Friday, October 13, 2023

Friday the 13th; Friday the 13th Part 2 (1980; 1981)

by J †Johnson

In 1980, we aren’t sure who the killer is, but we have the sneaking suspicion that we’re rooting for him. Maybe it’s the monstercam, which shows us Camp Blood from the killer’s perspective, making it our own. Do we really know ourselves, our desires, what we’re capable of? Why do we demand teen sacrifice, so much sex and blood?

By 1981, we know we’ve been had. Maybe we weren’t the killer, and that’s a relief, but the killer also isn’t who we thought he was. Not Jason, not him; Mrs. Voorhees was pulling our strings all along. And still, we aren’t off the hook. More monstercam, though Mrs. Voorhees has lost her head. Maybe it is us, after all. Who’d know, with that bag over our head?

The killer may change, but we’re stuck in forced perspective, seeing everything through Jason. Before we saw the first film, we studied the original poster. We see a moonlit silhouette of the killer, knife in left hand. The silhouette masks an outdoor scene: teenagers loitering uncertainly before a cabin in the woods. The poster for the sequel repeats the visual trick but replaces the weapon (now an axe) and the scene. This time we’re on the lake, and the final jump scare at Camp Blood is re-envisioned with an adult Jason launching over a canoe to attack the girl. The updated tag line, “The body count continues…” lays out the rule of sequels: more kills.

In both one-sheets, the signal camera trick taken from 1978’s Halloween provides the concept for the poster: we see through the killer, even when we don’t know who we are seeing. The end?

“Dead Fuck”

by 17 Escopetas

“Dead Fuck” is a doomtrap/death metal/goregrind song employing music, beats, and audio samples solely from Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. Learn more about 17 Escopetas on Bandcamp.

Rejected Friday the 13th Sequels

by Gina Myers

Jason teams up with a vengeful forest spirit
Jason learns he has a long lost sister
Jason gentrifies Brooklyn
Jason goes to therapy
Instead of summer camp, it’s winter & Jason takes shelter in a bear cave
A DNA test reveals Mrs. Voorhees wasn’t Jason’s mom, so now he’s on a cross country roadtrip in search of his real family
Two words: Werewolf Jason
Or, an American slasher in [insert city name]
Jason dies, but for real this time
Jason goes to space—wait, they did that one
Jason gets canceled
Jason vs. Sharknado
No, Jason vs. shark vs. zombie vs. Stone Cold

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

by Nate Logan

“An immoral and reprehensible piece of trash.” – Roger Ebert

“The film is, literally, about stabbing.” – Gene Siskel

Sure, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter follows the same beats as every movie previous (and most after): “teenagers” go to a dilapidated Camp Crystal Lake, some do drugs, some have sex, and almost all of them die in brutal fashion at the hands of Jason Voorhees. And sure, Jason doesn’t grow as a character, never reveals an inner life and sheds a tear à la Michael Myers in Halloween 5. I’ll also acknowledge that it makes no sense for our characters to want to travel to Crystal Lake for a weekend getaway, given the multiple killing sprees there in the days previous. 

But! This film distinguishes itself from the others in the series in a major way: this entry follows characters we actually care about. Jimmy (Crispin Glover) steals every scene he’s in and provides the most memorable dance in a horror film since Carrie. Doug and Sara’s budding relationship adds an element of wholesomeness that’s often absent in the slasher genre. Corey Feldman as Tommy Jarvis plays one of the most convincing (and non-annoying) kids in cinema. The dog lives! Behind the camera, the legendary Tom Savini is back doing special makeup effects for the first time since the original film, giving Jason one of his most gory “deaths” in the series. The ending does set up a sequel that was never followed up on, but a Friday movie can only do so much.