Just watched Jason Takes Manhattan for the first time a few weeks ago. What the hell? Do you have any idea how amazing this film could have been? That’s quite a boastful title for a film that takes place mostly on a boat. Don’t get me wrong, the movie still delivers the gore and is even more 80s than the rest of them (a big plus!). The above poster alone gets me excited about this film regardless. Although I might add that the city of New York was far from happy when they saw the poster and had the studio replace them. But even so, the replacement poster still looks amazing.
I guess that is what the Friday The 13th series is all about though. All thriller, no filler. I have to write a paper for American Cinema about a film comparing rural/suburban life to that of the city and the dangers it presents. I considered JTM because I like to pick films on the fringe of the requirements but considering Jason just kills people at Crystal Lake and in New York I really don’t have much of an argument.
I think I like the idea and aesthetic of the Jason movies more than the actual movies themselves. I find it interesting that Jason wasn’t the killer until the second film and didn’t even get his mask until the third. I guess that is the film student side of me studying how a franchise can grow with each film becoming progressively different from the original work. When I was 6 or 7 I had never even seen these films yet knew exactly what a hockey mask and the term “Friday the 13th” meant. Despite what one may say about the integrity of the series that says something.
