From time to time, it’s important to remind viewers of a franchise’s roots.
1980’s Friday The 13th came along at a time when Horror – as a genre – was shifting away from being the province of exclusive territories, and these villains began performing some of their ghastly deeds on what might be called “regular folks.” In the past, characters had to be a scientist or a researcher or a specialist of some arcane mechanics in order to be drawn into circumstances wherein they might become a victim: in this new era, anyone – me, you, your brother, your sister, your uncle, your aunt, your grandfather, etc. – could easily find themselves trapped by a homicidal maniac with – literally – an axe to grind. You no longer had to be a resident of the big city: now, serial killers, carnivorous clowns, and blood-thirsty cannibals could be lurking just around the corner, waiting for you to stumble on their path. Terror came home – far from Transylvania or the dark jungles of the Amazon or even some Egyptian tombs – and everyday people were at risk.
It was a ground-breaking shift, one that Hollywood seismometers probably never anticipated or planned. While there are several reasons why, culturally, this change occurred, the bottom line will always be that transferring these thrills, chills, and spills from those places far, far away and into the geography of accessibility for ‘average Joes’ meant that the vicarious appeal of truly being scared silly would mean wonderful returns – if done properly – at the box office. Now that the mummy was out of Africa and in your backyard, the exhilaration of running for your life was all the more real; and audiences responded in kind, shelling out their shekels for the chance to scream in delight at the haunts unfolding before their very eyes … on the silver screen, of course.
Looking back, film historians credit 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as the most impactful catalyst for this evolution; but I’ve always argued that it wasn’t until 1980’s Friday that the true mainstream both found and rewarded creators Victor Miller and Ron Kurz alongside director Sean S. Cunningham for their hard work in introducing the wider saga of Jason Voorhees into our collective consciousness. Though the truth remains that the seminal, lumbering, machete-wielding, hockey-mask-wearing butcher of Camp Crystal Lake was little seen in the first chapter, he inevitably showed up – and kept returning – for what would become an impressive run of installments, some bloodier (and occasionally less nonsensical) than others. Blood was suddenly big money, and Jason was happily cashing the paychecks.
Still, I’ve always insisted that the longer a franchise lasts the more distant it strays from that original formula – the recipe that made it successful in the first place – in order to achieve a measure of freshness that’ll appease both longtime fans as well as newbies who stumble into the multiplexes. Some of these changes – while commercially understandable – risk violating what came before in the property’s mythology, a development which risks alienating followers who come in with full knowledge of what to expect. And – in this respect – there’s probably been no finer example than the Friday The 13th film series: what began under modest admiration retrogressed into a near-parody of itself, with 1993’s Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday truly jumping the shark unlike anything that had been done in all of filmdom before.
1980’s Friday The 13th came along at a time when Horror – as a genre – was shifting away from being the province of exclusive territories, and these villains began performing some of their ghastly deeds on what might be called “regular folks.” In the past, characters had to be a scientist or a researcher or a specialist of some arcane mechanics in order to be drawn into circumstances wherein they might become a victim: in this new era, anyone – me, you, your brother, your sister, your uncle, your aunt, your grandfather, etc. – could easily find themselves trapped by a homicidal maniac with – literally – an axe to grind. You no longer had to be a resident of the big city: now, serial killers, carnivorous clowns, and blood-thirsty cannibals could be lurking just around the corner, waiting for you to stumble on their path. Terror came home – far from Transylvania or the dark jungles of the Amazon or even some Egyptian tombs – and everyday people were at risk.
It was a ground-breaking shift, one that Hollywood seismometers probably never anticipated or planned. While there are several reasons why, culturally, this change occurred, the bottom line will always be that transferring these thrills, chills, and spills from those places far, far away and into the geography of accessibility for ‘average Joes’ meant that the vicarious appeal of truly being scared silly would mean wonderful returns – if done properly – at the box office. Now that the mummy was out of Africa and in your backyard, the exhilaration of running for your life was all the more real; and audiences responded in kind, shelling out their shekels for the chance to scream in delight at the haunts unfolding before their very eyes … on the silver screen, of course.
