Current Film Reviews- Billionaire Boys Club

         So, given that I did another film that was released to VOD before it was to hit theaters (November Criminals), starring Ansel Elgort, when I learned this Ansel Elgort feature was coming to online streaming before theaters, I figure I might as well do it. Though, this has a legitimate reason that it is being dumped. This was going to be released last year, but was shelved because.... Kevin Spacey plays a fairly large role in the film. I'll be upfront with this: if you feel uncomfortable watching a film with Kevin Spacey, don't watch this at all. I will not discuss his role except in the synopsis. That said, I understand a little why the distribution company Vertical Entertainment decided to ultimately release this. They couldn't really do a All the Money in the World, and have Spacey removed entirely. He plays a large role in the story, and by most accounts, they didn't have the budget to anyway. At the same time, as Vertical stated upon announcing the film's release, they didn't want the hard work of the rest of the cast and crew to go to waste.While I (as you will read) ultimately didn't care for the final product, I can understand that, since film is a collaborative process, and the other hardworking members of the cast and crew deserved the chance to see their own work on the film released, despite the actions of Spacey tainting most of it. Still, once again, Kevin Spacey is in this, and if you don't want to watch him, I recommend not watching it. Even you don't, do not watch this.

       Based on a real-life incident (as many of these films are), in 80's Beverly Hills, Dean Kearny (Taron Egerton) and Joe Hunt (Ansel Elgort), friends since their school days, have grown dissatisfied with their position in comparison to their richer friends, including Charlie Bottom (Thomas Cocquerel) and the Biltmore brothers (Jeremy Irvine and Ryan Rottman), so decide (with little explanation as to how they came to this conclusion) to do get-rich quick scheme involving gold investment. With the help of Ron Levin (Kevin Spacey), they have some minor initial success, which enables their wealthy associates to also invest. While Gold goes down, thus causing them to lose money, Hunt and Kearny decides to pretend that they were continuing to gain money, whilst using the money from previous investors to pay new investors. Whilst Levin seems to help them out at first, they find that success on these grounds is tenuous.

       A couple minor good stuff in this. Taron Egerton has a flawless American accent, and his performance is probably the best in the film, easily making him an ambiguous character whose motives and backstory are not clear. Ansel Elgort is at least trying, and he's better here than he was in November Criminals. Emma Roberts (oh, yeah, she's in here too) does fine as Elgort's love interest, though she isn't given enough to work with. Judd Nelson as Elgort's father also has some standout scenes. 


      I've made it clear before that one of my least favorite genres is the "Criminal American Dream". I should probably call it by what it is, the "Scorsese knock-off". I don't hate all movies that utilize it, nor am I inherently against the genre, but my main problem is how homogeneous these films tend to be. They all have the same style, they basically have the same characters, and basically have the same plots, beat for beat. Ultimately, you eventually can just predict the entire plot of one of these just based on how they frame the story and what the plot is about. This is like if they took the essence of these films and made another one based solely on it. Let's see it is 1.) Based on a true story, 2.) Stars one or two people dissatisfied with their lack of wealth and seek to rectify it, 3.) Features their success in some faulty, non-legal manner, 4.) Sees tensions rise, 5.) features a tragedy that ultimately precludes their decline, and 6.) set in the 80's. It even has a voice-over. That is my main problem, really. This is just another Scorsese Knock-off, atop a bunch of other Scorsese knock-offs that just aren't fresh and original anymore. Not helping is the confusing plot, which doesn't make what the characters are doing clear, so their dealings just come off confusing and convoluted (I had to look up later what had actually happened to make sense of it.)

     This really isn't worth watching. Whether Kevin Spacey was in this or not, it wouldn't be a film that would really be entertaining unless you've never seen Goodfellas, Casino, Lord of War, Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, War Dogs, or American Made. If, regardless of its unoriginality, you enjoy this genre, than maybe you'd find some entertainment in this, but it doesn't add anything to the genre, nor does anything another example hasn't already done. Just skip this, whether on VOD or when it comes out in theaters next month.

(If you're curious on the remake tag, there was technically a 1989 TV film, starring Judd Nelson in the Joe Hunt role, which is why he is here incidentally, so this is technically a remake.)
      

Current Film Reviews- The Equalizer II

       The first R-rated film I ever watched in theaters was 2014's The Equalizer, a remake of the popular 80's TV series and starring Denzel Washington in the lead role. That distinction would imply some sort of affection or fondness for the film, but I actually barely remember anything about it. I'm not even entirely sure what it was about. I know it had to do with Washington's character fighting off Russian mobsters and the climax took place in a home goods store, but that's about it. Honestly, there isn't much context that is needed for this. Even though I couldn't remember the first one, I could follow this fine.

       Set an indeterminate amount of time after the original, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is now a Lyft driver, who continues to do the occasional job on the side. We start in Turkey, where he saves a young girl, after her Turkish father kidnapped her from her American mother. Despite the brutality and efficiency with which he does these jobs, he still has a very friendly relationship with the people around him. After his apartment complex is vandalized, he strikes a mentorship with Miles Whittaker (Ashton Saunders), an aspiring artist. He, however, is thrust back in action when his former CIA associate and friend Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) is killed in Brussels. He soon finds himself investigating a conspiracy to take him and others affiliated with him down, and he must stop it at any cost.

     What really elevates this from B-list action schlock is Denzel Washington's performance. He really sells this character, both as a brutal enforcer and a friendly guy helping his neighbors. There are some legitimately great scenes of him either dealing with the situation or simply interacting with Ashton Saunder's Miles Whittaker. He is really the reason this film (and for that matter, the first one) are at least somewhat compelling. The action helps, often being both exciting and slightly terrifying. It was a satisfying experience, at the very least. It provides what it is selling, Denzel Washington beating up crooks while giving life lessons.

