but it ends up being the more entertaining out of the two. This is more aimed at the technical side of the production. “Raising the Dead… Again” is an almost 27 minute interview with director Adam Green. It has some of the same information and stories from some of the other extras on here. The film maker gets very personal for this conversation. He mentions George A. Romero was a reason why this 4th movie got pushed in the right direction. “Fly on the Wall” is a little over 68 minute behind the scenes look into the 4th film from the horror franchise. It has interviews with the cast and crew. Lots of behind the scenes footage. You get experience a variety of moments from the shoot. It has a “Trailer”.Last but not least, here’s the reason you are probably reading this review or considering buying this brand new complete collection steelbook from MPI’s new sub-label Dark Sky Selects. As you noticed, every film from the Hatchet franchise is the same original home video release as before but it’s the first time they have all been together in the states as a 5 disc set. Hatchet: The Complete Collection has the exclusive bonus disc in it’s impressive steelbook packaging. It has the brand new exclusive little over 53 minute “Swamp Tales”. It’s a roundtable discussion with director Adam Green, DP Will Barratt, and producer Sarah Elbert. They chat about their various roles and jobs from the Hatchet franchise while drinking some beers. They talk about their experiences from all of them. They tell some hilarious behind the scenes stories. They go over some of the rougest situations and crazy things they had to fix. They bring up cast and crew members. They point out some of their cameos and unique moments while filming. It has some rare footage and clips from the slasher series. It’s loaded with stuff that’s never been shared before. It has the rarely seen little over 59 minute “Production Journals” from the cast and crew. It has an introduction from director and creator Adam Green. Apparently, these were all on a small site during Hatchet. It has all kinds of behind the scenes photos and storyboards from the shoot. They chat about their personal experiences and stories from the set. They all prank and joke around. This is the only way you can get this bonus material at the moment. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!