FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)
Starring Erich Anderson and Judie Aronson
Improvement over the last two in the series, this "final chapter" pits Jason against a young Corey Feldman. We're also treated to an early performance by Crispin Glover, who plays a geek who can't get laid. Director Zito previously helmed the bloody "Prowler," also with Tom Savini on make-up duties.
This film sticks to formula, picking up immediately after the events of Part 3. The still-breathing Jason escapes from a morgue and hits the Crystal Lake woods looking for more victims. A family has just moved out there, and a group of teens are partying in a house nearby. It doesn't take a PhD in criminal psychology to figure out what happens next.
Make-up
legend and Friday Part 1 veteran Savini was recruited by Zito to once again
create the gore effects and you can definitely see an improvement in the
slice-and-dice department. Jason's killing at the end of the film was
particularly gruesome. But, like all of the films in the series after Part 1,
the gore does seem a bit toned down. After the brouhaha over slasher films in
the early 1980s, the MPAA was very reluctant to let these films get away with
anything without an NC-17.
We finally get what is supposedly our first real look at the infamous Jason -- without his mask. Previous incarnations of the mongoloid were all basically dream sequences. This time we get a close-up of the deformed monstrosity, and Savini's creation is outstanding.
Despite
the fact that this was planned as the "final chapter" in the series,
it was inevitable that more films follow, the next being "Friday
the 13th Part V: A New Beginning." By
2002, "Jason X" was being released. Part 4 was a pretty solid effort
in the whole franchise, and they started going downhill from here (although Part
6 would be awfully good). There was even a "Friday the 13th" TV
series, without Jason.
Return to Homepage