Hatchet: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Steelbook

Everyone has heard the names Freddy Krueger, Jason Vorhees, and Michael Myers before, and everybody knows what they are all capable of - multiple kills and iconic death scenes over a few decades. In addition to those names, every horror fan should get to know Victor Crowley, who has earned a spot right next to these horror icons with his own film franchise called Hatchet. Director Adam Green (Frozen, Holliston) is a passionate fan of the horror genre himself, and has taken his favorite elements from a ton of horror movies from the '70s, '80s, and '90s, and injected his favorite aspects into this series of movies in the best ways.

The overall plot of these films is nothing new to the genre in that a group of people usually find themselves in the cajun part of the country where a supernatural monster kills his victims one by one. It’s how Green writes his characters and story though, which gives these movies a fresh and original outlook for the horror genre, not to mention they are a ton of fun with a treasure trove of dark comedy bits and a crazy amount of cameos. Hatchet starts off the franchise easy enough with a guy named Ben (Joel David Moore) who is partying with his friends in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. After days of drinking, he convinces his friends to take a haunted boat tour in the swamps outside of New Orleans.

To ratchet up the suspense on the boat, the tour guide tells the tale of a deformed man named Victor Crowley who is a supernatural force of violence that terrorizes everyone around the swampland. It turns out, that Victory Crowley is very real and starts murdering everyone with his hatchet one-by-one in gruesome ways. One of the tourists on the boat by the name of Marybeth has secrets of her own that are related to the deformed killer which explains some of her off behavior. With this narrative, Adam Green is allowed to play with his favorite moments from other horror movies and move them to the Cajun heartland that pays homage to the wonderful cult figures of horror cinema. Green even cast Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, Robert Englund, and others to co-star in this new franchise.

In Hatchet 2, Green returns as director and doesn't necessarily go bigger and better. The movie follows Marybeth from the first film now played by a different actor. Marybeth learns about her turbulent past from her lineage and assembles a team of hunters to kill off Victor Crowley. Of course, none of it goes as planned where the murder and mayhem play out more like an over-the-top episode of South Park rather than something in the horror genre. Even some familiar faces from the first film show up with outlandish versions of their original character. Green wanted to go sillier this time out, but the horror and comedy just didn't hit the mark although some of the Victor Crowley storylines are explained and some fun practical buckets of blood are thrown around. Green also plays with the horror multi-verse by referencing his own movies or other characters from different films in the same universe. Eat it, MCU.

In the third installment titled Hatchet III, Green pens the screenplay and turns over the directing reigns to BJ McDonnell. This duo makes a much better sequel that has Marybeth surviving the previous film and ending up at the police who believe she is the one who committed all the ghastly murders. Instead of a pack of hunters this time around, the entire SWAT team and police officers head out to find this alleged Victor Crowley who is very much alive and hungry for kills. The carnage is at an all-time high with some brutal kill scenes and tons of guts splattering everywhere. Marybeth also teams up with a reporter in hopes of finding the key to putting Victor Crowley in the ground forever. Zack Galligan and Sid Haig show up in cameo roles which is always a pleasure to see.

The fourth film in this franchise is titled Victor Crowley and is hands down the best of the sequels with Adam Green returning to direct. Set a decade after the events of the third film, the movie focuses on Andrew Yong (Parry Shen, who’s been in every Hatchet film), as his new book about the Victory Crowley murders is making the rounds on the talk shows and numerous book signings that have some hilarious and odd requests. His manager Kathleen (Felissa Rose from Sleepaway Camp), is trying to secure the most money for him and herself, which is why she enlists a production crew to make a short film on the Victor Crowley murders where they originally took place. Yong is reluctant to go but ends up right where he doesn’t want to be again with more soon-to-be victims.

Crowley shows up in his beefed-up stature and overalls and starts to kill everyone in his path brutally. What Green does very well is stage his death scenes with some amazing and gooey practical effects. Brains fall out, limbs are severed and perhaps the best scene in a film of recent memory comes to play here with a severed arm, a mobile phone, and Kathleen's private parts. It’s one of those moments where anybody watching will yell out in horror and glee at the same time. With all of the gory guts being thrown around, Green also keeps the silly comedy flowing with his unique dialogue that pays homage to other horror films.

