Starring - Richard Brooker (Deathstalker, Trapper John M.D.), Gloria Charles (Nation Lampoon's European Vacation, Brewster's Millions), and David Katims (Otherworld, The Invisible Kid)
Release Date - 1982
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "A new dimension in terror"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
The first Friday the 13th catapulted slashers to stardom. Their simple story and cheap production value made them extremely profitable so hundred of production companies decided to jump on the craze. The sequel introduced the now iconic Jason and made his name the face of the slasher sub-genre. The third film tries to launch the 3D fad but failed while, inatvertanly, making the hockey mask in the film the iconic face of slashers. Once I finished the first two I couldn't wait to revisit this third installment of the film...gimmick and all.
The film follows a group of friends who are going into the country to stay at a friends cabin. The home is located near Crystal Lake where she suffered an attack at the hands of a disfigured man (Jason). Now, years later, she is struggling to cope with the attack but is haunted by the memory. Her friends use this as a chance to have a weekend getaway. What they don't know is that Jason has returned and now he has a knack for murder.
When the first film cemented slashers as a staple at theatres throughout the 80s, the sequel introduced horror fans to Jason who would be the face for horror for decades. However, it was the third film that gave him his iconic hockey mask. Until this point each film has severed as a stepping stone from the last. The 3D gimmick for the film may have it's fun novelty moments but you can enjoy the film just the same watching the 2D release. The acting in this one is fun. We get a little more livelier characters in this installment but the acting is still the same. The cast delivers some solid performances but the more horror oriented scenes does feel forced and overdramatic. Fans of slashers know exactly what to expect when they toss in a slasher and those cliched performances are what made Friday the 13th and it's sequels so much fun. The story for this one takes a step away from the previous films. We still follow people at Crystal Lake but it ties in Jason more while giving us more of the same clichés. The film takes what we already expected and spruced them up so to speak. The characters and how they die is what this one so much fun and why slashers are known for their body counts. Finally, this one has several iconic deaths. Many try to make use of the 3D gimmick but they were still fun and cheesy. The practical effects are great for some and laughable for others but I wouldn't call them bad. Overall, Friday the 13th Part III is not only a huge part of horror history but its a solid slasher. Sure, it doesn't offer anything new for the sub-genre but it's cliched deaths, characters, and scenery makes it a reliable slasher. I've always enjoyed this one just as much as the previous two films and the characters in this one are some of my favorite of the series.
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