14 Reasons 'Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan' Could Be Enjoyable
Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is enjoyable if…
1) You’ve never been to New York in your life and because you are so curious and you cannot get enough about the great city through news and TV documentaries you felt that watching this movie would be an interesting and fun experience. Oh yeah, you easily assume the movie was predominantly filmed on location in New York.
2) You are the kind of person who enjoys supernatural horror stuff and you felt that such cinematic elements would spice up the slasher horror style the Friday films used for so long. Along the way, you enjoyed watching the very pretty Rennie Wickham (Jensen Daggett) in those supernatural scenes. Maybe you found Jason’s teleportation look super cool on screen.
3) You regret that your high school class (or you and your teenage friends) never experienced the fun of sailing/cruising together on a ship that has lots of amenities and facilities ideal for enjoyment. Sure the SS Lazarus is no Titanic but with clever editing, it looked bigger than it actually was and who can forget those shots of students partying, dancing, watching a boxing match, enjoying the view, and more? After watching the movie, you can only imagine you and your friends enjoying a sauna, having dinner together in a classy on-ship restaurant, drinking at a bar, getting a massage, working out in a gym, spending hours watching TV while lying on that comfortable bed, etc.
4) You love looking at young and pretty people. What guy or lesbian could resist looking at how young and pretty actresses Jensen Daggett, Sharlene Martin and Kelly Hu were back then? As for the young guys, there are several for ladies and gay men to admire. After admiring their charm, you would eventually wish that your favorite pretty actors would somehow survive and still look good at the end.
5) You’re tired of the summer camp setting. The summer camp setting is best defined by the Friday series when it comes to horror films and by the time Part VIII was released, a lot of viewers have seen killings in the woods or in the cabin or in the tent, victims running away only to be chased closely by Jason who’s just walking, and more. True, Part VIII left the summer camp environment for New York, although the viewer’s trip was more focused on the ship.
6) You love to see people fight or struggle with Jason who only proves to be invulnerable or almost inescapable. With the ship setting, at least some variety was added.
7) You love the 1980s. Apart from the fashion and trends of the era, you remember there was a time when the Internet was not publicly accessible, no high-definition viewing was available, no smartphone and tablets were used, etc.
8) You cannot sleep at night and want to watch a movie that just might relax you in one way or another. True Part VIII is cheaply made and its execution is not exactly memorable but ultimately it is far from being a boring movie. Some people struggling with sleep difficulty tend to find satisfaction on watching certain things like action, stunts, horror, etc. Granted, if you can find what you’re looking for in Part VIII and get your fill of it, you would feel relaxed and just drift away to sleep with that sense of satisfaction.
9) You have nothing good to watch at home but want some “serviceable” entertainment, Part VIII can easily fill in the void. Jason, pretty teenagers, New York, horror, action, music video-influenced scenes, 1980s culture and trends…there’s a lot to see in Part VIII.
10) You want to get into film. Part VIII’s production values are not too high nor was its direction any good but if you’re aspiring to be a filmmaker and want to test your creativity and concepts through the low-budget aspect of filmmaking, then this movie could be a useful reference for learning. Imagine watching the film scene-by-scene, then you analyze how the scenes were done and ask yourself “What had I directed with this idea in my head?” many times as you watch.
11) You are mad at your strict, moralistic or overbearing guardian or parent. By watching Rennie’s uncle, you’ll really be pissed and by the time he comes to an end on-screen you might feel delighted. Oh yes, in the short scenes showing Jason chasing the uncle, you might as well root for Jason to get rid of him.
12) You dream of having a wild misadventure in New York someday. There is nothing like getting chased by Jason in the sewer or watching him get punched by an athletic guy on the rooftop or getting chased through a running train. Part VIII sure had some interesting concepts.
13) You are tired of today’s horror films. As time passes, methods and standards change and along the way people who enjoyed certain “traditions” from their past get alienated with the modern stuff. Several moviegoers who enjoyed horror films in the 1980s admitted to me that modern-day horror films don’t scare or interest them much. Good thing Friday movies of decades ago are still available on DVD, Blu-ray and cable TV.
14) You just love seeing Jason standing and then walking in Times Square. Nuff said.
