Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Review by Voodoun Romance
It’s one of those questions horror fans frequently encounter; do sequels stand up to their predecessor, or are they simply another lifeless cash-in? Sure, there are loads of examples out there (most arguably falling in the latter category perhaps). But the Friday the 13th sequels are a different kettle of fish as horror legend Jason Voorhees didn’t start stalking would-be camp counselors until the 1981 sequel, and didn’t even don his iconic hockey mask until Friday the 13th Part III. It’s strange that such a well-known villain shouldn’t be established from the get-go, yet had the opportunity to change and grow – or rot, depending your opinion of the later films and their “vision.” We’ve seen him go from handicapped child to feral boy, the unstoppable Myers-like killer to the sci-fi inspired “Uber-Jason” in Jason X. He’s a lucky guy this Jason Voorhees. Few villains get as many incarnations as he does — or sequels for that matter.
Given the tangled mass of back story, and extensive character alterations, it’s really rather strange to travel all the way back to the first sequel. Friday the 13th Part II is the one film which actually feels like it’s connected to the first one. So alike are they in story, tone and location, you’d actually think they’d been shot back-to-back. But where directorial duties had been given to Sean S Cunningham, they’ve now been placed in the hands of Steve Miner, (who then went on to direct Friday the 13th Part III, House and much later, Halloween H20 – review). Given that this is his first feature, Miner proves to be a competent director, capturing the atmosphere of the first film whilst carving out an interesting slasher flick. In an incredibly long pre-credit sequence, Miner has the events of the first film told via flashback, before Jason makes an appearance, scaring previous final girl, Alice with his mother’s decapitated head in a refrigerator. Nice.
Taking place five years after the events of Friday the 13th (review), Camp Crystal Lake is largely forgotten, aside from a few cautious locals. Across the opposite side of the lake, there’s a new band of would-be councilors attending Paul Holt’s (John Furey) training center. With the arrival of on/off girlfriend Ginny (April Fools Day’s Amy Steele), the group finally settles down. But later that night, around a campfire, Paul tells the group about the story of Jason Voorhees. Apparently the locals believe that he didn’t die, but lived amongst the woodland as a feral child, and after seeing his mother decapitated, he’s been hunting down those responsible – or anyone who happens to go into his territory. Some of the group ignore the warnings about Camp Crystal Lake, and wander into the area, not really giving a damn about the stories. Apparently walking into a former murder zone gives one a little bit of a thrill. Who would’ve known? Of course, one by one, the group are dispatched by Jason. Throats are slit, bodies are impaled together in the aftermath of sex, disabled folk are hurled down a flight of stairs. It’s all very 80s slasher, and Mrs Voorhees would be extremely proud.
The characters in this entry are surprisingly likable. Ginny is resourceful, feisty and the only one who initially believes the stories of Jason Voorhees. Paul is her counterpart, rational and brave. He’s a good man to have in a crisis, even if he’s a little bland. Then of course you’ve got the usual generic characters, but they’re embodied with just enough vulnerability and compassion to be more than just mere figures in a body count. The acting is typical of a low-budget slasher flick with the strongest performances coming from the direction of John Furey and Amy Steele – “Paul, there’s someone in this room . . . Paul, there’s someone in this fucking room!!” But, the most important character is Jason himself. He’s dressed like a deranged hillbilly, armed with a pitchfork and a sack over his head. It’s strange to think that this is the unstoppable killer whose image features so prominently in the horror genre. Just watch him as he tries to attack Ginny. It’s amusing to see him stand on a chair, weapon at the ready, only for the chair to break and send him tumbling to the ground. Or when she attacks him with a chainsaw, and he actually winces. He’s a bumbling oaf, and entirely human. There’s a few poignant (and yes, that’s an odd word to use in conjunction with Jason) moments in the film. When Ginny stumbles through the woods, and comes across Jason’s “home,” (which is pretty much an unstable shack) and his shrine to his dearly departed mother, complete with Mrs Voorhees head and grimy old sweater no less. And you’ve got to hand it to Ginny – while Jason is chasing her, she falls into the shrine, and with no way out, she pulls on that grimy old sweater, fooling Jason into thinking that she is his mother. It’s eerie, if a little cheesy. Sack-faced Jason is also rather creepy, and possibly more so than the dead-eyed hockey mask. In this incarnation, you can’t help but feel he’s a bit tragic.
Friday the 13th Part II is a nice little slasher film, and crucial to the Jason mythology. It’s interesting to see an entirely different version of the character, and his origins as a slasher icon. Outdated perhaps, but an enjoyable horror film none the less.
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