Jason on the Lam

    Okay, so the change in Jason's look in each FRIDAY THE 13TH film has always bothered me, particularly the transition from PART 2 to PART 3. The second sequel is supposed to take place immediately after 2 ends, as Ginny is wheeled away in an ambulance in the very last scene of that first sequel. I recently watched PART 2 again on blu-ray, and I noticed something I'd never noticed before. Right before the opening credits of PART 3, we see Jason still lying on the floor of his lair, pulling out the machete Ginny struck him with. Jason is still dressed in the plaid shirt and overalls he sported in PART 2, right?

     But then after the funky opening credits, we see Jason immediately creeping the general store. But what I had never realized watching the film a thousand times before on dreary VHS was that Jason is standing by the clothesline behind the general store right after the opening credits of 3 still in his outfit from PART 2- except he's now bald again.

      I had always assumed he was already wearing the green jacket and khaki pants, but he was obviously at the general store to get a change of clothes, as we see him standing at the clothes line. Was Jason eluding the authorities by changing clothes? Is that why he shaved his head? Would Jason even have the mental capacity to know to run from the law? This all sort of blew my mind as it was so obvious to me suddenly. I've literally watched this movie a million and one times and never did I once think of this.

     Now remember in PART 2, Ginny had never actually seen Jason until the very end when she and Paul pull the bag back to see his face. WE the audience never see his face, until he jumps through the window and grabs Ginny back at the camp. When we finally do see Jason, he's sporting a rather shocking head of long, red hair. Now when Jason drowns as a child in the original, we see him bald. So is the hairy Jason who bursts through that window just a figment of Ginny's imagination? He would have to be, as we plainly see Jason at the beginning of PART 3 still back in his lair in the woods pulling the machete out of him. Or is it though?

     The ending of the first two FRIDAY THE 13TH sequels both have a dreamlike, ambiguous feel to them, much like the ending of the original. Did Jason really jump out of the lake at the end of the first movie and drag Alice down into Camp Crystal Lake, or was it all just a dream? Did Jason really crash through that window and grab Ginny at the end of PART 2? Where is Paul when they whisk Ginny away- did he become a victim of Jason? We see Paul leave Jason's shack with Ginny, but Ginny is deliriously asking "Where's Paul?" on the stretcher, so it's all somewhat confusing. Was Paul killed in Jason's shack or back at the cabin?  We may never know, kids.

BLACK SHEEP STANDOFF- HALLOWEEN 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH VS. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING

     There are certain horror films that resonate with audiences, causing them to want more of the story and characters which leads to a long-running series of films that inevitably become a franchise- THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, JAWS, ALIEN, HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13TH, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and so on. And there's always a black sheep of the franchise, that one film that everybody generally hates and is usually blamed for ruining said franchise. HALLOWEEN 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH and FRIDAY THE 13Th PART V: A NEW BEGINNING are two perfect examples of this and are generally brought up when it comes to "bad" films in a franchise- although they are usually lumped in together as if they're both equally bad.  And this is simply not true.

       I've said it before and I'll say it yet again- I grew up watching HALLOWEEN and HALLOWEEN 2 and I found Michael Myers to be very frightening in both films. I thought the original and the 1981 sequel made a great horror story and brought a truly iconic and frightening new movie monster to haunt our nightmares. And I was immensely ready to follow the whole Carpenter/Hill/Wallace crazy train of a brand new film to be released each October with an all new story and characters to form some sort of annual anthology like The Twilight Zone or Tales From the Darkside, but on the big screen. Which meant no more Michael Myers, as he died at the end of the sequel and was John Carpenter's wish that he never returned. No more Jamie Lee or Donald Pleasance. And you know what? I was totally fine with all this. Usher in HALLOWEEN 3, which we all know was universally hated because it didn't have Michael Myers in it. No. Audiences just wanted more Michael killing people.

     Which brings us to FRIDAY THE 13TH. The first four films featuring Jason Voorhees are prime examples of the 1980's slasher and honestly are the strongest slasher series of all time, if you ask me. I personally hated every HALLOWEEN movie after part 3, as they never even came close to capturing the mystery and terror of Michael in the first two films. Yet the first four FRIDAY films are solid entries and brought something new to the table each time. However, FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING brought nothing new to the table as it was just a tired retread of the first four, whereas the third HALLOWEEN film is far superior in writing, acting, directing, editing, and camera work. There was obviously loads of talent that went into the making of HALLOWEEN 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH, it's just audiences weren't ready to embrace the dark undertones as it was ahead of its time. It's now a bona fide cult classic that generally gets tons of praise on its actors, the director, and cinematographer. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING had zero talent involved, and it's painfully obvious while watching. All the magic of the first four is nowhere to be seen in the fifth installment. It's crass and cheap and looks it- yet watching HALLOWEEN 3 today on blu-ray you're astounded at how well the film holds up. Now I'm not saying HALLOWEEN 3 is a masterpiece, as the film certainly has its own faults. What I am saying though is that a group of very talented people went out on a creative limb in a boldly original and downright ballsy move to make HALLOWEEN 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH. Had they resurrected Jason with the sixth installment (which is far superior), instead of the awful Part 5, well now that would be a different story entirely. There was simply no valid reason for making part 5- audiences assumed the last film was truly the final chapter and that was that. Besides, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET had exploded, so once again there was really no point in bringing Jason back. It was an anemic sequel that injected nothing new into the mythology of Camp Crystal Lake, and looked like it was made for about $100. I'm not shy about my disdain for A NEW BEGINNING, so there's that. Besides HALLOWEEN 3 has a much cooler movie poster and soundtrack. I'm just saying.