Looking back, film historians credit 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as the most impactful catalyst for this evolution; but I’ve always argued that it wasn’t until 1980’s Friday that the true mainstream both found and rewarded creators Victor Miller and Ron Kurz alongside director Sean S. Cunningham for their hard work in introducing the wider saga of Jason Voorhees into our collective consciousness. Though the truth remains that the seminal, lumbering, machete-wielding, hockey-mask-wearing butcher of Camp Crystal Lake was little seen in the first chapter, he inevitably showed up – and kept returning – for what would become an impressive run of installments, some bloodier (and occasionally less nonsensical) than others. Blood was suddenly big money, and Jason was happily cashing the paychecks.
Still, I’ve always insisted that the longer a franchise lasts the more distant it strays from that original formula – the recipe that made it successful in the first place – in order to achieve a measure of freshness that’ll appease both longtime fans as well as newbies who stumble into the multiplexes. Some of these changes – while commercially understandable – risk violating what came before in the property’s mythology, a development which risks alienating followers who come in with full knowledge of what to expect. And – in this respect – there’s probably been no finer example than the Friday The 13th film series: what began under modest admiration retrogressed into a near-parody of itself, with 1993’s Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday truly jumping the shark unlike anything that had been done in all of filmdom before.
Yes, it was a truly spectacular derailment, so much so that as a franchise it’s never quite recovered since.
And here you thought Jason could survive anything!
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“The secret of Jason's evil is revealed. It is up to the last remaining descendant of the Voorhees family to stop Jason before he becomes immortal and unstoppable. This is the final (?) battle to end Jason's reign of terror forever.”
The upside to any sequel in a continuing franchise should always be to give audiences something that they haven’t seen before while also toeing the line with respect to established lore. Anything less should never be tolerated because that insults the integrity of both the experience itself as well as remaining a fan of any intellectual property. While there could be some commercial appeal in stretching boundaries for the sake of doing something different, no one likes showboating just for the purposes of showboating: follow the rules minimally, and this guarantees at the very least a good time will be had by all.
Well …
I’m not entirely sure what producer Sean S. Cunningham thought his team could accomplish with this particular chapter in the continuing saga. Director Adam Marcus’ vision – he’s also credited with scripting the affair alongside Jay Huguely and Dean Lorey – feels more akin to either a low-budget, pay-cable production or even a lukewarm ‘Movie of the Week’ for primetime television. Visually, it’s far too bright and cheery, with even its nighttime scenes having so much light that little is left to the imagination. Whereas a good amount of the action in previous Jason adventures took place in the dead of night (or dark corridors, at least), this one is all sunshine and roses. IMDB.com cites this film as his debut picture, and I’m left wondering if he needed to do a bit of additional research before being handed the reins to such a unique commodity.
And here you thought Jason could survive anything!
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“The secret of Jason's evil is revealed. It is up to the last remaining descendant of the Voorhees family to stop Jason before he becomes immortal and unstoppable. This is the final (?) battle to end Jason's reign of terror forever.”
The upside to any sequel in a continuing franchise should always be to give audiences something that they haven’t seen before while also toeing the line with respect to established lore. Anything less should never be tolerated because that insults the integrity of both the experience itself as well as remaining a fan of any intellectual property. While there could be some commercial appeal in stretching boundaries for the sake of doing something different, no one likes showboating just for the purposes of showboating: follow the rules minimally, and this guarantees at the very least a good time will be had by all.
Well …
I’m not entirely sure what producer Sean S. Cunningham thought his team could accomplish with this particular chapter in the continuing saga. Director Adam Marcus’ vision – he’s also credited with scripting the affair alongside Jay Huguely and Dean Lorey – feels more akin to either a low-budget, pay-cable production or even a lukewarm ‘Movie of the Week’ for primetime television. Visually, it’s far too bright and cheery, with even its nighttime scenes having so much light that little is left to the imagination. Whereas a good amount of the action in previous Jason adventures took place in the dead of night (or dark corridors, at least), this one is all sunshine and roses. IMDB.com cites this film as his debut picture, and I’m left wondering if he needed to do a bit of additional research before being handed the reins to such a unique commodity.
