Movies
13 Days of F13: Day Six – Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning
Of the original Paramount series, fans are perhaps most divided on Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning. Some hate the fact that it’s not a real Jason (with blue stripes on the mask!), others embrace its sleazy “grindhouse” tone and excessive kills (23 total – a high that wouldn’t be topped until Jason Goes To Hell). What side does BC fall on? Keep reading to find out, and keep it here for all your F13 needs as we continue our 13 Days of F13 coverage.
For a horror fan, there is no escaping Jason Voorhees or Friday the 13th. Even if you have never seen a single movie (for shame!), you know who he is, what he does, and what he looks like. But that’s from my perspective. I grew up in the 80s, played the video game on a system known simply as Nintendo (now referred to as “The 8 Bit”), and suffered the indignity of that comic where he fought a talking Leatherface.
But what about those who grew up in the Jason-starved 90s? The only Jason films they might remember in theaters are the ones where he fights Freddy or goes off into space. The remake may be their first real introduction to the hockey masked behemoth that stalks teenagers at a place known as Crystal Lake. So for them, Bloody Disgusting and Horror Movie A Day would like to present this retrospective series: 13 Days Of Jason. Each day leading up to the remake’s theatrical release, BC will be showcasing one of the original films, with trivia, factoids, thoughts, and his own full blown review.
Bloody will also be presenting a few other articles that highlight some of the series’ traditions, such as the lovesick nerd character and Jason’s habit of using unique weapons. Because even if you don’t agree with BC’s assessment of each film, there’s one thing we can all agree on: Jason fucking rules.
AKA: “The one that’s not really Jason”
RELEASE: March 22, 1985 (1,759 theaters)
GROSS: $21,930,418
PLOT: After killing Jason in Final Chapter, Tommy Jarvis is now mute, a bit crazy, and looking completely different as he is placed in the most remote halfway house of all time. Shortly after his arrival, some very Jason-esque murders begin to occur. Could it be Tommy? Or has Jason returned? Or is it Roy the ambulance driver, who awkwardly shoehorns himself into a scene halfway through so audiences will remember him by the time the ending comes around?
THOUGHTS: It may lack a real Jason, but it makes up for it in kills (most out of the first 7 films) and an unabashedly sleazy attitude courtesy of Savage Streets director Danny Steinmann. Not to mention the best line of dialogue in movie history: “I know this is hard for all of you… so let’s just have breakfast.” If there was ever a “grindhouse” Jason movie, it’s this one.
(Read BC’s full review at Horror Movie A Day)
BEST KILL: This one has got a lot of memorable murders, but my favorite is still the guy driving his motorcycle around in circles for like 20 minutes, before pseudo Jason casually steps out and swings a cleaver in just the right place to decapitate the guy. It’s also the first decapitation in the series since Mrs. Voorhees.
MOST “HUH?” MOMENT: Near the end of the movie, a cop produces a news clipping about Jason… and Jason is in an action pose. Who the hell took that photo? Also if you look closely (higher-res available at Horror Movie A Day), the article has nothing to do with Jason whatsoever.
(Special thanks to Jerkofwonder for pointing out an error in the original article)
FUTURE STARS: Miguel A. Nunez, Jr, aka Juwanna Man, appears as Demon, an enchilada enthusiast who apparently lives in a van.
TRIVIA: Though only credited as Roy’s stunt double, Tom Morga actually played Jason throughout most of the movie. He also played Michael Myers (again, without proper credit) in many scenes during Halloween 4, making him the only actor to play both of these mute murderer icons.
Check back tomorrow for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives!
Click here to keep up with all of our 13 Days of Friday the 13th coverage!
The found footage movie Hunting Matthew Nichols was independently self-released in theaters back in April, the film scaring up a solid $710,532 in around 1,000 theaters across the country. We don’t yet have an at-home release date for the film, but a sequel is in the works.
Deadline reports that director Markian Tarasiuk has signed with Anonymous Content for representation in the wake of the film’s theatrical release, and it’s within this report that Deadline makes mention of a sequel. Deadline notes, “Tarasiuk is currently developing a sequel to the hit indie title as he continues to build toward larger-scale commercial studio filmmaking.”
Hunting Matthew Nichols was made on a budget of just $275,000, and the film’s low budget and self distribution strategy allowed for it to become profitable in theaters.
Markian Tarasiuk makes his directorial debut on the Canadian indie found footage film. He also stars alongside Miranda MacDougall and Ryan Alexander McDonald.
“On Halloween 2001, Matthew Nichols and Jordan Reimer went into the forests of northern Vancouver Island near Port Rupert with a VHS camcorder — and vanished without a trace. Their camera was later recovered, but the boys were never found. Two decades later, Matthew’s sister, Tara, has hired a film crew to document her search for answers.”
“A sneaky, simmering take on the true crime folk horror genre that boils over and becomes truly unnerving,” Steven Soderbergh (Contagion, Ocean’s Eleven) had praised.
Stay tuned for at-home release information for Hunting Matthew Nichols.
Luiz H.C. wrote in his review for Bloody Disgusting, “I’d recommend this indie gem to fans of slow-burning supernatural terror everywhere – as well as true crime enthusiasts who wish that missing persons cases could come with a side of paranormal frights.”
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