Friday The 13th Part II
(1981)
USA
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Summary: The filmmakers of Friday the 13th Part 2 (a good, solid sequel to the 1980 horror hit) have in no way attempted to tackle the discrepancies that exist in the entire Jason Vorhees mythology; indeed, the discrepencies that they themselves have idly engineered. For example, if Jason Vorhees did actually drown as a young boy, sending his mother on the murderous spree that makes up the story of the first film, then how has he come to be living in the woods of Camp Crystal as a deformed maniac? Did his mother bury him all those years ago? Is he a ghost? And why the chip on the shoulder? That said, if you're expecting narrative coherence, then the slasher genre isn't always the best place to be looking. Because if judicial sentences were handed out for cinematic incompetence, then most of those responsible for the Friday the 13th movies would probably each be doing a life stretch without the possibility of parole. Friday the 13th 1 was an overrated film, mentioned for some reason in the same breath as John Carpenter's genuinely classic Halloween but displaying none of the cinematic intelligence that made Carpenter's groundbreaker such satisfying movie-going. But it should be said that, although artistically inferior, Part 1 does match Halloween in terms of influence. The premise of the Friday the 13th franchise struck a cord with cinema goers and filmmakers back then in the early eighties, and now the North American woodlands and wooden summer-camp cabins will long be synonymous with a certain kind of cinematic bloodletting. To summarise, what Part 1's creators did do successfully was to build the foundations of a legend around a very iconic part of the American landscape. Though not as substantial an achievement as Halloween, the Friday the 13th films are decent, saturday night entertainment. The acting and writing are often clumsy, the sexual politics apparently dubious, and the directors rarely rise above the bog-standard, but many cult movie lovers have retained a certain affection for these low-budget movies and their knock-about charm. Part 2 is one of the stronger sequels, director Steve Miner demonstrating his skill at pacing and suspense, as well as a desire to invest more time in character development. The bunch of unwitting teens are also more sympathetic then their equivalents from the other instalments. Plotwise these films have always been weak and the screenplays banal, and Part 2 is no exception, but it will hardly matter, because once the lights are dimmed and the curtains drawn and you have locked and bolted the windows, and you've surrounded yourself with coca-cola and tortillo dips, then you are in for a certain thrill-ride. There are moments at the end of the film that are quite unnerving. The DVD is a decent enough transfer but a lack of extras is a real shame. It would be nice for the creators to have looked up some of the film's young teen protagonists and found out what became of them. But nevermind. As for my four out of five stars, well, one of them was born out of nostalgia. At under £7, this along with the others, will always be a recommended purchase. Enjoy. |
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