      I normally don't really quibble with plot holes, because honestly, I don't notice that much whilst watching a film, but I pretty sure this had a number of loose ends. Without spoilers, I still wasn't sure what the main villain's motivation was, or how he got his associates.  I also wasn't entirely sure why Melissa Leo was in Brussels. I know it had to do with a murder there, but I don't think they ever explain who that character was or why he was specifically murdered.  It doesn't help that this film has a real pacing issue, with the main plot sidetracked to deal with Washington going about his everyday life. I didn't know when this film was ending, since it doesn't feel like it was building up to something.

      I didn't hate this, just like I didn't hate the first one. It gives what the first one gave, some decent actions and some nice character stuff from Denzel Washington. However, the first one at least had the distinction of being the first R-rated film I ever saw. I'm probably not going to remember that I ever saw this. Honestly, a better version of this, at least in regards to action, is Upgrade, which came out about a month ago. If you want a fun action thriller with a hard edge, I honestly recommend that. If you liked the first one, you'll probably like this, and if you didn't, this isn't really an improvement. Just seeing here thinking, I'm already beginning to forget about this film. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th(2009)

    In 2003, the same year Freddy vs. Jason came out, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released. The original 1974 feature, along with that year's Black Christmas  had typified and started the slasher craze of the 70's and 80's. So, it is fairly appropriate that it would start off its own chain of remakes (including Rob Zombie two Halloween remakes, and  a 2007 remake of Black Christmas). The Chainsaw remake was the first film produced by Platinum Dunes, the production company belonging to director Michael Bay and producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller. The Chainsaw connection goes deeper, as New Line, inspired by the success of that film, approach Platinum Dunes with the idea of reinvigorating the Friday the 13th franchise the way they did for the Chainsaw franchise. After the director for that film's prequel, Jonathan Liebsman (later known for those forgettable Ninja Turtle reboots) was considered, Chainsaw director Marcus Nispel was chosen to direct. Instead of creating another sequel, they decided to reboot the franchise, using elements from the first four films, . Freddy vs. Jason writers  Damian Shannon and Mark Swift were brought in because of their adept knowledge of the franchise and its history. They tried to avoid being another sequel or origin story, but still pay homage to the series.  Since Platinum had to work with all the rights holders for each part of the franchise, this would be the first time Paramount was involved in a Friday the 13th since the failure of Jason Takes Manhattan in 1989, as international distributor (New Line would continue as US distributor). In the long tradition of stuntmen playing the man behind the mask, Derek Mears was cast as Jason, reinterpreted more as a territorial killer than a methodical revenge seeking one. Released on the February Friday the 13th of 2009 (which is one day before Valentine's day, incidentally) it would be the second highest grossing film of the franchise, with mixed reception. In the past 9 years, a 13th film has been planned, but is currently stalled due to an ongoing legal battle between Victor Miller (the screenwriter of the original), and current rights holder Crystal Lake Entertainment (headed by Sean Cunningham).

      Beginning in June 13th, 1980, in a remake of the climax of the original, a camp counselor (Stephanie Rhodes) at Camp Crystal Lake beheads Pamela Voorhees (Nana Visitor) after the latter went on a rampage through the camp. Her son Jason (Caleb Guss) watches on. 30 years later, a group of teens, including Whitney (Amanda Righetti), Wade (Jonathan Sadowski), Richie (Ben Feldman), Mike (Nick Mennell), and Amanda (America Olivo) head to the area to set up camp and find some marijuana growing in the bushes. There, Wade tells the story of Jason Voorhees, which the other initially dismiss. However, as Whitney and Mike explore an old abandoned house (with a familiar shrine), Jason subsequently kills them off one by one, until only Whitney remains. Two months later, another group of teens, now Trent (Travis Van Winkle, apparently playing the same character he did in Transformers. Jason vs Transformers....),  Jenna (Danielle Panabaker), Chelsea (Willa Ford), Bree (Julianna Guill), Chewie (Aaron Yoo), Nolan (Ryan Hansen) and Lawrence (Arlen Escarpeta) are heading to Trent's summer house for vacation. They have a brief run in with Clay (Jared Padalecki. I kind of wish there was a Dean joke I could make, because it's rare that I can make an appropriate Gilmore Girls reference), who is looking of his sister Whitney. While Trent has an aggressive encounter, when he comes back around the cabin, Jenna is willing to help him look. Jason begins his own attack, and we learn Whitney is still alive, trapped because she resembles a younger version of Pamela.

        It's clear that the screenwriters had taken the best parts of the first four films and condensed them. We see Pamela's death, the shrine that Jason keeps to her, Clay looking for his sister (a reference to the Hitchhiker in the Fourth one, with elements of Tommy Jarvis), Jason getting the hockey mask, and various teens coming camping. It works, and helps get to the meat of the entire film without any tedium or distractions. I was worried when the film seemed shadowy and unwatchable, but you can see everything fine. It has the signature series excellence in effects and gore, with some creative ways of showing the various character. I was a little apprehensive of Jason being more of an aggressive killer, but it works, though I will say it feels more like Leatherface than Jason. Most importantly, despite the more modern setting, and updates, it feels like a Friday the 13th film, with all the tropes and elements that make a good entry in the series work. It was also nice to hear the old theme for the series.

       It's established that, even when Michael Bay isn't directing, his fingerprints are all over anything he's involved with (I can't imagine what that documentary about elephant poaching he's involved with will be like). This is not an exception, with his various minor annoyances all over . It's especially worse that a lot of these characters are the slasher film teens, so their unlikeability increases with Bay's tendency towards distateful characters. There's characters to root for, but you kind of just wait for those you don't like to be offed. Honestly, while the "back-to-basics" part is not bad, I think it could've benefited from the supernatural twist that later films gave Jason. This would make more distinct from Leatherface. I also feel it might've worked with more fan service.

       I enjoyed this, despite my own trepidations going in. It feels like a Friday the 13th film, in a good way. It has what makes the series work, and knows how to use it to great effect. If you're a fan of the series, or just want a good horror film for this Friday the 13th, this is a good option, and a good film for those unfamiliar with the series.

