There are spots where “Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13^th” (2013) could be trimmed so it’s not nearly 7 hours long. On the other hand, if your audience is “Friday the 13^th” fans anyway, what’s the point of trimming once you hit, say, the 5-hour mark?

Robust selection of interviews

Director Daniel Farrands – inspired by the book of the same name by Peter M. Bracke – interviews pretty much every cast and crew member who is willing. Frank Mancuso Jr., the primary producer of the Paramount films (1-8) is the anchor point because he worked on more entries than anyone else, and Corey Feldman (Tommy in “The Final Chapter”) narrates.

Remarkably, “Crystal Lake Memories” isn’t overstuffed. With set photos and newspaper clips enhancing the interviews, the pace is engaging. About a half-hour is spent on each film, plus the TV series — which doesn’t feature Jason, and which I haven’t seen, but which apparently ain’t half bad.

“Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13^th” (2013)

Director: Daniel Farrands

Writers: Daniel Farrands; Peter M. Bracke (book)

Stars: Corey Feldman (narrator), Frank Mancuso Jr., Sean S. Cunningham

I watched it in two sittings, and I don’t even like half of the “Friday the 13^th” films.

But these are the type of bad (or in some cases, mediocre-to-good) films that are a blast to talk about because of their place in pop culture. While Farrands doesn’t take the position that these are great examples of cinema, he does believe they are worth taking seriously, and he’s right.

Controversial talking points

Indeed, I relished the sections on the worst films – parts 5 and 8 – the most, largely because they have the most controversial talking points. We get behind-the-scenes insights on why films turn out worse than intended. Often the answer is a low budget or the MPAA ratings board.

Although we get 7 hours of “Friday the 13^th” content here, the docu emphasizes what we’re missing: all the great practical effects kills by Tom Savini and other masters that were cut out. Because that’s just how it was done back then, the reels were destroyed. Only dark, grainy footage survives to give us tantalizing hints.

“Jason Lives” writer-director Tom McLoughlin, one of the most open and engaging subjects, notes from a modern perspective of acceptance that his film was “raped” by the ratings board. Director John Carl Buechler’s “Part VII: The New Blood,” we learn, was a popular subject of rumors that a director’s cut might exist, but unfortunately it does not.

A positive approach

“Crystal Lake Memories” is mostly a love-fest, but some internal controversies emerge, such as conflicts between directors (whose focus is on the art) and producers (whose focus is on the budget).

The docu doesn’t criticize too many of the interview subjects, but an exception comes with the tale of how cast and crew made sure an expensive camper cooler would be destroyed in “The New Blood” so a penny-pinching producer couldn’t keep it for himself.

It also doesn’t shy away from the controversial decision to recast Kane Hodder (who played Jason in movies 7-10) with a new actor in “Freddy vs. Jason,” including Fangoria letters-to-the-editor about the issue.

When there are no controversies to talk about, the actors sometimes run through their film’s plot, probably to refresh their memories. Sometimes this is fun, as with Melyssa Ade’s enthusiastic retelling of “Jason X.”

Even more entertaining, Monica Keena dryly explains why she relates to Jason more than Freddy, and points out that “she (her character) won” the battle between Freddy and Jason. Then she recounts with dismay finding out from a fan that Jason – whom she had sympathized with – kills her in the comics.

What’s next for the saga?

A robust exploration of the comics, novelizations and other spinoff materials is missing from “Crystal Lake Memories.” But it does touch upon them, including the fact that Tommy Jarvis returns in four-color form.

Toward that end, one interviewee tantalizingly suggests that a 13^th movie could feature all the surviving Final Girls (and guys) taking on Jason. I love the idea. While it is of course a cheesy idea, that’s what makes it exactly right for this franchise.

The overall vibe of “Crystal Lake Memories” is right on. These people played a role in a dumb but hugely popular franchise where the films were generally fun to make.

There are harrowing notable exceptions, including Judie Aronson’s case of hypothermia on “The Final Chapter.” If these summer camps sometimes seem to take place in the chilly fall, well, that’s because that’s when they were usually shot.

But almost every actor who turned down a return appearance (such as popular “Part 2” Final Girl Amy Steel) now expresses regret. It’s made crystal clear: What were low-paid jobs back in the day are now fond memories.

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My rating: