Every Friday the 13th fan and Jason Voorhees fanatic knows of this film’s reputation, and the film itself, with countless reviews, therefore I am not going to dwell too long on the story as there’s some other points much more interesting to discover. There’s a bit of a backstory needed to understand how we got to this point of this long standing franchise and Paramount attempted to seal the fate of Jason multiple times the first as many recalled was Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter [1984], which obviously didn’t last long. Therefore, by the end of Part 8, he sent him to New York City with a highly limited body count and dissolving him in a steaming toxic sludge, though for a moment a little boy not looking anything like the real Jason appears. Alas no more Voorhees… it was very clear that the studio lost any control of the storyline and likely respect of/for the fanbase, they delivered an inferior product. Then Paramount sold the rights to Jason, but not for Friday the 13th and hence the primary reason was the owners of New Line Cinema couldn’t continue with the similar titling.
But why, only the character rights to one sole entity? It’s a question many do ask from time to time; one might speculate that Paramount allegedly indirectly knew of some murky grounds concerning the ownership of Victor Miller’s work and wanted to avoid the matter. It could also speculate that Paramount wants to keep control of the titles for future selling of franchise films. These two studios always were interested in a crossover film, since 1987 and wanted the rights to each other’s title characters ‘Freddy’ and ‘Jason’ but no deal was ever solidified at that time.
Therefore, fast forward five years, the landscape of slasher had greatly change, the early nineties for the horror genre struggled for proper footing with a new generation of fans, though there was that long awaited interest in a Freddy vs. Jason movie, which still wasn’t going to happen for another ten years, by then fans would find allegiance to Ghostface thanks Scream [1996].
Therefore, after a slew of ideas and concepts the producers settled on director Adam Marcus who concocted a storyline that Jason was much more, he had the abilities to teleport himself, body switching, and a creature lived within him… (um okay). However, he would initially flesh it further with his story picking up after Friday the 13th, Part VII: The New Blood [1988] with a man digging up Jason’s body back to a lab and removal of his heart consuming it to gain his abilities, that man was Elias. Elias, who was mentioned as his father in this case would have been his never seen nor ever mentioned twin brother. It was rumored that this concept comes from The Hidden [1987] a New Line film, but Marcus denies this by stating that he never saw the film. Nevertheless, producer Sean S. Cunningham considers the film a direct follow-up to Friday the 13th [1980], hence ignoring every other film in the series, this would be considered as rebooting in today’s cinema; as with the Blumhouse Halloween series. However, the twisted tale doesn’t help to start the process, New Line was growing tired of the constant no starts and was preparing in canceling the whole production, when the first screenplay from Jay Huguely was rejected, Sean hired Dean Lorey (My Boyfriend’s Back [1993]) to pen a script in four-days; who pitched the thought of ‘Jason Takes L.A.’ A story that Jason somehow got to Los Angeles and two rival street gangs joined together to fight Jason, thank goodness that wasn’t greenlight since we already the Predator in LA in 1987; a side note the story concept was briefly revisited when deciding about Jason X Sean hired Lewis Abernathy (DeepStar Six [1989]) and Leslie Bohem (A Nightmare on Elm Steet: The Dream Child [1989]) as uncredited rewriters, as Lewis handled the opening sequence and Leslie did a once over polish but requested the credit of Executive Typist.
Hence it was after the formalized original title was announce Friday the 13th, Part IX: The Dark Heart of Jason that New Line Cinema was informed or fully realize the limitations of what they purchased, as it then extended to the inability to use the character Tommy Jarvis. Therefore, Adam, a huge horror film buff at the age of 23 was given the reigns to make his first horror flick, a thrill and challenge; that sadly met with disastrous results and a backlash from the fans, as he figured they wanted less of camp slaughter stories, but in reality it’s exactly what we all crave with ghastly gruesome body count.
It’s only fair that I recap the film with some interesting tidbits the movie starts with woman Elizabeth Marcus FBI (Julie Michaels) strangely visiting a cabin in the woods, echoing numerous horror tropes but clearly the opening sequence was a send up to the previous Friday films, including the fake-out mirror scene. However she flees by scampering, running by picturesque moonlight shot fleeing in terror, leading to a somersault through the woods with a super-glued towel, it never slips or falls off during the entire marathon run; quickly the FBI appears laying waste to a highly mutated Jason with a barrage of bullets of various calibers and final shot severed his head from his body. Voorhees fans wept!
In the distance we hear from a cowboy dressed man “I don’t think so” a quick transition to Coroner (Richard Grant) performing an autopsy notices black ooze seeping from Jason’s heart. He becomes somehow possessed to whoofs down the heart Jason’s spirit transfers into him, (watch the uncut DVD version for the best gore) he becomes Superhuman. On his way out of the facility he eliminates three people one which Kane Hodder (Old 37 [2015]) dressed as a security police officer, (plays Jason in limited screen time.) Enroute to his old stomping grounds of Crystal Lake he doesn’t encounter camp counselors rather a trio of immoral teens, dispatching Alexis quickly and the other two Luke (Michael B. Silver) and Deborah (Michelle Clunie) engage for a full nude lovemaking scene then Coroner Jason uses an old signpost to stab and vertically slaughtering Deb before stabbing Luke.
It’s never good that by the ninth film in a franchise you begin to add in new mythology to what has always been, we learn about Jason’s sister Diana Kimble (Erin Gray (Space Vampire [1980])), his niece Jessica (Kari Keegan) and her baby-girl Stephanie, father by a former boyfriend Steven (John D. LeMay). Jason targets the Voorhees women as they are only ones able to fully kill him according the cowboy, Creighton Duke (Steven Williams (The Fear Chamber [2009])), who never tells how or why he knows this incredible information though reveals it is very strange interview for tabloid show American Case File with Robert Campbell (Steven Culp) who is dating Jessica. Did you get that soap opera drama twisty backstory? Listen for that Duke line that is homage to Jaws [1975], after watching a replay of Robert’s broadcast that strangely features images from the movie we just seen.
Wait… there’s more, as these ‘mere mortal’ bodies wear out Jason body swaps/ jumps and he seems anytime he walks by a mirror his true self appears but why? No reason is ever given, so never mind, however what is important is that the fans didn’t like that others were doing the slashing, knifing and other murders that the real Jason should and needs to express on the screen. Then we get brash diner owner Joey (Rusty Schwimmer) offering Jason burgers ode to his death, while also meeting her husband Shelby (Leslie Jordon (Madhouse [2004]))) and their son Ward (Adam Cranner), it’s a strange family clearly the casting as to find someone similar to the mother and son from Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning [1985]. Also working here is Diane, but of course she is, and there’s Duke.
One of the body swaps which was the oddest, involves Coroner Jason in homosexual eroticism, starts face shaving Officer Josh (Andrew Bloch) for no apparent reason occurring at the Voorhees home, and becomes Officer Jason, I said it gets weirder. You must understand that only a Voorhees can kill him but it’s also that only through a Voorhees can he be reborn. (I suppose his mother was definitely into some old occult worship.) This new rule comes thanks to Duke who plays a game of breaking Steven’s fingers while in prison, though his hands work just fine afterwards. He of course finds the Voorhees house which doesn’t look too bad, shame Jason didn’t know about back in Part 2, rather living that makeshift shake. Alas we see the Necronomicon which is a reference to The Evil Dead [1981] oh take notice of the jungle gym from The Birds [1963] located out front. Soon enough Officer Jason becomes Campbell Jason and Josh’s body turns to melted goo, no reason, however the uncut version is really cool (sorry I can’t make this up, next they will send him to space).
