Written by: Matt Molgaard

I’ve never encountered a book so thorough, so encompassing and truly comprehensive as Peter M. Bracke’s Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th. Outside of Platinum Dunes’ 2009 reboot, which hit the masses three years after the release of Crystal Lake Memories, every single film in the franchise is systematically covered. From Sean S. Cunningham’s inaugural picture in 1980 to Ronny Yu’s long anticipated monster crossover flick of 2003, Freddy vs. Jason, each flick is recounted and revisited by those who made the pictures possible. And we’re talking damn near everyone who made these movies a reality.

The book also features countless quality images, from picture to stills to rare posters to onset behind-the-scenes images, the book brings some magic to the table in the form of stimulating aesthetics. But it’s really the personal accounts, told from all participants, that sets the book apart from most of similar nature. It’s hard to find someone attached to the franchise – assuming they’re still alive – who doesn’t lend their thoughts to this book, they’re memories as they see them in their minds’ eye, and that makes this piece of work feel far more intimate than it probably should. Reading this animal, you get a sense that you know some of these talents, and I think that was always a major goal of Peter Bracke’s, to bring the Friday the 13th universe into our homes, into our laps. Job well done.

If you’re a fan of Jason Voorhees, or even just a single Friday the 13th film, this book is for you. It’s so unbelievably rewarding that upon wrapping it up, there’s a desire to open it right back up and read it all over again. It may be non-fiction, focused on a wild world rooted in fiction, but it’s riveting just the same. Grab Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, not only is profoundly detailed in examination, it’s also highly informative and downright addictive. I loved this book. Amazing work that comes highly recommended!

Pick it up here!

Rating: 5/5