| Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) 87 min |
| This second entry in the notoriously long running franchise is one of my favorites. It was the last one filmed at an actual camp and it has some rather intense sequences. Admittedly, this film is essentially a tighter remake of the original blockbuster...but honestly though - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I know a lot of people might argue this point, but I grew up on these films and look at them with adoration and nostalgia. I can see the flaws, but none of that matters. This movie scared the bejesus out of me when I was young, and still has a strange power over me. |
| In many ways, I feel this one tops the original. Of course it does have the common sequel mentality of 'more, MORE, MORE' in terms of violence, action, and nudity but that's not what raises it above. The overall film is tighter and builds wonderfully on the groundwork 'Camp Blood' mythology laid down in the first film, adding some interesting plot elements that were promptly disregarded in later entries. Jason makes his debut here as a main attraction and fills in his mother's shoes rather nicely. He hasn't donned his trademark hockey mask, instead he wears and 'Elephant Man' style sack on his head. This may be in poor taste given the nature of Lynch's film the previous year, but I have to admit I find it quite scary. Betsy Palmer, from the first film, even makes a memorable cameo towards the end. |
| The story sticks to the basics (I think the franchise runs into its biggest problems when it leaves the basics) of a camp, a group of counselors, and an unseen stalker knocking them off in various ways. I'll tackle these important elements in order. First the camp: It's supposed to be set a few miles from Camp Crystal Lake but sharing the same lake. Overall, it looks awesome! The lonely road leading up to it (why exactly was Jason crossing the road when the cop was driving by anyway?), the deep dark woods, and a quiet looking lake (ideal setting for and excellent late night skinny dipping scene!). This was filmed on the same lake as I Spit On Your Grave, and frankly, exploits the location much more effectively. Now, I'll move onto the counselors: They have a decent bunch of kids here, led by the heroic Paul Holt! Their backstories aren't anything special but it works well enough to drum up some sympathy when it's needed. Finally, I'll move on to the most important part for this type of movie - the killings: Again, we stick to the tried and true basics, and it works great here! Mostly, we're treated to knives, machetes, hammers, and even a spear. Some of the deaths are even quite intense - the standout for me would be Vicky's. All the elements come together for a gruelingly slow buildup. To begin with, she's probably the nicest character in the cast (save the dog, Muffin). Now throw into the mix that this is the first clear look at Jason we get, another corpse hanging by the door, and the fact that Jason moves so slowly when he has her cornered! Maybe I'm overdoing it, but this stayed with me long after I finished the movie for the first time. The other deaths are well executed and nicely paced too, including a direct homage to Mario Bava's amazing Twitch of the Death Nerve. Finally, the climax really delivers the goods. Amy Steel is frantically pursued all over Camp Packanack through some highly effective set pieces. Sadly though, the MPAA really stuck it to this one! Because of how much Savini got away with the previous year, they really did their best to suck the life out of this one. Fortunately for the fans though, enough of the fun and mayhem remains in tact that the movie is still a howl. |
| Recently, some of the Friday the 13th have been given a new lease on life in the form of DVD. For a while beforehand, they were only available in cheaply recorded EP versions from Gateway Films. With the current DVDs we finally get to see Jason in our own homes in all his widescreen splendor! The fact that they are distributed by Paramount has its ups and downs. To begin with, we have the beautiful widescreen transfers mentioned earlier. These are really something, 10 years ago I would have never dared to imagine that they would look this good. On the downside though, the extras included are scanty at best. So far we've only gotten trailers. Not that the trailers aren't great (they are) but there is so much missed opportunity here that it drives me crazy! Where are all the deleted scenes and possible cast and crew interviews? I know some aren't as keen on the idea of talking about the films as others, but I'm sure some would enjoy taking part in a small retrospective. I know this is falling on deaf ears, but the unfulfilled potential here is mind-boggling! |
| The cast and crew has for the most part remained quiet, with a few exceptions. Amy Steel went on to take the lead role in another genre fav - April Fools Day. Russel Todd popped up again in Chopping Mall (sometimes seen under the dumb title Killbots) which used to play rather frequently on USA Network during better times (the 80s). Marta Kober was later seen in Neon Maniacs, Slumber Party Massacre III, and even pursued a career in rap (?!). Director Steve Miner's career has been all over the place since (for the record, I still consider this to be his best movie). He returned to camp to helm the following year's Friday the 13th Part 3 and has since turned out films from the excellent Warlock and House to crap like Halloween: H20 and everything in between (the underrated Lake Placid). Throw in My Father the Hero, Forever Young, and some episodes of The Wonder Years and Dawson's Creek and you've got Steve Miner in a nutshell! |
| Overall, I give this films 5 deranged John Merrick look-a-likes out of 5 for being my favorite film in the franchise and accomplishing everything it set out to do perfectly! |
| review by Joe Canistro 02/16/2002 |
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