For a horror fan, there is no escaping Jason Voorhees or
Friday the 13th. Even if you have never seen a single movie (for shame!), you know who he is, what he does, and what he looks like. But that's from my perspective. I grew up in the 80s, played the video game on a system known simply as Nintendo (now referred to as "The 8 Bit"), and suffered the indignity of that comic where he fought a talking Leatherface.
But what about those who grew up in the Jason-starved 90s? The only Jason films they might remember in theaters are the ones where he fights Freddy or goes off into space. The remake may be their first real introduction to the hockey masked behemoth that stalks teenagers at a place known as Crystal Lake. So for them, Bloody Disgusting and
Horror Movie A Day would like to present this retrospective series: 13 Days Of Jason. Each day leading up to the remake's theatrical release, BC will be showcasing one of the original films, with trivia, factoids, thoughts, and his own full blown review.
Bloody will also be presenting a few other articles that highlight some of the series' traditions, such as the lovesick nerd character and Jason's habit of using unique weapons. Because even if you don't agree with BC's assessment of each film, there's one thing we can all agree on: Jason fucking rules.
AKA: "The one with the superpowered girl" or "The one without blood"
RELEASE: May 13, 1988 (1,796 theaters)
GROSS: $19,170,001
PLOT: A young girl named Tina uses her telekinesis to drown her dad in Crystal Lake. 10 years later, she returns with her evil psychiatrist, who is trying to exploit her powers. Meanwhile, a birthday party for a guy who never shows up rages on for three days in the house next door. Jason thankfully kills just about everyone before getting Carrie-d back into the lake where he began the film, thus rendering the entire movie pointless.
THOUGHTS: To cut the film some slack, a lot of its impact was lessened by meddling producers, a rushed schedule, and the most severe MPAA cuts in the entire series. But even taking that into consideration, this one just doesn't deliver. The kids are the dullest in the entire series, and the telekinesis stuff seems lifted from
Dream Warriors. However - Kane Hodder’s first and best appearance as Jason (with the all time best makeup/costume to boot) make it worth a look, and it was the last traditional "Crystal Lake" entry, which gives it some nostalgic value.
(Read BC's full review at
Horror Movie A Day)
BEST KILL: You probably think it’s the sleeping bag/tree kill, but
Jason X’s version topped it (way funnier to have him beat the girl against another girl than a tree). No, I actually think Jason killing Tina's mom is probably the best. Not that it's particularly inventive, but it's Jason's most mean-spirited kill in years, and unlike
Final Chapter, Buechler had the balls to show poor ol' mom getting offed.
MOST "HUH?" MOMENT: Take your pick. The kids partying for like 3 days to celebrate a guy who didn't even show up; the fact that Jason walked 5 miles away to kill them (he has GPS for victims, apparently); the idea that Tina can see the murder of a guy she never met but not any of the other kids next door; that no one ever got the dad's body from the lake, despite drowning like 10 feet from shore...
FUTURE STARS: Well, Terry "Bad News Crews" Kiser went on to be Bernie. That count?
TRIVIA: Walt "Crazy Ralph" Gorney plays the narrator at the beginning of the film, making him the only actor besides Kane Hodder to work on at least three of the films.
Check back tomorrow for
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan!
Click here to keep up with all of our 13 Days of Friday the 13th coverage!
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