Jason's 3D-Less Encounter With Vera

Vera's death in Friday the 13th Part 3 is probably one of the most recognized scenes in franchise history. The use of 3D to show the harpoon arrow fly directly into the camera, and into the audience, was a promotional staple of Part 3. Ultimately, Vera paid the price by taking the arrow in the eye. However, what would this scene have looked like without the 3D gimmick put to use?

While researching Michael Avalone's book, published in 1982, we came across a great section of the book that deals with this particular scene. Remember, the book is based off of the original script created for the film, but ultimately edited down to what audiences saw on screen. Below is an excerpt directly from the book that shows Vera being killed in a slightly different manner than what fans witnessed in the film! Needless to say, without the addition of 3D, Jason preferred a closer proximity.

From Michael Avallone's Book:

“That’s just great!” she said aloud to no one in particular.

Sighing, she took off her shoes and plunged into the water, diving after the billfold, hell, she owed that much to Shelly

She paddled around in the shallows, searching with her hands. Then she cut underwater, holding her breath, and looked further down. The water was dark and murky. She had to rise periodically to store up oxygen again. Now she submerged deeper than on her previous attempts. She had no idea how deep the water was here. But she had to go further out, too. The billfold was light and could have dropped further out as it sank. Air bubbles marked her progress. She wound up a good distance from shore, and she always came up empty-handed.

She couldn’t find the damn thing. What lousy luck!

On the dock, now as she looked back, she spied a dark figure. She could see the while mask and the spear-gun held aloft. She waved to the figure, shouting at the top of her voice, “Hey—I dropped your wallet! I’m sorry She began to swim back for the shore, giving up the hunt. The figure nodded, waiting. Poor Shelly—always a loser, she thought.

Using a smooth breast stoke, Vera reached the dock in no time at all. And lo and behold, barely two yards from the platform, she spotted the leather wallet, floating on the surface. She grabbed at it eagerly, happy at heart, treading water Then she held it triumphantly above her head for Shelly to see. “I found it!”

Vera reached the dock edge and looked up from the water, only to find the spear-gun leveled right at her head. She was literally looking up its barrel. The masked face above the gun was now some­thing out of Nightmare Alley.

“What’re you doing.. . ?“ she began to murmur, shocked. And then utter panic took over all of her senses and reflexes. “Who are you?”

This couldn’t be Shelly. Shelly wouldn’t point his spear-gun at her.

She never heard the trigger depress, or heard the click of the powerful air propulsion.

The world exploded and kaleidoscoped with one roaring rush of violence. The barbed arrow, the deadly spear, penetrated swiftly into Vera’s skull, all in one lighting-like split second.

But even as her dying body sank beneath the waters of Crystal Lake, there was an expression of disbelief etched on her lovely face, frozen for nil time and all eternity.

Blood slowly seeped to the surface of the water. Red bubbles came up, too, tiny circles of death.

The monster known as Jason stared down for a long time at the place where she had submerged. His ragged breathing sounded more hoarsely than ever. It was so easy to kill once you got into the habit.. .

This had been perhaps the easiest kill of all.