     Well, that's it. 12 films in 12 days. I wasn't terribly into the first one, but as I've gone through each of these entries, I see what made this series such a classic. It might get formulaic, but some were able to take that formula, and bring it in interesting directions, or even just make it entertaining without really becoming too repetitive.  Regardless of who's playing him, Jason, despite his lack of emotions, is a dynamic, interesting presence, and whether he is haunting Crystal Lake, roaming the streets of New York, or is in Space, he is always the best part of any of these films. I've only disliked two of these (the two New Line Cinema ones), and even those still had some elements that made them enjoyable. Of these, I'd say the second and sixth ones are my favorite, because they were able to use the formula to its maximum potential, and I've had a good time watching most of these. I'd end with a glib reference to the series (i.e. So, next time you plan a visit to Crystal Lake), but frankly, I'm glad I'm done, because I did have to watch a film a night, and a review the very next day. At least, nothing major happened that disrupted this general schedule. Anyway, thank you all for reading all of these and joining in my journey through this series, and next week, I am doing The Equilizer 2, so hopefully you join me for that.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Freddy vs. Jason

      As I've said in previous reviews, a crossover between Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th was considered back in 1987, as Part VII was in production, but only gained traction after the franchise was sold to New Line Cinema, which owned the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The two franchises have had a shared history, with Nightmare director Wes Craven having started out with Cunningham in the early 70's. Cunningham had been involved with the project through its development hell, before finally, after the diminished success of Jason X, they were able to go ahead with production. In the director's seat was Ronnie Yu, who had a prolific career in Hong Kong action cinema, before coming to Hollywood in the 90's to direct films like Warriors of Virtue and Bride of Chucky. Yu had initially rejected the script for not showing who actually won, but was brought on when told he could choose who won. Several scripts and ideas were tossed around, including a cult worshipping Freddy, Freddy and Jason having interwoven pasts, Jason driving a Suburu, and even Clive Barker's Pinhead making a cameo at the end, before the final script by Damian Shannon
Mark Swift was turned in. Even then, David S. Goyer was brought in to trim the script down (since the original was two hours long). Kane Hodder was considered, but ultimately, Yu decided a larger figure was needed to contrast with the short Freddy Krueger, so Ken Kirzinger was chosen instead (prompting some resentment from Hodder, who had been Jason since 1987). Released in 2003, it was a financial hit, and a fan favorite, though critically mixed. This would be the last time that Robert Englund would reprise the role of Freddy Kruger, and the last film in both franchises before they were rebooted

      Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund) is in hell (I haven't seen any Nightmare films except the first one, so I'm not sure of the greater context of this), and the people of Springwood have forgotten about him, so he can't get to haunting and killing them in their dreams. To spruce everyone's memories, he recruits Jason (Ken Kirzinger), by disguising himself as his mother (Paula Shaw),  and bringing him to Springwood. At a party held by Lori Campbell (Monica Keena) and friends Kia (Kelly Rowland), Gibb(Katherine Isabella), Trey (Jesse Hutch), and Blake (David Kopp), Jason subsequently kills Trey in his bed, which is blamed on Freddy. Later, Freddy haunts Blake in a dream, and Jason knocks him off in real life. Meanwhile, Lori's ex-boyfriend Will (Jason Ritter) and Mark (Branden Fletcher) catch the news of the murders at their psychiatric facility, where they are held to suppress their dreams (ensuring Freddy doesn't come back), taking a drug called Hypnocil. At a rave later on, Lori encounters Will, who attempts to explain the situation. Freddy, meanwhile, haunts Gibb, and attempts to kill her, but Jason gets to her before he can finish the job. Freddy realizes that Jason is depriving him of potential victims. Lori, Will, and their friends escape, and with Deputy Stubbs (Lochlyn Munro), hatch a plan to take down the two killers, while Freddy decides that Jason has served his purpose.

       The inevitable fight between the two is not disappointing. I mean, that is probably the one thing that shouldn't be messed up. It's long, it utilizes the strengths and weaknesses of the two characters, and it has a satisfying conclusion. Plus, it's just fun to watch, clearly drawing on Yu's experience with Hong Kong martial arts films. Like I said, I haven't most of the Nightmare films, but I think just a basic knowledge of  both franchises is required to watch this. There is fan service and the two mythologies are intertwined, but even someone with a causal knowledge of either franchise should be able to understand what's happening. Lori is a well-written character, who has her own sort of deal, that is resolved towards the very end. Kelly Rowland is entertaining as the best friend.

     Some continuity issues bothered me, including Jason's newfound fear of water. Given he has been in water in the other films (and even swam all the way to New York City in one of them), I doubt that was something from the franchise mythology. The Hypnocil subplot, (in which it is revealed that the drug puts people in a comatose state) had potential, but they never explore it, or give it a satisfying conclusion. I feel also a bit more history should've been in both films, like things from other films in the franchises, or even minor nods to them.

    This was just a lot of fun to watch. Even given my lack of familiarity with the Nightmare series, I could tell this was very satisfying for fans of both franchises, and shows the two slashers at their highest point. Give this was their last outing in their original forms, it was appropriate, and a nice send-off to both franchises. As I said before, the horror landscape was changing away from what had fueled them during their 80's heyday. The very year this came out, a short film called Saw was made, which would spark its own distinct franchise that continues to this day.

     Another film came out that year, a remake which would spark a series of remakes and reboots of 70's and 80's horror franchises, which will lead to our final film for Summer of Terror: the 2009 reboot.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Jason X

      While the upcoming crossover with the Nightmare on Elm Street was still in development hell, Cunningham decided to produce another film to keep people interested in the franchise. After shooting around several idea of Jason in a new setting (including one where he fights LA street gangs), screenwriter Todd Farmer eventually came up with the idea of "Jason IN SPACE!". Farmer was very influenced by Alien and wrote several homages to that film within the script. Director James Isaac had been a visual effects director, with films like Return of the Jedi and The Fly (even getting Fly director David Cronenberg to cameo in the film). The film was mostly shot in Canada, with the help of Cronenberg's Canadian crew. It was a minor success, though not a massive one, and savaged by critics, though is beloved by fans.

