Dailles and Nightlies- Across the Universe

        About two months ago, during a visit to Las Vegas, my Dad and I saw the Love show at the Mirage. It was a Cirque du Soleil production which utilized Beatles songs to score some impressive acrobatics and dance sequences. While I was watching the performance, I thought a bit to the use of Beatles songs in other films. Two very notable examples came to mind. One was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band , a 1978 film using music from the titular album and Abbey Road by producer Robert Stigwood, famed for his other '70's musicals, Grease and Saturday Night Fever. That film featured several prominent artists of the 70's (Peter Frampton; Earth, Wind, and Fire; Aerosmith; the Bee Gees) performing these songs in a plot loosely based on Sgt. Pepper. The film was a critical and financial flop, and doesn't seem to be remembered fondly today. Of course, the other was the film in the title. Directed by famed stage director Julie Taymor, who is probably most famous for directing The Lion King on Broadway, and in terms of film credits, had directed an adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, this 2007 feature is not based on any particular album or song, but is a simple jukebox musical, with a plot and characters centered around the songs, as well as the 60's period that Beatlemania emerged in. The surviving members of the Beatles seemed to enjoy it. Everyone else seems ... mixed on it. It seems to be brought up as a strange failed experiment on Taymor's part. Does it deserve this reputation? I decided to start a new series separate from my current film or horror reviews, where I just talk about whatever film I want to, whether it be a fairly obscure flop or a classic for the ages, and anything in-between. It'll be infrequent, mainly to pad out months I have little to no material on, and will range from first impressions to films I've probably seen a dozen or so times. So, without further delay.

       Jude (Jim Sturgess, and yes, that name is intentional. The song is played at one point) is a young shipyard worker in Liverpool, who decides to come to America to find his birth father, an American GI from the war. He finds himself in Princeton, where he has a brief discussion with his father (Robert Clohessy), before befriending Max (Joe Anderson, and the name is another Beatles reference), a Princeton student and bohemian, who introduces him to his family, including his sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood, and yes, another reference. Look, it's clear where this is going). Lucy is saddened by her significant other being drafted to fight in Vietnam. Max decides to drop out of Princeton, and join a group of Bohemians including Sadie (Dana Fuchs), JoJo (Martin Luther McCoy), and Prudence (TV Carpio). As her boyfriend is killed in action and Max is drafted, Lucy becomes more involved with the anti-war movement, and her relationship with Jude blooms, as the 60's gradually become more radical.....

      There are a number of good renditions in her. "Let It Be", "With a Little Help from My Friends", "Blackbird", "Hey, Jude", "Come Together", and "All You Need Is Love" are all very well-done and memorable renditions, distinct from their original recordings. All the actors do a fine job of singing. The film's plot is simple, but relatively easy to follow, especially with its various characters and their storylines. It also has good, high quality production design, with little CGI, making it feel more real than your average musical. Just generally, it was never boring to watch. It always had something interesting to watch, whether it be actually good or bizarrely bad, and I was never bored by the film.

     I talked about the good renditions, but there are some.... weird ones. "Being for the Benefit of Mr.Kite", (with Eddie Izzard as some sort of ringleader), and a mash-up of the titular song and "Helter Skelter" are two examples. The former is competent and true to the spirit, but comes out of nowhere, and is incongruous with the rest of the film. The latter just doesn't work, with the two songs competing for attention. There was also "She's So Heavy", which features military trainers in Max Headroom masks, and "Revolution", where Jude literally points to a Mao portrait when he says a line. Another problem this film has is it feels too much like a cliched late 60's period piece. Like, of course the characters become involved in the counterculture, of course the lead girl becomes anti-war, of course there is a Vietnam subplot, and of course, the anti-war movement grows more radical as times goes on. It feels too cliched in regards to the period, and feels eeriely similar to Forrest Gump (which originated many of these cliches).

     I enjoyed this feature, even if parts of it didn't work for me. It's fun, looks nice, and the songs are well done. Honestly, that's all it needed to be. If you like the Beatles or like the songs of the Beatles, this will very likely appeal to you, especially with all the other little nods and references made throughout the film.

    I hoped you enjoyed this inaugural entry, I don't know when and what the next entry will be, but stay tuned to find out. I also don't know what my next review will be. 

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.