Director Tom McLoughlin’s “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” would take the formulaic franchise – first started in 1980 by Sean S. Cunningham – and turn its antagonist into a true horror movie monster. The film, released in 1986, would reintroduce the theme of the maniacal Jason Vorhees stalking an unwitting group of teenagers, with a twist – this time Jason is brought back to life from the grave, becoming the true undead. “Jason Lives” would also switch Jason actors up again, with C.J. Graham playing the iconic villain. “Jason Lives” would throw the franchise into the true formulaic, but is slightly better than its predecessor, “A New Beginning” or the other sequels to follow.
“Jason Lives” follows a simple motif; and true to horror movie monster form, doesn’t waste a lot of time ‘explaining’ the plausibility of this or that, but simply portrays events that plop us in the middle of them. The film reprises the character of Tommy Jarvis (played by Corey Feldman in “Part 4” and John Shepherd in “Part 5”) and is here played by Thom Matthews. No longer the maladjusted mental patient from “Part 5,” Jarvis seeks to destroy Jason once and for all. However, digging him up in a graveyard with a friend in order to destroy the body, he succeeds only in bringing Jason back to life.
If ever you needed a suspension of disbelief to enjoy a “Friday the 13th” film, this is the one. True, director Tom McLoughlin grounds the film in the same kind of mythos that made the other films in the franchise successful and entertaining – we see lots of stalking, Jason hunting people amidst campsites and thunderclaps, and, or course, a selection of passerbys and one-offs that add nothing more to the film than cannon fodder. McLoughlin also makes a unique if not dangerous choice this time by having Jason stalk a campground of counselors caring for actual children. While he doesn’t play with taboo by having harm befall them such as directors of films like “High Tension” or the abysmal “The Bunnyman Massacre,” it’s an interesting choice for a series that hitherto centered solely on solitary, oversexed teenagers.
Aside from a new campground and a new Jason, “Jason Lives” doesn’t add a lot new to the mix. Of course the campground and the town have adopted a new name, “Forest Green” in an effort to wipe out the memory of Camp Crystal Lake from its memory. The film, of course, introduces a host of people who would be Jason victims. We have the town sheriff, played by David Kagen, as well as his daughter Megan, played by Jennifer Cooke. Other camp counselors, such as the oversexed Cort, as well as three others Nikki, Sissy, and Paula, add to the film’s cast. “Jason Lives” would throw in a few other victims, such as a derelict grave digger and a couple of forest campers after test audiences stated that the film didn’t have enough kills. (Interestingly, “Jason Lives” features no nudity, although there is one sex scene).
True to form, McLouhglin and company bring some unique kills to the film (such as two inside an RV, and ‘one’ involving a trio of paint balling corporate execs) that help to cement the creativeness of the series. Like “Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning” and “Part VII: The New Blood,” “Jason Lives” would unfortunately continue the tradition of trading slow buildups to kills in favor of a plethora of creative and quick deaths. While entertaining, the series loses something along the way without a focus on the iconic “chh chh chh haa haa haa” theme and the original score. Additionally, Jason, now a clear monster, is just an unstoppable force, which takes away some of the authenticity of some of the other installments. Sure, Tommy Jarvis (with the help of the sheriff’s daughter Megan) devises a way to stop Jason; but as we see police officers empty both shotguns and revolvers into Jason with no effect, we see just how unstoppable he truly is.
The film’s special effects – and particularly the makeup, done by Phyllis Temple and Denise Van Arsdale-West – are spot on, and highlight the decaying humanity of Jason well. Scenes such as Jason’s grotesque skin beneath his mask and now tattered shirt show the wear of the previous movies on him, as well as the updated way the filmmakers show his abilities. We now see a Jason that runs, not walks, and one who’s skills include disappearing acts and expert knife throwing.
All in all, “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” is a solid installment. It features scares, interestingly less gore than previous efforts, and a formidable villain in Jason as usual. If you’re a fan of the older, classic “Friday the 13th” films that preceded “Part V,” you may be led astray. But on the whole “Jason Lives” will scare, entertain, and be a fine answer to your horror needs this October.