       In the year 2010, Jason (Kane Hodder) has found himself stuck in the Crystal Lake Research Facility. Dr. Wimmer (David Cronenberg) and Sergeant Marcus (Markus (?) Parilo) decide that his cell regeneration ability is simply too valuable, and decide to transfer him, over the objections of lead scientist Rowan LaFountaine (Lexa Doig), who had hoped to put him into cryogenic storage. To prove her point, Jason breaks out, and kills Wimmer, Marcus, and the group of soldiers accompanying them. Rowan is able to lead him to the cryogenic chamber, but is stabbed at the last minute, and frozen with him. 445 years later, a group from "Earth 2", lead by Professor Braithwaite Lowe (Jonathan Potts), and crew, including Tsunaron (Chuck Campbell), Janessa (Melyssa Ade), Azrael (Dov Tiefenbach), Adrienne Thomas (Kristi Angus), Stoney (Yani Gellman), and Sergeant Brodski (Peter Mensah) are doing a survey of the old Earth, long destroyed by an unspecified incident. They find the capsule, and take both bodies back on board to revive them. They learn of Jason, and Lowe's backer Dieter Perez (Robert Silverman) notes his value. However, Rowan (revived and healed) warns them of his true nature. Sure enough, he gets back to his old business.

        This film was occasionally creative, particularly in using its futuristic space setting. For instance, an early kill uses liquid nitrogen to freeze a body and break it. Another had someone die when pushed through a ventilation system. I liked that they tricked Jason by creating a simulation of Crystal Lake and two teenagers. There is one really good sequence which uses a similar conceit to Alien, where Jason is in the shadows, fighting off soldiers. Surprisingly good acting from most involved.

      This film looks like a TV show, and not in a good way. Everything looks cheap, from the interior of the labs or the ship. It looks like a UPN space series from the late 90's, like Jason jumped into Star Trek: Enterprise. It isn't helped by the CGI augmentation, which makes it look even worse and more dated. It is also incredibly boring, with even the signature chase sequences being really dull and uninteresting. This isn't really a bad idea, but this feels too serious and ponderous to reach this full potential. It seems convinced that it is Alien and not a Friday the 13th film. Oh, and the Jason X costume looks terrible. Looks more like a villain from a really bad mid-90's Image Comic.

    Okay, so another dud, and another definite skip. That said, this was explicitly a filler movie, meant to maintain interest as they went into Freddy v. Jason. It feels like a swan song for the franchise, an penultimate entry meant as a final farwell to the character (in a solo film) in the changing horror landscape. New slashers like Scream (which satirized the very genre tropes Friday the 13th helped promulgate) and I Know What You Did Last Summer were becoming big, and the genre was moving further from the formulas of the previous franchises. More importantly, in 1999, a $60000 budget film called The Blair Witch Project became the 10th highest grossing film of that year, ushering a new form of horror in the "found footage genre". In a sense, this was Jason's last stand, in the new millennium.

     Well, that, and his upcoming fight with Freddy Krueger, which will be covered tomorrow.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

        So, as I said during the last review, after the disappointing box office of their last few films, Paramount sold the franchise (though kept the rights to the name, thus the Final Friday in the title) to New Line Cinema. This move of studios also prompted the return of Sean Cunningham, who had produced the House series of horror films (not to be confused with the medical drama, where coughs turn out to be rare diseases) for New Line. He had hoped for a crossover between New Line's Nightmare on Elm Street, which had been an idea floating around, but New Line decided against it. First time director Adam Marcus became attached, having been considered for Cunningham's previous film, My Boyfriends Back (which went to ... Bob Balaban? Huh.), and who was a big fan of the franchise. It was him who came up with the initial conceit of Jason being destroyed and going through various bodies. When Jay Hugely (previously a writer for Magnum PI, apparently) turned in a nearly unreadable script based on Marcus' original treatment, Cunningham recruited Boyfriend writer Dean Lorey and two other writer to finish and polish the script. Half of the film (43 minutes of an 87 minute feature) came from reshoots and inserts made after shooting wrapped up, due to a number of errors made by first time director  Marcus. The film would use a number of props from other films, including the Necronomicon from Evil Dead (apparently used without the creator of the prop's permission) and the crate from Creepshow. Released to decent box office after the last one, it was critically panned and fans are split over this entry.

        Having somehow gotten back to Crystal Lake from getting sunk in toxic waste in New York, Jason (Kane Hodder) goes about his business, killing random teenagers, and chases a girl (Julie Michaels) who was exploring the cabin. However, it turns out the girl is FBI agent Elizabeth Marcus, who leads him to a trap set up by the FBI, who use enough fire power and explosives to blow up Jason. Bounty hunter Creighton Duke (Steven Williams) looks on. The coroner Phil (Richard Gant) gives his autopsy report, but is prompted to heat Jason's decayed heart, which causes the soul of Jason to seize the coroner's body as a vehicle, and he goes about his killing spree. Duke realizes his real mission, and heads to Crystal Lake. There, he has a brief encounter with waitress Diana Kimble (Erin Gray), who is revealed to be Jason's half-sister. Diana's daughter Jessica (Kari Keegan) has an infant daughter of her own, Stephanie (Brooke Scher), and a relationship with crime show host Robert Campbell (Steven Culp). Sure enough, Jason, in the form of a sheriff's deputy, goes after Diana and tries to transfer to her. Jessica's ex-boyfriend Steven (John D. LeMay) finds this, and attempts to stop Jason, but is subdued, and Diana is killed. Steven is arrested for the murder, and encounters Duke in prison, who explains that Jason is going after his family members as permanent hosts for his comeback. Steven escapes, to try to stop Jason from reaching Jessica and making his comeback.

