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TWO FROM ‘FRIDAY’ FRANCHISE
JASON GOES TO HELL (1993) and JASON X (2001)
Both 3 stars
Arrow Video. Available as separate 4K UHD
I guess when you reach number 9 in an ongoing series, you may have run out of ideas and start exploring odd storylines to keep things fresh and interesting.
Such is the case with JASON GOES TO HELL, which is coming out in a spanking 4K release which includes both the theatrical and uncut versions. This was the first of the Friday the 13th franchise under the aegis of New Line and they brought back original producer Sean S. Cunningham. Kane Hodder was also returning under the hockey mask – though to be honest he doesn’t have a lot to do. Why? Because the script by Dean Lorey and Jay Huguely (based on a story by the latter and director Adam Marcus) proceeded to effectively jettison Jason in the opening sequence!
This was also known as JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY – which it clearly wasn’t.
The film opens in typical fashion, at Crystal Lake, with our killer stalking a young woman – except she is an FBI agent and armed teams move in and blow Jason into chunks! The remains are shipped off to the morgue, where the coroner (Richard Gant) chomps down on the still beating heart and is promptly possessed by the spirit, and killer instinct, of Jason. He is soon picking off some teens, who make the mistake of visiting the infamous lake. Wouldn’t you know it, the spirit can jump from person to person to continue the killing spree.
Bounty hunter Creighton Duke (Steven Williams) is the only person who knows how to put an end to the reign of terror and it involves Jason’s sister Diana (Wilma Deering herself, Erin Gray), her daughter Jessica (Kari Keegan) and even her grandchild – as “only a Vorhees can kill a Vorhees”. Seems perfectly reasonable.
This is a ridiculous entry in the long running saga – Jason is hardly featured, which kind of negates the point of it existing, plus the supernatural slant kind of undercuts all that has gone before. Quite what the filmmakers were thinking is beyond me… I guess they were bored of the formula and wanted to try something new. Slight spoiler, the ending hints at a match up that didn’t occur until 2003.
Before that sequel we had JASON X, which again tries to put new spin on the slasher adding in a science fiction angle! Grasping at straws to make something different, Todd Farmer’s script blasts Jason off into space.
He has been put into a cryogenic state so scientists can do research on the hulking horror. When he breaks free (and kills Dr. Wimmer, played by director David Cronenberg, in a cameo appearance), lead scientist Rowan LaFontaine (Lexa Doig) manages to lure him into a cryopod, but unfortunately for her they both end up frozen.
Spin forward to the year 2455 and Earth is now a polluted, uninhabitable mess. A crew are visiting from Earth II and pick up both Rowan and Jason and take them aboard their spaceship, which you know is a big, deadly mistake. They thaw out the scientist from the past and assume that Jason, who they have no idea is a homicidal maniac, is well and trulydead. Of course it isn’t long before he is up and about and doing what he does best…
This might well be even more preposterous than the previous movie, though at least in this outing Kane Hodder has more to do as the hockey masked murderer and it does follow the pattern of slaughtering as many people as possible. He even gets a futuristic, nano driven upgrade.
There is some fun to be had with both these movies – just don’t expect the normal run of this cycle of stories. Jason continues to be of interest to fans, as witness the recent social media postings about Makeup Effects Designer Greg Nicotero’s new take on the long running killer as part of what is being dubbed ‘Jason Universe’… because every franchise these days has to have an over arching “world” to exist in. Apparently…
JASON GOES TO HELL EXTRAS
Theatrical and Uncut edit of the film
Introduction to the film by director Adam Marcus
Interviews with special make-up effects creator Robert Kurtzman; actor Julie Michaels; composer Harry Manfredini; director Adam Marcus; Kane Hodder on playing Jason
Jason vs. Terminator, director Adam Marcus on growing up with the Cunninghams
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
On the unrated cut you get audio commentaries with film historians Michael Felsher and Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton/with director Adam Marcus and author Peter Bracke/ audio commentary with director Adam Marcus and screenwriter Dean Lorey
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin/a double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by JA Kerswell and original production notes
JASON X EXTRAS
Introduction to the film by actor Kane Hodder
Audio commentaries with film historians Michael Felsher and Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton/archival with writer Todd Farmer and author Peter Bracke/archival with director Jim Isaac, writer Todd Farmer and producer Noel Cunningham
Interviews with composer Harry Manfredini; writer Todd Farmer; actor Kristi Angus; Sean S. Cunningham on Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X
The Making of Jason X, an archival documentary on the making of the film featuring interviews with producers Noel Cunningham and Sean S. Cunningham, actor Kane Hodder and writer Todd Farmer
The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees, an archival documentary on the history of the character
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of Jason X, archival making-of documentary
Plus Cast and crew interviews/Behind-the-scenes footage/Electronic Press Kit/Theatrical trailers and TV spots/Stills, behind-the-scenes and poster galleries
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin, a double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Matt Donato and JA Kerswell
