FRIDAY THE 13TH: JASON LIVES [1986]

Happy Friday the 13th everybody – though my blog is still showing Wednesday as the most current entry – I think the gremlins got it for some classic Friday the 13th shenanigans. If you should ever see this entry – I’ve got a bunch of movies stacked up to watch so I’m not sure if I will partake in an installment or two of my favorite of the 80’s slasher films; FRIDAY THE 13TH.

But why not make a bonus (well considering my entry for today was deleted by the gremlins - this isn't much of a bonus anymore is it?) entry about my favorite of the films - the 6th installment – JASON LIVES.

It’s the beginning of the ridiculous side of the series – after this film he fights a telekinetic, goes to Manhattan, Hell, outer space and then fights Freddy. It’s also the beginning of Jason Voorhees becoming more than just a masked slayer – he becomes supernatural with a little shout out to Frankenstein’s electricity reanimation scene. It could be argued that Jason was never killed in the previous films or that he has already been enchanted with some supernatural healing ability – but in this installment – there’s no denying – Jason had been dead and buried worm chow for years – only to be resurrected!

The film has a better pace – and more extreme/silly killings than its predecessors – and it’s cheesy as all get out – it’s actually more of an action film. It’s also infamous for not having any nudity – the only of the Friday the 13th films to exclude it – not that it doesn’t have probably the most memorable sex scenes in the franchise. That ridiculous camper sex – cheesy 80’s music scene will remain in my mind as one of the dumbest sex scenes I have ever seen.

The plot is typical for a Jason film – campers show up at the lake to camp and be teenagers – and Jason kills them. The things that make this film stand apart is Tommy Jarvis – the boy who stopped Jason in the 4th installment is so haunted by him that he digs up Jason to burn the remains of the body – only for Jason to be electrocuted and to rise again. There’s also a little interesting theme that plays into the whole angle that Jason hates immoral behavior – when he goes in to kill a little girl – she prays and he goes away.

The rest is Jason stalking around – killing at a good pace – and though it’s pre-Kane Hodder – it’s a solid performance by the actor(s) who play the hockey masked killer.