FRIDAY THE 13TH- BEHIND THE SCENES

 

     It's a strange feeling seeing all these amazing behind-the-scenes photos on the set of the original FRIDAY THE 13TH popping up all over the place. Strange, yet utterly fascinating.
   

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FRIDAY THE 13TH on the Big Screen

     So last night, we saw the original FRIDAY THE 13TH on the big screen for the very first time.  I was just a bit too young to see it in theaters (I caught these gems late at night on HBO), so I really kinda missed out.  Well, just so happens our local theater has a Midnight Madness series going, and FRIDAY THE 13TH was one of the October selections.  Well of course I wouldn't miss it for the world, so we went.

     The film itself looked sensational up on the big screen.  We sat with roughly thirty people, and surprisingly most of them were young.  There was a 40ish lady with the nervous giggles throughout the entire film, and although slightly annoying at first- it soon became infectious, and the mood suddenly shifted in the audience.  All of a sudden, we were all participating, all part of something.  Going to see films like this are fascinating when you check out the audience.  There were people of all ages- people like us who had grown up watching these, and young people who had possibly never actually seen the original, only having heard of the name handed down over the years in pop culture.  Before we knew it, we were all laughing and screaming at the film, and FRIDAY THE 13TH was doing exactly what it was supposed to be doing.

     Two young girls, probably 19 or 20, were sitting directly behind us.  It was actually quite entertaining watching her during the big, scary moments- poor thing had her eyes covered the entire way, and nearly jumped right out of her skin when Jason comes out of the water at the end.  It was October, we were all in Halloween mode, and we were our own little audience at FRIDAY THE 13TH. At the risk of sounding corny, it was actually a big deal for me, seeing it up on the big screen like that. It was so much fun, and a perfect way to spend a fall, Saturday night with good peeps.   All in all a great night.  Next up- the original HALLOWEEN on the big screen this October 29th.  This is certainly my lucky October, so far.

Happy Anniversary Friday the 13th!

     On this day 33 years ago, the original "Friday the 13th" was released in theaters.  Hard to believe it was 33 years ago, right?  Quite amazing, actually.  The little movie nobody thought could has certainly surpassed anybody's expectations.  And what's even more amazing is how well the film holds up today.  It's still far scarier than most horror movies released today.  So on that note, what are you waiting for?  Go watch it already!

RIP Richard Brooker (Jason Voorhees)

     Apparently Jason Voorhees is a mere mortal after all.  'Tis a sad day in the world of horror, as we mourn the loss of Richard Brooker.  Unless you have lived in a cave for the past 30 years, you should know that Richard Brooker took on the role of Jason Voorhees and made horror history.  Brooker played Jason in "Friday the 13th Part 3", and was the first Jason to don the infamous hockey mask, making it a worldwide icon of horror.  Richard effortlessly and brilliantly re-invented Jason Voorhees, and it became the definitive Jason to many a horror fan.

     To this day, I still tell anybody that listens that the only good "Friday the 13th" films are the first 4, and after going back and watching them all in a marathon, I firmly stand by that opinion.  Richard's performance made a huge impact on me in my youth, and I would like to take this moment to thank him for his contribution not only to the "Friday the 13th" films, but to the world of horror in general.

VHS HALL OF FAME- FRIDAY THE 13TH PARTS 1-4

         Call me crazy, but I miss VHS tapes.  There was just something, I don't know...comforting about that stack of video cassettes in your arms.  So I'm a nostalgia buff.  There are worse things to be, I suppose.

SCARY SOUNDS- Friday The 13th

 
     I find it amazing that in this day and age, it's still extremely difficult to find a good copy of the classic "Friday The 13th" score on cd.  It's available on LP, and you can find bootleg versions here and there, but no official, quality release yet- at least, not to my knowledge. (I do have bootleg scores of Parts 1,2, and 3...) You can purchase the scores for all the latter films (Part 5 and up) and the dreadful remake, but not the original four films...  WTF!  Harry Manfredini's iconic score rivals that of "Halloween" as some of the scariest and most recognizable horror music ever, and deserves a proper cd release yesterday already!

