- Directed by Steve Miner
- August 13, 1982
- Based on characters created by Victor Miller and Ron Kurz
A group of teenagers take a trip to a farm near Crystal Lake where the wounded Jason is recuperating before beginning another killing spree.
Friday the 13th Part III came out during the short-term revival of the theatrical 3-D experience. As all trends do, it came and went. Being that they were marketing this in conjunction with that craze so many things are shoved towards the camera. “Lookee here!” Most of the time it is awkwardly done.
It reminded me of kill scenes in older horror movies where the camera would get in tight on a victim with the actor/actress mugging in terror for the camera. It was just always so silly and not terrifying ever. That action turns what should be a slasher film into something closer to comedy. Overall in presentation, it just was not natural.
What’s even funnier is the cheesy disco-tinged opening music. It was co-written by Harry Manfredini and Michael Zager who shared credit for it with a fictional band called Hot Ice which would have been a great band name for the time. For this type of movie it’s not frightening. It has a great beat and is quite the toetapper.
Maybe it’s the bad acting or maybe it’s just the dialogue but nobody is likable in this. Shortly after the opener I was definitely praying for Jason (Richard Brooker) to show up and start killing cast. Perhaps the worst is the fat slob prankster character of Shelly (Larry Zerner) who fit such a typical character of the time one would think Zerner was in more than he really was.
We also have a biker ganger trio that feels like something copied from The Warriors. Shelly knocks their bikes over in true 80s comedy fashion (it happened a lot in my recollection in the same way characters encountered quicksand then) but rather than bring them into a prolonged conflict with Jason, they just slow up his killing of the star victims.
As a film this is perhaps best remembered as the movie where Jason finally got his iconic hockey mask rather than the generic burlap sack he previously sported. We also get a few shots from a distance of Jason without any mask at all. It’s a combination of mild prosthetics and the actor’s own unfortunate appearance. Friday the 13th Part III is also noteworthy for the character of Chris Higgins (Dana Kimmell) who is unable to enjoy intimacy because of childhood trauma derived from an attack by Jason rather than being the movie’s prude.
The kills while not original or comedic do have a satisfying nature for horror fans, but are very soft on the gore. You see blood, but no entrails. The blood is actually mild. I didn’t do an official count, but it does seem like there’s a lot of implements coming through chests which probably has to do with the 3-D.
I know it’s all about people getting killed, but it feels they were really trying hard to find reasons to kill these people. Or maybe they were trying to be imaginative and just couldn’t be that creative.
Beyond that there is not much to talk about. I felt like the story raced by. There was relationship filler to give the characters some meat. As 80s horror goes this was largely empty calories. It was going through the motions rather than legitimately trying. It did the job but that is all.
Friday the 13th Part III scratched my 80s are horror itch. It does the job and then you’ll be ready to move on.
Warren Watched A Movie 