"Look at how old this s**t is. It's like it was dragged here from another century."
If you want to know about American social history and the changes in Hollywood film-making since 1980, all you need to do is watch the Friday the 13th franchise in chronological order. There is nothing inherently wrong with the idea of a re-make using elements from the first three films - although it is a slightly disorientating experience for long-time fans - and there is real potential for a terrific 2009 film to move the franchise forwards, but this film mostly fails to deliver. In this Extended Cut, a couple of the kills are indeed nastier than the theatrical version and bring much-needed gore appeal to what seemed quite a tame entry, in spite of this incarnation of Jason being rather more spritely and enthusiastic than in recent incarnations. Of all the big horror franchises, the early Friday the 13th movies really do show their age and low-budget origins, now downgraded to 15 certificates and appearing almost quaint. Yet by making the characters the same booze-weed-sex-obsessed dimwits as their 80s counterparts, this year's cast seem rather unconvincing and out-of-place, and Jared Padalecki demonstrates his acting range by creating a 'completely different' character to his starring Supernatural role - by growing his hair slightly longer. Some of the set pieces are efficient, such as the toolshed and the initial exploration of Jason's hut (although I'm still wondering what happened to the speedboat...). The very dimly-lit second half still remains muddled and plays less even well on DVD than it did in cinemas. Perhaps the worst aspect of the 2009 model is that it doesn't really feel like a Friday the 13th film - it needed more than digital blood and satnav to truly bring it into the 21st Century. The DVD extras are repetitive, although the alternate/deleted scenes are of minor interest. Maybe Friday The 13th Part 2, scheduled for Friday 13th August 2010, will put the franchise back on track - but then, don't we say that hopefully with every new horror sequel?
If you want to know about American social history and the changes in Hollywood film-making since 1980, all you need to do is watch the Friday the 13th franchise in chronological order. There is nothing inherently wrong with the idea of a re-make using elements from the first three films - although it is a slightly disorientating experience for long-time fans - and there is real potential for a terrific 2009 film to move the franchise forwards, but this film mostly fails to deliver. In this Extended Cut, a couple of the kills are indeed nastier than the theatrical version and bring much-needed gore appeal to what seemed quite a tame entry, in spite of this incarnation of Jason being rather more spritely and enthusiastic than in recent incarnations. Of all the big horror franchises, the early Friday the 13th movies really do show their age and low-budget origins, now downgraded to 15 certificates and appearing almost quaint. Yet by making the characters the same booze-weed-sex-obsessed dimwits as their 80s counterparts, this year's cast seem rather unconvincing and out-of-place, and Jared Padalecki demonstrates his acting range by creating a 'completely different' character to his starring Supernatural role - by growing his hair slightly longer. Some of the set pieces are efficient, such as the toolshed and the initial exploration of Jason's hut (although I'm still wondering what happened to the speedboat...). The very dimly-lit second half still remains muddled and plays less even well on DVD than it did in cinemas. Perhaps the worst aspect of the 2009 model is that it doesn't really feel like a Friday the 13th film - it needed more than digital blood and satnav to truly bring it into the 21st Century. The DVD extras are repetitive, although the alternate/deleted scenes are of minor interest. Maybe Friday The 13th Part 2, scheduled for Friday 13th August 2010, will put the franchise back on track - but then, don't we say that hopefully with every new horror sequel?
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