Films have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas? Are the slasher film rules true?
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| "Jason's body's disappeared from the morgue." ~ Rob Dier. |
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) is as the name suggests the final ever film in the Friday the 13th franchise. Unless the title is lying and they make more. Whatever happens this is the fourth film in the series. Just assumed I've asked the regular question about it following the slasher film rules.
The following will include spoilers for
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
Rule #1 - There Will Be A Warning...
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| The High-Tech 80s Local News |
Jason's killing spree was all over the news, then again so was the news of this supposed death. Still, since the events of Friday the 13th: Part II took place the day before the events of Friday the 13th: Part III and this is a day or so after that you'd think that 20 deaths and at least 1 disappearance would put people a little more on edge then they are.
Rule #2 - There Will Be T&A
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| Watching women undress without their knowledge was acceptable in the 80s. The fact that it was a pre-teen boy makes it doubly OK. |
Nurse Morgan unzips for glimpses of bra.
Samantha has a topless from behind scene, watched by Tommy as she makes out with Paul.
Paul, Samantha, Tina & Terri, Ted and are shown skinny dipping.
Later Samantha goes skinny dipping. again, this time alone.
Ted finds and plays an old stag film.
Sara has a shower scene.
Basically, loads of nudie bits, pretty much all tits and ass. But that's not mentioning Trish's wet panties.
Later Samantha goes skinny dipping. again, this time alone.
Ted finds and plays an old stag film.
Sara has a shower scene.
Basically, loads of nudie bits, pretty much all tits and ass. But that's not mentioning Trish's wet panties.
Rule #3 - Death Will Be A Punishment For...
Leslie is deliberately following the rules.
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| Rule 11: Never eat a banana. |
B: NUDITY - .Paul, Samantha, Tina & Terri, Ted and presumably Doug and Jimmy go skinny dipping
C: DRINKING - Ted, Tina and Teri drink beer, probably most of the others at the party do also. Everyone at the party is killed.
C: DRINKING - Ted, Tina and Teri drink beer, probably most of the others at the party do also. Everyone at the party is killed.
D: DRUGS - Ted gets high, no one else seems to. He is killed.
E: HITCHHIKING - The reason I call the unnamed hitchhiker the unnamed hitchhiker is because literally all she does is try to hitch a lift. Oh, and eat a banana. But I don't think that's punishable by death. I mean, she didn't even do it in a sexual way.
F: CRIME - No obvious crimes (beyond pot and skinny dipping - already covered).
E: HITCHHIKING - The reason I call the unnamed hitchhiker the unnamed hitchhiker is because literally all she does is try to hitch a lift. Oh, and eat a banana. But I don't think that's punishable by death. I mean, she didn't even do it in a sexual way.
F: CRIME - No obvious crimes (beyond pot and skinny dipping - already covered).
G: BEING AN ANNOYING/BEING A COWARD/BEING A SLEEZY GUY - Could apply to a number of characters, mostly Axel and Ted.
H: BYSTANDERS - Mrs Jarvis certainly is. Rob is a bit.
Rule #4 - Never Go...
A: THE BASEMENT - Rob is killed in the basement.B: UPSTAIRS - A number of characters are killed upstairs (Tina. Doug & Sara) but Trish is the only one chased upstairs - and she survives.
C: FOR A SHOWER - Doug is killed in the shower, Sara upon her return to it.
D: OUTBUILDINGS - No one is killed in outbuildings.
F: ANYWHERE ALONE - Most are alone when killed, but most are unaware that there's a killer.
D: OUTBUILDINGS - No one is killed in outbuildings.
F: ANYWHERE ALONE - Most are alone when killed, but most are unaware that there's a killer.
Rule #5 - Order of Death...
A: THE FIRST PERSON ON SCREEN - Jason was dead for the first 14 minutes so... Not even close. (Fail).
B: THE BLACK MAN DIES FIRST - No minorities. (NA)
C: THE STONER: Ted. Killed late (Fail)
D: THE BIMBO - Nurse Morgan was a minor character who hated the sleazy Axel, but almost had sex with him. Samantha is a classic example. Tina is was hitting on Samantha's boyfriend Paul and when he left her she moved onto Jimmy. (Pass).
D: THE BIMBO - Nurse Morgan was a minor character who hated the sleazy Axel, but almost had sex with him. Samantha is a classic example. Tina is was hitting on Samantha's boyfriend Paul and when he left her she moved onto Jimmy. (Pass).
E: NERDY/FUNNY GUY - Axel Sleazy and practical joker. Ted and Jimmy also count. (Pass)
F: MACHO JERK - Paul (although sensitive enough to eventually leave Tina for his actual girlfriend.) (Pass)
G: STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER - Terri went skinny dipping with a group she just met (along with her sister) but didn't have sex at the party, however she was killed before her sister who I've counted as a bimbo. Mrs Jarvis probably counts. Although just a two-dimensional single mother character she isn't really shown as weak. Sara is a faux Final Girl. She is curious (the only one who seemed to notice Pamela's grave, she was the only member of the group who refused to go skinny-dipping and was for most of the film a virgin. She was even the last of the group killed. (Pass)
H: THE PROTECTOR - Rob as always a lot of crossover with the sensitive guy. Last killed (Pass)
I: THE SENSITIVE GUY - Doug is borderline Could be a Macho Jerk, but doesn't have much personality. Mostly Sensitive, mostly pass.