Now, this isn’t to suggest in any way that Marcus was a poor choice. Sometimes, it takes more than a bad cook to ruin a recipe. There’s an awful lot wrong with Jason Goes To Hell that stretches beyond these unimaginative graphics. The script as constructed removes Voorhees from nearly all of the action – he’s bombed to smithereens in the palatable opening sequence only to be kinda/sorta resurrected almost forthwith as a shape-shifting creature not unlike the sluglike alien intelligence from 1987’s underrated The Hidden. Just as that critter body-hopped from one human host to the next, so does the Jason-thing, allowing the vicious presence to continue hacking up anyone and everyone he/she/it comes into contact with across these 87 minutes. While in human form, Jason still had a measure of vulnerability; but, in here, the sky’s the limit … for the most part.
If turning our signature baddie from a physical thing into something a bit more spectral wasn’t enough of a significant departure, then buckle up for what came next: now audiences learn that it’s only a descendant of the rather limited Voorhees bloodline who possesses the supernatural charm to off our murderer once and for all. When and where this mysticism came into being seems to be tied directly to Creighton Duke (played by Steven Williams), a mysterious bounty hunter who never explains anything of where he learned it or why it works so – once more – fans new and old have no choice but to like it or lump it. Clearly, such a secret could’ve shortened the franchise had its many participants (and victims!) known the rules earlier; and that might’ve saved all of us from having to take part in such a forgettable picture so late in Jason’s life.
However, that’s the crux around which Hell never quite works: since Jason really isn’t in it, how could anyone believe that audiences would embrace it?
Like it or not – and dismissing what that fact alone says about us as a people and our flawed hero-worshipping – Voorhees is the property’s antihero. Up until a point in his endless campaigns, he obeyed a method to his madness, killing only those who trespassed on his property or disrespected what he saw as a personal territorial shrine to both his and his mother’s lives. While a good degree of these deaths can be linked directly to those engaging in disreputable behavior (i.e. teenage counselors ignoring campers, instead engaging in bouts of premarital sex, etc.), he rarely killed for killing’s sake. That isn’t quite the case in Hell as this Jason/UnJason winds up trespassing far more here than those who trespass against him, so the story doesn’t even adhere to the franchise’s slimmest requirements. But because it just isn’t Jason doing most of the bloody business, why should we even take an interest?
Though some might suggest I’m really nitpicking here, there truly isn’t even any portrait of Hell, certainly not the one alluded to in the title alone. Jason’s demise at the opening is little more than a plot device which allows others to carry on in his name – which they do – but he insisted dispatched with any definitiveness until the closing scenes … and, even then, we’re not taken to the ultimate Down Under in any way, shape, or form. How are we to rest assured that he’s finally been put out to pasture? Well, the closing scene serves to set up what was originally intended to be the celebrated showdown between Jason and Elm Street’s celebrated Freddy Krueger, a picture that wound up being sidetracked so long that Jason X (2001) actually got fast tracked in the interim. Freddy Vs. Jason followed two years after.
If turning our signature baddie from a physical thing into something a bit more spectral wasn’t enough of a significant departure, then buckle up for what came next: now audiences learn that it’s only a descendant of the rather limited Voorhees bloodline who possesses the supernatural charm to off our murderer once and for all. When and where this mysticism came into being seems to be tied directly to Creighton Duke (played by Steven Williams), a mysterious bounty hunter who never explains anything of where he learned it or why it works so – once more – fans new and old have no choice but to like it or lump it. Clearly, such a secret could’ve shortened the franchise had its many participants (and victims!) known the rules earlier; and that might’ve saved all of us from having to take part in such a forgettable picture so late in Jason’s life.
However, that’s the crux around which Hell never quite works: since Jason really isn’t in it, how could anyone believe that audiences would embrace it?
Like it or not – and dismissing what that fact alone says about us as a people and our flawed hero-worshipping – Voorhees is the property’s antihero. Up until a point in his endless campaigns, he obeyed a method to his madness, killing only those who trespassed on his property or disrespected what he saw as a personal territorial shrine to both his and his mother’s lives. While a good degree of these deaths can be linked directly to those engaging in disreputable behavior (i.e. teenage counselors ignoring campers, instead engaging in bouts of premarital sex, etc.), he rarely killed for killing’s sake. That isn’t quite the case in Hell as this Jason/UnJason winds up trespassing far more here than those who trespass against him, so the story doesn’t even adhere to the franchise’s slimmest requirements. But because it just isn’t Jason doing most of the bloody business, why should we even take an interest?
