Every genre has cliches, but how well do the Friday the Thirteenth films follow the Slasher film rules?
Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986) Tommy Jarvis accidentally brings Jason Vorhees back from the dead, leading to the usual fun and games.
The following analysis may contain spoilers for
JASON LIVES: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART IV (1986)
"You'll be sorry you didn't listen to me." ~ Tommy Jarvis.
- Tommy tried to warn the police, but his history of being put in mental institutions caused him to be ignored. Another character was worried by seeing Jason because she'd watched horror movies. Ironically, the crazy old drunk helps cover-up Jason's resurrection instead of ranting about it.
Rule #2
There Will Be T&A
"That's what I want." ~ Megan Garris.
- Nudity - The only Friday the 13th film with no nudity.
- Sex - Steven & Annette are about to have sex, but never get to. Cort & Nikki are shown having sex.
Rule #3
Death Will Be A Punishment For...
"Darling, you're going to be the death of me. But what a lovely way to go, huh?" ~ Old Martin.
Again Jason is seemingly without motive, killing anyone he comes across. The targeting of camp counselors is back, with 5/18 kills he makes counselors, but 3 of those are opportunity kills outside the camp.
- 3a. Sex - One couple had sex, one was about to. The couple who were about to were more an opportunity thing, though.
- 3b. Nudity - No nudity in the film.
- 3c. Drinking - Only Old Martin drinks. He's not a teen, but he is an alcoholic.
- 3d. Drugs - No mention of drugs.
- 3e. Hitchhiking - No hitchhikers killed.
- 3f. Other criminal behaviour - Allen Hawes, maybe, for helping Tommy Jarvis tamper with a grave.
- 3g. Being annoying/being cowardly/being a sleazy guy - It's easier to name those who don't fit into these categories: Lizabeth and Paula. Maybe Kate.
- 3h. Being a bystander - All most all the victims, though most were annoying.
Rule #4
Never Go...
"Okay, you can be the Queen of Diamonds. Now, we take this Jack, which is Jason and shuffle him into these piles which represent cabins. The goal of the game is to find out which cabin Jason is in!" ~ Sissy Baker.
- 4a. Basements - N/A.
- 4b. Upstairs - N/A.
- 4c. Showers - N/A.
- 4d. Into old sheds or out buildings - All the buildings at the camp.
- 4e. Running off to the “safety” of the forest - Doesn't really happen.
- 4f. Anywhere alone - A few.
- 4g. Anywhere Remote, Isolated or Confined - The camp.
- 4h. Abandoned buildings - Doesn't really happen.
Rule #5
Order of Death...
"So, what were you gonna be when you grew up?" ~ Billy.
- 5a: First person to appear on screen - Allen Hawes is the first person to appear on screen and the first victim.
- 5b: Black guy dies first - No minorities.
- 5c. The Stoner - Old Martin is a drunk, not a stoner.
- 5d: The Bimbo - Annette was about to be sexually active (initiating the act), Nikki had sex (and was only a phonecall away, Sissy liked boys.
- 5e: Nerdy/Funny Guy - Allen Hawes isn't funny but he's a cowardly annoying Armold Horshack type. Larry is a sloppy fat loser-type, Roy is a bumbling loser.
- 5f: The Macho-Jerk - Darren is certainly this. Burt is the macho-jerk times 10 and the fourth victim. Cort is. All the police officers (although, Deputy Rick, one of the worse offenders, survives.)
- 5g. The Strong Female Character - Lizabeth doesn't have much screen time but is certainly smarter and more aware than Darren if nothing else. Katie is a strong female character, beating the guys at paintball andbeing quick with the near-witty rejoinder. Paula is a faux-Final Girl, she worries about missing people, is even less sexual than Megan and looks after Nancy.
- 5h. The Protector - Sheriff Garris, Megan's father is an ineffective version. Tommy Jarvis counts, but he's more the Sensitive Guy.
- 5i. The Sensitive Guy - Steven... is pretending to be this ironically. Tommy is this, mostly.
- 5j. Children and animals – Nancy and the other campers. All survive.
- 5k. The Final Girl - Megan Garris.