          Once again, the best part of this entry are the effects, with the heart and a later scene with Jason as some sort of demon baby as particular highlights. Steven Williams as Creighton Duke is easily the best character of not only this film, but any of these films who isn't Jason. He is very charming, very charismatic, and he seems like to a formidable match for Jason.

        Which is a shame when he is not only sidelined for a majority of the film, but dispatched in a fairly unromantic fashion (though apparently Marcus has retconned this). We instead follow Steven, who is far less interesting and less compelling as a foe for Jason. The concept of Jason taking the form of other people and attacking through that isn't a bad concept, but 1.) it feels more like a discount zombie movie this way, and 2.) it just doesn't really have the same menace to it. It doesn't help the film has a confusing, barely coherent plot that has severe continuity errors with the other ones and some internal continuity issue. I barely know what was going on some of the time. The supernatural element, while certainly present in the other films, (with his resurrection by lightning), feels off in here, like there should've been more build-up to it, and it feels incongruous to his portrayal in the previous films.

         This is the first one of these I actively dislike. Even the ones here I described as not very good, I never really said they were bad. The problems with the other ones were either repetitiveness or something particular to that film. This one is just bad, with the clear signs of severe cuts and studio interference all over it. It is the sign of a decaying franchise. I can't really see a scenario, unless you really love this franchise, that you would have to see this. Definite skip.

         Well, Jason goes to space in the next one. Maybe that'll be better.
      

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

       This film, like some of the previous ones, was filmed under the script "Ashes to Ashes" to disguise its real nature as a Friday the 13th film. Director and writer Rob Hadden had been involved with the TV series based on the show, and was hired by Frank Manusco on that ground, though with the condition that he take Jason out of Crystal Lake. Manusco had suggested New York City. Hadden originally written more of the film to be set in New York, but Paramount told him that budget would not allow them to do as much in New York, forcing him to cut down the script. The majority was filmed in Vancouver and Los Angeles, with some scenes shot in Manhattan itself. A minor controversy arose when the poster for the film was Jason tearing an "I Heart NY" sign, which prompted a complaint from the New York Tourism Committee. Once again, not a critical hit, the disappointing box office of the film, with the diminishing returns of the previous ones, ultimately lead to Paramount selling the franchise to New Line Cinema, who would produce the next three films.

        So, Jason (Kane Hodder) is back again after a large boat anchor disrupts some wires near his corpse. Said boat belongs to Jim (Tod Caldecott), who is on with his girlfriend Suzy (Tiffany Paulsen). Jim recounts the story of Jason, and scares Suzy with his own hockey mask. Jason promptly climbs aboard, and dispatches the two. Later, he sneaks aboard the SS Lazarus , which is taking the graduating class of Lakeview High School to New York City for their graduation gift. The trip is led by biology teacher Charles McCulloch (Peter Mark Richardson) and English teacher Colleen Van Deusen (Barbara Bingham). McCulloch requests Van Deusen look after his niece Rennie (Jensen Daggett), who is aquaphobic, but decided to come anyway. She has a relationship with Sean (Scott Reeves), who is the son of the captain (Warren Munson, playing a Dan Aykroyd character apparently).  She also has mysterious visions of a young Jason.The other occupants include boxer Julius (VC Dupree), Tamara Marson (Sharlene Martin), Eva Watanabe (Kelly Hu, in her first film role),Wayne (Martin Cummins), and Toby (Ace), Rennie's dog. Of course, Jason eventually brings his kill spread, killing the captain and crew, as well as most of the students, forcing the remaining ones (Rennie, Sean, Julius, McCulloch, and Van Deusen) to escape via life raft. They eventually reach New York, and disembark. However, little do they realize that Jason has followed them to the Big Apple, and well, he isn't there to catch a Broadway show.

      The concept of the film, removing Jason from the heavily wooded and relatively isolated Crystal Lake and placing him in the bustling metropolis of NYC, has potential, and while the film never reaches that potential, (which I'll describe in the flaws section), the best scenes in the film are when Jason is in New York City, interacting with locals and the character evading him through the city. A particular highlight was the scene set on the New York subway. There's a particularly good shot (which codifies the film) with Jason standing in Times Square, soaking in the entire setting, before going about his business. There is also a nice connection between Rennie and Jason, when it's revealed that Rennie had been pulled down Crystal Lake by Jason when McCulloch pushed her in an attempt to make her swim. Jason's final dispatch in the film is unique, in that he is drowned by toxic sewage, a very urban idea, that fits with Jason's displacement from Crystal Lake.

     This might as well be called "Jason is on a boat, and then spends about an hour in New York." 60% of the film is set on the ship, which is a bit of a rip-off, given the title explicitly states that Jason will "take" Manhattan. The ship sequences aren't necessarily bad, but they aren't anything really special in the series, (aside from one alright sequence in the disco room). I don't blame this on the filmmakers, as they had to cut down the amount of time that was originally meant to be spent in New York. A lot of the characters are ultimately superfluous, as many of them are killed before they ever reach New York.  There's also clear signs of budgetary limitations, as the opening sequence with shots of New York has shots from later on.

     Is this the worst of the series? Eh, no, I wouldn't say so. Like I said the New York sequences are the best part of the film, and nothing in the film is terrible. That said, I would recommend watching others in the series before you watch this one.

   Well, we're at the home stretch, so for a bit of brevity, here's part of the promotion for the film, Jason on the original Arsenio Hall Show:

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th, Part VII: The New Blood

     Originally a crossover with the popular Nightmare on Elm Street series, (which was surpassing the series in box office number), there were a number of other ideas for the 7th film in the series, before Manusco, associate producer Barbara Sachs, and screenwriter Daryl Haney agreed to do a "Jason vs. Carrie" scenario. Basically, the "final girl" in this film is psychic. Sachs had hoped to make this addition more respectable, and even sought out directors like Fredrico Fellini. Taking over the director's chair this time, however, is  John Carl Buechler, known for The Dungeonmaster and Troll, and taking up the mask was Kane Hodder, who impressed Buechler in the film Prison, which Buechler worked as special effects director. Hodder would become associated with the character in subsequent appearances. As always, cuts were made to avoid a dreaded X rating, toning down the film significantly, and cutting it down. While it wasn't nominated for an Oscar, it made a decent showing at the box office.