Though some might suggest I’m really nitpicking here, there truly isn’t even any portrait of Hell, certainly not the one alluded to in the title alone. Jason’s demise at the opening is little more than a plot device which allows others to carry on in his name – which they do – but he insisted dispatched with any definitiveness until the closing scenes … and, even then, we’re not taken to the ultimate Down Under in any way, shape, or form. How are we to rest assured that he’s finally been put out to pasture? Well, the closing scene serves to set up what was originally intended to be the celebrated showdown between Jason and Elm Street’s celebrated Freddy Krueger, a picture that wound up being sidetracked so long that Jason X (2001) actually got fast tracked in the interim. Freddy Vs. Jason followed two years after.
Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993) was produced by New Line Cinema and Sean S. Cunningham Films. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still attest that the provided sights and sounds are exceptional from start to finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is Arrow Films, my friends, and their releases never disappoint. In order to be thorough, I’m doing the copy-and-paste from their press release previously published on Blu-ray.com:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
DISC ONE - THEATRICAL CUT
DISC TWO - UNRATED CUT
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATIONS of both the Theatrical Cut and the Unrated Cut
- Original lossless stereo and DTS-HD 5.1 surround audio on both cuts
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
- Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by JA Kerswell and original production notes
DISC ONE - THEATRICAL CUT
- Introduction to the film by director Adam Marcus
- Faces of Death, a brand-new interview with special make-up effects creator Robert Kurtzman
- Undercover Angel, a brand-new interview with actor Julie Michaels
- Mixing it Up, a brand-new interview with composer Harry Manfredini
- The Gates of Hell, an archival interview with director Adam Marcus
- Jason vs. Terminator, director Adam Marcus on growing up with the Cunninghams
- Über-Jason, an archival interview with Kane Hodder on playing Jason
- Additional TV footage, with optional commentary by director Adam Marcus
- Theatrical trailer and TV spots
- Stills, behind-the-scenes and poster galleries
DISC TWO - UNRATED CUT
- Brand new audio commentary with film historians Michael Felsher and Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton
- Archival audio commentary with director Adam Marcus and author Peter Bracke
- Archival audio commentary with director Adam Marcus and screenwriter Dean Lorey
As you can see, it’s a fabulous collection, a great deal of which has been available previously but having it all together under one roof might make this a must-own for purists at the very least. Also, as I was only provided an industry copy, I cannot attest to the efficacy or quality regarding any inserts, artwork, or booklets.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended … and, even though, only as a curiosity.
Though it’s easy to conclude that Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993) was a creative misfire, it still deserves a bit of praise for being so spectacularly so. Our hero appears sparingly, the killings are unremarkable, and there’s nothing interesting to otherwise fill that void. Voorhees spends so little time in it – in the hulking and oppressive form with which we know him best – that I think audiences didn’t quite know what to make of this chapter, cutting off the picture’s prospects of being anything more than an oddity, at best. Far too much of the film feels like it was assembled on auto-pilot – maybe even feeling like it was scripted by A.I. if that had been a reality those decades back – and there isn’t an original bone in anyone’s body. Diehard fans might see more in it than I did, so forgive me for wanting something that minimally fit within the franchise’s broader tapestry.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Alas … only Mildly Recommended … and, even though, only as a curiosity.
Though it’s easy to conclude that Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993) was a creative misfire, it still deserves a bit of praise for being so spectacularly so. Our hero appears sparingly, the killings are unremarkable, and there’s nothing interesting to otherwise fill that void. Voorhees spends so little time in it – in the hulking and oppressive form with which we know him best – that I think audiences didn’t quite know what to make of this chapter, cutting off the picture’s prospects of being anything more than an oddity, at best. Far too much of the film feels like it was assembled on auto-pilot – maybe even feeling like it was scripted by A.I. if that had been a reality those decades back – and there isn’t an original bone in anyone’s body. Diehard fans might see more in it than I did, so forgive me for wanting something that minimally fit within the franchise’s broader tapestry.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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