May '14 *
The 90's was an awkward time for Horror. The first few years, especially. Attempts at originality had about the same effect on the audience as uncalled for sequels to 80's franchises that had already ran their course. For one reason or another, the Horror genre had once again fallen dormant. But there was one Horror masterpiece that would come out of the 90's which would transcend the decade, as well as breath new life into the genre. Jason Goes To Hell is not that movie!
While technically, this film is Friday The 13th part IX, offically, the series was over due to copyright issues. This as the beginning of a new series. Even in the 90's, Jason must live on. Original creator Sean Cunningham returns to give us F-13 fans something a little different. And why not? It's a new decade. The way of the 80's slasher is old and tired. Everyone knew that in 1993. So, something different is definitely in order. But this? Come on! Really?
Last time we saw our hero, Jason Voorhees was in Manhattan, practically killing anyone he could get his hands on. Does anyone know how long ago that was? Or what he's been up to since? And most importantly, why he's still alive? No? Well, so far, it feels like a genuine Friday tThe 13th movie. And besides, these minor details don't matter much since Jason just got blown up by the F.B.I. And we're not even 10 minutes in! No. This is no typical F-13. This time, they're thinking outside the box. And maybe that would be a good thing if they hadn't just blown up the only reason anyone wanted to see this abomination in the first place.
So, yeah. Jason's dead for realz, this time. As his remains get examined in the morgue, something strange is happening to the examining doctor. Something evil, which can be seen in his face. What we are now seeing is one more example of the fact that our hero, Jason Voorhees can never be stopped. Even after death, even after getting blown to pieces, he still keeps coming back. But without a body of his own, he has willed his own soul into the body of this doctor. You can tell because he just took a big bite out of Jason's heart, which made sparkly stuff (Jason's soul) invade his body. So, Jason's back. Just in another form. Clever, right?
Something we never knew about Jason. When necessary, he can simply make his soul jump from body to body. So, he never really dies. 9 movies and somehow, this is just now becoming clear? Well, whatever. There is a catch. Even if nobody kills him again, he only has a limited amount of time in each body. So, he's gonna do his killing and spare a few here and there so, he can transfer his sparkly soul into new bodies. Eventually, the origin of Jason's alleged immortality is explained, which leads to more plot holes than ever.
These movies actually made some sense before now. But no longer. Jason has a sister, a niece and a great niece, and for him to finally be ressurrected as a guy wearing a hockey mask, he must make one of their bodies his own. Hopefully, someone can get a hold of the Voorhees dagger. Because apparently, stabbing him with that is the one and only thing that will send Jason to Hell and keep him there. But of course it has to be someone who is related to him. Something tells me all those F-13 fans who wanted something different are feeling pretty silly right about now.
But not quite as silly as the person who's idea it was to add this new take on Jason. Not a bad idea. Just not for an already established series such as this. It just doesn't make sense on a completely different level than anything from past entries. And not to mention this weird new take only allowed about 10 minutes of screen time for Kane Hodder. That's what really killed this one. in my opinion. Maybe such major changes would have been a little easier digested had they been allowed to call it "Friday The 13th Part IX: Jason Goe To Hell". It really is a shame they couldn't have. Would it have really mattered in the end? Doubtful. This one just wasn't meant to be. Jason Goes To Hell may have meant to breath new life into this series. But ultimately, it sent Friday The 13th straight to hell. 4/10
The 90's was an awkward time for Horror. The first few years, especially. Attempts at originality had about the same effect on the audience as uncalled for sequels to 80's franchises that had already ran their course. For one reason or another, the Horror genre had once again fallen dormant. But there was one Horror masterpiece that would come out of the 90's which would transcend the decade, as well as breath new life into the genre. Jason Goes To Hell is not that movie!
While technically, this film is Friday The 13th part IX, offically, the series was over due to copyright issues. This as the beginning of a new series. Even in the 90's, Jason must live on. Original creator Sean Cunningham returns to give us F-13 fans something a little different. And why not? It's a new decade. The way of the 80's slasher is old and tired. Everyone knew that in 1993. So, something different is definitely in order. But this? Come on! Really?
