With horror industry heavy hitters already in place from the 1970s, the 1980s built upon that with the rise of brilliant minds in makeup and effects artists, as well as advances in technology. Artists like Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., Tom Savini, Stan Winston, and countless other artists that delivered groundbreaking, mind-blowing practical effects that ushered in the pre-CGI Golden Age of Cinema. Which meant a glorious glut of creatures in horror. More than just a technical marvel, the creatures on display in ‘80s horror meant tangible texture that still holds up decades later. Grotesque slimy skin to brutal transformation sequences, there wasn’t anything the artists couldn’t create. It Came From the ‘80s is a series that will pay homage to the monstrous, deadly, and often slimy creatures that made the ‘80s such a fantastic decade in horror.
It took the eighth entry in the mega-popular Friday the 13th series to take Jason Voorhees out of his beloved slaying ground, Crystal Lake. Granted, Jason wasn’t even in two of those movies, and he technically made his first kill in Alice Hardy’s apartment – outside Camp bounds – in Friday the 13th Part II. Even still, after six films that included the unstoppable killing machine, it became clear that the easiest way to survive would be to simply avoid going near the vicinity of Crystal Lake. So, what if Jason Voorhees hitched a ride out of Crystal Lake and wound up in the most densely populated area possible? Thirty years ago, he did just that when Jason Takes Manhattan released into theaters on July 28, 1989.
After the release of Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, there were three different story ideas for where its sequel could go by the cast and crew. Director John Carl Buechler envisioned a rematch between Tina Shepard (Lar Park Lincoln) and the killer, Lincoln wrote a version that had Tina working as a psychologist for troubled girls, and costar Kevin Spirtas wrote a version where he had been the killer all along. Instead, the execs tapped Friday the 13th: The Series writer Rob Hedden to write and helm the eight entry. Hedden’s first order of business was to get out of Crystal Lake, coming up with two options: Jason on a cruise ship and Jason in New York City. Those options were combined into one story, but it was the lower budget that meant production couldn’t really afford to shoot much in the city and forever skewed Jason’s actual taking of Manhattan. Nevermind that, save for certain scenes and shots, most of Manhattan was really Vancouver in disguise.
In a way, it’s fitting that most of the runtime is spent onboard the SS Lazarus- it probably took the crew a while to figure out how to transport the passengers from a lake to New York City via boat anyhow. And it gave plenty of time for Jason Voorhees to find new ways to slaughter everyone on board. Unfortunately, the MPAA was still not a fan of Voorhees’ work, and any gore was pretty much cut out entirely. Which makes Jason Take Manhattan the least bloody (and tamest R-rating) of the bunch. Good thing Kane Hodder reprised his role of the horror icon.
The series has tweaked and changed Jason’s appearance a lot over the years, from hockey masks to clothes, but the biggest change in this sequel was to the face underneath the mask. Handled by special makeup effects creator Jamie Brown (Superman), it was Hedden who decided to add toxic waste to the mix. In the climactic showdown between final girl Rennie (Jensen Daggett) and Jason in the sewers, she throws toxic waste in his face, melting some of the mask and the rotted flesh beneath. It was specifically designed to have the chemicals react with the makeup to give that bubbly, melty effect. Jason was also consistently coated in slimy to give that waterlogged, melted aesthetic, too. Yet, none of it was as cool as his rotted face from The New Blood.
The standout kill of the entire film, of course, is the decapitation of Julius Gaw (V.C. Dupree). Once the remaining survivors make it to land in the third act, Julius challenges Jason to a boxing match on a rooftop. He wears himself out as the undead killer takes punch after punch (Dupree really did let loose on Hodder), and Jason knocks his head off in one swing. Three dummy heads were constructed for various tasks- closeups, flying through the air, etc. If you think this death is goofy, well, it could’ve been much cheesier. Hedden wanted this boxing match to be set inside Madison Square Garden.
Jason Takes Manhattan was heavily marketed around the icon being in New York City. From trailers to artwork that had him slashing through “I Love New York” logos (that stirred up its own controversy), the expectation that this would feature an urban set slasher led to utter deflation at the truth. This, paired with the film’s release in close proximity to A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, meant Jason Takes Manhattan was one of the summer’s biggest disappointments. Between the MPAA’s overzealousness against gore, the budgetary limitations, the lack of Jason’s ability to take anything except a long boat ride to the sewers of New York City (Vancouver), and the marketing woes that followed, his boxing match with Julius seems representative of the film as a whole. Poor Jason really took a beating, ultimately. 30 years removed; Jason Takes Manhattan is a maligned sequel that also demonstrates the “anything goes” spirit of the decade. At least it opened the door for Jason to venture into space and nightmares over a decade later.
