Now it’s funny to remember that stretch when every classic horror movie got remade. We should be happy it inspired franchises like Halloween and Texas Chainsaw to reject the remakes and return to the original continuity.
This is still the most recent Friday the 13th though. Jared Padalecki finished 15 seasons of Supernatural and 4 of Walker since!
This was one of the good ones too. It honored the franchise traditions of creative kills and playfully gratuitous nudity, but with a bit more of a plot and a more nuanced Jason.
The night photography in this is really exemplary. There are plenty of dark campground scenes, plus the cave system under Jason’s house. When Jason appears behind someone in the dark, it really works.
But the big studio trappings mean the topless waterskiing scene looks golden too.
The film utilizes surround sound during chases as doors and hatches slam shut as victims run from Jason. Jump scares seem to mostly come from the front. There is some fire and definitely rain ambiance at the end.
A 30 minute interview with director Marcus Nispel shows his sophisticated approach, but also that he appreciates “boobies” and “ca ca poo poo.”
37 minutes with writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon ultimately reveal their sequel plans including a series favorite character. Spoiler alert, it was the only survivor of multiple sequels besides Jason.
For 23 minutes Daniel Pearl discusses theory and practice.
Matt Donato’s video essay explains and defends the history of horror remakes. He analyzes the movie combining Friday the 13th 1 – IV though he makes the assumption Swift and Shannon complain about, that Jason built the tunnels. He didn’t. They say it was a mining town. He just used the old mines.
In a new critic commentary on the unrated cut, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson have a perspective on the early ‘00s reboots specifically, and also their transition to the Paranormal Activity/Insidious mold. They also have a sophisticated take on the themes of summer camp movies and the value of douchebag Trent (Travis Van Winkle).