Last time we saw our hero, Jason Voorhees was in Manhattan, practically killing anyone he could get his hands on. Does anyone know how long ago that was? Or what he's been up to since? And most importantly, why he's still alive? No? Well, so far, it feels like a genuine Friday tThe 13th movie. And besides, these minor details don't matter much since Jason just got blown up by the F.B.I. And we're not even 10 minutes in! No. This is no typical F-13. This time, they're thinking outside the box. And maybe that would be a good thing if they hadn't just blown up the only reason anyone wanted to see this abomination in the first place. So, yeah. Jason's dead for realz, this time. As his remains get examined in the morgue, something strange is happening to the examining doctor. Something evil, which can be seen in his face. What we are now seeing is one more example of the fact that our hero, Jason Voorhees can never be stopped. Even after death, even after getting blown to pieces, he still keeps coming back. But without a body of his own, he has willed his own soul into the body of this doctor. You can tell because he just took a big bite out of Jason's heart, which made sparkly stuff (Jason's soul) invade his body. So, Jason's back. Just in another form. Clever, right?Something we never knew about Jason. When necessary, he can simply make his soul jump from body to body. So, he never really dies. 9 movies and somehow, this is just now becoming clear? Well, whatever. There is a catch. Even if nobody kills him again, he only has a limited amount of time in each body. So, he's gonna do his killing and spare a few here and there so, he can transfer his sparkly soul into new bodies. Eventually, the origin of Jason's alleged immortality is explained, which leads to more plot holes than ever.
These movies actually made some sense before now. But no longer. Jason has a sister, a niece and a great niece, and for him to finally be ressurrected as a guy wearing a hockey mask, he must make one of their bodies his own. Hopefully, someone can get a hold of the Voorhees dagger. Because apparently, stabbing him with that is the one and only thing that will send Jason to Hell and keep him there. But of course it has to be someone who is related to him. Something tells me all those F-13 fans who wanted something different are feeling pretty silly right about now.But not quite as silly as the person who's idea it was to add this new take on Jason. Not a bad idea. Just not for an already established series such as this. It just doesn't make sense on a completely different level than anything from past entries. And not to mention this weird new take only allowed about 10 minutes of screen time for Kane Hodder. That's what really killed this one. in my opinion. Maybe such major changes would have been a little easier digested had they been allowed to call it "Friday The 13th Part IX: Jason Goe To Hell". It really is a shame they couldn't have. Would it have really mattered in the end? Doubtful. This one just wasn't meant to be. Jason Goes To Hell may have meant to breath new life into this series. But ultimately, it sent Friday The 13th straight to hell. 4/10
I just saw this movie again today, for the first time in years. In some ways I can actually get into it, but I agree with what you say about its dearth of screen time for Kane Hodder, and the general confusingness and senselesssness of the whole thing. The Wikipedia article about it makes it sound like it got re-written multiple times, in a very hurried and cursory way each time. Some of the actors involved do a perfectly solid job with what they are given, but the whole thing feels like they just stole ideas from various other franchises and randomly stitched them together.
The part about Jason (or his soul, or whatever) going after his half-sister and her daughter is just a blatant rip-off of the Halloween franchise, at least Halloween 2, 4, and 5. Especially 4 and 5, I guess. Also, apparently the movie was originally conceived as a Jason vs. Freddy Krueger movie, and of course we see a quick glimpse of that idea right at the end.
I also feel like the whole movie is just way too derivative of other franchises, both horror and sci-fi. The scene with Jason taking on the whole police station, and that scene where Creighton Duke tries to explain to Jessica that Jason won't rest until he has her baby, are almost painfully Terminator-esque. I guess you could say they are partly inspired by Assault on Precinct 13, but.... nah, they are just Terminator rip-offs.
I was also reminded of Trancers, a little, in the diner scenes. I could be reading too much into things there, but that thought did cross my mind.
Supposedly the writer denied being influnced by The Hidden, but, I mean, Jesus, come on. It was totally Hidden-esque. Bigtime. Hugetime. I guess it is possible that the writer had not actually seen The Hidden, but had gone to a party in the 80s and gotten drunk, and drunkenly hung out with some people who were talking about The Hidden, and he didn't really remember clearly what movie he had had a conversation about, and ended up thinking the ideas were really his own. I am being way too charitable there, but having said that, things like that really can happen, so, who knows.
The Evil Dead connections are very explicit, and unequivocal. They weren't just making a little nod to that franchise, it looked like they were seriously trying to tie the F13 and Evil Dead franchises together permanently.
Anyway, I don't know what the hell I'm trying to say here. I guess just that the writers didn't really know what they were doing, and just got ideas from wherever they could, and cobbled a movie together from them all.
Having said all that... I still kind of like the movie. The scene where the coroner eats the heart is AMAZING, it always cracks me up. Then there are a few minutes where the movie appears to be shaping up to be a battle between two big black guys, which I'm fairly sure no one in 1993 was expecting when they went to see a F13 movie. So, that was kind of funny. It is also entertaining to see the guy from the TV show Friday the 13th, John D. LeMay, in an actual F13 movie. Also, Steven Culp looks so much like Bobby Kennedy, it is just entertaining to see a Jason-ified Bobby Kennedy.
Was anyone else reminded of other 80s or early 90s franchises when you watched this movie? I think I'm forgetting to mention something. Maybe Night of the Living Dead, a little, just in the way they put dark eye make-up under Steven Culp's eyes to make him look undead, or dead, or Jason-ified, or whatever we should call his status after Jason possesses him.