Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter

Next up we have the best of the sequels (at this point), “Friday the 13^th: The Final Chapter,” released in 1984.

Jeffrey M. Anderson started his review out by saying, “This entry has always been one of my favorites of the Friday the 13th series, perhaps because I was at the right age when it came out (I was a bit too young for the others). Not to mention that it turned up on cable just about the time my family got our first VCR, so I was able to tape it and watch it numerous times. Watching it again today, it works oddly well, almost like a John Hughes movie that got lost and wandered into slasher territory.”

The cast and characters are above average and definitely likeable, and their small teenage dramas actually fascinate to some amount. We have Samantha (Judie Aronson), who regularly sleeps with her boyfriend (Alan Hayes) and gives out advice to her friend (Barbara Howard), who is not so sure about getting physical. We get the two single friends, the confident Ted (Lawrence Monoson) and the nerdy Jimmy (Crispin Glover). Jimmy is sad over a recent breakup and Ted, in an effort to help him, makes fun of him. During a weekend getaway at a secluded cabin, the friends meet two cute twins (Camilla and Carey More), angering the romantic balance. We also have pretty boy Doug, played by Peter Barton. We also meet young Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman), who makes horror masks and lives with his older sister (Kimberly Beck) and mother (Joan Freeman) in a cabin across the path.

In comes Jason (Ted White), who slashes away through most of the kids. The violence is mostly pretty relaxed, but there’s plenty of nudity and love tension to make up for it. It’s a simple physical experience, just like the best of the series. “Friday the 13^th: The Final Chapter” does actually end with Jason being killed, but the film’s success made the release of a fifth film less than one year later.

Corey Feldman returned in a brief appearance, and his character is still here, played by different actors, in future sequels. Anderson said, “Judie Aronson actually did go on to appear in a John Hughes film, Weird Science, and director Joseph Zito went on to make Chuck Norris films.” However, Crispin Glover has had the strongest and most successful career of the cast, including more horror films.

As I have already stated, this is one movie that you need to check out. If you want to see at least one “Friday the 13^th” movie, this is the one for you. It’s not as good as the first one, but it’s still a very enjoyable, satisfying film to end off the franchise, even if it didn’t end it off. There are more sequels, but this is one of them that I give a high recommendation for.

Well everyone, I will be going to see the new “Blade Runner” movie today. Review to come on that later. The review will be on the two movies, since I have to review the first movie(s) before I get to the latest sequel. Stay tuned.