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Reviews

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan /  USA  /  1989

The eighth installment of this, by now, creatively bankrupt series must have seemed like a good idea. Jason takes Manhattan? Okay, yes. Let’s get him off that campground and into a big city. Maybe the change of location will give us some new ideas.

Unfortunately, the bulk of the movie takes place on a boat. The 1989 graduating class at Crystal Lake High is taking a shoddy cruise liner to New York City for their senior trip. Jason’s body, which is at the bottom of the lake, gets electrocuted back to life, and he climbs aboard the ship. Everyone but the few characters whose names we know is dead by the time they reach Manhattan, which is depicted here as completely run down and filled only with criminals and low-lifes. The scenes we can even be sure were shot in New York are one anti-climactic chase through a Subway car, and the ending, in Times Square (where the two remaining characters happen to get off the train). I’m going to stop my review here, because I’ve written a poem that will give you a better idea of this movie, comprised entirely from dialogue I jotted down as I watched it:

is that a muscular bod —
or what?
gorgeous guy at ten o’clock —
look sensual!
i just thought i’d tell you
i’ve had the major hots for you
since sophomore year

you’re all gonna die
you’re the last ones
and he’s come back for you

walking corpses are not real

school is out,
McCollough,
okay?

we are in
New York
New York City
I don’t believe it.
we made it.

he’s here Sean.
Jason is here.

there is a maniac trying to kill us —
welcome to New York

→ Continue: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

Teddy Blanks | © 2006 notcoming.com