FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986)
The dog days of summer are upon us, and for moviegoers, the month of August is usually a time when studios would and still dump lesser-known films but especially horror films. August 1 marked the 36th anniversary of one of the best horror sequels of all time: FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986). To many people, “Part 6” sounds excessive and tiresome, but JASON LIVES is somewhat of an anomaly in cinema history. It’s arguably the best of the entire franchise.
For many common moviegoers and fans, the Friday The 13th franchise had run its course with the fourth installment, THE FINAL CHAPTER, in which Jason Voorhees is “finally” killed. The fifth installment, FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING, tried to take the franchise in a new direction, but was not as successful as its predecessors (personally, A NEW BEGINNING is my least favorite). Writer and director Tom McLoughlin’s take on Jason Voorhees and the franchise as a whole are fresh, exciting, memorable, and still respectful to the lore of our favorite hockey-masked slasher.
The premise is simple and sticks close to the continuity of the saga. Tommy Jarvis (now played by Thom Matthews), digs up the grave of Jason with the intent to cremate him and bring closure to his trauma. Tommy Jarvis had survived Jason’s attack in THE FINAL CHAPTER and the events of A NEW BEGINNING (the film retcons the ending of A NEW BEGINNING). Instead of destroying Jason once and for all, lightning inexplicably hits Jason’s corpse which brings him back to life in a very Frankenstein-like style. Not plausible of course, but still fun to watch. Tommy must now warn the new inhabitants of Crystal Lake, now renamed Forest Green, before it’s too late.
The sixth entry of an ‘80s slasher flick may not be something you want to stream to end your summer, but hear me out. Here are a few reasons why you need to give JASON LIVES a chance if you haven’t seen it or revisit it if it’s been a while since you took a trip to Crystal Lake.
Rewatchable: Over the years this has been my go-to Friday The 13th film. When it’s on TV I have to start watching it. Many fans would argue THE FINAL CHAPTER is the quintessential Jason movie, and it does come close.
JASON LIVES may not be the bloodiest or most violent installment, maybe not even the scariest, but the film’s pace and story make it easy to watch. At an 87-minute run time, the pace of the film is almost perfect without getting boring or too convoluted.
Many of the characters are likable where you want them to survive. A problem later installments would have.
Also in this installment, the camp counselors have to protect and save children which is a first for the franchise. It adds even more suspense than just teenagers partying like previous entries. Also for a slasher flick, there is great cinematography that captures somewhat of an old-school gothic atmosphere you don’t usually get with a slasher. I wouldn’t usually recommend a Friday The 13th movie as a family viewing but if you have older children, JASON LIVES is great gateway horror. No nudity and explicit drug use are needed in this installment to make it a fun watch. (There is one awkward sex scene that is good for a laugh.)
Meta humor: Depending on the subject matter of a horror film, when done right humor and horror can blend perfectly. SCREAM (1996) is the perfect example. When you get to the sixth installment of a franchise your audience is already used to a lot of the same tropes, similar to what SCREAM did to slashers in the ‘90s it turns typical horror tropes into comedic and ironic effects. JASON LIVES predates SCREAM with some great meta-humor quotes and visuals. At one point a character says when encountering Jason, “I’ve seen enough horror movies to know any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly.” Another character at one point looks directly at the camera to say, “some folks sure got a strange idea of entertainment.”
Even in the opening titles, there is a James Bond-like intro which is something you must see to believe. Jason is of course the villain in this story, but most importantly he’s officially the star now. The humor makes the movie a little more palatable to mainstream audiences, and one might argue the meta humor makes fun of Jason but there are still plenty of scares as well.
Music: Harry Manfredini’s score is present again and just as good as in previous installments. Along with Jason, he is one of the mainstays of the franchise. What stands out in this installment is rock music. We get a great combination of the classic Friday The 13th orchestral themes and ‘80s heavy metal.
The film most notably has three songs by iconic shock rocker Alice Cooper. During one of the most memorable kills in the film, “Teenage Frankenstein” is used perfectly while Cooper’s “Hard Rock Summer” is also featured in a great car chase sequence. The end credits include arguably the JASON LIVES’ theme song Alice Cooper’s “He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask).” This song further establishes what the filmmakers really want to confirm to fans is that Jason is back and not going anywhere anytime soon.
JASON LIVES is the perfect movie to cozy up on the couch, grab a bowl of microwave popcorn, and turn your mind off. It’s nostalgic, funny, suspenseful, and great to look at it on your flat-screen TV. Even if you are not a fan of slasher films or find some horror movies too gory or gratuitous JASON LIVES delivers what most people want from a scary movie-laughs, scared but horrified, and of course, being entertained.
You can currently stream FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART VI: JASON LIVES on Paramount+.