These four films are a sweet reminder that horror is alive and well and filmmakers who breathed horror growing up can contribute with some fun original movie monsters and create a thriving universe. If Freddy and Jason are mainstream monsters, Victor Crowley and this Hatchet series is the indie-darling everyone loves. These movies hold up with their practical gore effects and a memorable newish movie monster that people are still cosplaying everywhere.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats
Hatchet: The Complete Collection chops its way to Blu-ray via Dark Sky Select in a beautiful-looking Steelbook case. There are five discs housed inside the Steelbook, each containing one of the movies. The fifth disc is a bonus disc that features two hours of extras. The artwork features Victor Crowley himself with his hatchet and a severed arm standing in the swamp lands. 

All films come with a 1080p HD transfer and look to be the same HD versions from when they were released. The first two films have a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The third movie has a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and the fourth has a 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

The movies increasingly look better as the years go by due to technology, however, they all look wonderful. The opening sequences of the first HAtchet are ripe with bold, bright colors during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. But when night falls and everyone is running for their lives around the swamp, the colors decay into dark blues, greens, and tons of brown and beige. The blood-red color pops at every turn in each film. The disfigured Victor Crowley looks amazing with his brownish skin. In the fourth movie, the color pink has some great depth that contrasts nicely with the dark blue skies. Black levels are inky and the skin tones are all natural.

The detail is sharp and vivid, even in darker sequences. Closeups reveal those nasty and gooey entrails when the movie monster hacks their bodies up. The prosthetic pieces on the titular character showcase all the rubber textures and wounds he suffers. Facial pores, hairs, beads of blood and sweat, textures in overalls, and other costumes all look great. There are no major issues, but there is some light banding and video noise, especially in the first two films. Other than that, these movies look great and could benefit from a 4K release sooner rather than later.

Hatchet I has a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track whereas the other three films come with a DTS-HD 5.1 audio option. Part II also has a Stereo PCM 2.0 track. The sound effects in each film are boisterous and loud. Since Victor Crowley is a large guy, every punch and hatchet kill comes with a big gut punch of sound. The flesh ripping apart and bone crunches sound amazing. The low end of the bass is always ready with a fantastic rumble that never crosses into rocky territory. The score and music cues always add to the suspense and silliness of the film where it counts. The surround speakers make use of the ambient noises of screams, footsteps, and other swamp-like sounds. Dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow. There are no audio problems to speak of.

There are 368 minutes of extras spread across all five discs here. There are also eight different commentary tracks by directors, crew members, and actors. 120 minutes of these bonus features are brand new. All of these are worth watching if you're a fan of the films.

HATCHET I

• Audio Commentary #1 - Adam Green and Kane Hodder talk about making the film, the evolution of movie monsters, and working with the cast and crew.
• Audio Commentary #2 - Adam Green, Will Barratt, Tamara Feldman, Joel David Moore, and Deon Richmond all chime in about making the film with some tidbits from the set and the state of horror in general.
• The Making of Hatchet (HD, 40 Mins.) - This is a behind-the-scenes documentary that can be divided up into individual segments, but much like foul-tasting medicine, is better if you get it over within one gulp. This is a fairly engaging documentary, if not particularly enlightening, and you see all the ins and outs of the movie, from pre-production through shooting and post-production.
• Meeting Victor Crowley (HD, 10 Mins.) - Adam Green talks about the creation of Victor Crowley when he was at summer camp when he was 8 (a story I think is repeated several times on this disc), Kane Hodder talks about playing Victor Crowley (and, in a flashback sequence, Crowley's father).
• Guts and Gore (HD, 11 Mins.) - Again: a look at the particularly nauseating effects of Hatchet. If you're at all squeamish, sit this one out. Those of us with a taste for the macabre are encouraged to have a look-see, even though much of this material is presented elsewhere.
• Anatomy of a Kill (HD, 7 Mins.) - This takes you through the development of a single kill, in which Victor Crowley takes a victim and tears their head apart at the jaw – all accomplished with "one" fluid shot (really a combination of shots but it looks like one in post-production). You follow the shot through the script to storyboards to production to post-production. Thrilling, I know.
• A Twisted Tale (HD, 9 Mins.) - This is a heartwarming story about director Adam Green's friendship with Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider. Just watch it. You won't be sorry.
• Gag Reel (HD, 4 Mins.) - A collection of missed cues, flubbed lines, and other gross-out gags.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2 Mins.) - Trailer for the film.