After a lousy slow-motion diner massacre (Thanks Adam) we have bad-ass waitress Vicki (Allison Smith) deliver the film’s title, it’s time to revisit dear ol’ home, where we meet Officer Randy Jason (Kipp Marus, brother to Adam) yep the latest version but soon we have this horrible wrinkling creature emerge which is somehow Jason. (WTF? This makes no sense). It takes Diane’s corpse in the basement and Hello Jason! Soon a multiple light shows occurs, Jason is pulled into hell by several monster hands, his little mask is all that remains that is until Freddy’s razor hand grabs it.
Most fans note an odd line reference from Creighton Duke, asks “…you remember me?” to Jason, it’s inclusions sounds goofy this is because in the script Jason killed his girlfriend and thereby his hunt for killer, but the slaughter was eliminated from the movie, except no one fixed the screenplay before the filming the scene. It was also amazing what film the audience saw in the theaters was the more revisions than shooting days as well as numerous re-shoots, and even a replacement of a director at the very end of filming; and significant MPAA cuts. Let’s explore that next…
One of the significant key rules in filmmaking is for the director and cinematographer to review the ‘dailies’ that which filmed that day to see if they proceeding in the correct path, it was overlooked by Adam, and editor Davi Handman took on the responsibility and noted early on that much of it wasn’t usable footage, and nearing the end of 28-day shoot things began to suffer with only 50-minutes of film to salvage. Then add in a brewing battle between Adam and Kari Keegan who wanted her to do a shower scene in the nude, she refused and stated that clearly to him, but he was rumored to have told crew he could change her mind. A compromise was reached but the water used was scolding hot making for terrible shoot and demoralizing action that required his removal from the director position and Sean to finish the project, as the only way to have Kari return to the film set. At this point Sean filmed 43-minutes of additional footage, at time cutting and cannibalizing the script the night before a shoot, while some scenes were obtained with a creative editing process; especially with Duke’s rules segment, fans noticed the cut in the scene. A secondary problem emerged when Sean insisted Adam use a faster rate of recording scenes to eliminate any delays from actors entering or leaving a scene as they wanted to establish the cue and emotional response this led to audio and runtime issues. (The production was a victim in many ways.) It was once stated that between Adam and Sean their footage tallied over 130-minutes with an enormous portion hitting the floor. Sean stated that the final cut was a thoroughly embarrassing movie (so right). Before Adam’s replacement (unofficial) he stated about creating a prequel that would have followed the character Duke’s first encounter with Jason, but due to the failures on multiple levels that never materialized. Oh, for the horror buffs when Steven tosses the officer out the window we get quick reference back Halloween [1978] of Michael’s imprint of the ground.
While Marcus’ perceived notion that the fans wanted a highly intellectual connection to Jason, or really other possessing his heart’s mystical powers it results in relentless animosity from them as he crossed sacred formulaic lines. The fans voted with their wallets as the movie earned $15-million on a $3-million-dollar budget the second worse entry after Part 8. It wasn’t his only far-fetched misconception and disconnect with the fans, the confusing ‘shaving scene’ was Adam’s attempt to balance the perceived sexist status of previous films and wanted to balance the male and female nudity with the man having a bit more humiliation to counteract the Parts 2 through 8. Most of the fans including myself heavily disagree with this notion, remember never violating the core formula, keep it simple, know the core audience, that’s it. At this stage in the franchise, no need for jump scares or high-level thinking, just deliver the goods, blood and T&A, a popcorn filling horror movie, but this definitely NOT that.
TAGLINES:
- The creator of the first returns to bring you the last
- Evil has finally found a home.
- Jason goes to hell, and he’s NOT coming back!
- Horror, has many faces… death, wears many different masks… but pure evil, wears only one… and this is your final chance, to see it.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107254/
IMDb Rating: 4.1/10
Baron’s Rating: 3.5/10
Follows:
Friday the 13th (1980)
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982)
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988)
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Followed by:
Jason X (2001)