J: ANIMALS & CHILDREN - Gordo, the dog, escapes. Tommy Jarvis, the child survives.
K: THE FINAL GIRL - Trish. (Pass)
F: MACHO JERK - Paul (although sensitive enough to eventually leave Tina for his actual girlfriend.) (Pass)
G: STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER - Terri went skinny dipping with a group she just met (along with her sister) but didn't have sex at the party, however she was killed before her sister who I've counted as a bimbo. Mrs Jarvis probably counts. Although just a two-dimensional single mother character she isn't really shown as weak. Sara is a faux Final Girl. She is curious (the only one who seemed to notice Pamela's grave, she was the only member of the group who refused to go skinny-dipping and was for most of the film a virgin. She was even the last of the group killed. (Pass)
H: THE PROTECTOR - Rob as always a lot of crossover with the sensitive guy. Last killed (Pass)
I: THE SENSITIVE GUY - Doug is borderline Could be a Macho Jerk, but doesn't have much personality. Mostly Sensitive, mostly pass.
J: ANIMALS & CHILDREN - Gordo, the dog, escapes. Tommy Jarvis, the child survives.
K: THE FINAL GIRL - Trish. (Pass)
Order of Death:
1. (21) Axel [E]
2. (22) Nurse Morgan [D]
3. (23) Unnamed Hitchhiker [?]
4. (24) Samantha [D]
5. (25) Paul [F]
6. (26) Terri [G]
7. (27) Mrs Jarvis [G]
8. (28) Jimmy [E]
9. (29) Tina [D]
10. (30) Ted [C/E]
11. (31) Doug [I]
12. (32) Sara [G]
13. (33) Rob [H]
Rule #6 - Especially When They Are Most Needed, The Following Things Cannot Be Relied On…
A: COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES: When the Jarvises try to call for help Jason pulls off the connection point.B: LIGHTING: The lights don't work for some time in the Jarvis household..
C: VEHICULAR TRANSPORT - The Jarvis's car breaks down long before there's real danger. Cars aren't gone too for escape.
D: YOUR LEGS - Trish may stumble a bit but not much.
E: THE AUTHORITIES – They declared Jason dead and he came back. No sign they were looking too hard for the "stolen body."
G: ESCAPE ROUTES - Does not come into play.
Rule #7 - The Final Girl
Trish.
As noted, Sara was final girl-ish until she did the sex. Also, Trish's brother Tommy the one who actually kills Jason so he could be considered for the role, too.
B: GIRL - Yes.
C: MASCULINE - Loose shirts and the like. Trish isn't a boyish name and has long hair.
D: WELL DRAWN - Tommy gets a more interesting storyline.
E: VIRGINAL & INNOCENT - Virginity status unknown, she seems interested in Rob, but that goes nowhere and she declines the skinny dipping (that may have been because her younger brother was with her) but she did want to go to the party. There was shot of her panties, but that was "innocent" in that she'd jumped from a window and landed that way.
F: WILL BE REBORN - Vaguely. Wanted Tommy to escape. However, Tommy was even more reborn then her.
Rule #8 - The Killer has a connection to...
B: THE FINAL GIRL - No known connection.
D: OTHER VICTIMS - Rob's sister was killed in Part 2.
E: FEMININITY - Jason? Nah.
F: SPECIFIC LOOK - He still has the hockey mask.
G: WEAPON - The machete is still his go-to weapon, but once again just uses whatever comes to hand to kill.
G: WEAPON - The machete is still his go-to weapon, but once again just uses whatever comes to hand to kill.
Rule #9 - Evil Never Dies...
A: ALWAYS KILL THE BAD GUY TWICE - Trish seemingly kills him at one point, but he gets up..
B: THE BAD GUY LIVES ON - Even with a machete in the skull his finger moves, leading Tommy to hack him up.
C: EVIL IS IMMORTAL - Jason came back from the dead at the beginning of the film, so he was at this point undead or something. Assuming Tommy killed him, there's still his influence with Tommy staring evilly at the screen at film's end.
Rule #10 - The Sequel Will Be Bigger/More Formulaic
The third in the series. It is set the day after Part 2.
A: THEY WILL FOLLOW THE RULES MORE - On a simplistic scale, it is the most formulaic film in the series so far - with a perfect score. That said, it does play with the formula with a false survivor girl and the first unequivocal male survivor.
B: THEY WILL BE MORE FORMULAIC - The camp counselor thing is still gone. Killing young people remains, but there were a bunch of really random kills. Jason does retains his hockey mask and becomes clear undead.
C: THERE WILL BE MORE T&A - Lots of boobs and butts, the most so far, even without count the footage from the stag film. More characters shown, but one character in Part 2 shows a little more than any individual in this film.
D: MORE AND BIGGER DEATHS - One more death then part 3 the previous record holder. About on par in "size" of deaths.
Results
The film is a little lost and mixed up, with long assumed dead characters reappearing, but it does follow or partially follow all the rules.
The following rules were followed: 1, 2, 3, 4. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
The following rules were partially followed: 5, 8.
~ DUG.
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