      As Jason (Kane Hodder) sits at the bottom of Crystal Lake after his latest misadventures, Tina (Jennifer Banko) flees after her abusive father (John Otrin) goes on his own rampages. After Tina heads to the center of the lake, her father tries to plead with her. She finally has enough, and uses telekinetic powers to kill him. Ten years later (time works weird in these films), Tina (Lar Park Lincoln) and her mother Amanda (Susan Blu) still live in the house, along with Dr. Crews (Terry Kiser), a psychologist researching Tina's power, and is generally aggressive towards her and implied to be exploiting her abilities for fame. After a particularly stressful session, she goes out to the lake, and makes a big psychological wave, which breaks the rock Jason is attached to, freeing him. Tina sees him and is scared off. Meanwhile, we have our group of teens, this time waiting for Michael (William Butler) for a surprise party held by his cousin Nick (Kevin Blair). Tina befriends these teens, and has a certain attachment to Nick. Of course, Jason cannot allow the presence of teens around Crystal Lake to stand, and kills Michael, right as Tina has a vision of him killing Michael. So, Jason goes about his business, but finds a new formidable opponent.

      Once again going off the trend of the last film, this takes the formula of the films, and adds new elements to it to give the viewer something new. In this case, we have the psychic powers of Tina. Normally, the addition of another supernatural element in another supernatural series would feel haphazard, but, like The Shining , it integrates these elements well enough. The action film elements carried over from the last film also does well. Kane Hodder does well in the mask, adding a bit of confusion and thinking to his performance. Dr. Crews is a good secondary villian, whose cruelty and cowardice are well hidden until he is backed into a corner.
 
     Once again, the cuts are abundantly clear, and it is a bit disappointing that there isn't more gore. I don't blame the filmmakers for this, and I know there are uncut versions around. The ending was a little confusing, considering how it comes about. There were some creative kills in these, but in comparison to the last one, it's a bit more boring and conventional.

     You know, with this and the last one, I'm starting to see the appeal of these films. Kane Hodder, while not my favorite Jason, is a dynamic presence and I do see why he became associated with the role. Once again, fun horror film, nice for a weekend watch, and appealing enough to non-horror fans. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Jason Lives: Friday the 13th, Part VI

         So, with the plans for Tommy Jarvis to take up the mantle of villain scuttled, Jason was brought back, and longtime producer Frank Manusco, Jr. decided to take the series in a different direction. To that end, he hired Tom McLoughlin, who had one successful horror film, One Dark Night, and had a number of comedy scripts circulating, to write and direct, giving him carte blanche except that Jason had to be the villain. McLoughlin decided to take a cue from the old Universal Monsters,in particular Frankenstein,  and added a supernatural element, making Jason a supernatural killer to match his near-invincibility in the other films. He also added a strong satirical element to the film, with it littered with jokes and memorable characters. John Shepard (now a born again Christian) refused to reprise his role as Tommy Jarvis, so Thom Matthews was cast, based on his work on another horror film Return of the Living Dead. Originally cast as Jason was Dan Bradley, but after one day, it was decided he was unfit, and was replaced with former Marine CJ Graham. This was notable as the only entry with no nudity, departing from a series regular, and McLoughlin had add more kills per the studio's orders, and had to edit the ending (involving Jason's father). Alice Cooper provided some of the music, including the theme "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)". The film had the best critical reception of the series yet (with even long-time opponent Gene Siskel admitting that it was the "least offensive" film), and was a box office hit, and is a massive fan favorite.

       After the events of the last film, Tommy Jarvis (Thom Matthews) and associate Allen (Ron Palillo) go to Jason's grave to finally put an end to his recurring nightmares. They dig him, and Tommy, after a brief episode, stabs him multiple times with a metal fence. Sure enough, a lightning bolt hits the fence, and Jason (CJ Graham) decaying body is jolted back to life. He kills Allen, and puts on his signature mask (which Allen had brought with him). Tommy escapes, and tries to warn the police, but Sheriff Mike Garris (David Kagen) dismisses it, believing Tommy to be delusional and wanting to distance Crystal Lake (now Forest Green) from the old Jason killings. Tommy is kept in the local cell. Jason proceeds to get up to old tricks, killing two camp counselors Darren and Lizbeth (Tony Goldwyn and Nancy McLoughlin) on their way to a new camp. The next day, another group of counselor, including Garris' daughter Megan (Jennifer Cooke), and friends Cort (Tom Fridley), Paula (Kerry Noonan), and Sissy (Renee Jones) visit briefly stop by, and Tommy warns them. While they ignore him, Megan has a slight connection to Tommy. After being exiled from town by Garris to keep him away from his daughter, Tommy determines that he needs to bring Jason back to his first resting place. He needs to get back into town to stop Jason, and bring him to a final resting place.


      In comparison to the more serious, horror oriented entries, this had more action and humor elements, clearly meant to make the series more distinct from its first few entries. This works, for the most part. I laughed a number of times, and despite it not being particularly scary, was incredibly entertaining for its run time. It has very memorable characters, very memorable kills, and never got slow or tedious for a second. I also liked that they added the supernatural elements, which makes Jason more intimidating and adds a sense of urgency to the proceedings.

       That said, there were some inconsistencies with the other films (namely that Jason seems to be a legend, despite numerous deaths and the fact his body was at the morgue), which bothered me. Thom Matthews was also not terribly good, but that might be just that he wasn't given much to do until the end. It was also a little too short. I heard a lot was cut, so maybe the longer version would be better.

      This is what Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 should've been. A fun, slight satirical romp that takes the premise of the series and turns it on its head. I honestly really enjoyed this film. It is the best of the ones I've seen so, and it isn't even the scariest. If you want a fun film in general, horror or not, this is the best possible example of it.

