Slasher films and horror buffs go hand in hand. And while franchises like “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th” would get somewhat goofy toward the end of their run, early films would house some legitimate scares and bone-chilling moments. “Friday the 13th Part III,” released in 1982, was always one of my favorites, though the film doesn’t even take place in the franchise’s notorious backdrop, Camp Crystal Lake. However, the film features a unique setting for its happenings, and, in iconic fashion, one of the most defining moments of Jason Vorhees in the process.
“Friday the 13th Part III” assembles a host of characters, and, frankly shies away from the inclusion of stereotypes like ‘the jock’ or ‘the hated character’ in the process. There’s of course Shelly (Larry Zerner), a pariah of a teenager who has an affinity for horror props, his friend, popular Andy (Jeffery Rogers), and their friend Chris (Dana Kimmell), who has something of a buried past with the cabin near Camp Crystal Lake where they are going to spend the weekend. And, while nowhere near as revered as the first film, “Part III” has a creepy and forlorn sequence toward the beginning as the group, heading to the cabin, passes a crime scene taped off where a shop owner and his wife have been murdered by the maniacal Jason.
What “Part III” does well is build a semi-believable backstory to its main character, and even most of the minor characters aren’t complete throw-a-ways. For instance, Chris is a strong female lead, and recounts how she fought off a madman in her youth after she ran away from her father, setting the stage for a confrontation with Jason that shows her character coming full circle.
And then there’s the inclusion of a group of bikers, who, while seeking revenge on the group for a mostly imagined slight, have believable reactions and even act good-natured when Jason’s presence at the farmhouse cabin becomes known. While today’s films usually insert characters devoid of morals or purpose who are meant to serve as crowd-pleasing deaths onscreen, “Part III” belongs to a now ancient order where characters actually had depth, and scares and suspense where prioritized above blood and guts spilling everywhere.
The film does two things right. First, it casts Richard Brooker, an unknown actor, to play the role of Jason, and he instills a creepy yet human-like quality to the masked killer. Best seen as he stalks the group around the enormous barn that serves as the film’s centerpiece, or when he takes part in the franchise’s defining moment where he acquires the hockey mask that would forever become Jason’s signature.
Secondly, the film employs Gerald Feil (“He Knows You’re Alone”) as cinematographer, who casts an eerie pallor over the film that was missing from parts 1 and 2. The autumnal backdrop that serves as the farmhouse is unique and a needed departure from the franchise’s lakeside go-to, and he employs other tactics to up the ante. For instance, in the film’s creepiest and most desperate sequence, one of the film’s female characters wanders through the house, aware that something is off, to the tune of shutters clamoring, a fireplace crackling, and the wind howling.
Feil also uses low cameras pointing up lonely stairs, or fixed shots down silent hallways, giving the impression of Jason’s evil presence even when he is not on screen. And, of course, the keystone scene where Jason reveals himself and his hockey mask is the best scene in the entire film, and, under Feil’s hand, manages to be wholly terrifying.
“Friday the 13th Part III” is, of course, not without fault, as it ends in a very stereotypical fashion, and follows to a T the lone character left standing motif. Like most horror films, it’s also completely evident that the film is supposed to set up yet another sequel, which certainly limits it from having a unique ending. However, given it was released in 1982, long before slasher films became stereotypical, it’s a forgivable slight. Director Steve Miner (Friday the 13th Part 2,” “Halloween: H20”) ups the ante on scares, and makes Jason mean and horrifying, not merely comical. While undersold in lieu of the “Friday the 13th’s” more notorious films and moments, “Friday the 13th Part III” is uniquely terrifying and, honestly, one of the franchise’s best. If you haven’t seen it, give it a try this Halloween. Lights off, of course.
Horror factoid: “Friday the 13th Part III” was originally released in the theater in 1982 in 3D.
– by Mark Ziobro
