An idyllic summer
turns into a nightmare of unspeakable terror for yet another group of naive
counselors. Ignoring Camp Crystal Lake's bloody legacy, one by one
they fall victim to the maniacal Jason who stalks them at every turn...
"Friday the 13th, Part 3" will
have you frozen with fear, as Jason finds his way into your living room!
"Is that all you're gonna do this weekend? Smoke dope?"
- Shelly |
You would think that by now Camp Crystal Lake would have forever been shuttered
for vacationers worldwide, and that there would have been an FBI task force
all throughout the camp's grounds in search of the killer causing all these
deaths, but not here. Logical sense is nowhere to be found here, for here
is where the series begins to go downhill in deliberation that it was once
one to have initially been taken seriously. (Serious enough, anyway.) The
undistinguishing nature of Jason's victims permits consistency to fall
by the wayside, thereby indicating the film's status as little more than
a senseless thrill-machine.
Obviously, it isn't really going to appeal to
those outside of the genre. But to those who like things to be shockingly
repellent, there are some really intense death sequences here, such as
the one where Andy, a sex-crazed teenager who has just impregnated his
girlfriend not too long ago, his body is split in half lengthwise while
walking on his hands. And then there's Rick, the leading character's wannabe
manly but rather wimpy-looking boyfriend, whose eyeballs actually pop out
of their sockets immediately after his head is crushed by Jason's awesome
force.
Despite of what little subplot there was (something that is easily noticed
from what little synopsis there was describing the film in the back of
the case), what little intelligence there was put into the script and what
little effort there was put into the performances, for the majority of
it was ever so laughable (hell, maybe these actors were really trying they
were that bad, but for all I know they could've been bums freshly picked
out of the streets), it is one that manages to be both fun in nature and
mean-spirited. It's an interesting little scare-fest that not only grossed
out a greater audience when it was released in theaters than the last two
for the usage of three-dimensional graphics, but somehow stood as my fondest.
Perhaps because this is the one where Jason departs from that ludicrous-looking
bag of his which rather looked like some giant old sock with a hole that
permitted him to see through one eye, and dons the infamous hockey mask,
which, being a highly significant factor, presented a strong visual imagery
of him, as the director had when he first introduced Jason as a child in
present time at the end of the original. Also, perhaps because it's more
conceptive with regards to the creative events and for the fact that acclaimed
director Steve Miner injects it with a lot more atmosphere and tension.
(I completely admire his cunning style of filmmaking toward depictions
of menacing lurking presence that could merely be from whom else but his
favorite creation? I love the way he crafts it all together. He really
knows how to pull us into the screen.)
Although the characters in the films aren't always that appealing for the
individuals in whom they are in general, these "wild bunch", as they were
known to be, that were featured in this one were quite hysterical and classical.
You, in fact, almost don't want to see them getting hacked apart, for the
filmmakers manage to have us sympathize for a number of them; some of whom
struggle with their self-image, while others strive to move on with their
lives and not let the past hinder with them-dark times that have since
haunted them.
As a film which thinks it departs from provoking laughter, it fails. No
doubt about it. But as a Friday the 13th film, it's purely and simply
well-crafted from beginning-to-end; it's a perfect depiction of a summer
camp trip gone wrong, for the campers, as day grew weary and the meteorological
conditions, including temperature, precipitation and wind, prevailed, ultimately
find themselves trapped in a campground where they are rendered helpless
and have no choice but to witness what becomes of those who fall victim
to their stalker's rampage, until there was only one left who had to face
all this horror on hers (or his) own. As the film tightened to its climax
and the lone survivor was left alone with what has created havoc of her
(or his) life, I was completely frozen with fear, and still, regardless
of how many times I watch the film-for I have well over twenty-remain to
be as I begin to perceive of the film's gradual change of climate and signs
that the trip isn't the serene one it is made out to be, for they never
are. Are they?
 |  | 
 | 
- Debbie
picks up a copy of "Fangoria" and turns to an article about Tom Savini,
the man responsible for all the gore in some of the "Friday the 13th"
films.
- Not
including the scenes from "Part 2," this is the only "Friday
the 13th" film which none of the characters actually say the name "Jason."
- This
was the first of the Friday the 13th films to use the hockey mask,
which has been in every sequel since.
- Before the 3-D version begins, a notice tells viewers that the
first few minutes will not be in 3-D, but to wear the glasses anyhow. This
2-D segment is the climactic moments from part 2, which begin the story
of part 3.
- Larry Zerner was cast as Shelly in this movie when the producers
spotted him handing out fliers for a horror movie and asked him if he'd
want to star in one himself.
- The Royal Independent movie theatre in Toronto, Canada
owns one of the few copies of the movie which is still in its original
3-D format. They screen the film once a year.
- Director,
Steve Miner, can be seen doing a cameo as a newscaster.
- Able (the old man) is much like Crazy Ralph from the first two
films.
- Dana Kimmell frequently asked Frank Mancuso Jr. to remove some
of the gore and nudity that the original script included.
- Several
scenes in this film are identical or are like the scenes from the first Friday
the 13th:
Debbie sees drops of blood falling from above she looks up and a knife
goes through her throat. This scene is much like Kevin Bacon's scene in
the first film.
After Chris thinks she had killed Jason she goes to sleep in a canoe on
the lake much like Alice did in the first film.
When Chris awakes from the canoe Mrs. Voorhees comes out of the water and
drags her under much like what Jason did to Alice in Part 1.
- Richard Brooker was chosen as Jason simply because Steve Miner
needed a big man for the role.
     
|