     

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning

       So, once again, not much here in terms of history. To avoid the stigma of being a Friday the 13th film, the production went under the name "Repetition", and even some cast members were in the dark on it (and were disappointed to learn of its true nature.) This was meant as a soft reboot, with Tommy Jarvis being the new killer, and Corey Feldman was to revive his role. However, his now iconic role in The Goonies meant that he was only available Sundays (with his scenes filmed in his backyard), and the focus was shifted to John Shepard as an older Tommy. Director Danny Steinman was known for exploitation films before he directed this. Much of the film was edited down due to concerns about content. It was a hit, but many fans were very disappointed in the final product, and they decided to bring things back on road with the next one. In Turkey, this was paired with its predecessor as a sort of double feature.

        Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman), one of the two last survivors from the previous film, is running through the forest to find two teenagers digging up the grave of Jason (John Hock). Jason rises from the grave, kills the two, and comes after Tommy. Of course, this is a dream by now teenaged Tommy (John Shepard) as he heads to a halfway house, lead by Pam Roberts (Melanie Kinnaman) and Dr. Matthew Letter (Richard Young). Tommy briefly meets Reggie (Shavar Ross), the grandson of one of the house's employees. Tommy is still haunted by Jason, who appears to him in dreams and in daylight. One day, one of the other teens at the halfway, Joey (Dominick Brascia) annoys unstable Vic (Mark Venturini) enough while the latter is chopping wood, that Vic axes him. One of paramedics at the scene, Roy Burns (Dick Wieand) seems emotional distraught by this. Shortly after, teens from both inside and outside the house are slowly being killed off, in the same manner as old Jason Voorhees (Tom Morga), leading to some to wonder. Meanwhile, Tommy's mental state makes a suspicious decline around the same time.

       I liked that they tried something different with this. I like that, while the fact there is going to be a twist is fairly obvious, it's still built-up well, and works as a twist within the context of the story. Tommy still grappling with Jason provides an interesting context, and helps with the twist. I do like that you could tell that this is not the real Jason by the fact that his mask looks slightly different.

      I will not fault the filmmakers for this criticism, as this was apparently imposed by the censors, but what the hell was with the editing of the deaths. Regardless of whatever I think overall of an individual film, I've always admired the effects work in this series, but here, they constantly cut away or in one incredibly poor edit, does a close-up. This takes the air out from these scenes, and makes them less impactful. I also wasn't terribly fond of the ending, which contradicted the rest of the film, and implies that Tommy is to become the next Jason Voorhees. It doesn't match up with the rest of the film, and feels awkward given how he was haunted by the memory of beating Jason.

    Honestly, the idea of Tommy replacing Jason would not have worked, at least from what was shown in this film. Maybe not having the twist or maybe saving the slow turn for the next film could've worked, but this wasn't the right way. Thus, I'm kind of glad that Jason comes back for the next one. Honestly, though, I enjoyed this, and if you want an over-the-top horror film, this is a pretty good example to watch and have a good time.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

          By 1983, the slasher genre that had been popularized by films like Halloween and the original Friday the 13th was waning in popularity, and with diminished returns on the last film, producer Frank Manusco, Jr. decided to end the series. The director this time was Joseph Zito, then known for the slasher film, The Prowler, (and later known for Chuck Norris vehicles Missing in Action and Invasion USA), who was to write the film, but decided he was better at directing, so secretly used his writing salary to hire Barry Cohen to write the film. This one has people you've heard of in it, namely Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover. The production was troubled, namely due to Zito's callousness and him forcing the actors to perform dangerous stunts by themselves. It eventually got to the point that the Jason for the film, veteran stuntman Ted White (who had doubled for Clark Gable and John Wayne during the course of his career) threatened to walk off the film because of it. Feldman maintained a bratty persona to deal with Zito's direction. White would go uncredited, due to his combative relationship with Zito. Like before, it wasn't a hit with critics (especially Siskel and Ebert), but  a financial success, and they decided not to end it (which is why I've got  7 more of these to go.)

          I might as well place a madlibs for this one. Jason (Ted White), after his alleged death in the last one, gets up and wanders the morgue and kills the nurses. Meanwhile, a group of teenagers come to Crystal Lake, and settle in a vacation home. Jason begins a-killing. To be fair, there is a new element in this film in the form of the Jarvis family, including the mother(Joan Freeman), Trish (Kimberly Beck), and Travis (Corey Feldman), who the teens briefly meet. Trish and Travis later meet a hitchhiker Rob (E. Erich Anderson), who has a particular mission in Crystal Lake.

          I'll say this about the film, I like that they add more elements to this to spruce up the formula. There is the element of the brother and sister, and Rob, who is revealed to be avenging the death of his sister (Sandra Dier from the last film). The way Travis finally dispatches Jason is clever and adds a little more menace to a character other than Jason.

        I'm running out of things to say about these films. This was tedious, it follows the same structure as the last two, it got a little absurd. Even the good stuff is starting to get tiring. There really isn't anything in this one I didn't already say about the other two.

       Was it bad? No, I daresay it was better than the last one, but it is basically a functional product. It does its job at fundamental level, and has little more to offer beyond that. It is basically unexceptional, is what I'm saying. So, if you want to marathon these films or want a horror movie to have fun with, I'd say give it a watch, just don't expect a great film.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th, Part III

     Three films in, and the producers felt that the first two had already basically established a formula. To prevent audience fatigue, they decided, inspired by the massive success of a Spanish film called Coming at Ya!, decided to make the film in 3-D. This would make it the first Paramount feature to have 3-D since 1956's Ulysses. Though, a number of issues arose from this, from Paramount becoming subject to a lawsuit due to them changing the producer of 3-D lens to adjustments to filming to them attempting to find interesting things to film in 3-D. The film originally was going to center on Ginny (Amy Steel) from the last one attempting to evade Jason in a mental hospital, but Steel declined to return. Director Steve Miner did return, as did Ron Kurz. Once again, it was a critical bomb, but a financial success, though Paramount had to spend $8-10 million due to having to supply the 3-D lenses themselves.

