SPLATTERdrome

Release Date: August 13th, 1982

Director: Steve Miner

Screenwriter: Martin Kitrosser, Carol Watson & Petru Popescu

Genre: Horror

 

 

Before I dig into Part 3 I’d like to get a few things out of the way. Firstly, yes, most of these sequels begin with a lengthy recap of the previous film. Keep that fast forward button oiled up friends because you’re going to need it. You may also be wondering how Jason survived his deep machete wound from Part 2. Well, he’s real strong I guess. Perhaps a two-decade diet of squirrel turds and birch bark is the elixir Ponce DeLeon was looking for. Either way, these early films would like us to believe that Jason is merely a freakishly resilient human being whose inner rage makes him tough to kill. It’s better if we accept that and move on.

 

The first thing to know about Friday the 13th Part 3 is that it was originally released in 3-D which explains the many instances of items flying towards the camera. The producers thought it was a good idea to revive that 1950s horror gimmick and, as far as ticket sales were concerned, it worked. I’m sure the film was fun to see in theaters but all those 3-D shots come off as sad and contrived for modern viewers limiting themselves to two dimensions. This film also takes place the day after Part 2, technically making it a Saturday the 14th movie. Sort of loses its punch right?

 

Watching this film is always a mixed experience for me. In a way I can’t help but revere Part 3 because it provided Jason with his hockey mask. That one distinct ingredient gave this series a long life and I’m beholden to it for that reason. I suppose that makes me an apologist for this film because, mask aside, it’s pretty rotten. The main offenders are the acting and dialogue which are both unforgivably bad. At no point do these characters resemble actual people, they fail to evolve beyond laughable caricatures. It’s as if members of an alien race wrote this screenplay after observing human beings for all of fifteen minutes. What were they thinking?

 

Some distasteful elements creep into the Jason cannon here including his on-screen murder of a pregnant woman and the assertion that he may have raped one of the main characters. What the hell? This violates my acceptance of these films as fun, hyperbolic murder-by-numbers games. I want an Agatha Christie setup and cheeky, over-the-top violence, not sex crimes and other such unsavory behavior. Bad form.

 

There’s also the issue of the black motorcycle gang member. He’s attacked by Jason in the barn in the middle of the film and the camera angle clearly shows his head being hacked with the blade of a machete multiple times. Somehow he survives this and jumps out to defend the last girl later in the movie. How does that work exactly? Are my eyes not working properly?

 

Part 3 is the first installment in the series that doesn’t really give a shit about the audience or the other films. There’s no attempt to deepen the Jason story or build on the legacy of Camp Crystal Lake. It’s an important building block in the series but not one that deserves repeat viewings.