Arrow in the Head reviews "Friday the 13th: Part 6: Jason Lives"

Friday the 13th: Part 6
Jason Lives (1986)

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Directed by:	Tom McLoughlin
Starring:	Thom Mathews/Tommy
	Jennifer Cooke/Megan
	David Kagen/Sheriff Garris
	CJ Graham/Jason

RATING

PLOT-CRUNCH:

Jason (Graham) comes back as a zombie and heads back home to Crystal Lake, killing dumb characters on the way. When he finally gets there, he realizes that they changed the name of the grounds to Forest Green and that a group of kids have taken residency on his turf. A peeved Jason dusts off the machete and cleans house, Voorhees style.

THE LOWDOWN:

Wherever the red dot goes…ya bang! – Deputy Rick

Friday the 13th: Part 6 is one of the better Friday sequels on the block with a really good script, better actors than the norm, solid “atmospheric” directing and one hell of a winning sense of humor on its side. The film’s circumstantial yuk-yuks, sight gags (loved the James Bond opening), horror nods and witty dialogue jacked up the “fun” level of this entry to “F*CKING FUN”, making the formula feel “fresh” in the process.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the "slasher stock characters" were nowhere to be seen in this tent. No jock, no virginal heroine and not token slut (there is a tramp but she’s not one of the main teens). Instead, we get a likeable hero (Thom Mathews rules!), a tough-as-nails Sheriff and a sexy, smart final girl who digs sex as much as everybody else. FINALLY! Furthermore, the victims tried to do the right thing in this one; run away! Sure it didn’t make much of a difference, Jason got to them with his own brand of brutal charm anyways but I mucho appreciated the effort. Add to that Jason now being a Zombie which spiced up the game, some gnarly and ambitious set pieces (all about that RV scene), a couple of inspired kills (the body bending bit…ouch!) and some hard pumping Alice Cooper songs and you get a hands down crowd pleaser.

The movie did stumble a few times though. 1) What kind of rich brats have an intimate soiree, late at night in the middle of the woods, with champagne and all in an area known for its death count? Rent a room, jerks!!! 2) The gore factor was low compared to previous entries (damn MPAA) 3) Jason is no longer scary and no matter how sympathetic the leads were I was rooting for him. But I let those minor boo-boos go where I was totally swayed by the film’s “come have a blast with us” demeanor. Jason goes legit! Who knew I’d love it! I’m A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN!

ACTING:

Thom Mathews (Tommy) was the man! He’s the Paul Newman of horror flicks! He gave a strong and engaging performance. Where is he now? Jennifer Cooke (Megan) was one sexy chick and also a strong thespian. She looked great in tight jeans and her chemistry with Mathews was on. David Kagen (Garris) was amazing as the tough cop. He had all the best lines and I adored his bad ass with a heart shtick. Tom Fridley (Cort) very funny "Indian Ritual" monologue made him a champ in my book! CJ Graham (Jason) started what Kane Hodder perfected. Jason had more personality in this one, reacted to things and came across as KILLER TANK on two legs! GOOD SHOW MAN!

GORE:

Sadly the flick held back where many of the kills were mostly suggested as opposed to being graphic. We still get; a ripped out heart, impaling, ripped off arm, triple decapitation, broken bottle in the throat, double impalement, crushed face, knife in the head, ripped off head, dart in the head, crushed head, a dude broken in half (AWESOME), a split open throat and more!

T & A:

The side slut named Nicky (that name again) didn’t show squat…I mean squat!!! A let down. What kind of slut are you? I did dig on the Jennifer Cooke crotch shots though; nice Jeans! The ladies get Thom Mathews’ impeccable hair!

DIRECTING:

McLoughlin (who also scribed this fine flick) injected the picture with mucho Gothic atmosphere, lots of slick shots, some effective slow motion and a tighter than tight pace. Grade A!

SOUNDTRACK:

We get the Ki Ki Ki score and some rocking Alice Cooper tunes…GOOD STUFF!

DVD FEATURES:

A PARAMOUNT STUDIO RELEASE:
Release date: September 25, 2001

MENU: Very basic. A collage of images (a hockey mask, a graveyard and a person screaming) serve as backdrop to the menu. Ho hum.

IMAGE: I appreciate seeing the film in Widescreen anamorphic 1.85:1 ratio but why is the print so grainy? Did Paramount keep the Friday The 13th reels in a dumpster or something? Like the Part 5 DVD, the image looks like a used videotape that's been rented too many times at your local videostore.

SOUND: The Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound this DVD showcases is adequate and supports that "Ki Ki Ki" perfectly. Too bad the image doesn't measure up.

EXTRAS: We get the "theatrical teaser"...that's it! And yes, it's also very grainy. Why aren't I surprised? Can we stop the Friday The 13th DVD bum jobs? Us fans deserve more than a slick DVD cover!

BOTTOM LINE:

It’s obvious that Friday the 13^Th Part 6 was created with love and effort from all involved. Not only does did the flick continue the Jason saga with confidence and class; it also had no problem standing on its own two undead feet. Granted, it wasn’t the blood-fest that were the earlier entries and the fear factor was on the low jive but the top notch production values, the loveable cast, the superior script and the “party” aura of it all made up for that. This is the Friday The 13^th flick I show to people who don’t like Friday The 13^th. It’s more than just a good slasher flick…it’s also a kick ass movie!

BULL'S EYE:

The following scenes were cut by the MPAA to avoid an "X" rating:

Allen's insides were ripped out of his body by Jason. He dragged the guts and heart out; he dropped them on the ground where his heart laid steaming.

The triple decapitation of the 3 paintball players. The first print showed their heads being sliced right off of their shoulders.

The two camp counselors in the car's deaths were also trimmed: The woman speared in the water was cut of excess blood. The man was speared, lifted into the air, and then slid down the spear, leaving his insides on it.

Jason shoved the broken bottle into the caretaker's neck and he falls to the ground as the camera gets a close up of the blood coming out of the bottle.

Cort's death had a little more to it in the first print. After Cort is stabbed in the side of the head, blood begins to shoot out his head.

The wall-to-wall blood cabin originally had a lot more blood and guts in it. There were shots of livers and hearts running down the walls, but it was all thought too graphic to have in the film.

The backbreaking sheriff's scene had more to it. There were more screams, more bone crushing, and his legs began to kick.

A scene at the very end was cut. In it, a red-haired Elias Voorhees walked to his son's grave. Knowing he wasn't in the casket, Elias gives the camera a wicked glare.

Sissy's death was toned down. Originally, you could see her head torn off and dropped.

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