      The film starts off with a flashback to the climax of the last one, where Ginny (Amy Steel) distracts Jason by putting on his mother sweater, briefly tricking him for long enough that Paul (John Furey) is able to subdue him. Jason (now Richard Brooker) decides to get up, and wanders to a local hardware store, where he kills the husband-and-wife owners (Steve Susskind and Cheri Maugans). Meanwhile, Chris Higgins (Dana Kimmell) takes a group of her friends including Rick (Paul Kratka), Debbie ( Tracy Savage), Vera (Catherine Parks), and Shelly (Larry Zerner) to her old summer house on Crystal Lake. This is despite an incident that had occurred to Chris there a couple months ago. Shelly, the prankster, constantly scares the group for attention. Eventually, he and Vera run afoul of some bikers, who try to avenge their bikes being destroyed by Shelly by setting fire to the barn. This is when Jason begins his own series of attacks.

     This wasn't as good as the second one, but it was decent enough. Good effects, some creative kills and twists on the formula (including a more disgusting replacement for Crazy Ralph). I did like that Chris had a personal encounter with Jason before, meaning there is a higher stake for her. The mask (conceived by 3-D effects specialist Martin Sadoff from a Detroit Red Wings mask he had as part of the test shots) is a very intimidating addition, giving Jason his signature look, which proves very intimidating when it first shows up on screen.

      I'll admit, this formula is starting to wear on me three films in. It just no longer feels surprising or shocking. It just kind of goes through the motions at this point. It's not helped by the fact this is the slowest of the three, and despite only being 95 minutes, feels a lot longer. Oh, yeah, there are also shots clearly meant for a 3-D showing. Some scares are okay, but most of these feel gratuitous and irritating, and I suspect a 3-D showing would make it worse.

      This wasn't bad per se, but it is a downgrade from the last one. Maybe if they had shaken up the formula a little more, and used the 3-D for better effect, it could've worked, but the problem ultimately stems from how tedious it becomes. I'd say skip this, unless you're a completionist. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th, Part 2

       So, this came from a realization, whilst planning out when I would review this and other Friday the 13th films. After looking, I found that, if I were to do each on Friday the 13th in October, it would take me until the end of this century to finish. Given I might not be alive by then, I then thought to do one every Friday the 13th of a year, but that proved impractical as well. Eventually, I just decided to just spend this July, leading up to this Friday the 13th, just getting these out of the way. So, everyday up until this Friday the 13th, I will review each of the Friday the 13th sequels leading up to the most recent one. So, let's begin with this.

(Note: I will not give spoilers in the synopsis. However, to fully articulate my feelings on the films, there will be unmarked spoilers in the good and bad sections, so be warned)

          So, not much history here. After the massive success of the first film, a sequel was inevitable. Like its (to be charitable) "inspiration" Halloween, it was originally an anthology which would focus on the general theme of "Friday the 13th", but this was squashed after executives took a brief joke of Jason at the end, and decided to run with it, and make Jason the main villain. Because of this, director Sean Cunningham, screenwriter Victor Miller, and special effects Tom Savini (who all found the idea ridiculous) all left, though Cunningham would return to help with additional scenes. Instead, Cunningham's protege Steve Milner directed from a script by Ron Kurz, with Carl Fullerton doing effects. Fullerton was behind the final design of Jason in the film. Adrienne King, who played Alice (the final survivor of the first film), opted to just return for one scene, given she had been a victim of an obsessive stalker after the release of the first film. Whilst critically panned like the first one, it had been a financial success, though not to the same degree as the first one.

       Shortly after the events of the first film, Alice  (Adrienne King) is still traumatized by the experience. One day, whilst wandering around her house, she is briefly scared by her cat, and when getting some cat food, finds the head of Pamela Voorhees in her fridge, and is killed by a mysterious assailant. Five years later (which would weirdly place the film in the then-future of 1984), a new counselor camp has opened up near Crystal Lake, under the tutelage of Paul (John Furey), and includes his assistant Ginny Field (Amy Steel), wheelbound  Mark (Tom McBride), Sandra (Marta Kober), Jeff (Bill Randolph), Vickie (Lauren-Marie Taylor), Terry (Kirsten Baker), and Scott (Russell Todd). The legend of Jason Voorhees (Steve Daskawisz and Warrington Gillette) still haunts the camp grounds, as warned by Crazy Ralph (Walt Gorney), who is killed by the same mysterious assailant. Whilst Paul dismisses the possibility of Jason's resurrection, it seems that most legends have a basis in fact, as Jason is in fact alive, and prepared to get some new blood....


     First and foremost, I liked this better than the first one. Whilst the first one was more-or-less a straight Halloween lift, this manages to be more original in its presentation. It has a more original way of showing its killer, first showing his legs to give a sense of menace and scale. Jason comes off like a Universal monster in this sense. I do like the pillowcase look for him, very realistic for his circumstances. It also fleshes out the characters a little more. Not in-depth character pieces, but enough that you do feel when they are chased and killed by Jason. Once again, the effects are great, and there is more a sense of dread in each scene. Jump scares are also well-done, since they lead into the actual scares.

    It is a bit short, running at only 87 minutes long. I felt that some more time was needed to fully explain Jason's deal (as in, how he survived for 30 years, how he knew about the events of the first one, and if that final scare in the first one was really Jason). It also felt at times a bit too much like the first one, in terms of plot and characters. Even some of the kills are reminiscent of the first one (though enough is changed for me to tell the difference.)

     Like I said, I liked this better than the first one. If you liked the first one, or if you want to see the debut of the Jason, then this will probably satisfy you. If you didn't like the first one, as I did, maybe even you could find some level of enjoyment in this. Some compare to this to Halloween II, which came out the same year. Honestly, it's better than that.

   Alright, so ten films to go. Tomorrow, it's Part III (fancy with the Roman numerals and everything)