- (34) Allen Hawes [A][E]
- (35) Darren [F]
- (36) Lizabeth [G]
- (37) Burt [F]
- (38) Stan [F]
- (39) Kate [G]
- (40) Larry [E]
- (41) Roy [E]
- (42) Old Martin [C]
- (43) Steven [F]
- (44) Annette [D]
- (45) Nikki [D]
- (46) Cort [F]
- (47) Sissy [D]
- (48) Paula [G]
- (49) Officer Thorton [F]
- (50) Officer Pappas [F]
- (51) Sheriff Garris [F]
Rule #6
Especially When They Are Most Needed, The Following Things Cannot Be Relied On…
"That's right just drive towards him. He'll move. Nobody wants to die." ~ Darren.
"Well, that's a freakin' fact. Least of all us." ~ Lizabeth.
"Well, that's a freakin' fact. Least of all us." ~ Lizabeth.
- 6a. Communication devices - Deputy Rick mentions the phones at the camp are out (probably Jason's work.)
- 6b. Lighting problems - The van Nikki and Cort have sex in suffers from this - after Jason cuts the power.
- 6c. Vehicular Transport - Lizabeth and Darren face this problem. Cort thinks they are, but Nikki solves it.
- 6d. Your Own Legs - Not really an issue.
- 6e. The Authorities - Sheriff Garris's failure to believe Tommy and attempts to blame him cause a lot of deaths.
- 6f. Weapons – Are ineffective against Jason.
- 6g. Escape routes - Not really an issue.
Rule #7
The Final Girl
"This girl's back in the jail cell with her prisoner of love. Don't be messing with no crazy jailbird, girl. Those dudes are bad news." ~ Sissy Baker.
Megan Garris
Tommy also fills this role, but when Megan goes into the water to kill save Tommy and "kills" Jason with the boat's propeller she steals the role from him.
- 7a. Final - Yes. (With Tommy and the children).
- 7b. Girl - Yes.
- 7c. Boyish - No. Paula is more so.
- 7d. Well Drawn - Better than most of the characters but not much. Paula almost equals her.
- 7e. Virginal & innocent - No completely. Is interested in Tommy and glad when his head is between her legs and enjoys making out with him.
- 7f. Will be reborn - Had an inner-strength before facing Jason, but it came and went a lot.
Rule #8
The Killer has a connection to...
"You mean the Jason of Camp Blood?" ~ Sissy Baker.
"Yes." ~ Tommy Jarvis.
Jason Vorhees
- 8a. The Location - Jason returns to the Camp of the first film (now renamed "Camp Forest Green)
- 8b. The Final Girl - No connection.
- 8c. The Protector - Tommy, yes. Sheriff Garris, no.
- 8d. The Other Victims - No connection to any other victims.
- 8e. Feminity - No.
- 8f. A Specific Look - The hockey mask and overalls return.
- 8g. A specific weapon - Whatever's handy, but mostly a machete and his hands.
Rule #9
Evil Never Dies...
"I went to go cremate Jason but I fucked up!" ~ Tommy Jarvis.
"You got that right." ~ Deputy Rick.
"You got that right." ~ Deputy Rick.
- 9a. You always have to kill the bad guy twice - Sheriff Garris shoots Jason a couple of time leading Jason to lie still for a few seconds each time.
- 9b. Even then the bad guy lives on - The film begins with Jason being returned from the dead, and hinges in the idea that he died as a child.
- 9c. Evil is immortal - He's chained to a rock on the bottom of a lake, but still lives. He gets cut up by a boat propeller but seems find and still alive at the end.
Rule #10
The Sequel Will Be Bigger/More Formulaic
"Why'd they have to go and dig up Jason? Some folks sure got a strange idea of entertainment." ~ Old Martin.
- 10a. They will follow the rules more - Seems to. Also plays with and references film cliches.
- 10b. They will be more formulaic - Returns to the camp for the first time in many films.
- 10c. There will be more T&A - None, so substantially (and disappointingly) less.
- 10d. There will be more and bigger deaths of the victims - Very high death count, equal to the previous film at 18, but this time were done by the killer.
- 10e. The killer’s death will be bigger - Chopped up by a motor boat engine. Pretty big.
Results
"This kid really wants us to believe his story." ~ Deputy Rick.
"That's not what worries me. It's how far he'll go to actually prove it." ~ Sheriff Garris.
"That's not what worries me. It's how far he'll go to actually prove it." ~ Sheriff Garris.
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