Friday the 13th Part 5: The New Beginning

SPOILER ALERT!

     Of course I rushed out and saw FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING when it hit theaters in 1985- didn't you?  As much as I loved the first four, it was a given. Curiosity had gotten the better of me, and I was truly wondering how they were going to resurrect ole' Jason.  So I signed up for more terror and shenanigans at Camp Crystal Lake.  However... what magic was there before was long gone.  Even at 13 years old, I was fully aware that this fifth installment was a steaming pile of poo, and should probably never have been made in the first place.  Where do I even begin?  

     The movie starts ten years after the horrible bloodbath from THE FINAL CHAPTER- which would have the action taking place in 1994.... ?  Young Tommy Jarvis has grown up in various mental institutions, having never recovered from the horror of Jason and his murderous rampage.  Plagued by nightmares, he's sent to a rural halfway house to overcome his mental problems- although it's never explained what happened to his older sister, Trish....  

     Tommy arrives at the halfway house in the woods, and brings a rash of murders with him. Is it Tommy, who's been driven to the brink of madness by Jason and all he experienced years prior?  Or is it an imposter, someone taking Jason's identity to exact some revenge of their own?  (Okay, it's Roy, the ambulance driver, father of the overweight kid who's axed to death at the halfway house...over some chocolate... I know, right?)  Turns out, Jason is not even in this one!  What a crock!  Boo!  Hiss!  *throws popcorn at screen*

     Often known by fans as the black sheep of the franchise, and for good reason, A NEW BEGINNING takes the absolute worst elements from the slasher genre and compiles them all in a stunningly bad movie.  It's simply terrible, in every aspect imaginable.  Far from being scary- even at the tender age of 13 I found myself laughing hysterically at this film and by that I mean laughing at the film, not with it. It's really that bad.  

     A NEW BEGINNING offers a somewhat unique storyline for the series- I actually kind of like the idea of a halfway home for troubled teens off in the woods.  It's a great setting for a slasher film, and it could have been great. But it's not. There's not one ounce of suspense generated in the mayhem here- none.  Nor does it have any of the original FRIDAY THE 13TH spirit and atmosphere. The heart of the series is sorely missing here. I realize that this is just a slasher film, but the acting is beyond terrible here. So bad that it makes the first four look like Merchant/Ivory productions. The characters are so poorly acted and presented here, that you wish for immediate death on all of them. They are some of the most unlikable characters I've ever come across in a horror film.

     And I fully blame this installment for resurrecting and continuing the franchise in the first place. Just imagine for a second if they truly did stop at THE FINAL CHAPTER- how different the reputation of the
series would be today.  Because honestly, in my opinion, they all SUCK bigtime after the fourth film.
Jason, along with Michael and Freddy, would have far better reputations had they made a couple of quality films, then stopped while they were ahead.  Instead of dragging the poor guys through shittier and shittier sequels, sapping every ounce of terror from them along the way. But then again, they did the same thing to poor old Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy way back when as well...so there you go.

     I hate this installment. I hate everything about this installment. The direction, the lighting, the characters  the acting- everything.  And the fact that it's not even Jason makes it all the more lame. It's truly one of the weakest of the entries- and only makes the first four look all the more better. The FRIDAY THE 13TH films unfortunately have attained a sleazy reputation- but entries like this one truly take the cake in sleaziness. This entry- plus all the ones that came after this steaming mess, are the ones who tarnished the franchise and ruined the good name of FRIDAY THE 13TH,  This installment has more nudity and gore and killings than any of the previous entries, but that does not make it better, trust me.

     FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING is probably the most hated of the franchise by fans- very similar to the hatred of HALLOWEEN 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH- simply because the main villains are absent from these entries. However, after years and years of pure hatred for SEASON OF THE WITCH, it's finally found its audience and is starting to be more and more accepted by fans. The same seems to unexplicably be happening to this film, although I'm baffled as to why.  It's still far better than the dreadful JASON TAKES MANHATTAN, but unfortunately you cannot polish a pile of shit. It is what it is. It does offer a neat opening scene with a return cameo by Corey Feldman as young Tommy, and the admittedly not-bad finale in the barn for the most part works, but still.  The film offers some pretty gruesome and creative kills, but the characters are SO annoying and one-dimensional, you want them all dead as soon as possible anyway.  And probably the biggest gripe of this installment is not the fact that it's not even Jason doing the killing- it's that Roy, the ambulance driver who is doing the killing, is just not a memorable enough character.  He's only shown once at the beginning of the film, and when Jason is finally "unmasked" at the end, I honestly wasn't sure who it was at first. I had to look at the credits to make sure it was Roy in the first place.  He's just not fleshed out near enough to remember. And we are supposed to buy the fact that Roy snapped over his son being called because of a candy bar and just happens to have a hockey mask and coveralls handy to take over Jason's reign of terror? No. I didn't buy that at all.  Lame no matter how you spin it.