HATCHET II

• Audio Commentary #1 - With Adam Green, Tony Todd, and Kane Hodder. Honestly, I expected more from this one, as two horror legends plus the horror fan director have a lot to talk about. I found myself wondering when they'd get to the good part, sadly. This track has great coverage and hits several topics, but oftentimes is just rambling.
• Audio Commentary #2 - With Adam Green, Will Barratt, and Robert Pendergraft. This technical commentary talks about filming in duck shit, the various locations filmed in and their limitations (including the 17-day shooting period), how certain shots were made, and the experiences with random cast and crew. It's a much, much better track than the actor one. I suppose Green got all the good stuff out of the way in this recording, which preceded the other.
• First Look (HD, 8 Mins.) - I love it when a feature lets me know what to expect. EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is a term used for generic "selling point" features, like extended ads for a film. Well...that. That's all.
• Meet the FX Team (HD, 6 Mins.) - A look at the excess of blood, the brutal kills. This is like the 'Saw 3D' feature about all the kills over the series, only relevant to this release, and much more in-depth. And gross.
• Behind the Screams (HD, 33 Mins.) - An in-depth making of, with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, looks at the kills, plenty of goofing around with producers and the director, and some slight EPK interview footage. If the filming was this light-hearted (I somehow doubt it), then it would have been a real pleasure to be on set with these guys and gals.
• Trailers (HD, 5 Mins.) - A collection of trailers and TV spots.

HATCHET III

• Audio Commentary #1 - Adam Green, director BJ McDonnell, cinematographer Will Barratt, and make-up effects artist Robert Pendergraft all come together for a dry commentary track, focusing on the craft of horror and making a third movie.
• Audio Commentary #2 - Adam Green, BJ McDonnell, and actor Kane Hodder deliver a more fun track that talks about various elements of the production.
• Behind the Scenes (HD, 10 Mins.) - There are some cast and crew interviews along with some on-set footage that covers making the movie.
• Raising Kane (HD, 5 Mins.) - a quick look at Hodder's makeup applications.
• Swamp Fun (HD, 9 Mins.) - A collection of bloopers and the cast having fun on set.
• Trailers (HD, 3 Mins.) - A couple of trailers for the film.

VICTOR CROWLEY

• Audio Commentary #1 - Adam Green, Parry Shen, Laura Ortiz, and Dave Sheridan talk about making the fourth film and how all of the movies have come together over ten years.
• Audio Commentary #2 - Adam Green, Cinematographer Jan-Michael Losada, Editor Matt Latham, and Make-up FX Artist Robert Pendegraft come aboard for a more technical commentary track that details how they made the movie.
• Fly on the Set (HD, 68 Mins.) - An amazing collection of on-set footage that captures almost every aspect of the production. This is an amazing look at what it's like to make a movie with some discussion with Adam Green.
• Raising the Dead Again (HD, 26 Mins.) - Adam Green talks about making all of the films and what horror and this character mean to him. He's a great interviewer and gets candid about the production of all four films.

BONUS DISC

• Hatchet: Swamp Tales (HD, 53 Mins.) - This is a brand new extra that is a roundtable interview with Adam Green, director of photography Will Barratt, and producer Sarah Elbert who discuss the production of all the Hatchet movies, the casting, the TV show Holliston, and even the swine flu that swept the production of the second film.
• Production Journals (HD, 59 Mins.) - All of the web journals are now on Blu-ray from the first film here that go through various elements of the production.

Hatchet: The Complete Collection is a fantastic start for Dark Sky Selects. Each film is given its own disc with multiple bonus features and fantastic video and audio presentations. There are tons of extras both new and old with eight commentary tracks. The glorious Steelbook looks exquisite as well. Everyone should be looking forward to the future releases this new boutique company will churn out. Highly Recommended!